Forbidden
by remusslupinn
Summary: In an alternate universe, Olivia Pope is a college student attending Yale University. She had always been fiercely dedicated to her academics and nothing else. Never in a million years would she have imagined that taking a certain Political Science class would change her life forever.
1. International Politics 475

"Abby, hurry up in there, it's my bathroom too! I'm going to be late!" Olivia shouted, pounding on the bathroom door. "Okay, just give me a sec. I'm almost done!" Abby shouted back. Olivia rolled her eyes and waited a few more moments before Abby opened the door. Her hair and makeup looked perfect as always, and Kerry was beginning to understand why. She took _forever_ to get ready.

She and Abby had become best friends during their freshman year, living just down the hall from each other in their dorm. Now, however, since the University didn't require sophomores to live in the dorms, they rented an apartment together on campus. "How do I look?" Abby asked happily. "Wonderful. Now can I please use the bathroom?" Olivia asked. Abby nodded and stepped aside, allowing her entrance to the bathroom.

Olivia started to put on her makeup, talking to Abby as she got ready. "So what classes do you have today again?" Abby yelled from her bedroom, gathering all her books. "I just have International Politics today, thank god. Having three classes yesterday really sucked" Olivia answered. "That class still sounds hard, Liv," Abby said. "It probably will be, I've heard the professor is tough," Olivia said. "What's the professor's name? I'll look them up on _RateMyProfessors_ " Abby suggested.

"Professor...Grant, I think" Olivia said, trying to remember the name that appeared on her schedule. "First name?" Abby asked, typing away on her computer. "Uh...it started with an F I'm pretty sure. Kinda long, not very common" Olivia said, not quite sure. "Let me see...here's a Debra Grant...William Grant...Oh, here, it must be this guy. Fitzgerald Grant" Abby said.

"Yep, that's the one," Olivia said. "Oh, he's _the third_ " Abby said, sounding impressed. "Huh?" Olivia asked with a laugh. "Fitzgerald Grant _III_ ," Abby said, clarifying. "Oh, wow there's three of them. So what's his rating?" Olivia asked. "Hmm...he's a 4.6 out of 5. Not bad at all. 87% said they would take his class again. Oh...but the class difficulty level is 4.8 out of 5" Abby said. Olivia sighed. "Great" she mumbled.

"Hey, don't sweat it. You're a 4.0 student, you'll be just fine. I'm sure you could ace this class in your sleep" Abby said, coming to stand in the doorway. "Thanks, Abby. I hope you're right" Olivia replied. "I am. I _always_ am. Now, I better go Liv. Philosophy of Law awaits! See you at lunch!" Abby exclaimed. "Yep, see you then!" Olivia replied. She couldn't help but laugh at her friend's love for her Pre-Law major. Technically Olivia's major was political science, but she could definitely see herself going to Law School after college, too.

She wasn't quite sure yet, but she knew she wanted to do big things in her future. She finished getting ready as quickly as possible, fearing that her chat with Abby had put her even more behind schedule. She glanced at her watch, which read 10:37. Class started at 11:00, so she knew she needed to get going. She ran to her room and put her laptop and textbook in her backpack before slinging it over her shoulders. And off she went on the second day of her sophomore year at Yale.

She got to the lecture hall at 10:54, thankful that she wasn't late. She chose a spot in one of the middle rows next to a shy looking girl. "Hi, I'm Olivia," she said with a little wave. The girl turned nervously to look at her, attempting a wave back. "Hi. My—my name...is Madison" she said quietly. "Nice to meet you, Madison" Olivia replied happily. Madison just nodded and looked down at her lap. Olivia got the sense she didn't want to talk much, so she took out her laptop and got everything situated. Olivia didn't pay much attention to the professor as he walked in from one of the side doors.

Everyone began to quiet down as he started to write on the board. Olivia sensed the silence and looked up from her computer. She watched him neatly write "International Politics 475" on the chalkboard. She eyed him up and down from behind, thinking that he wasn't really what she was expecting. For some reason, she had pictured an older, larger man with gray hair, but this man was nothing like that. He looked young for a professor, maybe mid-thirties. He was slim, yet muscular, and had curly brown hair. "Alright let's get started, shall we?" He said, his deep voice traveling around the large room.

He turned around and scanned the auditorium, making eye contact with students here and there. "I'm professor Grant, and I will be conducting this special year-long Political Science Course. My email is on the syllabus, as well as my office hours and my phone number. You may choose to contact me in any way you please, just note that I will not respond to your drunk texts on Friday nights" he said. Laughter filled the auditorium, which Olivia joined in on. "And yes, I am speaking from experience. It has happened many times before, and undoubtedly will happen again" he said, which resulted in even more laughter. "Alright, why don't you all pull up the syllabus so we can go through it together," he said.

There was rustling in the auditorium as everyone pulled out their laptops. Olivia, already having hers out, took the time to watch the professor. He paced across the front of the lecture hall with his hands in his pockets, looking down at the floor. She noticed his sleeves were rolled up, which differed from all the other male professors she'd ever had. Everyone here was always extremely formal, but he didn't seem to care. For some reason, he interested her. She couldn't see his face very well because of how far away she was from him, but she felt oddly drawn to him and she was not at all sure why.

Olivia was the type of student that always went to introduce herself to the professor on the first day of class, but she felt panic arise in her at the thought of going to meet him. She had no idea what the hell was going on with her. She rarely got scared of anything, especially meeting one of her professors. That's just something students can't be afraid of in college. If she wanted to do well, especially at a school like Yale, she needed to be able to interact with her professors. She decided she would push aside whatever was scaring her and go introduce herself once class was over.

They went over the syllabus and he talked a bit about his background. He was born in California into a very political family, hence his love for the class he taught. He shared that his father, Fitzgerald Grant II, had served two terms as governor and four as a senator, which had many of the students in awe. He didn't talk much about himself, which Olivia found a little odd. He only discussed his family, and his decision to come teach here at Yale two years ago.

"Alright, I will see you all on Thursday. Come prepared. Dismissed" he announced, unclipping his mic from his dress shirt. He walked back to his desk and started gathering his things before the small line of students began to form beside him. Olivia couldn't believe it had been fifty minutes already. She could have listened to him talk for hours, not knowing how much time was passing by. She packed up her things and walked down the stairs, getting into the line to meet him. He spent a good amount of time with each student who had come to introduce themselves, which she admired.

As the line became shorter and shorter, she got increasingly more nervous. It appeared that there wasn't a class after this one, as there were no students filing into the vast, empty lecture hall. She glanced behind her, expecting to see a couple more students, but found nobody there. _Great,_ she thought. _Of course, I'm the last one._ When the student in front of her said goodbye to the professor, she slowly stepped forward. "Hi, I'm Olivia," she said. He extended out his hand and looked at her intently. "Hi, Olivia. It's very nice to meet you" he replied with a smile, shaking her hand. She looked at him for the first time up close, taking in every detail. How blue his eyes were, how tall he was, how there seemed to be one unruly curl that rested on his forehead.

She pushed her thoughts aside and smiled back at him, hoping he hadn't noticed her staring. "Yes, it's nice to meet you too," she said. "So is this class a requirement for you or are you just taking it as an elective?" he asked. "Requirement, but don't get me wrong, I _did_ actually want to take it," she said, which made him laugh. "Well that's wonderful, I appreciate your enthusiasm. What's your major?" he asked curiously. "Political science" she replied. "I figured. What year are you, junior, senior?" he asked. "I'm a sophomore, actually," she said, feeling herself blush a little bit. "Oh, wow. Usually, all I ever get are juniors and seniors in this class" he said, clearly impressed. "I know, that's what my advisor told me too. But, I like a challenge" she said with a smile. "I'm glad to hear it. I will personally make sure that this class challenges you, Olivia" he said happily, at which she smiled.

They talked for almost half an hour, just the two of them in the big auditorium. She learned that he had also attended Yale for his undergrad, followed by Harvard Law school. She had to admit, she was impressed. She looked at her watch, realizing that she had to go to if she didn't want to be late for lunch with Abby. "Well, unfortunately, I probably should get going. I actually have lunch plans. Thank you, Professor Grant. It truly was a pleasure meeting you" she said. "The pleasure was mine," he said, extending out his hand again. She felt his large hand wrap around her little one. He seemed to linger there for a moment, before finally letting go.

She gave him a smile and walked out of the door, leaving him alone in the big auditorium. As she walked out of the building, she replayed their meeting over in her head. Thank god she had mustered up the courage to meet him because he was by far her favorite professor already. He was incredibly kind and actually seemed to _care_. She couldn't wait until Thursday.

* * *

"So how was the scary professor today?" Abby asked at lunch. Olivia smiled. "Actually...not scary at all. We talked for almost thirty minutes after class today" she said. Abby looked up at her. "Why?" Abby asked. "Well, I went to introduce myself, but we just kept talking. His father was a governor _and_ a senator. How cool is that? And he went here too, along with _Harvard Law!_ I don't know he was just...interesting" Olivia said casually, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Well sounds like you had a fun class, Liv. Okay, so guess what Quinn told me today" Abby said, leaning in closer. Olivia rolled her eyes, getting ready to listen to drama that she didn't care about. She found herself tuning Abby out and thinking about him. _My god, Olivia. Snap out of it_ , she thought. But she couldn't. There was just something about him, something that pulled her in. She tried to set her thoughts aside and listen to Abby, who was telling some insane story about the crazy boys down the hall from them, Huck and Harrison. No matter how hard she tried, her mind always seemed to come back to him.

* * *

Fitz sat on his couch, watching TV and drinking scotch. He sighed, looking around at his sad, empty apartment. While he lived in one of the nicest apartment complexes in town, it still didn't quite feel like home to him. Although, no place really felt like home to him anymore. Certainly not his house in Santa Barbara that now belonged to his ex-wife. He downed the last of his drink and shut off the TV, heading to his bedroom. It was only nine o'clock, but he had nothing else to do but go to bed. He kept thinking about the student he had met today. Olivia. He knew he should _not_ be thinking about a student, but he most definitely was.

She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen in his life. Everything about her was etched into his memory. In all honesty, she was just a kid, but she didn't act her age at all. She was sophisticated. Elegant. She carried herself with grace and class, and he couldn't wait to see her again. He silently condemned himself for entertaining the thought of simply seeing her again when he knew it was incredibly wrong of him. He sighed deeply. It was going to be a long year.


	2. Professor Grant

Olivia awoke to the sound of her alarm, quickly shutting it off so the incredibly annoying beeping would stop. She smiled when she remembered that it was Thursday. She would get to see _him_ again. The man she hadn't stopped thinking about for the last two days.

She got up and took a quick shower before Abby could get in the bathroom. She had been smart enough to take all of her things into her bedroom yesterday so she could get ready there, rather than wait for Abby to be done in the bathroom. She truly did take forever. But, she loved living with Abby and wouldn't trade it for the world. They were best friends, and she didn't want it any other way.

Olivia got ready quickly, very excited to go back to what had already become her favorite class. International Politics 475. Today would actually be the first day of lecture, since Tuesday was just syllabus day. He had told them all to be prepared for class today, so she had done all the required reading _twice_ , making sure she was ready.

It seemed easy enough to start with. The beginning units were on The United States, so much of the information was not new to her. "I'll see you later, Liv!" Abby exclaimed, peeking in her doorway. Olivia looked down at her watch. "Wow, you're leaving on time today?" she teased. "Shut up!" Abby yelled behind her. " _Bye_ , Abby!" Olivia said with a laugh. She realized she needed to get going too, so she grabbed her things and headed for the door.

When she got to the lecture hall, she noticed the professor was already there, standing behind his podium. He was looking down at what she assumed were his notes for the day's lecture. She chose a seat a bit closer to the front, wanting to be able to see him and the board better than last time. Students were still filing in and finding their seats, as they still had a couple minutes until 11:00.

She couldn't help but stare at him as he looked intently at his notes. He bit his lip as he flipped through the pages, occasionally writing something down here and there. She watched his left hand glide across the paper as he wrote, and looked for a wedding ring. There wasn't one. _Why on earth is he not married?_ she thought. She shook her head, knowing it was none of her business and she shouldn't concern herself with it _._

He finally looked up and scanned the room, before his eyes met hers. She quickly looked down, pretending to look at something on her phone. Her heart was beating out of her chest. She knew he had seen her looking at him, and she felt like a stupid teenager trying to hide it. "Alright, everyone. Welcome back. How's everyone doing today?" he asked. He received murmurs of "good" and "fine" in response. "That bad, huh?" he asked. Laughter spread around the auditorium.

"Well, you all better perk up because today we're talking about the United States!" he exclaimed. Olivia had to hold back her laugh at his sarcastic enthusiasm. "C'mon guys. This is the part where you cheer" he said. A few fake cheers traveled through the crowd of students, which he seemed to find amusing. "Thank you. I feel _so_ much better now" he said with a laugh. "Okay, someone tell me whom the director of the FBI reports to," he said. "Yes," he said, calling on a student in the front row. "The Attorney General," the boy said.

"Excellent," the professor said. "And who appoints the Attorney General?" he asked. He scanned the students raising their hands, and his eyes landed on her. "Yes, Olivia," he said. Her heart fluttered when he said her name. He had remembered. "The President of the United States," she said confidently. He smiled and nodded. "Very good" he responded.

"This wasn't in your reading, but I have asked this question the last two years at the beginning of the semester, and nobody has ever gotten it correct. Does anyone know who the first Attorney General of the United States was?" he asked. He was met with silence until she spoke up. "Edmund Randolph," she said. He looked at her with the biggest smile on his face. " _Finally_. Thank you, Olivia" he said.

She felt eyes on her from all around the lecture hall, but she took it as a compliment. She was making her presence known in this class. She may have been the youngest person in that auditorium of over 300 students, but she was _not_ to be underestimated.

"Okay, great class today. I expect you all to be ready to go again on Tuesday. Don't do anything stupid this weekend. Dismissed" he said, many of the students laughing at his comment about doing something stupid. The professor, of course, knew that most likely everyone in the room would do something stupid this weekend. It was their first weekend back in college, and the first weekend was always a crazy one.

Olivia gathered her things and started walking down the stairs towards the door. She stole glances at him as she walked, wishing she could just talk to him again. She sighed, and turned her attention back to the people in front of her. They were moving so incredibly slow. "Olivia, could I speak to you for a moment?" a voice from the front of the auditorium said. She could've sworn that everyone in the room could hear her heart beating. She turned and saw him standing behind the podium, leaning his arms on it for support. She casually walked over to him, trying not to show her immense happiness.

"Nice job today," he said with a smile. She could feel her cheeks burning red already. "Oh...thank you, Professor Grant" she replied. "How did you know the answer to that question?" he asked curiously. She laughed, putting her hand over her mouth. "What?" he asked, laughing slightly. "Nothing, it's just...kind of lame. I sort of have a thing for trivia" she said, feeling incredibly embarrassed. "You're kidding!" he exclaimed. "Nope. No, I am...not kidding, unfortunately" she said. "Oh my god. You should check out Oak Haven then! They have trivia night every Saturday. All topics. Insanely hard. I bet you'd love it" he said.

"Really? Wow, that's right up my alley" she said with a laugh. "Well, I'm sure there are much more fun ways for you to spend your Saturday night, but if you ever wanted to check it out, it always starts at nine," he said. "I'll definitely keep that in mind, thank you," she said happily. "Of course. Well, I better get going, I have a meeting I need to go to. How boring, right?" he asked. "Oh, definitely. Sounds awful" she joked.

They walked out of the lecture hall together, making small talk before they had to part ways. "Again, great job today," he said. "Thank you" she replied, blushing. He gave her a little wave, to which she returned. She watched him walk away towards his car, with a briefcase slung over his shoulder and a coffee mug in hand. "Wow," she said aloud to herself, standing in the middle of the sidewalk. He was...something. She shook her head and headed back to her apartment, trying to drown out her thoughts of him.

* * *

"Do you wanna go out to dinner tonight?" Abby asked, as they laid on the living room floor doing homework together. "Sure, where?" Olivia asked. "I don't know...some new place on 37th. Quinn just texted me, asking if we wanted to meet her there in an hour" Abby said. "Sounds fun. I need a break from homework anyway. My brain's fried" Olivia said, turning over to lay on her back.

"Jeez, what subject?" Abby asked. "International Politics" Olivia answered. "Oh! The class with the scary, genius professor guy" Abby exclaimed. Olivia laughed. "Professor Grant. Yes" she said. Olivia looked up at the ceiling and sighed. _Professor Grant_. The man that had constantly been occupying her mind lately. The man who she had _just_ met two days ago. The man who was her _professor_. "I'm going to go get ready," Olivia said, thinking maybe that would help get him out of her head.

"Yeah, I probably should too. Leave in half an hour?" Abby asked. "Yes, ma'am" Olivia replied, heading to her room. She decided to dress up a little more than usual. She put on some dark skinny jeans and her favorite white blouse. She pulled on some cute boots and made sure she liked how her hair looked. She eyed herself in the mirror, thinking she looked pretty good. She spent the rest of her time fixing her makeup before they had to go. "Ready Liv?" Abby shouted from her room. "Yep," she responded. They headed out the door, going to meet Quinn.

"It's called _what?_ " Abby repeated into the phone. "Ohh. Three Sheets. Sorry, I heard 'Mean Feet'. Okay...Oh, I see it. Alright, we're almost there. Yep, bye" Abby said into the phone once more. "She said she's at a booth in the back left corner," Abby said, turning towards Olivia. Olivia nodded in response. They walked into the little bar and restaurant and found it to be extremely crowded. "Jesus, why is it so busy?" Abby asked loudly. "Well, it is _new_ , right?" Olivia pointed out. "Good point" Abby responded.

"Oh, I see Quinn. Follow me" Olivia said, just about to turn the corner. "See, she's right over—Oof!". "Oh, I'm so sorry, miss. Are you okay?" a familiar voice rang out. She looked up, shocked at who she had just run into. "Oh my god. Olivia?" he asked, just as shocked. "Oh, hi...Professor Grant. Sorry about that" she said. "No worries, my fault," he said, looking down at her. She stared at him, not believing that he was actually standing in front of her yet again.

He looked amazing. He was wearing jeans and a more casual dress shirt, with his sleeves rolled up as usual. She realized she was staring and cleared her throat, finally finding her words. "Um—Abby, this is Professor Grant. Professor Grant, this is my friend Abby" she said, hoping she hadn't made it too awkward. "Hi, there. Your friend here is my best student already" he said with a smile, gesturing towards Olivia. "See, I told you not to be worried, Liv!" Abby exclaimed.

Olivia blushed and looked down. "So what brings you two here?" he asked. "We just came to meet our friend, Quinn, over there. She said this was a great new place" Abby said happily. "Well, I hope you all have more fun than I'm having. I'm just here with a couple of the other professors in the department over there, they're a little boring I must say. They made me come get drinks" he joked, gesturing towards the bar. She laughed, thinking how weird it would be to see her professor drinking. "Well, don't let me keep you. I hope you two have a fun night. I'll watch where I'm going next time" he teased. "Nice to meet you, Abby," he said. "Likewise," Abby said.

Olivia smiled and waved goodbye to him. As they walked towards the booth Quinn was at, Abby elbowed her in the side. " _That_ was Professor Grant?" Abby asked in awe. Olivia could barely think straight, still a little bit shocked that she had actually physically run into him. "Uh yeah—yeah that was him" she responded. "Holy mother of god," Abby said. "What?" Olivia asked. "You went on and on about his dad and where he went to school but you failed to mention he looked like _that?_ " Abby said.

"I don't—I—what do you mean?" Olivia asked, although she knew exactly what her friend meant. "Liv, are you kidding? He's gorgeous" Abby said. "He has—nice...features, yes" Olivia admitted. Abby rolled her eyes. "Oh, Liv," she said, shaking her head. Olivia looked behind her, trying to find him again in the crowd. Her eyes finally landed on him standing by the bar, but he was already looking at her.

This time, unlike earlier today in class, she didn't look away. He gave her a soft smile, which she returned. He was interrupted when the bartender got his attention, undoubtedly asking him what he wanted. She forced herself to turn away too, focusing her attention back to her friends. "Hey ladies!" Quinn said enthusiastically. "Hey Quinn," they said back in unison.

Throughout the entire night, Olivia stole glances at him across the restaurant. He was with two older looking men and one younger woman who looked to be in her thirties. She actually felt a twinge of jealousy over the woman, which she thought was completely ridiculous of her. She tried to keep herself distracted by listening to her friends, but all they talked about was drama that she didn't care the slightest bit about.

When they finally left that night at about ten, she looked at him before she headed out of the restaurant. He looked over at her as she and her friends left and gave her a little wave with his fingers, clearly trying to be discreet about it in front of his colleagues. Her heart fluttered. She returned a little wave, hoping her friends hadn't realized either. They hadn't. _Oh my god_ , she thought. She had tried to ignore the obvious attraction she felt toward him, and she had tried to distract herself. But now it was too late. She was into him. Her professor. "Fuck" she mumbled under her breath.


	3. Trivia Night

A few weeks had passed by since her first week of class. She had gotten used to her new schedule and even made some new friends. She and Quinn were becoming closer, and the crazy boys down the hall from them, Huck and Harrison, seemed pretty fun too. Abby had already tried to set her up with Harrison, which she immediately turned down. He seemed like a nice boy, but ever since her breakup last year with Edison, she wasn't really looking to date anyone.

However, there _was_ a man she couldn't keep her eyes off or keep out of her mind; Professor Grant. Or, as Abby liked to call him; _Professor Dreamy_. She had gotten to know him a lot better these past few weeks; they always talked after class and walked out together. She found it surprising that he seemed to enjoy her company so much. She was just a student, after all, not a friend or colleague that was actually his age. But, he didn't seem to care. He always waited for her to come down after class and talk, and it had started to become the highlight of her week.

She stopped by Starbucks on her way to class, something she had started to do every Thursday. Sort of like a treat for herself. When she got to class, she looked up at the podium, pleased to see him already there. He waved to her like normal, and she gave him a little wave back before sitting in her usual spot in the third row. His class always went by insanely fast for her, undoubtedly because it was her favorite one.

She truly could listen to him talk all day, his voice was incredibly soothing. It was also deep, and she had to admit, sexy. At the end of class, he packed up his things and walked around to the front of his podium, leaning against it as he waited for her. She slung her backpack over her shoulders and went to join him in the front of the room. "What kind of coffee you got there?" he asked. "Not coffee, actually. Tea. I don't like coffee" she replied. "Oh, wow. I'm quite the opposite, I must say. Although, you probably have noticed that" he said with a laugh, gesturing towards his coffee mug on the desk beside him.

She nodded. He always had it with him. "I have!" she exclaimed. They continued to chat as they walked out together. "I'll see you on Tuesday, Olivia," he said, smiling. "See you on Tuesday, Professor" she replied happily. "Ugh," she mumbled to herself as she walked away. The littlest things he did drove her absolutely insane. The way he bit his lip when he was concentrating, the soft smile he seemed to only give to her, the way he leaned towards her when they talked. He was amazing.

* * *

Fitz scrolled through his emails, annoyed at all the things he received from his colleague, Amanda Tanner. She was incredibly persistent with him, making it well known that she was into him. He, too, made it well known how he felt about her, but she didn't seem to get the message. Either that or she just kept trying, thinking his mind would somehow change. It was a Friday night, and he literally had nothing to do and nobody to talk to.

There was only one person he _wanted_ to talk to, but there was no way he could. She was his student, he couldn't exactly reach out to her. He hated the position he was in. It was awful. If he could turn off emotions, he would've done it the first day he met her. But, he couldn't do a damn thing about it, except watch her in a crowd of students two days a week, and talk to her after classes. And all the while, his feelings only continued to intensify. He sighed and shut his laptop with force, laying his head down on it. "Fuck" he mumbled.

* * *

"So what are you gonna do here all by yourself tonight?" Abby asked. "Oh, you know me. I'll probably just work on my paper or something" Olivia replied. "Alright. Well, don't just work all night okay? It's Saturday. Have some fun. Hang out with Quinn or the boys or something!" Abby exclaimed. "Yeah, maybe" Olivia replied. "I'll see you tomorrow!" Abby said. "Yep, see you then. Have fun at David's" Olivia responded. "Thanks!" she exclaimed, before shutting the door behind her.

It was the first night she had spent alone this year, and she knew it would be insanely boring. She looked at the clock. 8:24 pm. Well, it was way too early to go to bed, so she might as well actually work on her paper. She sighed and pulled it up on her laptop. While she loved International Politics, this paper was kicking her ass. She had tried many times to go to Professor Grant's office hours to get help, but there were always so many students in line that it was impossible to get a slot.

If only he knew how difficult he made her life. Always in her head, professor of the hardest class she took. Ugh. _Professor Grant_... _Professor Grant_. Wait...She knew what she could do. "New Haven? No...Old Haven? Hmm... _Oak_ Haven!" she exclaimed, remembering the name of the place he had told her. She looked it up on her laptop, seeing that it was only about a twenty-minute walk from her apartment. She quickly went to change into something a little warmer.

Before she even had a chance to second-guess herself, she left her apartment and headed for Oak Haven. She needed to get out and do something, and at least trivia was something she liked. _Abby would be so proud_ , she thought to herself.

* * *

As she looked up from the directions of her phone, she saw the brightly lit sign. She glanced at her watch. 8:58, just in time. As she entered the little bar and restaurant, the music instantly blared loudly throughout the place. There was a live band playing over in the corner next to the bar, and people were dancing in front of them. She immediately loved the place; it felt like a wedding reception. As she glanced around trying to find an empty table, she heard her name from behind her.

"Olivia?" the voice asked loudly above the music. She turned around and spotted him at a booth to her right. He was sitting with an older man, whom she recognized as one of the men he had drinks with at Three Sheets a few weeks ago. "Professor Grant?" she asked in shock. She walked over to their booth to talk with them. "You came," he said with the biggest smile on his face. "I did. I figured I should finally check out this famous trivia. Plus, I really didn't have much else to do besides work on my paper for _your_ class" she teased. He laughed. "Well, I'm glad. You won't be disappointed. Please, join us," he said, scooting over to allow her some room.

She sat down next to him, taking off her jacket. "Olivia, this is the head of the Poli Sci department, Cyrus Beene. Cyrus, this is one of my students, Olivia Pope" he said, introducing the two. Olivia and Cyrus shook hands, saying a polite hello to each other. She felt a little awkward sitting with the head of the department and her professor. She sensed that Professor Grant felt a little weird about it too, but she supposed he really had no choice but to invite her to sit with them since she was alone. They all chatted together as they began the first round of trivia.

She warmed up to Cyrus right away, who it appeared could go on and on about politics. She would occasionally look over at her professor sitting next to her. He seemed to be enjoying himself, and she had to admit, she was too. She was glad she had decided to come out, after all. It was definitely better than doing homework. And he had been right, the trivia was insanely hard, but she had actually gotten a few questions right that the other two men hadn't had the slightest clue about. "I'm impressed, Ms. Pope," Professor Grant said so only she could hear. She smiled at him and felt herself blush.

"Well, I think I'm gonna head out," Cyrus said after the first round had concluded. "You're not going to stay for the second round?" Professor Grant asked. "No, I don't think so. Long week. But please, don't let me ruin your fun. I'll see you on Monday, Fitz?" Cyrus said. "Alright, I'll see you then. Have a good night, Cyrus" he responded. "You too. Very nice to meet you, Ms. Pope" Cyrus said as he stood up. "Nice to meet you too, Mr. Beene" she replied.

She thought back to what Cyrus had just called him. _Fitz_. To her, he was 'Professor Grant', but to everyone else, he was just...Fitz. She liked it. She found it sexy, but then again, she found everything about him sexy. "Well, you wanna stay for round two with me?" he asked. She smiled. "Sure" she replied casually, when in reality she was ecstatic. "So what did you think of Cyrus?" he asked. "He was...a little intense. But, obviously, very cool. I mean, come on. He comes out to drink and play trivia on a Saturday night. Definition of cool right there" she joked, which made him laugh. "So...by definition _I'm_ cool?" he asked. "I suppose, yes," she said with a laugh.

As the night went on, they seemed to get closer and closer to each other in the booth. She could've easily switched sides after Cyrus had left, but she didn't want to. She liked sitting next to him. As they hunched over the trivia tablet trying to decide on answers, their thighs gradually began to touch. When the band came back from their break to play again, the place went nuts. The crowd of people dancing became larger and the sound became louder. They literally had to talk into each other's ears just to hear what they were saying, which of course, had them leaning even closer to one another. "So you mentioned working on your paper. How's it been going?" he asked.

She could almost feel his lips against her ear as he spoke to her. She turned to him and leaned in close again. "It's going alright so far. I honestly feel like I could use some feedback, but every time I've come to your office hours, all the slots have been full," she said. "Just shoot me a text or an email. We'll find a time that works for you sometime this week. How's that sound?" he asked, his nose brushing against her cheek. She nodded. "Wow, really? That would be great. Thank you" she said gratefully. "No problem!" he said. "So, how come you're alone tonight? Where's your friend?" he asked. "Oh, Abby? She went to her boyfriend's house for the night. Well—not her boyfriend, I guess. They're just—a thing. I don't really know. Anyway, she's gone and I didn't want to spend the night alone and bored in my apartment" she said.

"I don't blame you. That's why I come here. Being alone is...hard. And boring, like you said" he said, taking a sip of his drink. She knew she was in a sticky situation, and probably shouldn't ask him to expand on what he had said, but she couldn't help herself. "So, you...live alone?" she asked, a little nervous about how he'd respond. He nodded. "I do. It has its perks for sure, but...it can be lonely. That's why I like this place. It's chaotic and crazy, something I never get at home," he said. "Yeah, I like this place too. I should've come check it out a long time ago," she admitted. "You should've," he said, leaning close to her again.

She felt his light breathing on the side of her face. "Well, maybe I'll have to come again next week," she said into his ear. He smiled. "Please do," he replied. Their faces were inches apart, she could literally see her reflection in his eyes. "Alright, everybody! That's it for round two. Congratulations to team 13, the winning team! See you all back here next Saturday. Oh and hey, how about a round of applause for the band?!" the trivia announcer said. Everybody clapped loudly for the band, who truly had been very good. "Have a great night everyone!" the announcer said again, before turning his mic off. "Well, looks like we have to go," he said, sounding a little disappointed.

"Yep," she sighed. She got up and he put down some cash for their drinks. "Oh, Professor Grant you don't have to do that. I can pay for my own drink," she said. "Olivia, it's lemonade, it's like $1.50," he said with a laugh. She sighed and smiled. "Well, thank you," she said. "Don't mention it," he replied happily. They walked out of the restaurant together and stopped on the sidewalk. "Which way is your car? I'll walk you there," he said.

"Oh, I actually walked here," she said simply. "You _walked_ here?" he asked. "Yes," she replied. He looked at her funny. "What? I like walking. Parking downtown is a hassle," She said with a laugh. "Fair enough. Well, can I offer you a ride home?" he said. "No, that's okay. Thank you though," she said. "Olivia, it's past 11:00 on a Saturday night. Please let me take you home, I wouldn't feel good about you walking home alone," he said. She contemplated it, and thought it would be relatively harmless. She sighed. "Are you sure?" She asked. "Of course. Here, come on. My car's over here," he said. She wondered if she should feel nervous about it. She had only known this man for a month. For all she knew, he could be a murderer. But, she had to trust her gut, and her gut told her that he was trustworthy.

They walked side by side making small talk until they reached his car. Her jaw about dropped when she saw him point the keys at an Audi R7, whose tail lights lit up in response. " _This_ is...your car?" She asked in awe. "Mhm. You like it?" he asked. "It's...wow—yeah. It's really nice," she said. "Why, thank you," he said with a smile, opening the passenger door for her. She touched the leather seats around her and saw the dash light up beautifully in front of her when he turned the key. She wondered how he could afford a car like this...professors didn't exactly make the most money.

He obviously had a job before he started teaching, so it must have paid well. She directed him to her apartment, occasionally glancing over at him as he drove. When he pulled into the parking lot of her apartment complex, she was honestly a little sad to be leaving him. "Well thank you so much for the ride," she said, unbuckling her seat belt. "Absolutely," he replied. "And I'll be in touch about my paper," she said as she opened the door and got out. "Sounds great. Oh, and Olivia..." he said, getting her attention before she shut the door. "I had a lot of fun with you tonight," he said. She smiled. "So did I," she replied. "Goodnight, Professor Grant," she said softly. "Goodnight, Ms. Pope".


	4. After Office Hours

She sat on the couch, typing out her email to Professor Grant the next morning.

It read:

 _Hello Professor Grant,_

 _I was hoping we could figure out a time for me to discuss my paper with you sometime this week. Any time that works best for you is perfect._

 _Thanks,_

 _Olivia Pope_

She decided it was sufficient and sent it before she could second-guess herself. She figured it would be a decent time to send it; 11:30 on a Sunday morning. She had considered sending him a text, but thought it was a bit too informal. She was about to get up to go to the bathroom when she heard a beep from her computer. He had already responded. She opened it eagerly, and read it.

 _Good morning, Olivia,_

 _Thanks for your email. Why don't you just come to my office after office hours end at 3. That way you don't have any time limit. Whichever day works best for you!_

 _F. G. III_

She thought about her schedule and realized she didn't have much to do this week, so she just decided to go with tomorrow.

 _Professor Grant,_

 _How about tomorrow?_

 _Olivia_

She waited for a response, figuring it wouldn't take long. It didn't.

 _Olivia,_

 _Sounds great. I'll see you tomorrow at 3:00._

 _F. G. III_

* * *

Her last class of the day ended at 2:00 on Mondays, so she had about an hour to kill. She decided to go sit in Starbucks and study for an exam she had on Friday. She ordered some hot tea and sat at a little table by the window, waiting patiently for the time to pass. She studied a fair share of material, feeling much better than she had before she got to Starbucks. When she saw that it was 2:45, she packed up her things and headed over to the building where his office was. She arrived and saw one of the students she recognized from her class sitting in his office with him.

She took a seat on the bench outside his office, happy that there were finally no students in line. It surprised her a little bit that he had offered to meet with her after his office hours were over, given that he would then have to stay longer than he needed to. Her thoughts were interrupted when his office door swung open. The boy walked out of his office and Professor Grant looked out into the hall, immediately spotting her. "Olivia, hi! Come on in" he said, gesturing inside.

He closed the door behind them and told her she could have a seat across from him at his desk. She admired his office. It was fairly large, and it had many beautiful pieces of art hung up on the walls. She also noticed his bachelor's degree from Yale, as well as his Law Degree from Harvard, hung up by the door. "How are you?" he asked. "I'm good, thanks! How are you?" she asked back. "Pretty good. I've been waiting patiently for you to get here. The student before you was here for an hour; he came with half a paragraph written, then told me he was 'stuck'" Professor Grant said with a laugh. "Oh well good, I feel a little better about myself now" she chuckled.

"Oh as if you need reassurance! I'm sure what you've got so far is amazing" he said, smiling. She felt herself blushing. "Well, I'll let you be the judge of that," she said, pulling out her laptop. "Yeah, let me read it," he said, getting up from his desk chair. He came to sit in the chair beside her and took her laptop from her, reading intently. She felt that familiar anxiety she always felt when she had to sit in silence as someone else read her writing. She looked down at her hands in her lap, examining her nails as the silence continued. He set the laptop on the desk and put it in the middle of them so they could both see it.

"This is a great start, Olivia. I really like the direction you're heading. I think right here..." he said, pointing to her second body paragraph, "here you need to tie your analysis back to your thesis a little better". "And then I think you could take this sentence out of your conclusion here. Remember, your conclusion should restate, but not contain any _new_ information" he said. Olivia nodded, trying to soak in every bit of advice he gave her. She needed an A on this paper. She needed an A in this _class_.

She reached across and began to make the necessary adjustments while they continued to further go through her paper. Despite the boring process of editing a paper, they had a lot of fun together.

* * *

Over two hours had passed since she first got there, and they were still at it. "Keep working, just give me a sec," he said, getting up from the chair. She nodded and worked on a specific paragraph while she saw him pick up his desk phone out of the corner of her eye.

"You like Ivy Wok?" he asked, beginning to dial a number. "Uh...yeah—yeah I do. Why?" she asked. "I'm ordering us food. What do you like there?" he asked, putting the phone to his ear. "Oh, I—you don't have to—". "Hi, yeah. Delivery, please. Mhm. Okay, so I'll do a Kung Pao Chicken, fried rice, a side of egg roles..." he turned to Olivia, waiting for her answer. "Uh—Sesame Chicken and...white rice," she said, still shocked that he was ordering them food. "And then Sesame Chicken and white rice" he finished. "Mhm. Yep, Woodbridge Hall. Off Wall Street. Okay, thanks so much. Yep, bye" he said, hanging up the phone. "It'll be here in twenty minutes," he said with a smile.

"You didn't have to order food for me! I feel so bad" she said. He looked at her funny. "Why? It's no big deal" he said casually, coming back to sit next to her again. She had to admit, she admired how he just took matters into his own hands. She had worried about taking up his free time, but he clearly wanted her to stay with him, otherwise he wouldn't have ordered her food. She laughed and shook her head at him. "Hey, no slacking, Ms. Pope. Let's get back to work" he teased, gesturing towards her computer. "Right, of course," she laughed, as they both continued to go through her paper.

* * *

"Sit tight," he said, grazing her back with his hand as he grabbed his wallet and left the room. She watched him walk out the door, looking his entire body up and down. Damn, he was something else. His dress shirt was the perfect fit, revealing just enough of his muscular build. And the rolled up sleeves he sported every day always seemed to get her. He was perfect. Her daydreaming was interrupted when he came back with their food.

He walked over and sat the bags down on the table by the sofa in his office. "Wanna take a break for awhile?" he asked, gesturing for her to join him. She nodded, thankful to get away from her computer screen. They sat down together on the sofa and he passed her food to her, which she had to admit, looked amazing. She didn't realize how hungry she actually was until she saw it all in front of her. "Thank god. I missed lunch today, I'm starving" he said, starting to eat. "Mm, me too," she said, suddenly incredibly thankful he had ordered food. As they ate, they chatted about light-hearted things like their favorite movies and bands, funny childhood stories, and even a little bit about their families. It was the most fun she'd had on a weeknight in as long as she could remember.

Usually, her weeknights were spent studying or doing homework, so it was a nice change of pace to just relax and talk with someone. She smiled and shook her head at him. "What?" he asked, looking at her intently. "Nothing it's just...it's nothing," she said, not sure how to word it. "No, what? Talk to me," he said. She could feel her cheeks begin to flush red. "It's just...you. You don't feel like—like my professor" she said. He gave her that soft smile of his that drove her insane. "What do I feel like?" he asked. "I don't...know. It just feels like...I've known you my whole life" she said.

She realized how close they had become. Their legs were touching, just as they had been a couple nights ago. "I feel the same way" he admitted. She smiled at him, happy that it wasn't just her. She was awful at picking up on things, but she was fairly sure that she was beginning to sense a vibe from him. Recently, it seemed that things had started to become flirtatious between them. Nothing major, but definitely there. Their language was much less formal with each other, they always seemed to want to be fairly close to one another, and they had started to spend more time together outside of class. She figured she was getting a bit ahead of herself, but that's just what she had started to feel.

She glanced up at the wall clock, which read 8:38. "Professor Grant," she said as they leaned against the back of the couch, facing each other. "Yes, Olivia" he replied. "I have been here for over five hours," she said, slightly laughing. He looked down at his watch. "Holy shit" he exclaimed. "Oh, sorry. I forgot I was with my student" he said with a laugh, covering his mouth jokingly. "I'm twenty years old, Professor Grant, I think I can handle a few swear words" she teased.

He looked at her, almost appearing a bit shocked. "What?" she asked. "Nothing. It's just...I feel so old. I forget how young you are. Not that you don't look young—you do. You look—um. Very...you're very pretty. I just mean...you're just so mature" he said, stumbling over his words. She couldn't help but laugh at his clear embarrassment. "I knew what you meant. And thank you" she said, referring to his compliment. He nodded. "And you shouldn't feel old. You're definitely _not_ " she added. He raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm thirty-six, Olivia. I am not _young_ " he said. "That isn't old. And plus, you look...a lot younger" she said. He shot her a smile. "You're too kind, Ms. Pope," he said. She smiled back at him and pulled out her phone from her back pocket. She saw four unread messages from Abby, that spanned throughout the night.

 _Liv, library tonight?_

 _...Liv..._

 _Where the hell are you?_

 _OLIVIA POPE ANSWER YOUR DAMN PHONE_

"Is everything okay?" he asked, looking intently at her as she read the messages. "Oh, yeah of course. I just better go, Abby is wondering where the hell I am" she said with a laugh. She sent her a text telling her she'd be home soon. "Oh, no problem. I'm sorry, time got carried away from me. I hope I didn't ruin any plans" he said concernedly. "No, not at all. Time got carried away from me too. This was fun" she said happily.

"It was," he said. He glanced out the window at the darkness. "It's dark out, let me walk you home," he said. She figured if she denied, he would just insist anyway. Plus, she wanted him to. He made her feel safe. "Sure, I'd like that" she replied. She packed up all her things and grabbed her backpack. She watched him put on his jacket, sling his briefcase over his shoulder, and grab his coffee mug. "Ready?" she asked. "Mhm," he replied.

They walked out of his building together into the cool night air. Side by side, arms touching, talking and laughing the whole way. It was only about a ten-minute walk from his office, but she cherished each minute. When they reached her apartment, she immediately felt sad at the thought of leaving him. "Thanks for walking me all the way here," she said gratefully. "It was my pleasure" he replied with a smile. "So how much do I owe you for the food?" she asked, reaching to grab her wallet. He put his hand on top of hers, stopping her. "That's on me," he said. "What? No, professor, really I can—". "Olivia" he interrupted. "I'm not taking your money," he said.

He slowly pulled his hand away, seemingly realizing he was still touching her. She sighed. "Alright well, thank you. And thanks for your help with my paper" she said. "Of course. If you have any more questions, just text me. It's easier than email" he said casually. "Okay. I'll...see you tomorrow?" she said. "Yep, see you tomorrow. Thanks for the fun evening, Ms. Pope" he said, starting to back away. "Thank _you_ " she replied, not taking her eyes off him. He gave her that little wave of his, which she returned. She walked inside, wishing she could just go back out. She wanted to feel his body touching hers again. His hand on hers again. She wanted it all.


	5. Lunch

"Jeez, it's about damn time" Abby teased as soon as Olivia walked in the door. Olivia laughed and took off her coat and set down her things in the living room. "Sorry I didn't see your messages sooner," Olivia said. "That's okay. Where were you?" Abby asked curiously. "I was working on my paper with Professor Grant" she explained. " _Oh_ , Professor _Dreamy"_ Abby exclaimed. "Ha. Ha. Very funny" Olivia said.

"So how was it? Did you finally get some good feedback?" Abby asked. "Yeah, I did. I feel a lot better about it. And...I actually had fun. I spent like five hours there" Olivia said casually. Abby raised an eyebrow at her. "Five hours to work on a paper?" Abby asked suspiciously. "Well, he also ordered us Ivy Wok. It was...really nice. _He's_ nice" Olivia said, smiling as she thought of him. Abby processed what she said, looking at her quizzically.

"Uh—he's _into_ you is what he is," Abby said. Olivia looked at her baffled. "What?" She asked. "Liv, come on. You two went out together on Saturday and now you're eating dinner together. In his office. For five hours" she said. Olivia stood there, not saying anything. The truth was, she had sensed something between them, but she had tried to dismiss it. Now that Abby was also pointing it out, it left her wondering. "See, you know I'm right," Abby said after Olivia's silence.

"Okay, we didn't go out together on Saturday. _I_ went out, and he happened to be there" Olivia said defensively. "Mhm, and then he bought your drink and drove you home after spending two hours with you," Abby said. Olivia smiled, unable to keep it in. "Oh god, Liv. Please don't tell me—are you...oh _my_ lord. You're into him too" Abby said, crossing her arms. "I am _not_!" Olivia interjected. "You _are!_ _Olivia Pope_ is hot for teacher, ladies and gentlemen! My best friend, the goody-goody, has a thing for the hot Professor!" Abby exclaimed, dancing around the living room. "I do _not_ have a thing for the hot prof—for Professor Grant!" she lied.

"Uh-huh. That's not what your face is saying" Abby said. Olivia could feel herself blushing and smiling, knowing that she was awful at hiding things. "Come on. Give it up, Liv. You like him" Abby said. She sighed. Given that she was a terrible liar and she didn't want to hide anything from her best friend anyway, she gave in. "...Fine. I do...like him" Olivia admitted. Abby nodded, clearly not surprised. "But it doesn't even matter. He's my _professor_ , nothing's ever gonna happen anyway" she said with a shrug.

"You don't know that," Abby said suggestively. Olivia scoffed. "Uh—yes, I do. Nothing _can_ happen. It's against policy. He would lose his job and I'd probably get kicked out or some damn thing. And what would I tell my family? My _parents?_ 'Oh hey, by the way, I'm dating someone sixteen years older than me. Oh, and did I mention he's my professor?' Yeah, uh—no. But I'm getting ahead of myself because nothing will ever happen anyway" she said confidently.

"He's thirty-six? He looks good for thirty-six" Abby said with a smile. "That's all you got out of that?" Olivia asked annoyedly. "Sorry. Men distract me easily" Abby said with a shrug. Olivia rolled her eyes at her friend. "What if...you two kept it a secret," Abby said with a smirk. Olivia looked at her in disbelief. "Abby! Good lord" Olivia said, shaking her head. "What? I'm just saying" Abby said with a shrug. "What you're _saying_ is so wrong...and will never happen," Olivia said a little disappointed. The sad thing was, she did want it to happen. She wanted him. But she couldn't have him. He was her professor and that was that.

* * *

Olivia walked into class and spotted him in his usual spot at the front of the room. He wiggled his fingers at her ever so slightly, which had her heart beating out of her chest. She gave a little wave back at him and sat down in her normal third-row seat. Throughout the lecture, it seemed he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. He always looked at her fairly often, but it was much different today. Much more noticeable.

She kept her eyes trained on him rather than the board, checking him out as he paced back and forth across the front of the room. When class was over, she went up to talk to him like she normally did. "Hi," he greeted. "Hi," she said back. "How are you today?" He asked, gathering his things. "I'm great, how are you?" She asked, handed him his coffee mug that it appeared he was looking for. He smiled and gratefully took it from her. "Thanks. And I'm good! Kinda hungry" he said.

"Let me guess. You skipped breakfast" she said. "Guilty as charged" he admitted. "You know that's the most important meal of the day, right?" She teased. "So I've been told," he said with a laugh. They started walking out together, continuing to chat. When they got outside, they stopped on the sidewalk. "So listen, I'm going to go grab some lunch if you—maybe you wanted to come," he said. Her heart dropped, remembering the lunch plans she had made with Abby earlier this morning. "I would love to except...I actually have lunch plans with Abby today. I'm so sorry," she said. She could see the disappointment on his face.

"No worries, it's all good! Say hi to Abby for me" he said. "Of course," she replied, sad that she couldn't spend extra time with him. "I'll see you on Thursday, Olivia," he said with a wave, starting to walk away. "Wait—Professor Grant" she called after him. He turned around. "What about...Thursday?" She asked hopefully. She remembered that he didn't have office hours on the days they had class, so he should be free. His face lit up. "You're on," he said. She smiled and waved goodbye, before turning to walk to her apartment.

* * *

Fitz sat at the kitchen table, eating his dinner. He couldn't wait for tomorrow, he could barely think straight. The thought of going to lunch with Olivia intrigued him. _She_ intrigued him. He thought maybe she felt what he felt despite their complicated situation, but he still wasn't sure. She was an incredibly hard person to read. They had undoubtedly become closer in the past month, getting to know each other fairly well.

Obviously, there was a great deal she didn't know about him. His life before Yale was messy, but somehow, the thought of sharing all of it with her didn't scare him one bit. He trusted her. He looked at the empty seat next to him at the table, remembering what it was like to eat dinner with Mellie. He didn't miss _her_ , not a single bit, but he missed the company. It had been over two years since he had lived with someone. He did get lonely, but he appreciated it as well.

He had his own space and he could do things on his own time. Someday he knew he wanted to find someone. _The_ one. Mellie certainly hadn't been it, she had only been to please his father. But, since the divorce, he hadn't found anyone worth his time. He had dated on occasion, but nothing ever got too serious. He sighed and quit thinking about his love life, or lack thereof. He perked up when he remembered lunch tomorrow. He would get to be with Olivia.

* * *

"You guys are going on a date?" Abby exclaimed. "What? No. It's just lunch after class" Olivia said casually. "Yeahhh. Sure" Abby said. Olivia rolled her eyes at her friend. "So how are you and David?" Olivia asked, changing the subject. "Things are going well, I think. I really like him" Abby said happily. "Aw, Abby. I'm so glad. He's a nice guy" Olivia said. "Thanks, Liv. I think so too" Abby replied. "But if he ever hurts you...he better watch the fuck out," Olivia said with a laugh. "Ah, yes. Don't worry, Huck and Harrison have also agreed to kick his ass if he hurts me" Abby said. "Perfect. Such great friends you have" Olivia said, giving Abby a hug. "Wouldn't trade them for the world" Abby replied, hugging her back.

* * *

As she sat in class, patiently waiting for it to be over, she admired him from behind. Which, of course, was nothing new. She always checked him out, and she had definitely caught him eyeing her on occasion too. Today, she just wore dark skinny jeans with a blouse and boots. It was along the lines of what she usually wore, but she felt better about herself than normal. Perhaps that was because she could barely contain her excitement about going to lunch with him.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the familiar "dismissed", meaning that class was finally over. She gathered her things and went up to him at his desk. "If it isn't the famous Olivia Pope" he teased. "Oh, I'm famous now?" she asked with a laugh. "To me you are" he replied. Her heart fluttered. "Is that so?" she asked, smiling. "Mhm. You ready to go?" he asked. "I am. Do you have any ideas about where we should go?" she asked curiously, as they walked out together. He smiled. "Of course I do. It's a little bit of a drive, though, if that's alright with you" he said. "Yeah that's completely fine" she assured him.

She secretly was ecstatic knowing that she would get to ride in his car again. It was the nicest car she had ever ridden in for sure. They walked across campus to one of the staff parking lots. She felt a little bit weird getting into her professor's car on campus with so many people walking by, but most people didn't even acknowledge them, too busy on their phones or talking with other people. He opened the door for her as he had done before, which she found very cute. As they drove, she would occasionally steal glances at him. He had put on a pair of aviator sunglasses, which he looked incredibly sexy in.

It took them about thirty minutes to get to the little Italian restaurant he had chosen, called Treva. It was located in West Hartford, which was a town she had never been to before. As he parked the car, he quickly walked around to the passenger's seat and opened her door for her. "Thank you," she said gratefully. "Of course," he said, taking her hand as he helped her out of his car. She expected him to let go of her hand as soon as she got out of the car, but he didn't. She, herself, should've just let go, but she didn't _want_ to. So, she readjusted her grip and held on tighter, feeling his large, warm hand wrapped around hers.

He led her into the restaurant, finally letting go of her hand as they reached the door so that he could open it for her. The hostess seated them at a little booth in the back, and they both ordered their drinks. "This place is nice. How did you find it?" she asked. "Oh, I've never been here. I just did some googling last night, and it got a 4.6 out of 5 stars" he said with a laugh. "Just like you" she giggled, thinking back to when Abby had looked him up on _RateMyProfessors_. "Just like me?" he asked, clearly confused. "Have you ever heard of _RateMyProfessors?_ " She asked. He appeared nervous. "No..." he said. "Well, it's this site where students input feedback on their professors, and they get ratings. So, when I was nervous about your class, Abby and I looked you up. You're a 4.6 out of 5" she said simply.

"Is that good?" He asked curiously. "Oh yeah, definitely. But—" she started to say, before cutting herself off. He looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "But what?" he asked. "Well...it's not how _I_ would rate you," she said with a smile. He was beginning to catch her drift. "No? So...how might you rate me?" he asked, clearly interested. "That's classified information," she said, sipping on her lemonade. "You're such a tease," he said. She couldn't help but laugh.

As the afternoon went on, it began to feel more and more like a date. There was clear flirting between the two of them, and they both knew it. She knew she would start overthinking everything in a matter of time, so she decided to just push all her thoughts aside for now and enjoy her lunch with him. He paid for her food, which she protested at. But, it didn't matter, he made it clear that she was not to pay for her food on his watch.

They finally left the restaurant after a couple hours, both of them extremely full. "Thank you so much for lunch," she said, as he drove them back to campus. "Thanks for _suggesting_ it" he replied happily. They both rested their elbows close together on the center console, which made her desire to hold his hand again even more prominent. His hand was resting right there on the shifter; it would be so easy to reach out and interlock her fingers with his, but she refrained. She had to be in control.

When he finally pulled into her apartment complex, she was impressed. He hadn't asked for directions one time. "You remembered," she said. "I did" he replied. She sat there, not moving. She didn't want to leave. "I had a great time today," she said. "Me too. Maybe—maybe we could do it again sometime" he suggested. "Sounds lovely," she said. He smiled at her, his eyes looking so blue in the sunlight. "Alright, I suppose I better go...bye Professor Grant," she said, giving him a wave.

"Bye Olivia," he said, sounding slightly sad. She walked into her apartment, thankful to see that Abby wasn't home yet. She didn't even make it to her bed before she collapsed on her bedroom floor. She immediately felt the hot tears begin to flow down her cheeks. She didn't know what to do, she had never been so conflicted in her life. Both her heart and her brain begged her to listen to them. There was no denying their chemistry, but the reasons why she should _try_ and deny it were obvious. He was off limits. Unavailable. _Forbidden_.


	6. Fitz

Olivia sat in front of her paper, deciding on whether or not it was up to par. It was due on Tuesday and she was putting the final touches on it. She felt like she had spent more than enough time on it, but she still wasn't sure. They were given about a month to work on this paper, but that had still proven not to be very much time considering its requirements. It had to be over fifteen pages in length, and include ten credible sources.

She debated on if she should ask Professor Grant to look at her updated paper, but she didn't want to be annoying. Plus, thinking about him made her head hurt. It had been a couple weeks since their lunch together, and everything had been going great. They chatted after class, they saw each other on campus, and they couldn't keep their eyes off each other during his lectures. Which all made her head hurt. They were getting closer, and it scared her.

 _Screw it_ , she thought. She pulled up the syllabus and found his number, before taking out her phone. She felt a little nervous about texting him, but many professors gave out their numbers, and that's what he had requested she do if she had more questions. So, she typed in his number and began her message.

 _ **Olivia: Hi Professor Grant, it's Olivia. I'm sorry to bother you over the weekend, I'm just feeling a little unsure about my final draft. Would you mind taking one more look at it when you get a chance? No rush at all.**_

She sent it, feeling like it was sufficient. She stared at her home screen, waiting for him to reply. It didn't take long.

 _ **Professor Grant: Hi Olivia! Of course I'll take a look at it. Want to just send it to me?**_

She turned back to her computer and attached her paper in an email to him. She pressed send and went back to her phone to reply.

 _ **Olivia: Just sent! Let me know what you think.**_

 _She waited about five minutes while he presumably read her paper. She jumped when her phone finally vibrated._

 _ **Professor Grant: It's looking good! Great work, Olivia.**_

 _Her heart fluttered. She began typing a response._

 _ **Olivia: Okay, thanks so much for looking at it!**_

 _She put down her phone, happy that she had texted him. She was just about to go take a shower when her phone vibrated once more. She hadn't expected him to respond again._

 _ **Professor Grant: Of course. I hope you have more planned for today than just homework!**_

She laughed, thinking about how to respond.

 _ **Olivia: Unfortunately, no. Just homework.**_

 _ **Professor Grant: Hmm. Maybe you should do something fun.**_

She smiled and continued to reply.

 _ **Olivia: Like?**_

 _ **Professor Grant: How do you feel about trivia?**_

She instantly felt bad. She hadn't gone the last two weeks, because she had had plans with friends both weekends. Surprisingly, he hadn't brought it up with her, but she knew that he had wanted her to come again ever since the first time she had gone. The truth was, she would've rather gone to trivia than gone to parties, but she felt bad canceling on her friends. She toyed with the idea of going again.

 _ **Olivia: You know I love trivia.**_

 _ **Professor Grant: I do. So meet us at Oak Haven tonight at 7, we've been doing worse the past couple weeks without you.**_

She was confused.

 _ **Olivia: I thought it started at 9?**_

 _ **Professor Grant: It does, but Cyrus and I always go a little early for drinks. Please don't make me go through that alone.**_

She laughed.

 _ **Olivia: What do you mean? He seemed alright!**_

 _ **Professor Grant: He's a great guy, but listening to him go on about politics all night can be tiring. It will be more fun if you're there with me.**_

He was making it incredibly hard to stay away from him.

 _ **Olivia: Alright, deal. I'll see you tonight at 7.**_

 _ **Professor Grant: Oh thank god.**_

He always knew how to make her laugh. She got up and went to take a shower, already super excited for tonight.

* * *

She saw the brightly lit up sign just as she had seen three weeks ago, and walked into the restaurant. The band was just beginning to set up it seemed, which she was happy about. She had liked them a lot last time, despite their deafening volume. She immediately spotted him and Cyrus sitting in a corner booth to the left. She slowly walked over to them and greeted them. "Nice to see you again, Mr. Beene," she said, sitting down next to Professor Grant. "You as well, Ms...Pope?" he asked. "That's right! Wow, great memory" she said.

"Well, I'm so glad you decided to join us again. I have to admit, I'm a little surprised. I don't think I've ever seen a single student in this place on trivia night beside you. It's refreshing to see" he said. "She has a thing for trivia" Professor Grant interjected. She looked at him and smiled. "Professor Grant's right. I _do_ have a thing for trivia" she said. "Can I get you all something to drink?" the waitress asked, interrupting their conversation.

Cyrus ordered a beer, Professor Grant ordered a gin and tonic, and Olivia ordered a lemonade as she had the last time. She felt a little awkward that she couldn't drink with them. Well, she _could_ drink. She did all the time with her friends illegally, of course. But, she couldn't here. They all chatted for while before trivia started, and laughed at the people making fools of themselves as they danced to the live music. Throughout the night, she started to smell that familiar scent of his cologne, which meant they were gradually getting closer and closer together. She didn't mind, she enjoyed talking with him and being close to him, and she was thankful that he had asked her to join them earlier. This way, she got to spend more time with him.

Her heart fluttered every time their shoulders brushed, or their feet touched throughout the night. But then as her hand rested beside her thigh, she felt his hand slowly begin to slip underneath hers. That's when the butterflies in her stomach erupted. She kept her composure in front of Cyrus, trying not to be obvious about it. He appeared to be testing the waters, not wanting to do anything she didn't want him to. So when she didn't pull her hand away, he seemed to take it as a sign. He fully slid his hand underneath hers and lifted his fingers up ever so slightly so that she could interlock hers with his. So she did.

She slowly laced her fingers in his as their hands rested on the seat, hidden underneath the table. Cyrus continued on with his rant about foreign policy, having no idea, of course, that his colleague had just made a move on his student across the table. As the night went on, they kept their hands firmly locked together, but never addressed it. They just focused on what was going on around them. The band was loud and the trivia was hard, just as she had remembered. She loved the place, and she loved being there with him, even if it wasn't just him alone. She secretly hoped that Cyrus would leave after the first round again, so they could spend more time just the two of them.

In the middle of the first round, Cyrus got up to go to the bathroom. While Cyrus had been with them at the table, it had been easy to deny that they had clearly crossed the Professor-Student line, since they couldn't exactly talk about it. However, now that he was gone, she was worried about what to say. She looked over at him, only to find that he was already looking at her. He glanced down at their fingers intertwined under the table, then looked back up at her and gave her that soft smile of his, almost as if he was saying, "yes, I'm holding your hand right now". He took a sip of his drink and held it out for her. She looked at him confused.

"You've been eyeing it all night," he said with a laugh. It was true, she had been. She smiled and took it from him with her free hand, taking a sip of his drink. "Don't tell Cyrus" he whispered. "My lips are sealed" she replied, handing it back to him. He didn't take his eyes off her as he took his drink back. Her eyes traveled to his lips, glistening wet from the liquor. She wanted to taste them, to feel them against her own. She could feel herself leaning forward, and she watched him turn his body toward her, starting to do the same. They were so close, invading each other's personal space. "Alright, what question did I miss?" Cyrus asked, getting back into the booth.

They both backed off, looking away from each other casually. Professor Grant looked at the trivia tablet in front of them. "Um—who directed the 1980's movie _The Shining_?" Professor Grant stated, trying to recollect himself. "Oh, that's child's play. Stanley Kubrick" Cyrus answered. He clicked the correct answer, and the screen lit up green, indicating they had gotten it right. "Mhm. Nice one, Cy" he said. Cyrus didn't leave for the second round, which Olivia was actually thankful for now. She realized how close they had gotten to doing something they shouldn't have, and she was slightly nervous about containing herself around him alone. If it hadn't been clear to her before, it was clear now. He liked her too.

When trivia ended that night, they got up from the booth and she finally let go of his hand. They walked outside and Cyrus turned to the right. "Oh, are you guys that way? I'm this way" he said, pointing behind him. "Oh alright, well I'll see you on Monday," Professor Grant said with a wave. "Sure thing. Nice to see you again, Ms. Pope" he said. "Likewise," she said with a smile, before turning to follow Professor Grant. They walked to his car, both of them already knowing he was going to drive her home.

He opened the door for her, and she thanked him as she got in. When he slid into the driver's seat and shut the door behind him, he immediately started the car and pulled out of the parking spot. Their drive was silent, neither of them quite sure how to address what had happened in the restaurant. As he neared her apartment, she finally spoke up. "Well thank you for the ride again, Professor Grant. I had a great time tonight" she said. He didn't say anything for a moment, he just sighed and pulled into her building's parking lot. She worried he was upset with her, based on his reaction, but then he spoke. "Fitz" he said. "Sorry?" she asked. "Fitz" he repeated.

She looked at him, slightly confused. "You can call me Fitz," he said with a smile. "But I'm...that's—that's your...nickname," she said. "Mhm," he replied. She felt like maybe that wasn't such a good idea, but in reality, it seemed fair. They had known each other for over two months. Plus, some professors just went by their first names anyway, so it seemed harmless. She nodded at him. "Okay...I think I can...do that" she said. "Okay," he said with a smile. "Okay," she said again.

They sat there looking at each other intently. "Well, I probably should go. Goodnight...Fitz" she said, his name rolling off her tongue effortlessly. "Goodnight, Olivia," he said softly. She walked into her apartment and was surprised that her door was unlocked. "Oh, hey. I thought you were staying with David tonight?" Olivia said to Abby, who was standing by the window. "Whose car was that?" Abby asked, ignoring her. "Uh...It was Prof—Fitz—Professor Gra—Jesus, I don't know" Olivia replied. Abby smirked and raised her eyebrows at her. "Don't ask," Olivia said, not even sure how to explain her night to her.

Abby put her arms up. "Okay, okay. I won't. Just please promise you'll tell me when you bang the hot professor" Abby begged. "Oh god—Abby. I will not be _banging_ anyone" Olivia said. "Yeah, not with that attitude you won't be!" Abby exclaimed. Olivia rolled her eyes. "Ugh, come _on_. Why not? That's no fun" she said disappointedly. "Abby, we have gone over this" Olivia said. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. Professor. Student. Bad" Abby said mockingly. "Right," Olivia said. "Okay...so you'll tell me when you bang him right?" Abby asked. Olivia shook her head and went to her room, even though she did think it was a little funny. "Please!?" Abby yelled after her. "Goodnight, Abby!" Olivia called back.

* * *

She laid in her bed, watching TV before she went to sleep. A light caught her attention next to her, and she realized it was her phone. She glanced at it and saw that she had a message from him.

 _ **Professor Grant: You left your wallet in my car!**_

She thought back to the last time she had it. She remembered trying to pay for her drinks yet again, then he had pushed it away and paid himself, of course. She had put it back in her pocket since she hadn't brought a purse, but it must have fallen out in his car. She got up and looked in her pants pockets. All she found was the key to her apartment.

 _ **Olivia: Oh jeez, I'm sorry. It must have fallen out of my pocket!**_

 _ **Professor Grant: I'll come back.**_

She couldn't believe he had actually offered to do that.

 _ **Olivia: What? No, you don't have to do that. It's past midnight!**_

 _ **Professor Grant: I'm a night owl. Unless you're tired of course, then I'll swing by tomorrow.**_

She really wasn't.

 _ **Olivia: I'm not tired.**_

 _ **Professor Grant: I'll be there in 20.**_

Her heart fluttered. She'd get to see him. _Again_. She opened her bedroom door quietly, peeking out to see if Abby was still in the living room. All the lights were off, so she knew Abby had gone to her room for the night. She went out and unlocked her front door, quietly shutting it behind her as she headed down to the lobby to wait for him. When she finally saw the familiar headlights, she walked outside to meet him. He got out of his car and handed her wallet to her.

"Thank you. You're a life saver" she said, her hand grazing his. "It's no big deal," he said with a smile, putting his hands in his pockets. "Well, regardless I'm still sorry I made you come back out," she said, shivering in the cold. "Actually, I didn't really have to come back out. I was driving around anyway" he replied. "Oh...where to?" she asked curiously. "Nowhere. Just...driving" he said. She raised her eyebrow at him, which made him laugh. "I uh—I have trouble...sleeping, so I go for drives sometimes. It helps," he said. Her face grew serious. She wanted to ask him why, but she knew that was way too personal of a question.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that..." she said. She didn't really know what to say, but she felt awful. "You apologize too much," he teased. "Sorry!...wait. No, I'm not...sorry" she giggled. He let out a little laugh. "You're so cute," he said. She looked up at him, surprised at his sudden compliment. She could tell that it had slipped out unintentionally, his cheeks flushing red. "Well that makes two of us then, doesn't it?" she said, trying to save him with a compliment of her own.

It seemed to make him feel better, because she saw that soft smile of his spread across his face. "Well, I'll let you get back inside. I don't want you to be cold" he said, pointing at her shivering body. "Right. Okay, well I'll see you on Tuesday, Professor Gra—" she began. He shot a look at her and she quickly remembered. "—Fitz," she said, correcting herself. "Better," he said, giving her a little wave as he got in his car. She ran back inside, thankful to get out of the cold. She sighed. She missed him already.


	7. Thanksgiving

Her skin was soft. So soft. Her hands felt warm, tracing lines back and forth across his bare chest. She kissed his neck, leaving him unable to think straight. Her hands started traveling lower and lower, before...

His eyes flung open and he sat up in bed, breathing hard. It took him a moment to realize that it hadn't been real. It was just a dream. "Jesus, Fitz," he said aloud to himself, shaking his head.

He already had a hard enough time sleeping as it was. Then along came Olivia, making it even more difficult to fall asleep, as she was always on his mind. And now, she was sneaking into his dreams, into the one place where he thought he could escape the thought of her. Escape the intense feeling of emptiness he felt when he wasn't with her. Escape _her._

He rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock. 8:17 am. He heard his father making a lot of noise downstairs already, undoubtedly attempting to start the Thanksgiving lunch he had promised he would make. When he had flown here yesterday, they had barely exchanged words with each other. They didn't have the best relationship anymore, not since he "ran away to Connecticut to escape his daddy", as his father called it.

He didn't want to go down there, so he just laid in bed and watched TV for awhile. He heard his phone vibrate on the nightstand next to him, so he reached across to grab it. He smiled when he saw who the message was from. "Olivia" he said softly to himself.

 _ **Olivia: Happy Thanksgiving!**_

He couldn't stop smiling. He thought it seemed a bit early for a college student to be up since all they ever wanted to do was sleep, but he remembered their time difference.

 _ **Fitz: Happy Thanksgiving to you, too! Is it good to be home?**_

 _ **Olivia: Yes, definitely. I missed my parents. How about you? How's Malibu?**_

"It sucks," he said aloud to himself.

 _ **Fitz: It's alright. Already miss CT, though.**_

 _ **Olivia: Really? But it's probably so warm there! It's freezing in CT.**_

He checked his smartwatch on his nightstand, which told him that it was 65 degrees. She was right, that definitely beats the weather in Connecticut, which right now was probably about 25 degrees cooler.

 _ **Fitz: That's true. What's the weather like in D.C.?**_

 _ **Olivia: Not too bad, about 50 degrees. Wait. Isn't it like 8 am there? Shouldn't you at least be trying to sleep!?**_

His cheeks flushed red, thinking about his dream. He would maybe still be sleeping if it hadn't been for that incredibly wrong yet amazingly wonderful dream.

 _ **Fitz: I did try. It didn't work so well.**_

 _ **Olivia: Hasn't gotten any better?**_

Ha. He wished.

 _ **Fitz: Unfortunately not.**_

 _ **Olivia: Aw, I'm sorry.**_

He shook his head. She was always apologizing.

 _ **Fitz: Don't be sorry. I'm quite used to it by now.**_

 _ **Olivia: You know, I have this chamomile tea that I sometimes drink before bed. I'll bring you some on Tuesday. You can see if it helps you.**_

He smiled.

 _ **Fitz: I appreciate that. Always looking out for me, aren't you?**_

 _ **Olivia: Someone's got to.**_

As sad as it sounded, she was right. He really didn't have anyone besides her. He had Cyrus and a couple of his other colleagues that he would maybe consider friends. But otherwise, she was all he had.

 _ **Fitz: What would I do without Olivia Pope?**_

 _ **Olivia: You'd still be sitting alone with Cyrus at Trivia Night, listening to him ramble!**_

 _Trivia Night_. What a great night that always was. It was always the highlight of his week. Sitting next to her, holding her hand, sneaking her sips of his drink whenever Cyrus wasn't looking. He laughed just at the thought of it. They had so much fun together, just doing dumb things like that. She made him feel young again. She made him forget about his life before Yale. The life that really had messed him up. She made him feel like himself again.

 _ **Fitz: Oh my god. And to think, I did that for two whole years before you finally showed up and saved me!**_

 _ **Olivia: Yes, I have to admit. I don't know how you did that.**_

He let out a laugh.

 _ **Fitz: Me neither. It didn't used to be my favorite. Now it's the best part of my week.**_

 _ **Olivia: Mine too.**_

They had had something going on between them for quite some time now, but they never talked about it. They just let it be, and that was that. It really was a strange dynamic between the two of them.

He knew she liked him too, she wasn't very good at hiding it. But, he had also always sensed hesitation from her in that regard. It seemed to him that she was conflicted, and he understood, because he was too. If there was a worst possible situation for a professor and a student to be in, they were definitely in it.

When he was younger, he never would have pictured himself as a professor, but here he was. And when he _became_ a professor, he never would have imagined becoming close to one of his students, let alone becoming friends with one. Yet, here he was, three months into his third year of teaching, beginning to feel things he should _not_ feel for one of them.

"Fitzgerald!" he heard his father yell from downstairs. He rolled his eyes. "Great," he said to himself. He pulled on a shirt and put some gym shorts on, tucking his phone safely in his pocket so that he could continue his conversation with Olivia.

He walked downstairs to see his father moving about the kitchen. "Why don't you get off your ass and help me. Our company will be here in a few hours" his father said. "You still never even told me who's coming," Fitz said. "Nevermind who's coming, just make yourself useful and help me" he replied.

Fitz obeyed his father, helping him make Thanksgiving lunch. He would occasionally pull out his phone and reply to Olivia, not wanting to end his conversation with her.

At about 11:00, everything was about ready; the turkey was in the oven, and the table was set. "Alright. Go put some real clothes on and make yourself presentable. And fix that damn hair of yours" his father snapped.

Fitz didn't even answer, thankful to get away from him. He treated him as if he was still a teenager who needed a strong hand, and it pissed Fitz off immensely. But, he didn't have the energy to fight back against his father anymore, so he had just learned to do as he was told.

When he got upstairs, he immediately looked in the mirror at his hair, feeling a little self-conscious because of his father. His messy curls were all over the place. He shrugged. "Olivia likes my hair," he said to himself, as if his father could somehow hear.

It was true, she had complimented his hair many times, which he found adorable. He took a quick shower and put on a pair of khaki pants and a light blue dress shirt. He had no idea who was coming, but he assumed it was his father's colleagues. He didn't really give a damn either way, he just wanted to get it over with.

He got his curls a little more under control and quickly shaved. It wasn't long before he heard the doorbell ring. He ran downstairs before his father had a chance to yell at him and opened the door. It was not one of his father's work colleagues. There on the porch, stood his ex-wife Mellie.

"Mellie? What are you—what?" he said, stumbling over his words. He hadn't seen her in over a year. "He didn't tell you I was coming," she said, slightly disappointed. "Melody, oh don't you just look gorgeous. Come on in, lunch is ready" his father said from behind him. Fitz glared at his father, who didn't take much notice of him.

"Good to see you, Gerry" Mellie exclaimed, hugging him. They made their way into the kitchen, Fitz not saying a word. He was beyond enraged with his father for inviting her, and for keeping it from him.

* * *

Their lunch consisted of mostly his father and Mellie talking together, and Fitz keeping to himself. He checked his phone underneath the table, still texting Olivia. Which, he had to admit, _did_ make him feel a bit like a teenager. But, he didn't care. She was the only thing keeping him sane.

"Fitzgerald, Mellie here is doing quite well as a partner at a law firm. Did you know that?" his father asked. Fitz sighed. Even after two years of being divorced, his father still thought he could just reunite them as if nothing had ever happened.

He always sought out women for "breeding", as if they were objects used only for a man's benefit. He always seemed to think Mellie was the perfect political wife, and clearly, he still had hope that Fitz would "come to his senses" as he had so often said.

"That's great, Mellie. I'm happy to hear that" he replied. "Thank you. So, how is Yale going?" Mellie asked. "It's great. Best job I've ever had" he said truthfully. He could feel the anger radiating from his father, who hated that he had "settled" to be a professor. "I'm glad you're happy," she said coldly.

" _Happy?_ How could he be happy there, when he has everything he needs right here!" his father said, unable to control his anger. Mellie looked from Gerry to Fitz, as if waiting for him to respond.

"We are not doing this right now" Fitz shot back. "You know damn well what you're missing out on here. You're a nobody out there, Fitzgerald. A _nobody_. How's that feel to go from being the most powerful man in the state of California to being a nobody who teaches Political Science to teenagers?" Gerry said.

Mellie shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Fitz didn't respond, but continued to eat his food calmly. "I'm _talking_ to you!" his father yelled.

"I would rather be a"nobody" doing something I love, than be anything like you in this godforsaken place. And they aren't just "teenagers", they're college students, and smart ones at that. You of all people should know that, considering how badly you begged me to choose Yale when I was 18. I did what you asked of me. I served my time here. One term was enough. Now I'm done. Get over it" Fitz said, returning to his food.

"You are so ungrateful. Taking everything you have for granted and thinking you can just run off and do whatever the hell you want! I made you, I own you. And it's time you start realizing that! The only reason you even got that pathetic job of yours is because you were _governor_. Because of your _name!_ You think you would be anything today without me? You are who you are _because_ of me!" Gerry shouted.

"You do _not_ own me" Fitz shot back. "I do own you! I own everything about you! I give you everything you need and you squander it! You could've _done_ something. _Been_ something. You should've taken our name to the White House!" Gerry yelled.

"Why, because you couldn't?" Fitz said. Gerry's face grew red in anger. "Your dreams aren't mine. I love Connecticut, and I love what I do. And I certainly, don't want to be _anything_ like you" Fitz said, before he got up from the table.

"Mellie, it was a pleasure seeing you again. I'm sorry my father brought you here, only to _lecture_ me in front of you. I'm truly sorry" he said, before walking back upstairs.

He grabbed all of his things and packed them up quickly. He needed to get out of here. As he walked downstairs with his bags in hand, his father shot him a look. "Where the hell do you think you're going?" he yelled. " _Home,_ " Fitz said.

Before his father could get another word out, he opened the door and slammed it behind him. He smiled. He hadn't ever thought of Connecticut as home, but he had just proved himself wrong. Connecticut was where his job was. It was where Olivia was. And it was where his father _wasn't_. It was home.

He boarded the first flight back to Connecticut. It was a long, uneventful flight, but he didn't care. He was so incredibly happy to be going back.

* * *

When he landed, he immediately texted Olivia.

 _ **Fitz: Landed safely back in the Constitution State!**_

 _ **Olivia: Back already? How come?**_

She had no idea about his awful relationship with his father, and he was still fairly sure she didn't know about his time spent as governor. He never told his classes that he had been the Governor of California, he only told them that his father had been.

That period of his life nearly gave him nightmares, and he didn't want his students to think of him as a former governor, he just wanted to be their professor. For now, he decided to spare her the complicated details.

 _ **Fitz: What can I say, I just missed it so much!**_

 _ **Olivia: Well I'm glad you're back safe. I'll be back soon enough too!**_

He wished she was back _now._

 _ **Fitz: When do you come back?**_

 _ **Olivia: My flight gets in Saturday night at 9:30. I'll miss Trivia Night:(**_

He couldn't help but laugh.

 _ **Fitz: That's alright, I'm not gonna go anyway, Cyrus won't be back yet. I'll just see you on Tuesday!**_

 _ **Olivia: Or maybe…**_

 _ **Actually, nevermind.**_

He looked at his screen, confused.

 _ **Fitz: No, what? Tell me.**_

 _ **Olivia: All my friends won't be back until Sunday so they can't pick me up. I was just planning on taking a taxi home. But, maybe you could pick me up?**_

 _ **You know, only if you're free and**_

 _ **you...want to.**_

His heart leapt.

 _ **Fitz: Absolutely. I'll be there at 9:30.**_

 _ **Olivia: Really? Awesome, thank you so much! You're much better than a taxi!**_

He laughed.

 _ **Fitz: You just like my car!**_

 _ **Olivia: Well can you blame me? Your car is gorgeous!**_

He smiled. His car _was_ pretty nice.

 _ **Fitz: I knew it!**_

 _ **Olivia: I like more than just your car.**_

"Mhm" he said aloud to himself with a smile.

 _ **Fitz: What else do you like?**_

 _ **Olivia: That's classified information.**_

He shook his head with a laugh.

 _ **Fitz: Tease.**_

 _ **Olivia: (: See you on Saturday night, Fitz.**_

If only she knew what she did to him. He had had such an awful day, yet somehow she had him in a great mood, forgetting all about it.

 _ **Fitz: See you on Saturday night, Olivia.**_

* * *

Hello everyone! I received some reviews about formatting in this story. I started this story on Wattpad, so when I transferred it over, the formatting wasn't great. Plus, my writing style tends to be more in paragraph form. I at least tried to make it less bunched up, I hope it's a little better for you all. I also made it easier to understand who is sending which text. I hope you all enjoy. Read on!

~T


	8. Heart's Content

_**Fitz: I'm Outside Gate 1!**_

 _ **Olivia: Okay, I'm almost there!**_

She lugged her suitcase behind her as she turned the corner and walked out to face the chilly Connecticut air. She immediately spotted those all too familiar headlights, belonging to an Audi R7. As she walked further, she spotted him leaning up against the driver's side door, arms crossed, looking up at the starry sky. All she could think of in that moment was that he was absolutely beautiful.

"Hey, there stranger" she called out. He turned his head at the sound of her voice and smiled at her. "Hey, yourself," he said back. He immediately walked up to her and grabbed her luggage from her, not wanting her to have to carry it anymore. "Thank you," she said. "Mhm," he replied, putting it in the trunk.

"How was the flight?" he asked as they both got in the car. "It was alright. Kind of bumpy though, I'm glad to be safely on the ground" she said with a laugh. "I'm glad too," he said with a smile. "You hungry or anything?" he asked. She hadn't really eaten dinner since she had been traveling, so she truly was. "Actually...yeah" she replied. "Well let's get you something to eat then," he said, turning towards her with a smile.

They stopped at a drive-thru burger place and he ordered them both meals, with milkshakes to go with. "Wow, we are eating like royalty tonight" she teased. "Hell yeah we are," he said with a laugh. He parked in the back of the parking lot, so they could eat their late dinner together.

She told him about her time spent at home, and he listened intently. He didn't say much about his break, but she felt like there was a reason he didn't, so she didn't want to push him. It had only been about four days, but she couldn't believe how much she had missed him while they had been apart.

After they finished eating, they leaned their seats back and looked at the stars through the sunroof, trying to find all the major constellations. "Do you see the Little Dipper? I only see the big one. Wait...maybe I'm seeing the little one. Oh god, I don't know" he said, laughing to himself.

"I see both" she giggled. "Really? Where's the other one?" he asked. She was about to answer when he interrupted her. "If you say it's classified information, I'm taking your milkshake from you," he said. She turned her head towards him, and very seriously mouthed the words, "classified information". "That's it" he teased, taking her milkshake out of the cup holder beside them.

"Hey, I didn't think you were serious!" she exclaimed, reaching for it. He sipped through the straw, starting to drink it. "Fitz!" she yelled, trying to take it back from him. He turned towards the window so that she couldn't reach. "Fine, I'm going to drink yours then!" she said, reaching for his. "Okay, okay, okay. Here you go" he said, handing her milkshake back to her.

"That's what I thought!" she said, taking it from him. "Mm. I should've gone with cookies 'n cream too, that was good" he said, licking his lips. "Well you don't get any more!" she teased, sipping on the straw. He chuckled at her and looked at her intently. She felt so happy to be back with him.

They had the most fun when they were doing the most basic things, like eating dinner, or looking at the stars, or playing trivia. It didn't matter what they did, they always had fun together.

She reached over and turned on the radio, flipping through the stations before she stopped and found a song she liked. She instantly found its melody to be beautiful, and the lyrics even more beautiful. She read the song's title as it flashed across the display. "Heart's Content- Brandi Carlile"; she tucked it in the back of her mind so she could listen to it again sometime.

She closed her eyes and listened to the lyrics carefully. "Here's you and me, and in between...we draw a line, but we can't see where it's been...". It reminded her of him.

"I like this song," he said quietly. "Me too" she replied softly. As they rested their arms on the center console, he reached for her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. She squeezed his hand tightly in response, never wanting to let go. He rubbed his thumb in circles over the top of her hand, as they sat back and listened to the song playing.

"Your hand is soft," he said quietly. She looked over at him and smiled. "Your hand is warm," she said back. She realized that was the closest they had ever come to acknowledging it.

Out of all the times they had flirted in any way, or shown even the slightest bit of affection towards each other, they never talked about it. But she knew why. Once they talked about it, it would be real, and they'd have to face the seriousness of what this could potentially do to the both of them. Despite the way he made her feel, she also felt complete and utter fear, and hesitation. And she knew he felt that too.

It was crazy to her that doing something as simple and innocent as holding his hand could have so much power over her, but she knew why it did. At first, she thought there was something wrong with her. She couldn't eat, she couldn't sleep, she couldn't do anything without thinking about him or being reminded of him.

Then she realized what was happening to her; what she was feeling inside. It was a feeling she had never felt with Edison, or any of her boyfriends before him. So, the seriousness of everything loomed over her, and left her incredibly conflicted.

* * *

They listened to the radio for hours, occasionally singing the songs they knew very loudly and without a care in the world. She noticed that he actually had a very nice singing voice, which he quickly denied. "I'm serious!" She exclaimed. "No way. I can't sing" he assured her. "You just did! I liked it" she said.

His cheeks turned red. "Well, Okay. Maybe I do sing a little...in the shower" he confessed. "Well it has served you well," she said happily. "I'm glad you think so," he said with a smile.

They sat in silence for a little while, just listening to the music fill the car, before he finally spoke again. "Well, you ready to go home?" he asked. _No_ , she thought. "Sure" she replied. He let go of her hand so that he could start the car and shift into reverse, and then drive. But as soon as they were back on the road, he reached back over and laced his fingers in hers, holding her hand tightly for the whole drive back to her apartment.

When they got there, he parked the car and immediately got out to help her with her bags. She grabbed her backpack and her purse, while he lugged the big suitcase behind him up to her apartment. They took the elevator to the fourth floor where she lived, and walked down the hall to apartment 4025.

"Alright, this is me," she said, taking her key out to unlock the door. She opened it and immediately felt happy that she was back. She had missed her apartment. She started to walk in, but he stood in the hallway and set her suitcase inside. He seemed as if he didn't want to intrude on her personal space, which she found a little cute. "Fitz, it's okay. You can come in" she assured him. He hesitated a bit, but he nodded and came in, grabbing her suitcase once more.

She led him to her bedroom, and dropped the bags she was carrying on the floor right away, happy to be rid of them. He stepped in beside her, going to set her suitcase down by her dresser. "I like your room. It seems very... _Olivia_ " he said. "Well thank you! Here, I'll show you around" she said. She led him around her entire apartment, showing her everything besides Abby's room.

"Wow, this place is awesome. Way better than the apartment I lived in sophomore year" he said. "Where did you live?" she asked. "Oh, they rebuilt it. You know where Leigh is now? That's where it used to be" he said. "Ohhh. Well, that's a little funny because Leigh is one of the nicest complexes on campus now" she giggled. "I know! My luck, right" he said with a laugh.

As they circled around back to the kitchen, they stopped just by the door. "Well thank you for everything tonight," she said. "Don't mention it. Thanks for showing me around, I love your place" he said with a smile. "Thanks," she said happily.

"I'll see you on Tuesday?" he said. "Yes—oh! Wait one sec!" She exclaimed, running to look in her kitchen cabinet. "Here," she said, handing him the box of chamomile tea. "Oh, thank you, Olivia. Are you sure you don't want to keep some here? I don't want to take the whole box" he said. She pushed it back towards him. "I can always buy more. Take the whole box, lord knows you've already spent too much money on me anyway" she said with a laugh.

"Alright. Well, thanks. I'll let you know how it works" he said, starting to head to the door. "Please do" she replied, and they bid each other goodbye. As he stepped out into the hallway, she was about to shut the door behind him, but his hand stopped it.

He opened it further as he leaned back in, and kissed her on the cheek. She smiled at him through the crack in the door. His face lit up too, almost as if he hadn't expected himself to do it. Which, made sense, because his body language made it appear as though he was fairly nervous.

He slowly slipped out of her line of vision and she shut the door gently behind her. She leaned her back against the door and sighed. "Oh my god," she said aloud to herself. It was becoming so real. Everything about it, about him, was becoming real.

She walked to her bedroom and got ready for bed, wanting nothing more than just to go to sleep and forget what was happening in her life. She always condemned herself for being attracted to him, for flirting with him, for showing any sort of affection at all for him.

But every time she was with him, she couldn't help it. He made her forget about how wrong it was for her to feel the way that she felt. He made her forget everything.

It took her awhile to fall asleep, but when she finally did, she dreamed of him.


	9. Hard To Look Away

"Olivia, did you take my black earrings!?" Abby yelled from the bathroom. "Uh—no?" Olivia shouted back. "What the hell? I just wore them. Where are they?" she heard Abby mutter to herself. "Second drawer on the left, under your toothpaste" Olivia yelled. She heard rustling in the bathroom. "I fricken love you" Abby shouted, clearly having found her earrings. "I _fricken_ love you too," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Okay, I have to go. Wish me luck. Oh god—do I look okay? Is this outfit right?" Abby asked anxiously as she stood in the doorway. "Abby, you look great, and you're going to do great. I know it" Olivia said. "Right. Okay. Yes. Great. Okay. Thanks, Liv. Okay. Bye" she said, disappearing out of sight. Abby always got so nervous for speeches, but they were always amazing anyway. She was a wonderful public speaker. Olivia glanced at the clock and knew she should probably get going too. International Politics certainly wasn't going to wait for her.

* * *

When she got to the lecture hall, she saw him writing some announcements on the chalkboard. _Damn,_ she thought _._ He made writing look so sexy. She sat down in her chair and put her elbow on the desk, resting her chin on her hand as she admired him from behind. She was so lost in thought that when he turned around and caught her staring, she barely noticed. He gave her a little smile, which drove her even more insane. "Hi," he mouthed. She mouthed "hi" back to him. Just a couple days ago, they were looking at the stars together, hand in hand, listening to the radio. Now, she was back in her chair, watching him at the front of the lecture hall. She the student, and he, the professor. Ugh.

"Hello everyone," he said, clipping on his mic. Murmurs of "hello" and "hi" ran through the crowd of students. "You all have a good Thanksgiving break?" he asked enthusiastically. There were some quiet cheers and the occasional "yes" from some students. "Good. Me too" he said with a smile, making eye contact with her. She felt herself blush. "Not that any of you care, though" he added, which caused laughter to arise in the auditorium. He always knew how to make his students laugh. He _also_ always knew how to make the girls swoon over him. It wasn't uncommon for her to hear at least one comment a day, from the girls sitting around her. Today's commentary was particularly interesting.

"I think if he took his shirt off I'd listen better" a girl whispered. "Why stop at the shirt when he could just take everything off?" another girl whispered, resulting in quiet giggling. Olivia rolled her eyes, but still listened to them. They were always completely obnoxious and immature, but it amused her, and it was interesting to hear what other girls her age thought of him. "Mm. _Professor Grant_. He can help me study _any day"_ the first girl whispered suggestively.

"Ha. You fucking wish, Becky. It's not like he'd be into you anyway" the second girl whispered. "And why not?" Becky asked annoyedly. "Because I bet he's only into blondes" the other girl whispered, sounding satisfied. Olivia actually had to hold back her laughter. _Well that's certainly not true_ , she thought to herself. She turned her full attention back to him, having heard enough from _Becky_ and her friend.

After he dismissed class, she walked up to him happily. "Ms. Pope," he said, nodding his head at her. "Professor Grant," she said, doing the same. It was hard to go from calling him by his first name outside of class, to being much more formal with him in class, but it was also the smart thing to do, since students were still all around them.

"So, guess what," he said. "What?" she asked curiously. "I slept five hours last night," he said, extremely proud of himself. She was a little confused. "Five...hours?" she asked. "Yes! The first two nights the tea didn't really work. But last night I think it did" he said happily. She wanted to tell him that five hours really wasn't so great, but she didn't have the heart to. He looked so happy. "That's great, I'm glad it's starting to work for you!" she said. "Me too" he replied, grabbing his jacket. "Hey so do you have any lunch plans?" he asked, as they walked outside together. "Nope. Why?" she asked. "Well, I was going to pick up Ivy Wok and head back to my office to work for a while. I was just thinking that you could join me...if you want" he said. "You really like Ivy Wok, don't you?" she asked with a laugh. "Who _doesn't_ like Ivy Wok!?" he exclaimed. "Good point. I'd love to" she replied. "Good," he said happily.

They walked to Ivy Wok and got their food, before heading to his office in Woodbridge Hall. When she walked in, she instantly remembered that evening she spent with him, eating dinner together and talking for hours. It brought a smile to her face. His office smelled like him, like his cologne, which also made her smile. _Such a wonderful scent_ , she thought to herself. She set her bag down and sat in the chair on the other side of his desk, while he sat in his.

They enjoyed their lunch together as they chatted and worked. He was working on a lecture for one of his higher level classes, while she was doing homework for her geology class. "What in the holy hell?" she muttered to herself. He looked up from his notes in confusion, which she saw out of the corner of her eye. "Oh...sorry. I didn't mean to say that out loud" she said with a laugh. He chuckled. "What in the holy hell what?" he asked. "Saccharoidal" she stated. "Um, bless you?" he joked. She burst into laughter. "Exactly my point! Sounds more like a sneeze than a word to me" she said. "What subject?" he asked. "Geology" she replied.

"Ick. I'm afraid I'll be of no help to you in that regard. Natural sciences aren't my thing" he said with a laugh. "Me neither," she said. "Oh, _sure_. And let me guess...your grade in that class is no lower than a 97" he said, crossing his arms. She felt her cheeks flush red as she sat in silence. "Mhm. That's what I thought. I know you too well" he said with a laugh. "Oh you do, huh? Okay, prove it" she teased. He looked at her with a smile and dropped his pen, leaning back in his chair. "Okay," he began.

"I know that you love the color white; you wear it all the time. I know that your favorite drink is lemonade, but when Cyrus isn't looking, you like a good gin and tonic too" he said, which made her giggle. "I know that you go to Starbucks on Thursdays, but you never get coffee, it's always tea. You _hate_ coffee. I know that you're a great swimmer; you have medals and trophies in your room. I know that you really like nice cars, particularly Audi's" he said with a wink. "And I know that you're incredibly smart; always been top of your class" he finished.

She was impressed. "Wow," she said in awe. "Was that good? I can keep going" he said, smiling. She felt herself blushing hard. "No, I think you definitely proved it" she giggled. "Yeah I think so too," he said proudly. He looked at her intently, not saying anything for a while.

"What are you looking at?" She teased, breaking the silence. "You" he replied softly. She smiled at him, feeling the butterflies in her stomach as usual. "You make it hard to look away," he said, barely above a whisper. Just when she thought she couldn't blush any harder, she proved herself wrong. "So do you," she said quietly. They sat there and looked at each other, not saying anything for a long time. Normally, she would feel awkward sitting in silence with someone for that amount of time, but she truly had never felt more comfortable. With him, she was _always_ comfortable.

"I probably should get going. Abby had a big speech today, I'm sure she'll want to tell me all about it" she said, packing up her things. "Alright. I'll see you on Thursday. Thanks for keeping me company" he replied happily. "Yes. And thanks for the lunch...once again" she said. "Of course, my pleasure," he said. She gave him a little wave before heading out of his office, sad to be leaving him.

* * *

When she got home, Abby was waiting for her in the living room. "Hey! How'd it go?" Olivia asked. "It went alright, I think! Except Darren with the crazy eyes almost messed me up like five times" Abby said annoyedly. "Damn that Darren with the crazy eyes. What did he do?" Olivia asked, slightly amused. "He kept looking at me...with crazy eyes," Abby said as if it was obvious. "Oh, right. Of course. Well, I'm sure you did great. You always do" Olivia assured her.

"I hope so. So where have you been?" Abby asked curiously. "With Fitz," Olivia said. "Ohhh, _Professor Dreamy_. So have you two confessed your love for each other yet?" Abby asked. "What? Abby—for God's sake—no" Olivia replied. "Ugh. You're no fun these days. You won't bang him, you won't tell him you like him. Come _on._ Live a little!" Abby exclaimed. Olivia rolled her eyes. "Oh, Abby," she said, shaking her head.

* * *

There was a knock on the door. "Come in," Fitz said, not looking up. "Hey" a woman's voice rang out. He knew instantly who it was, and had to fight hard not to appear too annoyed. "Hi, Amanda. What can I do for you?" he asked. "Oh, I was just seeking out a second opinion on a case study I wanted to use for a lecture. Would you take a look?" She asked, walking over to him. "Um, yeah. Sure" he said.

She came and stood by him, getting a little too close for comfort. He quickly read over the case study she had handed him. "Yeah, it seems fine," he said. "Okay, thanks. I just wanted to make sure" she said, taking it back but not leaving. "Mhm, no problem," he said, getting back to his work. "So who was that girl in here today?" Amanda asked. He really did not want to talk to Amanda, especially about Olivia. "She's one of my students" he replied, flipping through his pages.

"Oh!" Amanda said, clearly happy with his answer. "So you changed your office hours?" she asked curiously. "No, they're still the same," he said. "But you don't have office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays" she stated. "She made an appointment," he lied. "Oh! Okay. Well anyway, Nancy and I are going out for drinks soon if you want to come" she said excitedly. "That sounds great, but I actually still have a lot to do. Thank you though" he said politely.

"Come on! All you do is work. You're too serious, you need to let loose and have some fun. Don't be _serious_ Fitz, be _fun_ Fitz!" she exclaimed, rubbing her hand down his bicep. He winced at her touch. _Right now I'm annoyed Fitz_ , he thought. "I'm sorry, Amanda. I really just can't" he said. He didn't know how much clearer he could be with her. He gave her props for never quitting, but at some point, she _had_ to get the message. "Alright, alright. But if you ever need a break from work, you know where to find me" she said suggestively as she left his office.

Fitz shook his head, unsure of why she was not backing down. His mind immediately shifted back to Olivia. If only he could get _his_ message across to her. She obviously knew he was interested, he had made it clear. They both had. But of course, there were still so many complications. Sometimes he thought they could do it; be together and keep quiet about it until she was no longer his student. The problem was, she would be his student for a long time. This entire year for sure, not to mention it was still possible she would get placed in his higher level Political Science classes in the future.

He taught three courses, and all three were required for the Political Science major. However, there was a fifty percent chance she would get the other professor who taught them; Sam Reston. The other problem was, he didn't truly know what she wanted.

Maybe she didn't want to be with him. She was so dedicated to her schoolwork, it was hard to think she'd ever jeopardize that for him. He also didn't know if she had dated much. He knew her well, but that was the one thing he didn't know much about; her history. She never talked about any other guys, so he wasn't sure. In reality, she was still just a kid, maybe she didn't have much of a history. That would be hard for him to believe, though. She was intelligent, kind, funny, mature, and absolutely beautiful. Man, was she beautiful. And distracting. So, so distracting. He sighed deeply. It sucked. Everything about this situation just flat out sucked.

Yet here he was, continuing to get through it. Continuing to fight the pain and the difficulty. Continuing to stand up in front of all his students every day, and act like he wasn't falling in love with one of them.


	10. Paxton Hills

"So you're just staying at David's apartment tonight?" Olivia asked, grabbing her coat. "Yeah, I think so. It will just be easier if we're going to his parent's house in the morning anyway" Abby replied. "Well that will be fun!" Olivia exclaimed. "I don't know, Liv...What if I say something stupid? Or I _swear_ on accident. I mean, normal parents don't like that kind of thing right?" Abby asked nervously.

"I thought David said they were laid back?" Olivia asked. "He did, but you know David. He was probably just trying to keep me calm" Abby said. "Abby, I'm sure it will go great. Yes, it's a big step, but it shows David's serious about you. He's in this with you. Just be your wonderful self and they'll love you, I know it" Olivia assured her. Abby sighed. "Thanks, Liv. I hope so" Abby said, still a bit anxious. Olivia's phone vibrated in her pocket.

 _ **Fitz: I'm here!**_

She texted back quickly.

 _ **Olivia: Okay, on my way down!**_

"Alright Abby, I have to go, he's here. I'll see you later tomorrow. Good luck!" Olivia said. "Thanks. Have fun with Professor Dreamy!" Abby exclaimed. " _Bye_ , Abby," Olivia said, rolling her eyes. She shut the door behind her and went to take the elevator down to the first floor. Ever since it had started getting colder, Fitz would come and pick her up for trivia so she didn't have to walk in the cold.

Normally, she wouldn't even mind walking in the cold, but she agreed so that she could spend more time with him, even if it was only a short drive to Oak Haven. She walked out of her complex and saw his car, opening the door and getting in happily. "Hi," he greeted. "Hi," she said back. "I like your coat," he said, smiling at it. She was wearing her favorite white coat. "Thanks!" She exclaimed. They chatted on their way there, talking about how they thought they would do tonight. Usually, Olivia carried the team, but they still never placed in the top five. They kind of sucked.

"Do you think we'll ever win?" he asked. "Do you want an optimistic answer or a realistic answer?" she asked. He laughed. "Realistic," he said. "Then hell no" she replied. "Yeah, you're probably right...oh well, we still have fun," he said. "Yes, we do. I always look forward to it" she said happily. He turned towards her and smiled. "Me too," he said.

He pulled into a spot on the street and got out to go open the door for her. He extended his hand out to her, which she gladly took. They walked down the sidewalk, hand in hand, but let go as soon as they saw Cyrus sitting in their normal booth.

"Fitz, Olivia! My favorite colleague and my favorite student!" he exclaimed. "Hey, Cyrus!" they greeted. "You know, I don't think I can technically be your favorite student if you're not actually my professor" Olivia teased. "Oh, that's alright. I know you better than any of my actual students anyway" he said with a laugh. It was true, she had become fairly good friends with Cyrus over the past couple months.

She admired his love for politics, and even got to meet his husband James a couple weeks ago, who she adored right off the bat. It truly was the best night of her week, coming here with Fitz and Cyrus. Luckily, Cyrus didn't seem to suspect anything. She and Fitz certainly never made their attraction for each other obvious in front of him; holding hands under the table was about as risqué as they got. Cyrus seemed to think that her love for trivia brought her here every Saturday, when in reality, that wasn't the whole truth anymore. Although she did like trivia, she mostly came here for Fitz.

* * *

Before she knew it, they were heading out at closing time, their night coming to an end. They said goodbye to Cyrus before heading the other way to his car. He opened her door for her and walked around to the driver's side. When he got in, he sat back in his seat, not starting the car yet. "Everything okay?" she asked. He nodded. "Yeah. It's just—these nights...with you. They go too fast" he said. She knew exactly what he meant.

"They do" she whispered. They sat in silence, not wanting their night to truly come to an end, when a thought hit her. "How do you feel about ice cream?" she asked. He looked at her funny. "Um...I feel very _strongly_ about ice cream" he said with a smile. She giggled. "Then we should get some" she suggested. His smile grew bigger. "Okay," he said. He pulled out of the spot and started driving. They didn't discuss where they were going, but he seemed to have a place in mind.

About ten minutes later, he pulled into Ashley's Ice Cream Cafe. "I love this place!" she exclaimed. "Me too! Best ice cream in Connecticut, hands down" he said. They walked inside and ordered sundaes, just as they were closing. "It's okay, we can eat in the car," he said, taking her hand. They walked out of Ashley's Ice Cream Cafe, hand in hand with their ice cream, and got back in the car.

She immediately got déjà vu, as they sat in his car and ate their ice cream, remembering drinking their milkshakes and looking at the stars just a week before. They really did have the most fun doing such basic things. She was brought back to reality at the sound of him shifting the car out of park and into reverse. "Where are we going?" She asked. "Driving" he replied, putting his empty sundae dish in the cup holder. "How did you finish that fast!? It's been like five minutes!" She exclaimed.

"Hey, it was really good!" he said with a laugh. "You're right, it _is_ pretty good," she said, taking a bite. "Let me try" he said, opening his mouth. She giggled and scooped up a huge spoonful, feeding it to him as he drove. "Mmm, strawberry. It's not better than hot fudge, but still good" he admitted. She looked at him happily as they cruised down the highway. It was fun, having no place to go; just driving with him.

"So this is what you do when you can't sleep? You just drive?" she asked, taking another bite. "Mhm. But I have to admit, it's much better having someone with me" he said. He opened his mouth again, wanting more ice cream. She happily obliged, feeding more to him. As they continued down the highway, she began to see Paxton Hills and knew they were almost back to campus again. Paxton Hills was the nicest apartment complex in the area, and probably in all of Connecticut. Only extremely wealthy people lived there, and everyone envied them.

"Ah, there's _Pax_ " she said. "What's wrong with Pax?" he asked. "Nothing. They're all just so _lucky_. Do you think the inside is actually as nice as the pictures on the internet?" she asked curiously, finishing the last of her ice cream. "Yes" he replied. "Really? How come?" she asked. "Because I live there" he said. She grew pale. "Oh—I didn't...you—you live in _Paxton Hills_?" she asked in awe. "Mhm" he replied. She didn't know what to say, she couldn't believe he actually lived there.

She felt him look over at her, undoubtedly noticing that she was completely in awe. "Maybe you want to...um—do you...want to see it?" he asked, seeming a bit nervous. She perked up. "Are you serious?" she asked. He nodded. "I would love that" she said excitedly. He smiled. "Okay" he said, looking over his shoulder so he could switch lanes to take the exit he needed to take. She couldn't believe she was actually going to see a Paxton Hills apartment in real life. She felt like royalty. You couldn't even get in the place unless they knew you lived there, or had proof you were a guest of someone who did.

They got off the highway and took a right on Bennett Drive, which led them all the way there. It was even more breathtaking up close. It was composed of beautiful stone, in all different shades of gray. The architectural details on the corners of the building were intricate and so well done. "This is amazing," she said as he opened the door for her. "Yeah?" he asked. She nodded. He smiled and shut her door behind her.

As they reached the double set of French doors, the doorman greeted them warmly. "Good evening, Mr. Grant. Good evening, ma'am" he said, opening the door for them. "Same to you, Alex. Thank you" Fitz replied. "Thank you," Olivia said, walking through the door. _Wow_ , she thought. They entered the lobby and her jaw dropped. It reminded her of something out of the _Great Gatsby_ or something. The beautiful chandelier lit up the tall, large room; the light dancing across the gold wallpaper. The curtains were a deep red, reaching all the way to the floor. There was a large front desk, and many side tables around the spacious room, all made of a stunning cherry wood.

"You like it?" he asked, leading her to the elevator. "Oh my god" was all she could manage. He laughed as he hit the button for the sixth floor. When they reached his floor, she looked around at the wide hallways and all the tall cherry wood doors. Everything was so amazing. She followed him to the second to last door on the left, apartment 639. She stood close behind him as he got his keys out to unlock the door, and held it open for her.

She gasped at its beauty. It was _enormous_. The layout was fairly open, she could see a living room, a dining room, and the kitchen as she walked in, but all the rooms were absolutely huge. The design and decorations were simple, but perfect. "Wow," she said, looking around. He gave her a tour of his place, showing her all the main rooms and leading her down the long hallway off the living room.

He had two guest bedrooms and a bathroom, as well as his bedroom at the very end of the hall, which they didn't go in. "So is it as nice as the pictures online?" he asked, as they came back to the living room. "Definitely. _Yes_ " she replied with a smile. "I'm glad you like it. You want anything to drink? I have _lemonade_ " he said. She smiled. "I'd love some, thank you," she said. He walked behind the island towards the fridge to pour her some.

She wandered into the living room to look at all the books on his bookcase. It was stacked completely full, which she admired. She saw a lot of law and politics books, but some others that were clearly just for enjoyment too. She noticed a stack of dusty boxes in the corner by the bookshelf that looked like they hadn't been opened in years, which she found odd. He came back with lemonade for the both of them, handing hers over to her.

"Thank you," she said. "What's in these boxes?" she asked curiously. He looked down at them, seeming a bit hesitant. She figured they just had some old books in them that couldn't fit on the bookshelf, but based on his reaction, she wished she hadn't asked. "Do you wanna see?" he asked. Well, now she was _very_ curious. She didn't want to seem nosy, but she couldn't really say no at this point, so she nodded.

He set his drink down on the table and grabbed the stack of boxes, bringing them over to the couch so they could open them. They took their coats off and sat down together, as he let her open the top box. There were lots of things inside, but her eyes were first drawn to a wooden box near the top. She looked at him for confirmation, and he nodded. So she opened it. Inside was a small revolver, with a nameplate under the lid that read:

 **Governor Fitzgerald Grant III**

She figured it belonged to his father, but then she read the name again.

"Wait...this says Governor Fitzgerald Grant _the third,"_ she said. He nodded at her. "But that's you" she stated. "That _is_ me" he replied. "Governor?" she asked. "Of California," he said. She was beyond confused. "But I thought...your dad...wait, what?" she asked. "My dad served two terms as governor. And...I served one" he said simply. "What!? Why didn't you tell us that?" she asked in awe, remembering the first day of class when he had told them that his _father_ had been governor.

"I never do. That period of my life was...I wasn't...a happy person. Those years weren't so good to me, and I came here to get away from all of that. I don't want my students to think of me as a governor, I just want to be their professor" he said. She nodded. "I understand," she said. She felt that this was a very personal topic and didn't want to push him on it. "Well...just for the record, I think that's...amazing," she said quietly. He smiled. "Yeah?" he asked. "Yeah" she replied.

"So...not many people know, huh?" she asked. "Not many. The other professors in the department know, of course. And on occasion, someone will recognize me or a student will come ask me about it. It's not hard to google" he said with a laugh. "But otherwise, I try to keep it...in the past," he said. She nodded, continuing to look through the box. There were tons of newspaper clippings from his time as governor, which she thought were incredibly cool. She saw one with a picture of him on the front, looking so young. Underneath the picture in bolder letters read:

 _ **Fitzgerald Grant III, son of former Governor, Fitzgerald Grant II, becomes youngest Governor of California, and second youngest ever, sworn in at the age of twenty-seven.**_

Her jaw dropped. "Wow. Twenty-seven?" she asked. "Yeah. I got a job right out of law school at twenty-five, at Roberts Law Firm in Newport Beach. Worked there for a couple years, expanded my resume. I did everything my father asked me to do, married the woman he wanted me to marry, and there I was, being elected governor before I even knew what hit me" he said.

She was bombarded with so much information, it took her awhile to process it all. She was beginning to understand, though, why he didn't talk much about it. It was clear he didn't have the best relationship with his father, and was thrown into something he didn't necessarily want. It was all still extremely impressive to her, though. She was also beginning to understand where his wealth came from.

His family was undoubtedly well-off, plus she figured his law firm job had paid well. She saw another newspaper clipping of him and his father, and a beautiful brunette woman standing by his side. She took it out of the box and inspected it more closely, knowing that it must have been whom he had referred to earlier, the woman he had married. She decided it would probably be best not to ask about her, seeing that it didn't seem like he was a big fan of the woman.

They continued to look through the boxes together, getting closer and closer as they did so. He rested his arm behind her as they leaned close together, looking at news clippings. Eventually after they had gone through both boxes, they just leaned back on the couch, side by side, and he told her more about his life before he became a professor. "So then you just...left?" she asked.

"I did. I left everything behind in California; came back here to get my Masters in Political Science, and started teaching right off the bat when they offered me a position" he explained. "Wow. You've been quite a busy man" she said with a laugh. "I know! I'm happy that things have sort of settled down for me now. I like where I've ended up" he admitted. "I'm happy too. And I'm happy that you're here. You're an amazing professor" she said. She could see him blushing. "I'm glad you think so" he replied.

He looked at her for the longest time, not saying a word. Just looking. She smiled back at him as they sat there, bodies touching, turned towards each other. They were so close. She could see him looking down at her lips, and she found herself doing the same.

"I love being a professor, but...sometimes I wish I wasn't... _your_ professor" he whispered. "Why?" She whispered back, never taking her eyes off him. He looked at her for a moment, seemingly contemplating what he wanted to say. "You know why," he said softly. And there it was. The confession. She knew she should leave. She should make him take her home right now. But she couldn't will herself to ask. She didn't _want_ to. "You're right...I do. And you know it's mutual" she replied. Their faces were inches apart. "I do" he whispered.

She felt herself leaning forward, and saw him doing the same. Last time this had happened, Cyrus had interrupted them. But this time, there were no interruptions, and they didn't pull back.

The gap between them disappeared, they closed their eyes, and their lips met. His lips were so soft, and so warm. They felt good against hers. It started off as a fairly innocent kiss, but he soon pulled her bottom lip into his mouth and sucked on it gently. His hands, although hesitant, slowly pulled her closer to him. She shifted her body, swinging one leg over him so she rested in his lap as they made out, all sense of personal space gone.

It wasn't long before he gradually slipped his tongue into her mouth, grazing hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, gently running her fingers through his hair. It was soft. So, so soft. He finally pulled back to look at her, both of them trying to catch their breath. "Is this...okay?" he whispered. Her heart melted, loving that he had asked. "Yes," she whispered back. He smiled and leaned back in, pressing his lips against hers once again. His hands, planted firmly on her hips, began to slide lower and lower, before he gently picked her up as he stood. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her from the living room, down the hallway, and into his dark bedroom.

She could barely process what was happening, she just focused on him. On his lips. On his body. She suddenly felt a softness beneath her, and she knew he had laid her down on his bed. She couldn't think straight, she just knew she wanted more. Her hands began to fumble with the buttons on his dress shirt, trying to get it off him as quickly as she could. She took it off and threw it to the floor, watching him strip his undershirt off as well. She ran her fingers along his strong, sculpted chest.

His fingers found the bottom of her shirt, so she sat up and lifted up her arms, letting him take it off. His hands reached around her body, unhooking her bra in one swift motion. She watched his eyes travel down her bare chest, his breathing becoming heavier. She reached for his belt, starting to undo it. She wanted all of his clothing _off_. And, it appeared he did too. She undid his jeans quickly and he slipped them off, leaving him in only his boxers.

"Lay back for me" he whispered. She laid back and watched as he moved to her waist, quickly sliding her skinny jeans off and throwing them to the floor. She pulled him back up to her lips, wanting to feel them against hers again. His tongue was instantly in her mouth again, fighting hers for dominance. He pulled away and started planting wet kisses down her neck, sucking gently on her soft skin. She knew he was leaving marks, but she didn't care.

He continued all the way down her chest until he reached her panty line. She breathed heavily, wanting more. "Don't stop" she pleaded breathlessly, grabbing his hair for support. He looked up at her for confirmation before he slid her underwear off slowly. He eyed her up and down, running his hands over her soft skin. She knew he could feel how wet he had made her, as his hands began to move to places they had never been before, touching her in ways he had never touched her before.

He made her feel so good, she never wanted him to stop. He also made her feel comfortable. She had always been a bit self-conscious of her body, feeling she didn't have big enough hips, or big enough breasts. But the way he looked at her made her feel beautiful, wanted. No sense of self-consciousness in sight. She wanted to see him, too. _All_ of him. She reached down and tugged at the waistband of his boxers, letting him know that she wanted them off. He did what she wanted, slowly pulling them off.

The light from the hallway illuminated their bodies just enough, casting shadows on their bare skin. She breathed heavily, admiring his exposed body for the first time as he hovered above her. He smiled that soft smile she knew so well, and leaned his forehead against hers. He reached down and opened her legs wider, allowing himself better access. A moan escaped her mouth as he entered her slowly. He kissed her and intertwined his fingers with hers as their bodies became one.

His other hand traveled down her body and gripped her tightly while he made love to her. She dug her free hand into his muscular back, trying to keep herself from being too loud. But she couldn't help it, because man, was it good. So incredibly good. "Oh god, Olivia" he whispered breathlessly against her mouth, making it known that he felt the same way she did. Hearing him say her name in that moment turned her on immensely, and seeing how hard he was breathing because of her only added to her arousal. He continued to leave her wanting more, all night.

* * *

The Professor-Student line was officially crossed that night, in the most beautiful and intimate way possible. And despite how wrong they both knew it was, it didn't _feel_ wrong. Needless to say, Fitz got the best sleep of his life that night, lying with Olivia in his arms, both of their bodies exhausted and bare.

She the student, and he, the professor.


	11. Point Of No Return

Olivia awoke to the sound of rain against the roof. _Ugh. More rain in December?_ She thought. The weather was completely unpredictable these days. Her eyelids were heavy; she still felt incredibly tired. She opened her eyes, which didn't take long at all to adjust to her dark surroundings. For a minute, she thought she was still dreaming, and hadn't actually woken up yet. Because this was not her room. This was not her bed.

She looked all around her, and her eyes finally landed on him, sleeping soundly next to her. And then she remembered. "Oh god," she whispered aloud to herself. She put her hand over her mouth, not quite believing it had actually happened. But, oh... _it had_. The previous night flashed before her eyes. Him carrying her in here, the clothes coming off, him inside of her. It had all really happened.

She looked around his bedroom, trying to find a clock somewhere. She had no idea where to look, everything was completely unfamiliar to her. It had been so dark last night, not to mention her attention had been...elsewhere.

Her eyes landed on an alarm clock on the nightstand on his side of the bed. 9:24 am. She hadn't the faintest idea what time they had actually fallen asleep, but she knew it had been extremely late. She was honestly surprised he wasn't awake yet, given all his talk about sleep issues. She looked at him while he slept. He looked so peaceful. Sometimes he made her worry. He was always happy when she was with him, but she had seen him walking around on campus or standing alone before class. He always seemed stressed, and tired. So seeing him this way made her happy.

She brushed that one unruly curl off his forehead, but of course, it just went right back. She smiled, wondering why she had even tried. She took this time to admire him again. He was a stomach sleeper, like her, and the comforter was draped across his lower waist, exposing his entire back. She remembered how muscular it had felt last night beneath her grip, and its looks definitely did not deceive.

There was a prominent line all the way down, emphasizing the muscles on each side. His shoulders were fairly broad, but his waist, much thinner. His hair was messy, the curls seemed to have a mind of their own. _Probably my fault_ , she thought to herself, remembering how often her hands had been in his hair last night. Although his skin was somewhat fair, she could still see the Cali boy in him. His skin still held a slight tan, even in the beginning of an east coast winter.

Her thoughts shifted back to the first day she had met him, her first day in his class. She remembered feeling instantly drawn to him, without even being able to see him clearly. She loved the sound of his voice, and the way he made all the students laugh right from the beginning. She remembered shaking his hand for the first time, feeling it wrap around hers as she introduced herself. She had felt so guilty those first couple weeks when she admitted to herself that she was into him, knowing how wrong it was.

And now here she was, in his apartment. In his bedroom. In his _bed_. She had no idea what they were going to do. They had put themselves in a very difficult situation, a point of no return. There was no turning back now. It wasn't that she wanted to turn back, she had wanted to take that step last night. And he had too. But now that they were here, it was a bit terrifying. What they did last night had certainly jeopardized his job, and he obviously knew that, but he had gone for it anyway. Thinking about all of it made her head hurt.

He began to stir next to her, moving his arms out from underneath his pillow. He exhaled deeply, rubbing his eyes with his fingers. His eyes opened ever so slightly and landed on her immediately. He seemed to take a moment to process, just as she had. And then he smiled, barely able to keep his eyes open. "Olivia" he whispered, sounding so happy to see her. "Fitz" she whispered back, giving him a little smile.

"How are you?" he whispered. "I'm good. How are you?" she asked. "Really good" he whispered. She smiled at him, being so cute. "I slept so well, but I'm...still so tired" he whispered, his eyelids heavy. "You can go back to sleep" she whispered. "No, you're awake" he whispered.

He reached out and rubbed her bare back affectionately, which she thought could literally almost soothe her back to sleep. "Are you cold? You feel cold" he whispered. "A little" she replied. He pulled her body closer to his, and pulled the comforter up further over them. He was warm, so she snuggled up against him. She could still smell his scent, the scent that she had come to love.

They laid there on their sides, arms around each other. His eyes were so blue, it was easy to get lost in them, which, she did. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers softly. She had almost forgotten already what it felt like to kiss him. It felt good.

He kissed her cheek, and then brushed her hair aside to kiss her neck, but pulled back. "Oh boy" he whispered, running his fingers over her neck and chest. She knew right away what he was looking at. "How many?" She asked. "Many" he replied. She laughed. "It happens," she said with a shrug. "God, I'm sorry. My fault" he whispered. "Really, it's okay. It's scarf season" she said with a smile.

"Mmm, Olivia in a scarf," he teased. "Hey, I happen to look great in scarves," she said. "Oh, I don't doubt it. You look great in everything," he said. "And in nothing" he added, running his hand down her body. She giggled. "Oh yeah?" she asked. He nodded his head. "Mhm," he replied. She smiled at him, running her fingers through his hair. He leaned his head closer to her chest, clearly letting her know it felt good.

"I like when you do that" he whispered against her chest. "I can tell," she said with a laugh. "You like my hair," he said. "Was that a statement or a question?" She asked. "Statement" he replied. "And what makes you think that?" she teased. "It's the first place your hands go," he said. She giggled. "Oh, man. You got me" she said, which made him laugh. That morning was exactly what she needed, light-hearted conversation and teasing, not facing their reality. She knew they needed to talk, it needed to happen. But she was happy to just be with him that morning, pretending everything was okay. Pretending everything was normal.

* * *

She walked into her building and took the elevator up to her apartment after having said goodbye to him. She had a headache, probably from stress if she had to guess. She unlocked her door and immediately went to take a shower. She knew she looked like a complete mess, wearing yesterday's clothes and her hair astray.

She started the water and looked in the mirror as she stripped her clothes off. "Oh god, Fitz" she whispered, running her fingers over her marked neck and chest. She let out a little laugh. She kind of liked it, to be honest. Knowing she had been marked by him.

She took a shower, unfortunately rinsing his scent off of her body. She let the hot water run down her skin for a long time, not wanting to get out. But she had a ton of homework to do that day, so she reluctantly turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. She went to her room and put on a hoodie and some sweats. The sweatshirt didn't completely cover up her neck, but it was fine for lounging around.

She heard the front door open from her room and knew that Abby had come back, so she went out to talk to her. "Hey. How did it go?" Olivia asked. "It went well! I think they like me Liv!" Abby exclaimed. "Of course they do, Abby. I told you they would!" Olivia replied. "So, how about you? How was trivia last night?" Abby asked casually, taking off her coat. "Um. It was...good" Olivia replied, sitting down on the couch. "Yeah? Did Cyrus catch you and pretty boy holding hands yet?" Abby asked with a laugh, sitting down on the ottoman across from her. "No—no, he...didn't," Olivia said.

Abby raised her eyebrows at her, clearly sensing something was up. "Liv...what's up?" she asked. "Nothing" she lied. She wanted to tell her, she needed to tell her. But she suddenly became so incredibly nervous, her palms starting to sweat. "Olivia Carolyn Pope you are the worst liar I know, tell me what's going on," Abby said. Olivia sighed. She might as well get it over with. "Last night I...um. I did something. That I shouldn't have done. I...think I...fucked up. I don't know, I just...I did something" she said, stumbling over her words.

Abby looked at her funny. "Okay...you did something...?" Abby said, waiting for her to expand on it further. "With someone," Olivia said. Abby sat there processing for a moment, and then the realization hit her. "Oh... _OH_ ," she said, putting her hand over her mouth in disbelief. "Oh my god...oh my _god!_ You banged the hot professor! YES! Oh, praise JESUS. It took you two long enough! Wait, where did it happen? _How_ did it happen? You've been on your birth control, right? How was it? Was he good? AH!" she exclaimed, dancing around the living room.

Olivia grabbed Abby's arm and pulled her back down to the ottoman. "Shhh, Abby, Jesus" Olivia said. "What the hell, Liv? You should be ecstatic right now, I know how much you like him" Abby said, confused. "I know, it's just...everything is so complicated. I just...I don't know what to do" she said, rubbing her forehead with her hand.

"Well what did he say about it?" Abby asked. "We didn't really talk about it much" she replied. "What? How can you have sex and then not talk about it?" Abby asked. "I don't know, I think...he's nervous. And...afraid. And I am too. I don't know, Abby. I don't know. It makes my head hurt" Olivia said. "Liv, okay, everything's going to be fine. You both are adults, it's not like it's illegal. It's just a...minor...complication" Abby said.

" _Minor?"_ Olivia asked. "Okay, maybe not _minor_. But it's not so bad" Abby said. "He literally could be my professor until I graduate, Abby," Olivia said. "Mmm, forbidden love...I like it" Abby said with a smirk. "Abby!" Olivia exclaimed. "Sorry, sorry. But still, come on. How hot would that be?" Abby said. Olivia shook her head at her friend and leaned back on the couch. Abby looked at her funny.

"What?" Olivia asked. "Is that a hickey?" she asked, leaning closer to her. Olivia felt her cheeks flush red. "Uh...no," she said, attempting to pull her sweatshirt up over her neck. Of course, Abby just pulled it right back down, revealing her marked neck and upper chest. "Holy mother of god," Abby said. Olivia smiled and put her hand to her mouth. "Well he certainly wasn't careful" Abby said. "Yeah...not so much" Olivia answered, still smiling.

"Okay, smiley, spill it. You _still_ haven't answered any of my questions. I need details" Abby said. "Okay...like what?" she asked a bit nervously. Abby then proceeded to ask her all sorts of questions, which Olivia answered thoroughly. Abby was quite shocked when Olivia told her where he lived, as well as that he had been a governor. "Wait, so let me get this straight. You fucked a governor in Paxton Hills..." Abby said. "Um...in a manner of speaking, yes" Olivia answered.

"And it was good" Abby added. " _So_ good" Olivia mouthed. "Wow, what is going on? My best friend is screwing professors and I'm actually in a committed relationship. Life really is crazy" Abby said casually, which Olivia laughed at. It was true. Life was pretty crazy at the moment. And...terrifying.

* * *

Fitz laid in his bed, watching TV in only his boxers. His day had been so unproductive. After he took Olivia home, he had tried to work, but he couldn't seem to focus. He just kept thinking about her. About last night. It was so wrong yet so...incredible. _She_ was incredible. He began to reach for his phone, but immediately pulled his hand back.

Should he call her? Text her? He just wanted to talk to her, but he didn't know what to say. He was terrified, and he figured she probably was too. He wanted to do the right thing, but he didn't even know what the right thing was in this situation. He wanted her to come back. He wanted to hold her in his arms again. He just wanted _her_.


	12. We'll Wait

Olivia laid in her bed, watching TV before she went to sleep. She chuckled as she watched _Friends_. It was the one thing that always seemed to make her happy, even after a long day. Her day hadn't been awful; classes were fine and she didn't have much homework. It was _him_ that was on her mind. They hadn't spoken since yesterday when he dropped her off at home.

She didn't really peg Fitz as the type of guy to sleep with a woman and then never speak to her again. He was so much different than any other guy she'd met. So caring. So affectionate. So... _Fitz_. That's why she tried to keep an open mind, because she knew that he was probably just as clueless as she was. And to be fair, she hadn't reached out to him either. There were two people in this, not just him. She had tried to text him, tried to press that call button, but every time she tried, she backed out. She didn't know what to say. She didn't even know what she _wanted_ to say. Complicated was such an understatement.

Just as her episode finished and she was about to go to bed, her phone rang. She looked over at it and her heart pounded when she read the name on her screen.

 _Fitz_.

"Oh god," she said to herself. She let it ring a couple times, not knowing whether she should answer it or not. Now that he was actually calling her, she was terrified. _Oh good lord answer the damn phone,_ she thought. She picked it up and answered.

"Hello?" she said quietly. "Olivia," he said softly. "Fitz" she replied. "Are you home?" he asked. "Yes...why?" she asked. "Because I'm outside," he said softly. "What?" she asked. "Will you come down?" he asked. "Um—yeah. Yeah, okay. I'll...be down in a minute" she said. "Okay," he replied.

She hung up the phone and quickly threw some warmer clothes on. Her heart was pounding so loud, she thought Abby could hear it from the next room. She opened her bedroom door quietly and walked out into her dark living room. She slipped on some boots and her coat, and headed downstairs. When she opened the door of her building, she saw his silhouette in the parking lot, standing by his car. She walked over to him, shivering in the cold. He didn't say anything, he just got in the car. So, she got in too.

He pulled out of the parking lot and started driving, heading towards the highway. They sat in silence for a long time while he drove, just listening to the sounds of the road. He eventually got off the highway and pulled on to a little back road, parking on the side of it. "Where are we?" she asked. "I have no idea," he said. She looked over at him, wondering if he wanted her to say something. But then, he spoke again.

"I'm sorry...for coming so late. And for...taking so long to call you. I just...I didn't know—I don't know what to say. Or do. I just—I needed to see you. I'm going crazy, Olivia" he said. She sat there for a minute, processing what he had said. "Olivia," he said softly. She reached over and put her hand on top of his. "I understand. I feel the same" she assured him.

She looked at him intently. He seemed so worried. So stressed."Do you regret it?" she whispered. She was so afraid to ask, but she needed to know. It had been on her mind for two days. "What? Olivia, no. That night meant everything to me" he answered. She nodded, slightly relieved. "Do you?" he asked. "No" she whispered. He sighed, seeming to feel a bit better as well.

They continued to sit there, her hand resting on top of his as they cherished each other's presence. "I am... _so_ attracted to you, Olivia. I feel things...things I shouldn't feel. And the problem is, I don't know what I'm supposed to do about that" he whispered. Her heart was racing. She felt like she couldn't move, let alone speak. "Talk to me," he said softly. She took a deep breath. "You know how I feel about you. But...this is...so wrong, Fitz" she whispered.

He looked down, disappointment radiating from him. She felt awful. "Okay...then we wait," he said, looking back up at her. She looked at him, confused. "Uh...Fitz, I think that ship has sailed. We definitely didn't wait" she said. "No, I know. I'm not talking about sex. I mean...we wait. To be together. Until I'm not your professor anymore" he said. She thought about it, having a hard time believing he even suggested it. She _did_ want to be with him, and she _didn't_ want to jeopardize his career or her academics, but waiting could take a long time.

"Fitz, do you know how long that could take? What if I get put in one of your classes again? Or both of them? Then what? This isn't high school, this is Yale. I can't just switch professors because I feel like it" she said. "I don't care, I'll wait," he said adamantly. She looked at him as if he was crazy. Why was he so stubborn? And why did him being stubborn turn her on? She tried to hold back her smile, but she could feel it showing. "You'll wait. Really? _Really?"_ she asked.

"Do you want me?" he asked. She didn't know if he was being serious or not, she thought the answer to that question was fairly obvious. "I want you," she said. "Then, we'll wait," he said, lacing his fingers in hers. She exhaled deeply. He clearly wasn't backing down. "Okay. We'll wait" she agreed.

* * *

"So is it going to be weird today in class?" Abby asked, standing in her doorway. "Why would it be?" Olivia asked. "Because you've seen him naked" Abby said with a smirk. Olivia smiled and rolled her eyes. "And now he's basically like your...pre-boyfriend or...something," Abby said. Olivia had told Abby about their late night conversation the prior evening, which she wasn't super happy about. Abby, of course, wanted them to just be together now and keep it a secret. She couldn't remember what she had called it...Forbidden love or some damn thing.

"Pre-boyfriend is not a word, Abby," Olivia said, putting her laptop in her bag. "Well, it is now!" Abby said. Olivia laughed and shook her head. "Don't you have to go?" Olivia asked, looking at her watch. "Oh! Shit, thanks. Tell Fitzy boy I say hi! Bye, Liv!" Abby exclaimed, before disappearing out of her sight. Olivia laughed to herself as Abby added another name to her list of nicknames for him. The hot professor, pretty boy, professor dreamy, Fitzy boy...the list just went on.

But, she was very thankful that she had a friend like Abby. Aside from being a bit crazy and very lively, she was the most trustworthy person she knew. Some of her other friends, not so much. If Quinn knew that she and Fitz had slept together, it would be all over campus right now.

Abby liked her fair share of gossip, but she also knew when to keep a secret. Hell, Abby was the one who wanted them to keep their entire relationship a secret. But, they had decided to wait. So, he really was her 'pre-boyfriend'. She put on her coat and grabbed all her things, always having to leave about five minutes after Abby on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

When she got to the lecture hall, she saw him standing up at the front, looking through his notes. He was flipping through the pages, with his pen in his mouth, looking so focused. It made her smile. He was so cute and he didn't even know it. She sat down and pulled out her laptop, getting ready for her hardest, but favorite, class. She looked up at him briefly, and their eyes met. He wiggled his fingers at her ever so slightly like he had done so many times before. She blushed, giving him a little wave back.

"How's everyone doing today?" he asked, adjusting his mic. As usual, he received less than thrilled responses. "Looking forward to winter break?" he asked. This time, he received a good amount of cheers. "Yeah, there we go," he said happily. She sat there, admiring him as he talked to everyone. He looked so happy up there, doing his thing. She could watch him all day, teaching this class. Of course, that would require having to listen to the obnoxious, yet still slightly amusing, girls behind her all day.

"That shirt makes him look ripped" the girl Olivia remembered as "Becky", whispered. "Well, he probably is ripped" the other girl responded. _Uh, yep. Can confirm_ , Olivia thought, remembering his muscular body. They then proceeded to go into very specific and very R-rated detail about his body, which, had Olivia biting back a smile.

Images of his bare body flooded her mind, distracting her from the lecture. She tried to focus, but now all she was thinking about was that night with him. The sounds of each other's names filling his bedroom, breathing hard, hands all over each other. _Damn it, Becky, this is all your fault_ , she thought.

When class was over, she debated whether or not she should go up to him like she normally did. Would it be weird now? Should she just leave? She glanced up at him. He was packing up his things and looking over at her. _You are really overthinking everything_ , _just go,_ she thought to herself. After grabbing all her things, she walked up to him at the front.

"Hi," he greeted. "Hi" she replied. She handed him his coffee mug. "Oh, thanks. What would I do without you?" he asked with a smile. "Hmm. I don't know. Your life would probably be really boring" she said with a shrug. "Is that right?" he asked, laughing. "Yeah, that's right" she replied with a smile. "Alright, I think I agree with you on that one," he said, as they started to leave together. When they got outside, he leaned closer to her.

"You know, I think you need to start sitting in the back of the lecture hall," he said in a low voice. "And why's that?" she asked. "Because you're distracting" he whispered in her ear. His voice sent a shiver down her spine. She watched him turn his head and smile at her over his shoulder as he walked away. _Mm, Fitz, you have no idea_.

* * *

Olivia laid on the floor of her bedroom, doing homework at 10:00. Abby had been at David's all night, and she didn't really feel like hanging out with Quinn or the boys tonight. So, there she was, doing homework. As usual. She had her headphones in, listening to music as she worked.

Her favorite song, "Heart's Content", was cranked up to full volume. It was the song that had played in the car when she and Fitz were looking at the stars together. It reminded her of him, and made her happy. Just as she was about to hit the replay button, she saw a text notification.

 _ **Can I call you?**_

She smiled. Such a wonderful distraction.

 _ **Please do.**_

She unplugged her headphones, getting ready for him to call. It didn't take him long.

"Hello?" she said. "Olivia," he said happily. She smiled at his developing habit of saying her name after she answered the phone. "Fitz" she replied. "I just wanted to talk to you. Do you think we can...is that...okay?" he asked. "Yes, Fitz. I think that's okay" she said with a little laugh. "Okay. I just...I wanted to make sure" he said. "Of course. What are you up to?" she asked. "Not much. I'm laying in my bed. Drinking your magical sleep tea" he replied.

"Oh yeah? It's been working better right?" she asked. "I think so, I'm not sure. But I've been sleeping so much better lately" he said. "And by that, I hope you don't mean five hours..." she said nervously. He laughed. "No, around seven!" he said proudly. "Oh wow! Fitz that's really great. That's almost...normal!" she exclaimed. "Oh, I'm normal? Well, that can't be right" he said with a laugh. "Normal is overrated," she said with a laugh. "You know what? That is so true" he agreed.

"So what about you, what are you up to?" he asked. She flipped onto her back, looking up at the ceiling. "Oh, you know. Homework. The usual" she said. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know that, I don't want to distract you" he said. "No, no. It's okay. I've been at it for hours. I needed a break" she assured him. "Hours? Jeez! You need to have more fun" he said. "I have plenty of fun," she said.

"Oh yeah? Doing what?" he asked. "I have fun when I'm with you" she pointed out. He was silent for a moment. "I have fun when I'm with you too," he said softly. She sat there in silence, thinking about how hard it was going to be to wait. But they had to. It was the right thing. She heard him sigh on the other end. "Well, I better let you get back to your homework. I probably should try to get to bed, anyway. I just...wanted to hear your voice" he said quietly. "Okay. I'm glad you called. Sleep well" she replied. "You too. Goodnight, Olivia" he said.

"Goodnight, Fitz."

* * *

Hands down, favorite line of this chapter; _"Damn it, Becky, this is all your fault."_ Got a problem? Just blame Becky.

Of course, no offense to any of you Becky's out there reading this. I love all of you.

Also, I would like to say thank you to everyone for reviewing and saying such kind, supportive things. I really appreciate that, and I love when all of you say you can't wait for the next chapter and that you want more. It warms my heart. On the other hand, if you have problems with it, then don't read it. It is completely your choice. I'm just here because I love to write, and I want to hopefully, produce writing that people enjoy. But if you don't, that's okay. You don't have to read it.


	13. Over A Cliff

"He knows I know about you two, right?" Abby asked. "Yes, he knows" Olivia replied. "Okay, good. I'm walking out with you then. I'm saying hi to him" Abby said excitedly. "Okay, Abby," Olivia said with a laugh. They both pulled on their coats, getting ready to leave.

Abby was headed out with David and Olivia was headed to Oak Haven, as per usual. Abby locked the door behind them and they walked to the elevator together. "So you'll be home later, right?" Olivia asked. "Yeah, I'll be home. The question is, will you? Because let me think...last Saturday night you were...hmmm...where were you?" Abby asked with a smirk.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny. _Yes_ , I will be home tonight, thank you very much" Olivia said, holding back a smile. "I don't know if I believe you" Abby said with a smirk. "What? Why?" Olivia asked. "Well once upon a time, you told me you would not bang the hot professor. And then last weekend you were all nervous because what did you do? You banged the hot professor" she said simply. "Abby, I'll be home tonight. There will be no more... _banging_ " Olivia said, as they opened the door of their building.

"Ha. That's a good one" Abby said with a laugh. Olivia shook her head. "Okay, don't say anything dumb," Olivia said quietly to her as they neared his car.

Fitz rolled down his window as Olivia got in the passenger seat. "Well hi there, Abby. It's great to see you again!" he exclaimed. "Hi! Great to see you again too" she said. "So where are you off to?" he asked. "Oh, I'm going out with my boyfriend, David" she said happily. "That sounds nice. I hope you have fun" he replied. "Yes, thanks. You two have fun too. Have her home by midnight at the latest!" she teased. Fitz laughed.

"Will do, Abby. Promise" he assured her. "Alright, good. Oh, and watch what you do with your mouth tonight, no more hickeys" she said, before giving them both a wink and heading to her car. Olivia's cheeks blushed red, and she looked over to see Fitz's doing the same as he rolled up his window. "Sorry about that" Olivia said. "Abby is...uh, well, she's Abby," she said, laughing.

He smiled. "She's funny," he said. "That, she is" Olivia giggled. "Speaking of. How are your...uh...you know..." he asked. She couldn't help but laugh at his embarrassment. "Oh, they're good now. All gone for the most part" she said. "Oh good. I felt so bad about that" he said nervously. "Why?" she asked. "Because! You had to wear scarves for...how many days?" he asked. "Four" she answered. "Four days of having to hide parts of your body because of me!" he said.

"It really was fine. You worry too much!" she exclaimed, as he started driving. "Okay, fair enough, but I think I had a reason to worry, given what we—uh...the situation..." he said, stumbling over his words. "You get nervous very easily," she giggled. She could see him blushing. "You make me nervous," he said. "You make me nervous too" she replied. He looked over at her, fighting back a smile. "You wanna know something?" he asked. "I would love to know something" she responded.

"You are so beautiful," he said softly. Now it was her turn to blush. She wasn't really expecting that. "You are too sweet," she said. "I'm just being honest" he replied. "Hmm, I think I like it when you're honest" she teased. He laughed. "I'll keep that in mind" he replied.

* * *

Their night went by quickly as usual. It was her last trivia night for a while, because next weekend she would already be back home for winter break. She'd have to say goodbye to school for a whole month, and sadly, that meant Fitz too. It was definitely going to be hard. She would miss him and all her friends here a lot. But, she would definitely enjoy being back with her parents and her friends at home too. Thanksgiving break was only a week, which had felt short. So, spending a bit more time at home was still a plus.

"You happy to be going home next week?" he asked on their way back to her apartment. "Yeah, it will be a nice break from school for sure. But...I'll miss it here" she admitted. He nodded. "So what day do you leave?" he asked. "Wednesday. My last final is Tuesday night" she answered. "I'll miss you" he said softly. Butterflies erupted in her stomach. "I'll miss you too" she said back.

He gave her a little smile, but remained silent for a couple minutes. "What's wrong?" she finally asked. "Nothing," he replied. "Fitz," she said. She knew he was lying. He sighed. "I'm just trying to remember that we're waiting" he whispered. "We're...waiting" she, very hesitantly, agreed. "We're waiting" he repeated. She nodded. "And if we...weren't?" she asked. "If we weren't?" he asked, confused. "You said you were just trying to remember that we're waiting. Well...what if you...didn't remember?" she asked.

He exhaled deeply. "Then...I would probably do something very...wrong" he whispered. "And...what would that be?" she asked. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and swallowed hard. "I would stop the car," he said. She kept her composure on the outside, but on the inside, she was going nuts. "I see. And...then what?" she whispered. He paused before continuing. "I would pull you into the back seat with me" he whispered. She felt goosebumps arise on her skin. She wanted to hear more. "And then?" she asked. "I would kiss you. Hard."

She had to attempt to control her breathing, which was starting to stagger. "Should I keep going?" he asked quietly. "Keep going" she whispered. He exhaled deeply again, like he needed to compose himself before he continued. "Then I would take off your clothes," he said. "And you would take off mine" he whispered. She leaned her head back against the seat, just letting his voice fill the car. She was so turned on, it was almost torture, but she kept listening.

"I'd lay you down...and we'd do something that we really shouldn't do," he said. He turned into the parking lot of her building, and parked in front. They sat in silence for a bit, both of them thinking about his words. He breathed heavily. "But we're waiting" he finally said. "We...are. Yes" she whispered.

He was making it extremely hard to wait. And not just because of her intense desire to do those things with him, to physically show him how she felt. But because she just wanted him to be hers. She wanted to be able to hold his hand all the time, and call him whenever she wanted. She wanted to be able to sleep next to him, and wake up next to him. She wanted all of it.

"I should go" she whispered. "You should go" he agreed. She nodded. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Goodnight, Olivia," he said softly. "Goodnight, Fitz" she replied. She reluctantly got out of the car, as their night officially came to an end. She looked at her watch. 11:32. Well, at least he got her home before Abby's curfew.

Olivia walked in the door, which was already unlocked, so she knew Abby was home. She locked it behind her, and retreated to her room for the night. She just wanted to lay there and do nothing for a bit. There was so much going on in her life right now, she had so much on her mind. She had three finals next week, all in the span of two days, and then there was the drama of the man in her life. At least his class didn't have a semester final. That was a plus. But, there would be a cumulative final at the end of the year, so, that was the downside.

She sighed and buried her face in her pillow. Her thoughts were interrupted when Abby, very excitedly, lunged onto her bed next to her. "Hey, Liv!" Abby exclaimed. "I gotta tell you, I think pretty boy has somehow gotten hotter since the last time I saw him. I love my David, of course, but damn, Liv. PLEASE hit that again. _Please_. Just rip off his clothes and then..." Abby paused. "Liv...uh, everything okay there?" she asked. Olivia bobbed her head up and down on the pillow. "It doesn't seem that way," Abby said concernedly.

Olivia flipped over and gave Abby a slight smile. "Everything's okay. I'm just thinking, is all" Olivia said. "Okay, thinking about ripping his clothes off or...?" Abby asked. Olivia laughed. "I'm just...this is going to be hard, Abby. I know it will get easier, but it's only been a week and it's already so hard" she said, rubbing her forehead with her hand.

"Then don't wait, Liv. Why should you two have to go through that? You said it yourself, he could literally be your professor until you graduate. Can you really wait that long?" Abby asked. "It doesn't matter. We have to" she said sadly. "Why? Just because some damn handbook says so?" Abby asked. "Well...yes, Abby" Olivia replied. "You know what Abby says? Abby says fuck the handbook" she said proudly. Olivia laughed, and reached over to rest her hand on top of Abby's. "You really are my biggest supporter, aren't you?" she asked softly. Abby smiled. "I really am. No matter what, Liv. I will always be here. Over a cliff" Abby whispered. "Over a cliff" Olivia repeated.

* * *

Fitz walked to his kitchen and opened the fridge to pour himself a glass of lemonade. It was three in the morning. He had been sleeping so well. But for some reason, he woke up, craving lemonade. He chuckled. He hadn't even been a big fan of lemonade before this year. Now, he loved it. "Olivia," he said softly to himself, shaking his head. Only Olivia could do these things to him. Somewhat curing his sleep issue, making him like lemonade, not to mention chamomile tea, which he also quite enjoyed now.

She was something, that was for sure. Something amazing. And caring. And beautiful. And everything he wanted. And...his twenty-year-old student. He had been thinking about their situation a lot the past week. His emotions were all over the place. His feelings for her only intensified each day. That tingling feeling he felt every time he saw her. That warmness he felt inside whenever they were together. He knew what it all meant. He knew what was happening to him. And it was scary. So scary.

But despite his strong feelings for her, he also felt an extreme sense of guilt. Was it really fair for her to have to wait for him? She was still just a kid, she had her whole life ahead of her. What if he was just getting in the way of that? She had made it clear that this was what she wanted. That she wanted _him_. But it was still so hard to know if they were doing the right thing. Their situation really never seemed to get any easier.

He finished his lemonade and tried to go back to bed, but now he was wide awake, thinking of her. His thoughts drifted back to a week ago, feeling her fall asleep in his arms. Feeling her heartbeat against his chest as she wrapped her arms around him. Feeling her soft skin against his. Slowly and steadily, the thoughts of Olivia began to lull him into a deep sleep.

And asleep, he stayed, for the rest of the night.

* * *

As a little tribute to the finale yesterday, I knew I wanted to mention it and name the chapter "Over A Cliff". I hope you all enjoyed it, even though we are all still sad that Scandal is over. We won't get Olitz writing from Shonda anymore, but lots of people are still here to continue writing for these two wonderful characters, me included, of course. As always, let me know what you think. Read on!

With love,

~T


	14. Forever My Favorite

Olivia sighed, studying over her material one last time before she went into the lecture hall to take her geology final. She knew she was prepared, but somehow, she still felt incredibly nervous. As she waited outside with all of the other anxious students, she felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket. Good thing, too, because it reminded her that she needed to have it completely off before she went inside. She put all her notes back in her backpack and took out her phone, figuring it was Abby. But it wasn't.

 _ **Fitz: Good luck on your final. You will do great. Any chance I will be able to see you tomorrow before you leave?**_

She sighed sadly, knowing that that probably wouldn't work. She had a fairly early flight and she and Abby already had plans to take an Uber to the airport together. Their flights were around the same time, but of course, to slightly different places. Olivia, to Virginia, and Abby, to West Virginia. They always had a friendly rivalry going about which state was better. Obviously, in Olivia's mind, Virginia won easily.

Part of her wished that she and Abby hadn't decided to go together, so that she maybe could have asked if he could drop her off. She hadn't seen him since Saturday, because this week was known as "dead week". Instead of having class time, the students were given time to study for their finals. She couldn't bear the thought of not seeing him one last time before she left for a whole month.

But, she was also still glad that she was going with Abby, of course. She didn't know what she was going to do without her partner in crime for the next month.

 _ **Olivia: Probably not tomorrow. But I should be done here within the hour, any chance you're still on campus?**_

 _ **Fitz: Yes, still at my office. I'll wait for you**_.

Her heart fluttered.

 _ **Olivia: Okay. I'll see you soon.**_

 _ **Fitz: See you soon. Good luck.**_

 _ **Olivia: Thank you!**_

She turned her phone off and tucked it into her backpack, just as the exam proctor opened the doors to allow all of the students entrance. They all had to put their ID's in a box, so that they could be swiped into the system for the exam. Olivia dropped her student ID in the box and headed to the seat that she was directed to go to.

She flew through the exam effortlessly, feeling extremely confident about how she did. She had to hold back her laughter during the middle of it, when her eyes landed on the word "Saccharoidal", which was used in one of the exam questions. That word had caused both her and Fitz to laugh one day in his office while they sat across from each other, doing homework and working together as if it was a normal everyday occurrence for them. Luckily, the word's meaning stuck clearly in her mind ever since she had looked it up that day. _"Having a crystalline or granular texture"._ If all else failed, at least she knew she got that question correct.

She shivered in the cool night air as she reached Woodbridge Hall, thankfully opening the door to a much warmer environment. It was dark; there weren't many lights on besides the hallway lights, which she found a bit odd. Usually, all lecture halls and office halls were lit 24/7, but she assumed that because it was dead week, it was a lot quieter here during the evening hours. When she reached his office, she took a minute to admire him through the window. He looked so focused. So...Fitz. After she felt she had ogled him enough, she knocked lightly on the door.

He looked up and immediately smiled at the sight of her, gesturing for her to come in. "Hi" she greeted, closing the door behind her. "Hi, yourself. How did it go?" he asked happily. "Pretty well I think!" she exclaimed. "Oh, good. I knew you'd do well!" he said. She smiled, feeling herself blush. "So how come you're still here? You don't have any lectures to prepare for!" she teased, walking over to sit across from him.

"Well, I've been tweaking my exam for my Foundations of Political Theory class on Thursday. I altered it a bit from last year's exam, and I just wanted to make sure it sufficed" he explained. "Oh, I can't wait to take that class, it sounds interesting!" she exclaimed. "It is definitely a fun one to teach. But, I think International Politics is still my favorite" he said with a smile. "How come?" she asked. "Much broader, more information to go into. Plus, my favorite student is in that class" he said.

"And who might that be?" she asked. He paused for a bit. "You know that guy that sits in the front row and always wears a cowboy hat? Yeah, him" he teased. Olivia scoffed. "How could you!" She joked. "I'm just kidding, Liv. Of course, you know _you_ are forever my favorite" he said with a smile. Her heart fluttered at his abbreviation of her name. That certainly hadn't happened before. It sounded good coming from his lips. He didn't seem to take any notice of her nickname slipping from his mouth, he just looked at her with that cute smile of his.

"As are you," she said happily. "I know" he replied confidently, getting up from his chair. She giggled. He came to stand by her and inched his fingers on top of hers as her hand rested on the desk. She looked up at him, seeing the affection in his eyes. He fully laced his fingers in hers, and pulled her to her feet in front of him.

Without a second thought, she rested her head against his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck as he pulled her into a warm embrace. She realized this was the first time they had ever hugged. Unless him carrying her to his bedroom while making out with her counted as a hug, which in her mind, it didn't. This was much less intimate, yet somehow it felt intimate in its own way. It felt good.

He held her close, his hands planted firmly on her lower back. No words were exchanged, but they both knew what the other was feeling; sadness. A month, in reality, was not long at all. But they normally spent a lot of time together, and transitioning from that would be a bit difficult, and they both knew it. They slowly pulled away, letting go of each other, but remaining very close. She wanted to kiss him. The desire burned deep inside her.

But, she refrained. She could be strong. She _had_ to be strong. "I'll see you when you get back" he whispered, reaching out to squeeze her hand. She nodded, beginning to move away from him. She held onto his hand until the space between them forced her to let go. "Bye, Fitz," she said. "Bye, Olivia," he said softly.

Fitz returned to his desk, sinking down in his chair sadly. That beautiful girl had such an effect on him. _His_ _girl_ , he thought to himself. Maybe not officially, but in his mind, she was his girl. Just as he was starting to pack up, there was another knock on his door. He instantly looked up, thinking that maybe she had come back again. But he didn't even hide his disappointment when he saw that it was not Olivia outside his door. "Come in," he said, unamused.

Amanda was dressed for the chilly weather, and had a purse and a briefcase with her. "I'm heading out early for break, just wanted to say goodbye to you," she said happily. He was surprised that she was already done, but he didn't care enough to ask and further the conversation. "Oh, okay. Have a nice break, Amanda" he said politely. "Thanks, you too. Are you going anywhere special?" she asked. He shook his head. "No, I'm just staying here" he answered. He wasn't about to go into his complicated family life with her.

"Gotcha. I'll still be in town for about a week or so too, before I fly to Colorado to spend the Holidays with my family" she explained. "I see. Well, that sounds nice, I'm sure you'll have fun" he said. "Yes. You know, I'm sure we could have fun too. We could grab a drink sometime while I'm still in town" she said, beginning to flirt. And here it was again, she never seemed to stop. "I'm sorry...I can't," he said plainly.

"How come? You said you'd be here" she smirked. "I will be" he answered. "Then how come?" she asked. "Because I...uh. I have...someone" he said, stumbling over his words. He wasn't entirely sure how to describe his relationship with Olivia. Her eyes widened. "Oh! Oh, okay. I didn't know!" Amanda exclaimed happily, trying her best to sound genuine. "Who is this _someone?"_ Amanda asked, clearly interested. "You wouldn't know her" he replied, hoping she didn't keep pressing him on the subject.

"Not from around here?" Amanda asked. "Uh, yeah—yeah. Not from around here" he agreed. "Well, that's...great to hear. If you ever just want to grab a drink...you know, as _friends_ , we could do that too" she said. He nodded his head. "Uh, yeah. Yeah—maybe" he said uncertainly. "Alright well, I'll let you get back to work. Have a good break, Fitz" she said, turning to leave. "You too" he replied. "And Fitz..." she said, pausing before she shut the door behind her. "If you ever change your mind, you know where to find me," she said. And with that, she shut the door.

He cringed. _What were the kids saying these days? The thirst is real? Something like that._ Well, at least now she'd stop bugging him to go out with her. He shook his head. He should have told her he had a girlfriend a long time ago, it would have really saved him a lot of trouble.

He smiled, thinking of actually referring to Olivia as his girlfriend. Wow, what an amazing thing that would be. Introducing her to people as his girlfriend. Seeing people's jaws drop at her beauty when he walked into a room with her, holding her hand. His girlfriend, Olivia. _His_. He wished he could have that. And he wished he could have it now.

* * *

Olivia awoke to a wonderful smell wafting into her bedroom. She smiled, immediately remembering where she was. Home. Back to her mother's wonderful cooking. She sat up and looked out her window at the view of her neighborhood, already buzzing with activity. Many of her neighbors had small children, who were outside more than they were inside, no matter how hot or cold it was.

There wasn't any snow on the ground here, like there was back at school. She kind of missed the snow. It was truly a beautiful sight.

She unplugged her phone from the charger on her nightstand to check her messages. She smiled, seeing that there was one from the person she wanted to talk to most.

 _ **Fitz: How have the first few days back home been? It feels quiet around here with all of the students gone. Including my favorite one. Miss you.**_

She internally squealed at his sweet message, but her excitement faded when she looked at when he had sent it. 4:38 am. She sighed, wondering if he was having trouble sleeping again.

 _ **Olivia: Are you sure it didn't just feel quiet because it was 4 am!? How come you were up? You make me worry. Miss you too.**_

She watched the screen and saw that he was already typing.

 _ **Fitz: No need to worry, Liv. Just a lot on my mind.**_

She smiled. There was her nickname again.

 _ **Olivia: That doesn't make me feel any better, Fitz.**_

She had to wonder what was on his mind, hoping and praying that _she_ wasn't what was keeping him awake at night.

 _ **Fitz: What would make you feel better?**_

 _ **Olivia: Knowing that you're getting enough sleep.**_

She threw on a sweatshirt and tucked her phone in her pocket as she walked downstairs. She loved weekends at home. Her parents didn't have to work, so they all sat at the table and had breakfast together. It reminded her of when she was little, sitting together as a family. Despite being a sophomore in college, her parents loved to dote on her when she came home. She was their only child, after all, and she knew how much they missed her when she was away.

"Good morning, Livvie," her mother said. "Hey, mom. It smells amazing" she replied. "Thanks, honey. It should be ready in just a few minutes" her mother said. Olivia nodded. "Where's dad?" she asked, looking around for her father, who normally would be sitting at the head of the table, drinking coffee and reading newspaper. Just as her mother was about to answer, the garage door opened and her father walked in, holding a bottle of maple syrup. "For the pancakes. We were out" he announced. "Ahhh" Olivia responded happily.

Her father set it down on the table, and came over to kiss Olivia's forehead. "Good morning, Olivia," he said. "Good morning" she replied. While her parents finished up breakfast, she pulled out her phone and continued her conversation with Fitz. She couldn't stop talking to him, it was too hard. "Alright, Livvie, it's ready," her mother said. She nodded and went to grab a plate before they all sat down together. Olivia would occasionally check her phone under the table, trying to be discreet in front of her parents.

She got to spend the day with her family, all while still talking to the man she was beginning to care about most.

It was a pretty good day.

* * *

Well, you got a glimpse of Olivia's home life! I, of course, opted to write Eli and Maya as caring, _happy_ parents, rather than...uh...you know, killer-spy and terrorist. This is just what felt right to me given how I have come to portray this version of Olivia.

Patience, my beautiful friends. Read on!

With love,

~T


	15. The Holidays

Olivia retreated to her room, happy to finally be able to lay in her bed after a long day. It was Christmas Eve, so naturally, it had been a very busy day at the Pope household. They had attended a church service in the early evening. Then, her father had spent the better half of the evening preparing his famous Christmas Eve meal; prime rib, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad, and homemade rolls. As always, it was delicious.

But, it had been a long day, and she was happy to be able to retire to her room to enjoy some time with her favorite guy. She had promised they would facetime when she went to her room for the night. She sent him a text.

 _ **I'm ready!**_

About five minutes later, as she was changing into some more comfortable clothes, he facetimed her. She answered it on her laptop, clicking the green button, but remaining behind the back of it so that he couldn't see her.

"Where's my Olivia?" he asked. She giggled, still behind the laptop. "One sec, I'm changing" she replied. "Oh, I won't look," he said. She laughed, considering he couldn't see her anyway. She leaned her head over the laptop from behind to look at him. Her heart melted. He was glancing around what appeared to be his bedroom, looking anywhere but the camera. He was so cute.

"Fitz, what are you doing?" she giggled. "I'm not looking at you" he answered. "You can't see me anyway" she replied, laughing. "I know but...just in case," he said. "Very thoughtful of you. We wouldn't want the computer to somehow turn itself around, now would we?" she teased. "Exactly," he said. "I think it would be fine anyway. You've seen...your fair share" she said. "I have, indeed. But a woman always deserves her privacy" he said. "You're very right. I appreciate that" she replied. She pulled on a shirt and climbed up on her bed, lifting the computer up and settling it down comfortably on her lap.

"Olivia," he said happily at the sight of her. "Fitz" she responded with a smile. "How was your Christmas Eve?" he asked. "It was good, but long. How was yours?" she asked. "It was okay. Not very eventful. I cleaned my _whole_ apartment, though. It looks fricken awesome" he said, a twinge of pride in his voice. She laughed. "You live in Paxton Hills, it always looks _fricken_ awesome" she replied. "I'm glad you think so," he said with a smile.

"Hey so guess what?" she said. "I'm a terrible guesser" he replied. She laughed and shook her head at him. "I come back in like two weeks!" she exclaimed. He smiled. "Thank god. I miss my trivia partner" he replied. "Is that all you miss?" she asked. His face grew red. "No" he responded. "What else do you miss?" she asked. He looked at her very seriously. "That's classified information" he replied. She scoffed. "Did you really just use my own line against me?" she exclaimed. "Mhm, how's it feel to be teased?" he asked with a slight laugh. She shook her head.

"You know, maybe I should book an earlier flight. I surely could get an answer out of you in person" she teased. His face lit up. "You should do that," he said. "Yeah?" she asked with a smile. He nodded his head. Thinking about going back earlier actually made her happy. She'd talk about it with her parents. "I'll see what I can do" she replied. "Okay," he said happily. "Okay," she giggled.

"I really do miss you," he said softly. "You know I miss you too," she said back. "I do know," he agreed. Just as she was about to respond again, she heard a knock on her door. She put her finger up to her lips, gesturing for him to be quiet. He nodded. She was facing her door, so her computer screen wasn't visible to her parents if they walked in.

"Yeah?" she asked. Her father cracked the door open to look at her. "Goodnight, Olivia. Merry Christmas" his deep voice rang out. "Goodnight dad, Merry Christmas. Love you" she replied. "Love you too. See you in the morning" he said, shutting her door. Right before her door fully shut, she heard her mom shout from the hallway, "Goodnight, Livvie!" She laughed. "Night, mom!" she exclaimed.

She exhaled deeply, turning back to him. "Okay, you're good now," she said. "Your parents sound so...normal," he said. She laughed. "They're pretty normal, I think. A bit overprotective, but for the most part, normal" she explained. "Overprotective, huh?" he asked, sounding a bit nervous. She nodded slowly. "A _bit"_ she clarified. He took a deep breath.

"Fitz...what's wrong?" she asked, a little concerned. He shook his head. "Oh, nothing. I'm fine. Just picturing your father kicking my ass, is all" he said nonchalantly. She put her hand to her face. "Fitz, come on. He'd have no reason to do that" she assured him. He raised his eyebrows at her. "Really, Liv," he said. "Really!" She exclaimed.

"Hmm. I'm a bit insulted. Here, I'll show you where I am and maybe you'll remember" he said, turning his phone camera to face his bed. She laughed. "That's not what I meant. I—you're very...memorable. I just—I meant..." she stammered. He sat back, seemingly enjoying her struggling. "Who's the nervous one now?" he asked. "Your fault" she replied, her cheeks flushing red with embarrassment. "I'll take the blame for making you nervous that's fine," he said with a smile. She giggled.

"I _meant_ that what we did doesn't warrant an ass kicking from my father. We're adults, and we made a decision together" she explained. "We did. But you know this is different" he said. She sighed. "I know" she admitted. It was stressful, thinking about her parents with all this. She didn't even _want_ to think about how that conversation would go. "Hey," he said gently, getting her attention. She looked back up at him, and the way he was looking at her instantly eased her mind. "Where's that beautiful smile of yours?" he asked softly. And that's all it took for her face to soften, and her smile to return. "There it is," he said happily.

They talked for about an hour, transitioning the conversation over to more light-hearted things. It was nice; the perfect way to end her Christmas Eve. She loved looking at him through her computer screen. It wasn't as good as being with him in person, obviously, but it was also better than just talking on the phone. This way, she could see his cute face when he laughed at something she said. She could see his curly hair, flipping up behind his ears. He was a beautiful sight.

A yawn slipped from her mouth, which he took notice of. "You're sleepy," he said softly. "No, no, I'm good," she said, fighting back another yawn. He chuckled. "Get some sleep. We can talk tomorrow if you want" he assured her. "I want" she replied with a nod. "Okay. Goodnight, Olivia. Merry Christmas" he said softly. He put his hand up closer to the camera, touching his screen as if he was reaching for her hand. "Goodnight, Fitz. Merry Christmas" she said back, allowing her hand to do the same.

Through tired eyes, she watched the call end, and his face disappear from her screen. But the image of him stayed in her mind, and helped her drift off into a peaceful sleep that night.

* * *

Christmas was always a magical and wonderful day for Olivia, no matter how old she was becoming. And this year proved to be no different, it was turning out to be another beautiful Christmas. She enjoyed the time with her extended family. Her uncles and aunts from both sides came over to her house, and shared a late Christmas lunch with them, and stayed to open gifts later that night as well. Her family was filled with very outgoing, talkative people, much more than she. But, she still loved them endlessly, and enjoyed their conversations.

"So, Liv, how is Yale going? I just love to brag about you to all my coworkers" her aunt exclaimed. "It's going really well. I'm much more settled in now that it's my second year, and I love my classes" Olivia replied. "Do you have a favorite class or are they all unbearable?" her aunt joked.

"Well, I'm in between semesters right now so I'm not sure how next semester's classes will be yet. But I do have a double semester class, International Politics, which I enjoy a lot actually" Olivia explained. "Well good for you, honey. That sounds much too hard for me!" her aunt exclaimed. Olivia laughed. "It's definitely difficult, but overall it's not too bad. We have a good professor," Olivia said, trying to be as normal as she could.

"Well, that's good. Any new boys I should know about?" her aunt said with a smirk. _Shit_. "Nope, no boys," Olivia said with a smile. _Oh, but there was definitely a boy. A very beautiful boy_. "That's alright. Boys are trouble" her aunt said with a wink. "That, they are" Olivia agreed.

Eventually, all her extended family members bid them goodbye, everyone thanking each other for the wonderful gifts. After many hugs and Holiday farewells, it was just Olivia and her parents left in her house. They sat by the fire and talked for a little while longer, cherishing their Christmas together just the three of them.

"Do you want some tea, Livvie? I'm going to make myself some" her mother said, getting up to go to the kitchen. "Sure!" she replied.

She came back a few minutes later with two cups of steaming hot tea. "Mm, thank you," Olivia said, reaching for her cup. "Sure you don't want some, dad?" Olivia teased. He put his hand up. "No, no. I'm quite alright" he answered with a laugh. He _hated_ tea.

"Oh, Livvie. Don't let me forget to transfer you money for your plane ticket back" her mother said. "Okay" Olivia replied, tucking it into the back of her mind so that she could remind her mother sometime this week. "What day are you planning to go back again?" her mother asked. "Well, I was originally thinking Sunday the seventh, but now I'm thinking maybe Thursday the fourth. You know, just to...get adjusted before I have to get back into my school routine. Is that...okay?" Olivia asked nervously. That was true for sure, but it wasn't the _only_ reason she wanted to go back early.

"Yes, whatever you want is fine, honey. We'll both be working on Thursday though, will you be able to find a ride to the airport?" Maya asked. "Oh, yeah. I'll just uber or ask Stephen or Sandra" Olivia assured her. Her mother nodded, taking a sip of her tea. "Will you have a ride back to your apartment?" her father asked, jumping into the conversation. "Yeah, I'll ask a...friend," she said.

She already knew who she was going to ask, but she wasn't sure if she could classify him as a _friend_. "Okay, I just want to make sure you're set," Eli said. Olivia nodded, knowing they just were just looking out for her, as they always did. She took out her phone and replied to Fitz. They had been texting periodically throughout the day, of course. She'd managed to hide it fairly well all day, but it didn't go unnoticed now.

"Who are you chatsnapping or instabooking or... _whatever_ over there?" her father asked. Olivia had to laugh at his lack of knowledge about social media. "Abby" she lied. "Oh, how is Abby doing these days?" Eli asked. "She's doing well," Olivia said, nodding her head. "Is she still dating that guy with the green hair?" Maya interjected. Olivia giggled. "Danny? No, she broke up with him a long time ago. She's dating another pre-law student, David" Olivia said, still smiling at the memories of the green-haired Danny.

"But you're not dating anyone?" her mother inquired with a smile. " _No_ , mom" Olivia answered. Apparently her love life was the most interesting topic ever. "Okay, okay. I'm just asking" her mother put her hands up defensively. "I did see Edison's mother the other day at the grocery store, by the way. She asked how you were doing" Maya said. Olivia nodded, not really wanting to talk about Edison. That period of her life, thankfully, was over. They had dated all throughout their senior year in high school and most of their freshman year at Yale.

She thought it was going to be fun going to the same college as her boyfriend, but even while at the same college as her, living in the same dorm building, he managed to cheat. Multiple times. She had always liked him and felt attracted to him, but never once did she feel what she felt now for someone else. The feelings that she was afraid to admit even to herself because they were so intense. So terrifying. So strong. But, man, were they wonderful.

* * *

Her days at home seemed to go by incredibly fast, which was a little bittersweet. While she did miss her friends and Fitz, she also was enjoying her days off at home. She normally had a job she worked in the summer, but she never worked over the Holiday breaks. She usually just spent it with her family and her friends. After the constant hard work at school each semester, she liked to just be able to relax, and that's exactly what she did during her break.

She hung out a lot with her friends from high school, mostly Sandra and Stephen. They were like the siblings she'd never had. They used to do everything together when they were in high school, but they had grown apart a little since they'd started college, understandably. However, it didn't matter; whenever they were all home for break, they got together to hang out as often as they could, warming back up to each other as if no time had passed at all.

She talked to Fitz almost every night, preferably over facetime so that they could see each other. They talked about their days, cracked jokes, and of course, flirted endlessly. He was extremely happy that she was coming back a little early, and had promised her that when he picked her up from the airport, they would go get milkshakes like they had done last time. She couldn't wait. Being home was amazing, but being back with him would be heaven.

* * *

What a cute little family Holiday, huh? I wish Fitz had "his Olivia" to spend Christmas with him, as I'm sure you all do too.

And yes, Liv, your love life is _definitely_ the most interesting topic ever!

Hope you all enjoyed. Read on!

With Love,

~T


	16. I Really Am Yours

Fitz sat at his desk in his bedroom, his phone propped up against his laptop while he worked on one of his lectures for next semester. On his phone screen was Olivia, also doing some work. She was working on an assignment that one of her professors had sent the students to do over break; their first assignment of the class. He would occasionally look over at her, watching her focus on her homework. She was so cute.

They hadn't talked in a little bit, they just liked having each other there, even if they were silent and focusing on other things. It was almost as if she was there working with him. But sadly, she wasn't. And she wouldn't be back for a few more days.

He finished another lecture, so he turned his attention to his list and crossed it off, feeling proud as he glanced down at all the lectures he had prepared and proofed tonight. On New Year's Eve. _How fun._

As he was writing, her voice got his attention. "God, I can't wait until you're mine." He looked up at her and dropped his pen, a little taken aback by her words. She was sitting there looking at him with that beautiful smile on her face. He wondered how long she had been doing that, thinking surely he would have noticed such a distracting sight.

With all of the uncertainty about whether or not her waiting for him was fair to her swirling around in his head, it was really good to hear those words from her. "That makes two of us," he said. "Yeah?" she asked. " _Oh god_ , yeah" he replied. She had no idea how badly he wanted her.

He watched her as she laid on her stomach on her bed, resting her chin in her hand while her elbow propped her up. She just looked at him for a long time, smiling. His heart was beating so fast, just seeing her look at him that way. She had such an effect on him. After a nice long time of ogling each other, she finally spoke again.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked. "Anything" he replied. She paused before continuing. "When did you...know?" she asked. It was such a vague question, but he knew right away what she meant, and he didn't hesitate to answer. "The first day I met you, I knew. Right from the beginning," he said softly. Her face lit up with the biggest smile. He thought his heart couldn't possibly take any more of such a beautiful sight, but he wanted more of that amazing smile. So he told her his story.

"I first saw you, walking down the stairs after class that first day. You were wearing white" he said with a smile, which made her giggle. "Lots of students were coming up to me, waiting to meet me. And all that was going through my head was, 'man, I hope she comes over here.' And then you did. I immediately got so nervous. I couldn't even tell you what I said to any of the students before you, I seriously don't remember. All that was on my mind was you" he said.

She had her hand up to her mouth, looking so happy. So he continued. "And then you finally stepped up to me. You were...breathtaking. You had me at 'hi, I'm Olivia'" he chuckled. "So...yeah, that was the day I knew" he finished. "Wow," she whispered. He smiled. "Can I ask now?" he asked. She nodded.

"That same day, of course. I was so nervous to come meet you, but I mustered up the courage to do it, thank god" she giggled. He nodded his head. " _Thank god_ " he repeated. "I thought about you every day, but I have to admit, I tried to deny it and push it away. The whole thing scared me to death. _Still does"_ she admitted. "Me too," he said, nodding his head.

"And then I ran into you at that restaurant...what was it called?" she asked. "Three Sheets" he answered. "Three Sheets" she agreed. "I think it was after that night that I finally admitted it to myself," she said. "And here we are, four months later, FaceTiming on New Year's Eve" she giggled. "Hell yeah," he said proudly. He had gotten the girl. _Well...almost._

"I wish I was actually with you tonight," she said sadly. "Me too. I'm honestly a bit surprised you're not out with your friends?" he said. "Yeah, they were going to a party tonight but I wasn't really feeling it. Laying low and talking to you sounded much better to me" she said happily. "I'm honored. Most people your age would love to be hammered right about now I'm sure" he chuckled. "Oh yeah, definitely. I was tempted, but hiding a hangover from my parents tomorrow morning wouldn't be the most fun" she said with a laugh. "True that" he agreed, remembering those crazy college years.

"I'll admit though, champagne sounds pretty good right now," she said. He thought for a second. He didn't want to be inappropriate, but he figured they had already crossed that line the night they got in bed together. "Tell you what. I'll get some good champagne, and when you get back, we'll have some together one night" he said. A smile spread across her face. "Really?" she asked. "Mhm. It will be like our own little New Year's Eve party" he suggested. "Yes! That sounds so fun!" she exclaimed. He felt his body warm at her excitement. "Just don't tell Cyrus," he teased, laughing. She smiled. "Never" she assured him.

They talked until almost one in the morning, both watching the ball drop on their TVs. It wasn't the same as being together, but it was as close as they could get to it.

* * *

The remaining days at home passed by fairly quickly for Olivia. She spent a lot of time with her parents when they got home from work each day, knowing that they would be sad when she left. And before she knew it, she was saying goodbye to her parents and her house, ready to go back to school.

Her bags were packed, and she was doing a last minute sweep of her room, making sure she had everything she needed. She felt the outside of her backpack, making sure that she had Fitz's Christmas gift. The sharp edges of the box protruded out visibly, so she knew she had it. She hoped he liked it and didn't think it was weird that she had gotten him a gift. She'd just have to wait and see.

Sandra picked her up from her house to take her to the airport, which didn't take long as there wasn't really traffic on that Thursday afternoon. When they got there, she bid her friend a sad goodbye, assuring her that she would see her and Stephen over spring break.

Olivia got through security fairly quickly and waited at her gate for over an hour before finally boarding the plane. She sent Fitz a text letting him know that she was taking off, and would see him when she landed.

The flight was quick and painless, but she was sure that the butterflies in her stomach didn't stop the entire time she was in the air. She was finally going to see him again.

As she walked out into the cool evening air, she glanced down the row of cars at the pick-up area, looking for his. And then she spotted it, near the end of the line. As she got closer to his car, she saw his form emerge from the left side, coming over to greet her. "Hi," he said happily, hands tucked in his pockets. "Hi" she replied. He took her bags from her instantly and put them in the backseat for her without even giving her a chance to do it herself. He was always doing things like that.

When they got in the car, he just sat there, looking over at her. "Wow it feels good to have you back," he said, letting out a sigh. "It feels good to be back!" she exclaimed. He reached over right away and held her hand, without shame. She was actually a bit surprised.

They had never stopped flirting, but ever since they had agreed to wait to be together, they hadn't shown much physical affection. She remembered a couple instances here and there, but there truly hadn't been much. But, she wasn't complaining, she liked the feeling of his hand in hers again.

He drove them to get milkshakes as he had promised, which she was very happy about. It was much better than him dropping her off at home right away, that's for sure. After they got their milkshakes, he pulled into the same parking space he had parked in last time. "Déjà vu?" he asked with a smile. " _Oh_ yeah," she agreed.

"I won't steal yours this time" he chuckled. "Here, you can just have some," she said, holding it out for him to take a sip. He held his out for her as well, and they both tried each other's. "Mine's better," they said in unison, which made them laugh. They sat there for awhile, finishing their milkshakes and watching it start to get dark outside. The thought of going back to her empty apartment was looming over her. She just wanted to stay here with him all night, even if all they did was sit in the car. Anything they did together made her happy.

She was deep in thought when his voice interrupted her. "I um...I have something for you. A gift...for Christmas. I know we didn't talk about...getting each other gifts or anything...so I don't expect anything at all, I just—I really wanted to get this for you" he said, his cheeks flushing red. She smiled at his cute nervousness.

"I got you something too!" she said, reaching into the back seat to grab it out of her backpack. "Oh, you did?" he asked, almost confused. "Of course, Fitz. I just wish I could have given it to you _on_ Christmas" she replied. "Me too" he agreed. He pulled out a little wrapped box from his pocket and handed it to her, while she handed him his. "You go first" she suggested.

He nodded and unwrapped the box, pulling out what was inside. He held the wooden box in his hands, admiring it from the outside. It looked very similar to the one he already had from his days as governor that contained his revolver. "Look on the inside" she giggled. He opened the lid, and looked at the gold, engraved nameplate. It read:

 **Professor Grant**

His jaw dropped. "You can put whatever you want inside. I just thought you needed one that had your new job description on it. The one that makes you happy" she explained. He ran his fingers along the gold plate, tracing over his name. "Oh my god, Olivia" he whispered. "Oh, and look on the front side," she said.

He closed the lid and looked more closely at the front side. He smiled, before reading the engraved message out loud. "Forever your favorite," he said happily. "Now you definitely won't forget" she teased. He just sat there, smiling. "Do you like it?" she asked hopefully. "I _love_ it. This is amazing! Thank you so much" he said gratefully. "You're welcome" she replied happily, glad that he liked it. "Wow," he whispered, running his fingers over the message.

"Okay, I'll go now," she said excitedly. He turned to her with a smile, as she began to unwrap the little box. She was definitely intrigued right away because of its small size. When she got the wrapping paper off, she immediately knew it was some type of jewelry based on the box, which had her heart racing.

She slowly opened the box and pulled out a gorgeous bracelet. It took her breath away. It was a beautifully braided leather bracelet, with a flat, gold fastening in the middle. She didn't even see it at first, but then she looked at the gold surface closer and grew speechless at what she saw. A little "F" engraved into it.

"I didn't know if it was your kind of thing. I just...I really wanted you to have it even if you don't want to wear it. Our...situation is...tough. But I just thought you should have this so you'll always know that no matter what, I really am yours" he said softly.

She was still trying to find her words, staring at it in awe. It was amazing. Nothing flashy, nothing too cheesy. Just _perfect_. "Fitz...this is absolutely perfect" she whispered. His face lit up. "Yeah? So you like it?" he asked almost nervously. She nodded, fearing she would actually start crying if she spoke. _Jesus, pull yourself together,_ she thought.

She handed it to him and held out her left wrist. "Could you?" she asked. He smiled and nodded, putting the bracelet on. "There," he said, flipping it around so that the "F" was visible to everyone. She reached over and wrapped her arms around him, trying to pull him as close as she could. "Thank you" she whispered in his ear. "Of course" he replied, holding her tightly. She pulled back and kissed his cheek, not able to stop herself. And at that moment, she thought it was possibly the best Christmas she'd ever had. Even if it was in a parking lot ten days late. It didn't matter, because it was with him.

He dropped her off a little while after that, which they both had dreaded. They had had such a great evening together, but of course, it had to end sometime. They had agreed to have their little New Years Eve party the next night at his apartment, because he had a guest room that she could stay in. It would be better not to drive after drinking, of course, so this way neither of them would have to.

Olivia spent her first night back unpacking her things and laying low. It was really quiet without Abby home; nobody dancing excitedly in the living room, or jumping onto her bed. She missed that crazy girl. But, she'd be home in just a few days too.

Every once in a while she'd look down and admire the bracelet on her wrist. Goosebumps arose on her skin with each new glance at it. It was definitely her favorite Christmas gift by far. She ran her fingers over the little engraved letter. "Fitz" she whispered to herself. She replayed what he had said to her over and over in her head, and found a lot of comfort in it. _Nothing_ and _no one_ could stop those words from being true.

 _"I really am yours."_

* * *

See, they're getting in all of their holidays together! Hope you enjoyed their little parking lot Christmas, and their gifts. Of course, doux bébé may eventually make an appearance, one may never know, but the cute little bracelet is there for now. "F"! Read on!

With Love,

~T


	17. Five Words

Fitz pulled his car right up to the front of the parking lot for her. He took out his phone and sent her a text, letting her know that he was outside. A few minutes later, he saw her come out of the front door, with an overnight bag in hand. She had a huge smile on her face, which was contagious. She put her bag in the backseat and joined him in the front.

"Olivia," he said happily. "Fitz!" she replied. "How are you?" he asked, shifting his car into drive. "I'm good. Ready for a party. How are you?" she asked. " _So_ good," he said with a smile. He was so happy that he could spend the whole night with her. Even though it wasn't truly New Year's Eve, he knew they'd still have lots of fun together. They chatted all the way to his apartment, which wasn't a very long drive as he lived just on the outskirts of campus.

"Ah, just as beautiful as I remember" she exclaimed as she looked up at his building. He chuckled at her admiration for his apartment. She made it seem so wonderful and grand. He grabbed her bag and carried it inside for her, as he normally would do. The Doorman opened the door for them, greeting them as they always did. "Good evening, Mr. Grant. Good evening ma'am" he said, gesturing for them to go inside. "Good evening, Christian, thank you" he replied, letting Olivia enter before him. "Thank you," Olivia said, giving a little bow of her head to the doorman.

"Do you know all of their names?" she whispered to him as they walked through the lobby. "Mhm. Sometimes I chat with them when I come home. They're all very nice" he said. "They're so...formal," Olivia said. "Yeah. Part of the job, I suppose" he guessed.

"Grant! What's up, man?" the man at the front desk said. He leaned closer to Olivia. "Him, not so much" he whispered with a laugh. "Baxter, hey, man. Just getting out of the freezing cold!" Fitz replied. "Ha. Get out of here, Cali boy, it is _not_ cold!" he exclaimed. "To you maybe!" Fitz said. He laughed. "Have a good night, you two," he said, giving them a wave. Fitz and Olivia both thanked him before heading to the elevator.

"Is he your friend?" she asked. "We're _friendly_ , yeah. I've had drinks with him a couple times. Great guy" he nodded. "Everyone here seems to know you!" she exclaimed. "Well, I think the staff just makes it their goal to get to know everyone that lives here. I only know them, I don't know any of my neighbors very well" he explained as they got off on the sixth floor. "Do you think any of them know...who you are?" she asked, almost nervously.

He chuckled. "It's okay, you can just say it, it doesn't bother me" he assured her. She nodded. "About you being a governor," she clarified, as he unlocked the door and walked in after her. "Maybe, it wouldn't surprise me. Lots of people that live here are a bit older so it's more along the lines of something they would know, whereas students were much too young to know, _or care,_ about that kind of thing all those years ago" he said.

"That's true. I suppose that does make it easier to keep it under wraps at the University" she pointed out. "Yeah, it does. But I don't even feel the need to keep it under wraps, so to speak. I just don't willingly talk about it. If someone does know and wants to come ask me about it, I'll talk to them" he shrugged.

"Damn. I wish _I_ would've known. That would have been a good excuse to come talk to you those first couple weeks. Instead I had to keep thinking of random things to say when I walked up to you after every class" she giggled. "Well, I loved it," he said happily.

She smiled and looked around. "Look the same as last time?" he asked, watching her admire his apartment. She nodded. "Yes. I believe the words I'm looking for are _'fricken awesome'"_ she teased. He laughed. "Oh, making fun of my phrases now are we?" he asked, moving closer to her. She nodded, looking up at him. He glanced down at her perfect lips. He wanted to kiss them so badly. He needed to change the topic before he did something he shouldn't do.

"Um—I um. I'll go put this in one of the guest rooms for you" he suggested, tearing his eyes and body away from her. She nodded.

He put her bag in the guest bedroom nearest his, so at least they would be close to each other tonight. When he walked back out into the kitchen, her shoes and coat were off, and she was sitting on a bar stool. "Okay, Mr. Bartender. It's eight o'clock. That means I need some champagne" she said, folding her hands on the countertop. "Is that so?" he asked, taking off his coat and shoes as well. "Mhm," she nodded. "Coming right up," he said.

"Okay I bought three different kinds, so we're trying all three," he said with a laugh, grabbing the bottles. "Sounds good to me," she replied. He couldn't help but laugh as she covered her ears when he popped the first one. He handed her the glass and they clinked them together, celebrating their own little New Year's Eve.

"Wow this is amazing," she said, taking another sip. "Mmm. It is. I haven't had champagne in a long time" he said. "Me neither. Well, I haven't had a _drink_ in a long time" she replied. "What's a long time for a college kid? Like a week?" he teased. She scoffed. " _No_. Like a few months," she said with a laugh. "Wow, I'm impressed" he admitted. She smiled, taking another sip.

"You have got to be the cutest bartender on this planet," she said. He felt his cheeks flush red. "You think so?" he asked, coming to sit on the stool next to her. "I _know_ so" she replied.

They talked for about an hour in the kitchen, almost getting through the first bottle before they decided they should try the other two. "Okay cover your ears," he said with a smile. She did, and he popped both of them.

They moved into the living room and sat on the couch together, bringing some snacks along with them. He turned on his surround sound speakers to play some music while they talked. He could tell she was enjoying herself; that beautiful smile never left her face. It was the most fun he'd had in a long time too, that was for sure.

There was no doubt that the alcohol was beginning to hit them. They continued drinking the champagne, finishing the first bottle, and then the second. They sang loudly to the songs that played in his living room, laughing at each other when they couldn't hit a note or remember the lyrics.

In the middle of one of their singing sessions, he got up to go to the kitchen. "Where are you going?" she asked. "I'm getting us water!" he replied. "Well _that's_ no fun. You should just grab that third bottle of champagne so we can finish it" she yelled. He chuckled to himself at her words. She certainly was something. He filled two huge glasses of water, and laughed before tucking the bottle of champagne under his arm to bring it to her as she had wished. "Drink this first, okay," he said, handing the water over to her.

A couple hours later, they were sitting on the floor together by the coffee table, drinking glasses of gin and tonic that he had mixed for them. All of the champagne was long gone, but they had continued to drink water, which helped a little bit. He rested his arm closely behind her, their shoulders touching. "This is a good gin and tonic" she giggled. "Thank you," he said with a smile. They had spent the entire night just talking with each other and singing along to the music, yet it had been one of the best nights ever.

She started to get up, grabbing his hand to pull him up too. "Woah," she said as she stood up, clearly a bit dizzy. He laughed, and stood up next to her. He, too, felt the slight dizziness. "Oh boy," he said with a laugh. "You're drunk" she giggled. "Yes," he nodded, smiling at her. "And I am... _really_ drunk," she added. "You need more water," he said, going to fill up her glass again. "I'm gonna have to go to the bathroom for like the fourth time tonight after this glass," she said. " _Sixth_. I've been counting" he said with a laugh. "Oops," she giggled.

She drank about half of it before setting it down on the coffee table. "Come on. We are dancing" she said, grabbing his hand again. "Oh, we are, huh?" he asked. She nodded.

He let her lead him into the middle of the living room where they danced for a long time to seventies and eighties hits, singing every word as they did so. They had a little "Footloose" going on, some "Old Time Rock and Roll", a little "Take Me Home Tonight". He wasn't a big dancer, but he couldn't remember the last time he had had this much fun. He liked to spin her around; it made her laugh endlessly, and he loved that adorable laugh of hers. Never once did he let go of her hand, they always stayed locked together.

"Wow!" she exclaimed, after the song they were dancing to ended. "You're a great dancer" she giggled, resting her head on his chest as they stood in the middle of his living room. "So are you" he chuckled. She wrapped her little arms around his waist and looked up at him. "You're so tall," she said. He smiled. "You're little," he replied, leaning his forehead down against hers. "Yeah. I know" she said happily.

They stood there for a couple minutes, swaying back and forth ever so slightly to the music. She pulled her arms back and grabbed his hand again, leading him back to their little spot on the floor. He smiled, just going with whatever she wanted.

They sat back down and finished their drinks, his arm resting closely behind her again. She snacked on some popcorn, which it appeared, she very much enjoyed. "You like popcorn, there, Liv?" he teased. She nodded. "Can I have some?" he asked, opening his mouth. She grabbed a handful and fed him individual pieces, laughing with each one. He couldn't stop looking at her. He imagined this is what it would be like to be her boyfriend. Dancing in his apartment, having fun as they drank way too much, feeding each other food. He didn't know it could be this good. He wanted it so badly.

She laid back on the floor and looked up at him sitting next to her. "Hey," she said, getting his attention. "Hey" he replied, looking down at her happily. "I know it isn't actually New Year's Eve. And...we missed midnight. But...I still never got a New Year's kiss" she said. He smiled. "Hmm. What are we gonna do about that?" he asked. She grabbed his arm, pulling him closer to her. "I don't know," she said with a smile.

Their hips were touching, him leaning slightly over her as she laid there next to him. He looked down at her, debating his next move. He knew he probably shouldn't. They were both pretty drunk and it would be crossing a bit of a line considering they had decided to wait. But he made a decision. _Fuck it_ , he thought.

He slowly leaned his face down near hers and pressed his lips to hers softly. He felt her hand reach up and hold the side of his face, starting to work its way into his hair. _Oh boy._ He was sure he should have pulled away by now, but her tongue was teasing his lips ever so slightly, and he wanted more. So he gave in, opening his mouth against hers. He swung his other leg over her, supporting himself above her with his forearms and knees on the floor.

She pulled the neckline of his shirt down towards her, clearly wanting him much closer than he was. So he gently lowered himself down onto her body, and laced both of his hands in hers. He could feel that wonderful leather bracelet rubbing up against his right wrist, and somehow, that added to his increasing arousal, knowing she was wearing it. In that moment, she was _all_ his, and he was _all_ hers.

The warm rush of her tongue against his hit him hard, causing a low moan to escape his mouth. In all of his thirty-six years of life, he was sure it was the best kiss he'd ever had, just making out with her there on the floor. It was amazing. "Addicted To Love" was blaring around them as they continuously went at it, and he knew he'd never be able to listen to it again without thinking about this moment. But soon, the lyrics began to fade from his attention, and all he could focus on was her.

His heart was beating insanely fast, he feared she could hear it, or feel it against her chest. Her legs were wrapped tightly around him, pulling him impossibly closer to her. And then things started to get handsy. He wanted this. He wanted to keep doing what they were doing. But even in his drunken state, he knew it needed to stop before it escalated to somewhere it shouldn't, especially given that they were nowhere near sober.

So a few moments later, he finally forced himself to break their kiss. "Holy shit" she whispered breathlessly. He pecked her lips again briefly before burying his head in her neck, trying to catch his breath while she did the same. "You taste like champagne," he said, his voice slightly muffled by her clothing. "So do you" she giggled, running her fingers through his hair. "Mm, That feels so good" he whispered.

They laid there like that for awhile, until her hands and breathing started to slow, and the music stopped. He lifted his head up to look at her; she was fighting back a yawn and struggling to keep her eyes open. "What happened to the music?" she asked sleepily. "I think the playlist is over" he whispered back. "Oh okay," she said, beginning to close her eyes. "Come on, you. Let's get you to bed," he said, gently kissing her nose and standing up.

He expected her to put up a fight, but she didn't. She just nodded, reaching her arms up to him. He laughed. "You are something else, Olivia Pope," he said. He kneeled back down and picked her up from underneath her arms. She was so light and small, he just wanted to hold her forever. Her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms around his neck, as she leaned her head against his shoulder. He held onto her lower back tightly, walking her to the second guest bedroom.

He kept one arm around her as he pulled back the comforter for her, before laying her down gently. She smiled at him while he tucked her in. "You take good care of me" she whispered sleepily, beginning to shut her eyes. He smiled, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Sleep well" he whispered, starting to turn and leave.

She reached out and grabbed his hand. "Wait. Where are you going?" she asked almost worriedly. "Just to my room. I'll be right next door" he whispered. She pulled him closer. "Please don't go" she whispered. "You...want me to stay?" he asked. She nodded. He didn't care about anything in that moment, except making her happy. So he got into the bed with her as she scooted over to make more room. He pulled the comforter up over both of them as she snuggled up against him. "Goodnight, Fitz" she whispered. "Goodnight, Olivia" he replied, holding her tightly.

* * *

Olivia woke up the next morning to the smell of eggs and bacon. _Oh yeah, it's Saturday morning. Mom's making breakfast,_ she thought. Her eyes flickered open and she took in her surroundings. And then she remembered that she was no longer home. She was back at school, and had spent the night at Fitz's.

She rolled over and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, rubbing her forehead. The previous night played back in her head. The specific details were fuzzy, but she remembered a lot of drinking. Singing and dancing. Kissing him on the floor. Him taking her to bed. Asking him to stay here. She had been pretty drunk, but she still remembered.

The headache was definitely there, but it was better than what she had expected considering how much she drank. She changed into some clean clothes that she had packed, and got her hair a little more under control before making her way out into the kitchen.

He immediately smiled at the sight of her. "Olivia," he said happily. "Fitz" she replied. "How's your head?" he asked. "Not _too_ bad. How's yours? she asked. "It's okay. I'm making us a nice hangover breakfast" he said. "Mmm, thank you," she said, getting into one of the stools. She looked him up and down, still wearing the same T-shirt and slim khaki pants he had been wearing yesterday. It definitely didn't look like a very uncomfortable outfit to sleep in.

"I'm sorry I...made you stay with me last night. That was—you didn't have to...I'm sorry about that" she said, a little embarrassed. He shook his head. "Don't be sorry. It's okay" he said, looking over at her. "I'm sorry I wore you out" he chuckled.

She laughed. "Oh no, that was the most fun I've had in a long time," she said. "Me too. Although, when I said we should _try_ all three bottles of champagne, I didn't mean _finish_ all three. But, hey, it made for a fun evening" he said, serving up their breakfast. "A very fun evening. With lots of dancing. And singing" she replied. _And kissing_ , she thought.

He handed her a plate and came to sit next to her with his. "Mhm. I think our singing and dancing abilities were very impressive" he said. "I think so too" she replied happily. He looked over at her and smiled that wonderful Fitz smile that she was beginning to know so well. "Best New Year's Eve ever," he said. She nodded. "Best New Year's Eve ever" she agreed.

* * *

After Fitz dropped her off at home that day, she spent most of it lounging around. She had only had a few assignments that her new professors had sent her over break, and she had done them all, so she didn't really have anything to do. She wished she would have just stayed with Fitz. She missed him. _Already_. All she wanted to do was go back to last night. Dancing with him, probably being too inappropriate while doing so. Belting out the lyrics to some good music without shame. Kissing him. It had all felt so good. So normal. So _right_.

She took a shower and changed into some pajama shorts and a T-shirt, and spent most of her evening watching _Friends_. That was always her go-to when she was bored. But eventually, that got old too.

She sighed, looking at the clock and seeing that it was nearing eleven. She wasn't tired, but she didn't know what else to do, so she thought she might as well just go to bed. Just as she turned off the living room TV, she heard a knock. She looked at the door in confusion. There was literally nobody else here, all of the students were still away for break and most likely wouldn't be back until later tomorrow. Not even sure what to expect, she walked to the door and opened it.

And there, on the other side, stood Fitz.

He took a step closer to her, and before she could say anything, he spoke five words. Five words that had her heart beating faster than she ever thought possible. _Five. Words._

"I don't want to wait."

* * *

To be continued...

Mhm. That just happened.

This was one of my favorite chapters to write, just having them absolutely let go and have fun. And if you think I listened to seventies and eighties hits while I wrote it...then you'd be right. That did happen. Listening to all of those songs will never be the same now, ha.

Hope you all enjoyed, my beautiful friends. Read on!

With Love,

~T


	18. Let Me

"I don't want to wait."

She looked at him in awe. _What?_ She was completely in shock. _Was he serious?_ She finally found her words. "Wait—what? But you said—". "I know what I said" he interrupted. "I thought...but—it's against University policy," she said. "I don't care" he replied.

She looked at him as if he was crazy. "You could lose your job," she said. "I don't care" he repeated. The butterflies in her stomach were going crazy. She couldn't believe they were even having this conversation. She couldn't let herself believe that they could do this. She wanted it, she wanted him. But this was insane.

"Fitz, no. You love it here. You love your job" she said. "I. Don't. Care" he said again. _Man_ , was he stubborn. "Fitz! I want you. I do. But I am not going to jeopardize your job. I can't do that. This isn't...we can't—". His lips were on hers in an instant, cutting her off mid-sentence. He pressed his body into hers, inching them into her apartment. He shut the door behind them and turned them around, slamming her against it.

His sudden actions caught her completely off guard, but her body responded way before she had a chance to process what was happening. Her arms went straight around his neck, and her mouth opened immediately against his, allowing his tongue to tangle with hers.

He pulled back, and started trailing kisses down her neck, leaving her completely breathless and in shock. "I want you. To be mine. Now" he whispered in between kisses. She exhaled deeply, burying her hands in his hair as he continued his passionate assault on her neck. Those words sounded so good. She wanted to be his now too. But everything about this situation still scared her. She didn't stop him from doing what he was doing, but her body still showed a bit of hesitation towards him, and he took notice.

"Let me in, Olivia. Let me be the one. Please, let me. Let me be him" he whispered against her skin. She had never heard such desperation in a man's voice before, or anyone's voice for that matter. It was as if he couldn't bear being without her any longer, as if he just _could not_ do it. She wanted to let him. So bad. She wanted _him_ , now more than ever. She wanted everything.

He pulled his face back from her neck to look at her, and leaned his forehead down against hers, his blue eyes full of want and heartache. "Let me love you" he pleaded. And that was her undoing.

She crashed her lips into his, immediately feeling his hands slide down her body. She reached behind her to grab his roaming hands, and held them in her own as she led him to where she wanted to go. She pulled him down the hallway, both of them occasionally bracing themselves against the wall as they stumbled. His tongue was so deep in her mouth, wanting to reach every crevice of it.

She turned the corner into her room and he followed suit, pushing her up against the nearest wall he could find. He pressed his body into hers so hard, she could feel every inch of him against her. His fingers found hers and he pinned her hands against the fall slightly above her head, beginning to pull away from her mouth. He went right for her neck, which it seemed, was his favorite spot.

He pulled his hands away and put them on her hips, gripping them tightly. His left hand reached down and slid slowly up her thigh, threateningly close to feeling the wetness between her legs. Feeling his hand on her bare thigh drove her insane, and when his fingers slid inside her shorts, she about crumbled in his arms. "Holy shit, Liv" he whispered breathlessly, undoubtedly feeling her soaked underwear beneath his fingers.

She leaned her head back against the wall, exposing her neck to him once again. Without looking, her fingers began to fumble with his belt, undoing it quickly before moving to unzip and unbutton his pants so he could slide them off.

His fingers were teasing her in the worst way. She couldn't breathe, it was agonizing. She felt his tongue against her neck, which only added to her agony. "You're mine" he whispered. Oh god did those words turn her on. "Show me" she whispered back. He smiled and held her gaze for a bit, both of them communicating without words how happy they were. And then he did what she wanted.

He picked her up and laid her down on her bed, immediately climbing on top of her and stripping off his T-shirt. She didn't even wait for him to do it, she just took her own shirt off too, as quickly as she could, exposing her bare chest to him once again. He pulled her shorts off quickly, followed by her underwear, not wanting to waste any more time.

The breath hitched in his throat at the sight of her once again, taking in her gorgeous body. And she felt that feeling again, seeing him look at her like that. The feeling she had felt the first time this had happened.

His hands explored her body while his mouth returned to hers, kissing her with a passion that was wonderfully slow, yet so intense. She broke away, squeezing her hand between their bodies to try and completely undress him. "Off, off" she whispered breathlessly, her hands pulling at the Calvin Klein waistband of his boxers.

He kneeled above her and took them off quickly as she had wished, and returned to her body. She welcomed the feeling of him inside of her again, remembering how good he had felt the first time. Only this time, everything was different. This time was not about crossing that line, and discovering each other in that way for the first time. This time was about what they were. What they wanted to be.

She was glad her apartment building was extremely empty, because she was sure that otherwise, all of her neighbors would have heard them. _All. Night_. It was as if a switch in them had flipped, and they no longer cared about anything. About the fact that a professor and a student should _never_ do what they were doing. About the fact that they were sixteen years apart in age. About the fact that they shouldn't feel the things that they felt.

That night, it was all gone. Needless to say, Fitz did what Olivia had asked of him. He showed her.

* * *

Olivia woke up, feeling both the chilly air, and a warm arm draped across her back. He was _always_ warm. She turned her head to look at the sleeping man next to her. She could barely see his eyelids, as his messy curls seemed to cover just enough of them.

The side of his body was pressed so tightly to hers, she wondered how that was at all comfortable for him. Yet, he seemed so peaceful laying there, with his arm around her. It didn't help that her bed was only a double sized bed, not typical for two people to sleep in. But she was small, and her room was fairly small, so it didn't make much sense to go bigger than that. And, it was still much better than the twin sized beds that students were forced to sleep on in dorms.

She could see the outline of his legs bent at the knee, undoubtedly knowing that if he stretched his legs out fully, they would hang off the bed. She had to hold in a giggle thinking of the sight. He was so tall, especially compared to her.

She realized that this was the first time a man had spent the night in this bed with her, in this room. There had been Edison, of course, but that had been last year in her dorm building. She shivered at the thought of Edison, and realized that she couldn't, and didn't want, to imagine waking up to anyone else but Fitz. She didn't want someone else's arm around her. She didn't want to see anyone else's messy hair. She didn't want to see anyone else's clothes lying on the floor in a heap next to hers, carelessly thrown from the night before. She didn't want _anyone else_.

She could have laid there, watching him sleep for hours and not get bored. But she wanted to see those beautiful blue eyes looking back at her, and hear that voice of his. She couldn't help herself. She turned sideways underneath his arm and pecked his lips, then his nose. She covered his face with kisses, not even stopping when he began to stir. He opened his eyes and smiled immediately as she continued to kiss him.

"Mmm. Hi, you" he whispered. "Hi," she said, pulling back to look at him. His grip on her tightened and he pulled closer to him. "How are you?" he asked, his voice still a bit raspy. "Good. How are you?" she asked. " _Oh god_ , I'm good," he said with a smile. Their legs tangled underneath the sheets, which made her laugh. "Sorry about my small bed" she giggled. He smiled. "No worries. Gave me an excuse to be closer to you" he replied.

He looked around her room, taking everything in again. She watched him as he did so, thinking it was probably a bit weird for him to wake up in his student's room, but he just smiled. "What are you thinking about over there?" she asked. "Just your cute little room. It reminds me of you" he said.

"Ah yes, well, _I am_ cute and little," she teased. "You _are,"_ he said, pressing his lips to hers. "And smart...and kind...and funny," he said, kissing her in between each new compliment he gave her. "And extremely sexy...and _oh_ , _yep,_ still naked," he said, as his hands went between her legs. "Still naked" she agreed, giggling. "Mmm," he replied, rolling them over so that he hovered above her.

He kissed her neck, bracing himself with his hands on the pillows next to either side of her head. He pulled back to look down at her. "You know, I'm starting to feel special, sleeping beside Miss Olivia Pope two nights in a row. In...two different rooms...that I have never slept in before" he teased. She laughed. "And you slept great both nights, right?" she asked, running her fingers through his hair. " _I did"_ he nodded, pecking her lips. "Me too" she replied.

He smiled at her happily. That smile looked so good on him. "You want something to eat? I can make something" she asked. He cocked his head to the side. "You can cook?" he teased. She smacked his chest. "Hey now. I can cook...basic things" she defended. "I would _love_ that" he replied. He kissed her nose and climbed off of her, finding his boxers.

She put on a clean pair of underwear and grabbed his shirt off the floor, putting it on. It fell to her mid thighs, which made her laugh. He turned around at the sound of her laugh and smiled. "That looks much better on you than it does on me," he said.

She eyed his muscular body, those black boxers clinging tightly to him. What a sight. She didn't even respond to his compliment, becoming much too distracted by her professor standing half-naked in her bedroom. "Like what you see?" he teased. She felt her cheeks redden. Even after all this time, and all that has happened, he still made her nervous. "You know I do" she replied, smiling over her shoulder as she left her room.

She made them eggs and pancakes, while he stood close behind her, wrapping his arms around her and seeming content to just watch her. "You smell like me" he whispered. "Good, I love that smell" she replied. He chuckled, wrapping his arms tighter around her and trailing kisses down the side of her neck.

They ate their breakfast and chatted, as if waking up and spending the morning together was an everyday occurrence. Of course, they both knew that it wouldn't be. He definitely couldn't stay over at her apartment on a regular basis because of the students; he had been here twice, and both times had been over breaks when students weren't here. And, staying at his place on weeknights would be a bit of a hassle considering he lived off campus, but maybe on the weekends.

"You probably should get going pretty soon before students start coming back. Some of them may recognize you" she said sadly. He nodded, knowing that she was right, but he didn't move. Instead, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into his lap. "A couple more minutes" he smirked, moving his hands down to her ass. She smiled and gave in, leaning in to kiss him.

His tongue was in her mouth instantly, and he pressed her close to his body. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and her legs dangled off the stool as she sat in his lap, leaning into him. He leaned back a bit against the counter, his arms wrapped tightly around her and bringing him with her. They sat there, making out on a stool in the kitchen, completely unaware of the sound of the door being unlocked and opening soon after.

"Surprise! I'm back earl— _Holy—oh, shit. Oh, shit!"_ They pulled away in shock, looking at the door to see a very stunned, yet seemingly excited Abby. "WOOOOO! Yes, oh fuck, yes!" Abby exclaimed, coming inside and shutting the door behind her. She stood there with a huge smile on her face, clearly noting their half-clothed state and the empty plates on the counter. It was easy to see that he had spent the night.

Olivia and Fitz just sat there, not having a single clue what to do. Fitz positioned Olivia closer to his crotch, hiding his clearly aroused state from Abby, which had Olivia holding back a laugh. "Abby, you're back...early," Olivia said, finally finding her words. "I wanted to surprise you! I think...it worked" Abby responded. _Well, this is awkward_.

"I should—uh. I should probably get going" Fitz said nervously, clearing his throat. Olivia nodded. "Right, okay," she said. He lifted her up and set her gently on the floor, and they awkwardly made their way to her bedroom, while Abby watched them in amusement.

As Olivia turned into her bedroom, she shot Abby a look over her shoulder as if saying, 'sorry about that', but Abby had a huge smile on her face. Olivia shut the door and looked at Fitz, whose cheeks were extremely red. Olivia laughed, which in turn, caused him to laugh.

"Oh my god," she said, putting her hand up to her mouth. "We just gave her quite the show" he chuckled. "Yeah that was...embarrassing. I'm really sorry, I had absolutely no idea she'd be home this early" Olivia said apologetically. He shook his head. "It's alright. She seemed to like it so" he shrugged. Olivia giggled. "Yeah, she's our biggest fan, you know" Olivia replied.

He sighed. "I have a feeling she'd be our only one," he said. She walked up to him and grabbed his hands. "I. Don't. Care" she said, mimicking his confidence from last night. He smiled and nodded. "Me. Neither" he said, pecking her lips.

Olivia switched shirts and put on some pants, and Fitz got dressed in yesterday's clothes. When they walked out of her bedroom, Abby was drinking coffee at the counter, working on what looked like homework. "Bye Abby. Sorry about...earlier. It was great to see you" Fitz said, giving her a little wave.

"Oh, no problem at all. It was great to see you too" she smirked. He stopped by the door and turned towards Olivia. They chatted quietly, discussing when they would see each other next and bidding each other goodbye. He leaned down and kissed her, without shame in front of Abby, which she hadn't expected after the earlier incident. "Bye, you" he whispered. "Bye," she said with a smile, shutting the door behind him.

She leaned against the door, a smile still plastered across her face. "Sooo" Abby began. Olivia smiled. "Sooo" she mimicked. "I need details, tell me now," Abby said. "Tell you what?" Olivia asked. Abby shot her a look. "Why I walked in on you and pretty boy half-naked, feeling each other up with his tongue down your throat," Abby said. Olivia's face reddened once more.

"Oh and by the way, _holy hell,_ half-naked pretty boy is...whew. Pretty" Abby added. "I'm aware," Olivia said with a smile. She began walking to her bedroom, thinking maybe she could get out of Abby's questioning, but Abby just eagerly following behind her. "So what happened last night?" Abby asked. Olivia laughed. She might as well just get it over with.

"He told me...he didn't want to wait" Olivia replied. Abby screamed. "Oh my god! So now you're dating? He's your boyfriend?" Abby asked impatiently. Olivia was still recovering from the high-pitched scream Abby had released. "Um—I think so...I don't...I'm not quite sure" Olivia said, starting to pick up her clothes from last night.

Abby gave her a funny look. "You didn't talk about it or what?" Abby asked. Olivia could feel her cheeks becoming red again. "We kind of...did. But we uh—we..." Olivia turned to Abby, hoping she would catch her drift, and saw that she was now lounging on her bed.

"You might not wanna..." Olivia said, gesturing to her bed. It took Abby a minute to realize, but then she got up. " _Oh_...oh god you fucked on this bed," Abby said, getting up quickly. "Multiple times" Olivia nodded, continuing to pick up her room.

Abby sat down on the floor. "Is this spot safe, did you fuck him here too?" Abby asked sarcastically. Olivia looked down at her, pretending to think hard about it. "No, I think you're safe there" she teased. "Wow, Liv. First, you call and tell me you two got trashed at his apartment and now I come home to this. I am...impressed. I don't think I can call you a goodie-goodie anymore" Abby teased.

Olivia laughed, throwing one of her shirts at Abby. They were silent for a couple minutes before Abby spoke again.

"So does he know?" Abby asked. Olivia continued doing what she was doing, not paying much attention to Abby's words. "Does he know what?" Olivia asked. "That you're falling in love with him" Abby stated simply. Olivia turned around, slightly stunned. "What? I'm—I'm not...what?" Olivia stammered.

"Oh, please, Liv. Don't even try" Abby said with a laugh. Olivia stood there, not saying anything. "Does he?" Abby asked again. Olivia sighed, knowing that she couldn't really deny it now. "I don't...know" she replied quietly. Abby smiled. "I think you should tell him," she said.

The thought made Olivia feel a little ill. She had never been in love before. She had tried to tell herself that she was in love with Edison, but she knew she never was. She knew that wasn't what love felt like.

But now she knew, because she felt it with him. She was falling. Hard.

* * *

And there you go, Olitzers. I know some of you weren't too happy with me for leaving you at that agonizing cliff-hanger, but I have to do it occasionally! I hope I made up for it, my beautiful friends.

Where will they go from here? You will just have to wait and see. Shit's getting real.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	19. Official

Olivia laid on her bed, listening to her favorite playlist which was now cranked to full volume. She had had a good day of classes, which had mostly involved going through the syllabus as most first days of the semester often did. So, she didn't have any homework to do, and was enjoying just laying low and listening to some music.

Her phone lit up next to her and she smiled when she read that wonderful name on the screen. "Hi" she answered. "Hi. What are you doing right now?" he asked. "Not much of anything, just hanging out in my room. Why?" she asked. "Come outside," he said. "Come outside?" she asked. "Yes, right this minute" he replied. She smiled. "Okay," she said. "Okay," he said, and hung up.

She quickly got up and put on her boots and her jacket, having absolutely no clue what he was doing here. "Where are you going?" Abby asked from the couch as Olivia made her way into the living room. Olivia just smiled at her. "Ahhhh, Fitzy boy" Abby nodded. "You can just call him Fitz, you know," Olivia said with a laugh.

Abby put her finger up to her lips in thought. "Hmmm...nah, I'm good," Abby said with a smile. Olivia rolled her eyes and smiled. "I'll be back," Olivia said. Abby just smirked and gave her a little wave. Olivia made her way downstairs, the butterflies in her stomach refusing to calm down.

She walked out the front door into the chilly night air, and was immediately pulled to the side. Before she knew it, she was up against the brick wall of her building, behind the thick shrubbery. "What the—". His lips silenced her immediately, pressing against hers. She giggled against his mouth. "Fitz, oh my god" she whispered. "Shhh," he whispered back, moving to kiss her again.

He was wearing a heavy coat and a winter hat, which she thought was quite possibly the most adorable thing she'd ever seen him in. "Fitz, you can't just—" his lips were back on hers again, cutting her off. He held her face as he kissed her, his lips warm and soft.

"What the hell are you doing!?" she giggled. "I'm trying to make out with my girlfriend but she won't shut up!" he whispered. Her heart leapt. She had kind of assumed their title already, but they hadn't officially talked about it. "Girlfriend, huh?" she asked.

His smile faded and he cleared his throat, as if realizing what he had just said. "Um...well, I—I wanted..." he began, looking nervously at her. "Would you—I mean...maybe you'd want to...be my girlfriend?" he said hopefully.

She smiled at him and wondered how she had ever lived her life before without this adorably nervous man in it. "You are seriously the cutest thing in this world, do you know that?" she asked. His cheeks turned an even darker shade of pink. "Of course I'll be your girlfriend, Fitz" she nodded.

"So...we're gonna do this? You're in this with me?" he asked. "I'm in this with you" she assured him. His face broke back into that smile and he pecked her lips. "Awesome," he whispered gratefully. She giggled and leaned back in to kiss him, wrapping her arms around his neck eagerly.

He pressed his body into hers, forcing her head against the brick, but she didn't care a bit. Not about that, or the itchy bushes that were hiding them from public view. She just kissed him hard. Her boyfriend.

Eventually they broke away for air, panting heavily. "I missed you" he whispered. "You just saw me yesterday" she giggled. "And?" he asked. She shrugged. "Good point. I missed you too" she said happily.

He smiled and leaned his forehead against hers. "God you're beautiful" he whispered. She bit her lip, looking at him. "You're fucking hot" she replied. "Thank you" he chuckled. "Anytime" she giggled. He looked around them, peeking around the corner of the building. "Okay, I should go. I just needed to see you. And kiss you. I'll see you tomorrow in class" he whispered.

She smiled. "See you then" she whispered. He leaned back in to kiss her. "Bye, you" he whispered. "Bye," she whispered back. He disappeared behind the bushes and out of her view. She sighed, thinking about their situation. There was no doubt it was going to be difficult, hiding it from everyone. From her friends. Her family.

But she pushed that aside, reminding herself that it was only temporary. The second they could go public, everything would be a lot easier, and she couldn't wait to show that perfect man off. Show everyone that he was hers.

She made her way back to the front door of her building, making sure it was clear before she came out from their little hiding spot. When she got up to her apartment, she made eye contact with Abby who was still sitting on the couch.

"I officially have a boyfriend," Olivia said happily. Abby's face lit up. "You do?" she asked. "I _do"_ Olivia nodded. "YES! Welcome to the club!" Abby exclaimed. Olivia laughed. "When you two can go public, we are most definitely going on a double date," Abby said. "Sounds great, Abby!" Olivia replied.

That night, Olivia fell asleep easily, dreaming happily of Fitz.

* * *

Olivia walked to the lecture hall for the first day of the second half of International Politics. She saw him writing on the chalkboard up front, wearing dress pants and a dress shirt, sleeves rolled up as usual.

He was letting his hair grow a little more than usual for the winter, so the soft brown strands were starting to curl up behind his ears. Just like everything else about him, Olivia thought it was extremely cute.

When he turned around, he immediately looked in the direction of her usual seat, and smiled at the sight of her. "Hi," he mouthed. "Hi," she mouthed back.

She watched him intently throughout the lecture, thinking about the first day of this class in her first semester. She had watched him intently that day too, wondering why the hell she was so drawn to him.

And now on the first day of this class in her second semester, here she was, _his girlfriend_. She no longer listened to the obnoxious girls behind her, she just tuned them out. While their immaturity was always a bit amusing to her, she no longer cared to hear other girls talk about how hot her boyfriend was. Even though she, of course, agreed with them.

As usual, class flew by. It never got old, watching him do what he loved up there. His passion for the class rubbed off on her no doubt, and she found that it was still her favorite class, despite the new interesting courses she was taking this semester.

She walked up to him afterward and greeted him. "Professor Grant" she nodded. "Miss Pope" he replied. "Lunch plans?" he asked quietly, not looking at her as he packed up his stuff. She shook her head. "Nope. No lunch plans" she said back, looking around her.

She eyed the room nervously, watching the students flood out of the auditorium. She knew she was being paranoid. They talked every day after class, and nobody blinked an eye. But now she just wanted to make sure they were being extra careful, and it seemed he did too. "My office?" he asked quietly. She smiled. "Sure" she replied.

They made their way out of the auditorium together and went to go pick up sandwiches for lunch. They made small talk as they walked, trying to appear as normal as possible. She knew she was overthinking everything. College students didn't give a damn who you were walking with, not to mention that in the chilly winter air everyone was just eager to get from one place to the next anyway. But if they were going to do this, they needed to be extra careful.

When they got to his office, they walked in and closed the door behind them. "Thank god" he breathed. "What?" she asked. He smiled. "Now I can tell you how gorgeous you are without anyone hearing me" he replied.

She blushed and looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "Okay, I'm ready" she teased. He sighed heavily. "You. Are. Gorgeous" he said. "Thank you, you are too sweet. If there weren't windows in this office I would thank you properly" she smirked. He glanced over at the window that looked out into the hallway and the one that looked outside. "Well...there are blinds, and...my door..." he began.

She looked at him funny. "...What about your door?" she asked. "It locks," he said. She laughed. "Tempting" she nodded, sitting down across from him as he took out their lunch. "Mhm. Just...stay over there, okay?" he said, gesturing to her current seat.

"How come?" she asked. "Because" was all he said. "Because why?" she smirked. He looked up at her, cocking his head slightly. "Because in order for me to keep my job, I need to keep my hands to myself," he said casually, taking a sip of his drink. "In public" he added with a smile, leaning back in his chair.

Her body warmed at his words. "And when we're not in public?" she asked with a smile. "My hands will do as they please" he replied. A shiver ran down her spine. "Thank god" she breathed.

She could feel how hot her skin was, and how red her cheeks were from this conversation. His cheeks were no different. This conversation needed to stop, or they would drive themselves insane.

"Hey, did you see this?" he asked, pointing a bit to his right. Thank god for that subject change. She looked to where he was pointing, and her eyes landed on a wooden box with its lid open. The one she had given him for Christmas.

She gasped. "Oh my god," she said. "Such a beautiful present needs to be displayed," he said, smiling. She got up and made her way behind his desk, ignoring his earlier request to stay where she was.

"I keep the lid open so I can see the nameplate," he said. She put her hand up to her mouth in awe. She was so happy he had put it in his office. She was glad he was getting actual use out of it too, as it had some paper clips and tacks in it, just ideal office things.

He ran his fingers over the engraved message on the front. "You have no idea how happy this makes me. How true this is" he whispered. She smiled. "Forever your favorite?" she questioned. "Forever my favorite" he nodded.

She reached over and put her hand on top of his, all of her previous paranoia disappearing completely. Their hands lingered for a bit, until he spoke up. "Windows" he whispered. She pulled her hand away quickly, nodding her head. "I know. I...sorry. I'm sorry" she replied, going back to her spot across from him.

He shook his head. "Don't be" he assured her. She began to eat her sandwich, remaining quiet for a while.

"Are you...having second thoughts?" he asked. She looked up at him, confused. "What?" she asked. "I mean, I would understand if you were. This isn't ideal, I know...". "Fitz—" she said, trying to get a word in.

"It's okay...you know, if you want to back out. I would—I would understand...". "Fitz, no—" she tried again. "I wouldn't hold it against you. We could just...wait. Or...maybe this isn't what you want any—". "FITZ" she interjected loudly. He looked at her in surprise.

"I am _not_ having second thoughts. I'm not. I want you. Now" she said. He nodded. "Right. Sorry, I just...I care about you. So... _so_ much. You are more important to me than anything else, and all I want is for you to be happy, no matter what that means" he said.

Her heart melted. "I have been happier the past few days than I have been in my entire life, Fitz" she replied. His face lit up. "Yeah?" he asked. " _Yeah_. Because guess what?" she asked. His smile grew wider. "What?" he answered. "You. Are. Mine" he replied. He bit his lip. "Hell yeah," he agreed. _"Hell yeah,"_ she repeated.

And she was right. Because now, it was official.

* * *

Official!

I apologize for taking a bit longer than normal to update, the end of the semester has been a bit busy for me!

What did you think? Olitz as a secret couple, that sounds familiar, ha.

They finally did some talking, which I think we can all agree, they definitely needed to do. I don't know about you all, but I, myself, find nervous Fitz to be quite adorable.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	20. A Date

"So good news!" Fitz exclaimed as they walked down a snowy path in central campus. She turned to him. "Tell me now" she replied happily. "Cyrus can't make it to trivia night tomorrow!" he said excitedly.

Olivia smiled and opened her mouth to answer but then cocked her head in confusion when his words sunk in. "Wait...how is that good news?" she asked concernedly. She didn't want to imagine them maybe not going to trivia night tomorrow, it was her one excuse to go out with Fitz in public, even if it was just for some damn game.

"Because. Now we can skip trivia and I can take you on a date" he said. The smile returned to her face. "A date?" she asked. "Mhm. A date. A real one. Far away from New Haven, far away from campus, just...far away from here" he replied.

"Mmm. I'm intrigued, say more" she said. He chuckled. "Okay, so we're going to get all dressed up. I'm going to pick you up at...let's say...five, just to be safe. I'll take you to a nice restaurant far away from here, where we'll have an amazing, wonderful, fantastic date. After said date, I will then take you home and kiss you goodnight, and you'll spend the rest of the night thinking about me, and the wonderful date I just took you on" he said proudly.

She smiled at his lengthy explanation. "That's quite an itinerary, although I must say, we are doing this all a bit backward. I think we were supposed to go on our first date _before_ we slept together and declared our exclusivity" she giggled. "Yeah I know, I thought about that, but...normal's overrated" he shrugged.

"So what do you think?" he asked. "I think...I definitely want to see you in a suit" she smirked. "Done. As long as you wear a dress. A sexy one" he replied. "Done," she said. He smiled at her and then stopped suddenly at a little bench by a tree, looking across campus.

It was a Friday night, so there weren't many people out and about in central campus, just a couple here and there. Most, of course, were probably at parties or bars at this time of night.

She stopped too, coming to stand next to him. "Isn't this spot beautiful?" he asked, not looking over at her. She nodded. "Gorgeous" she replied. "I used to come here to study. Right here on this bench," he said, pointing to it a few feet away from them.

"Sometimes someone would already be sitting there, so I'd go sit up against that tree until they left. I _had_ to sit on that bench. I didn't like to study at the library or at home. It always had to be that bench. No matter how hot or cold it was outside. It was a bit of a problem if it rained, though" he chuckled.

She smiled, picturing a very young, and in her mind, very cute Fitz sitting up against that tree, waiting for his bench to open up. "I'm impressed. Especially considering that you _hate_ the cold, Cali boy" she giggled. "I do. But I will admit, I'm starting to like it more and more now that I get to see my cute girlfriend all bundled up" he said with a smile.

She laughed, because she was, indeed, very bundled up. This past week had been a bit colder than normal, and definitely colder than her home state of Virginia ever was.

She eyed him up and down, admiring his winter clothes as well. He had on a winter coat, gloves, and a gray furry trapper hat, which was her favorite accessory by far, even if it hid the curly hair that she loved so much.

"You don't look so bad yourself. Love the hat, by the way" she replied. "Was that sarcasm?" he asked, coming closer to her. "No, I'm serious. I love it, it's cute!" she exclaimed, as he wrapped his arms around her little body, beginning to tickle her as best he could through her thick coat. "Fitz!" she giggled, trying her best to get away from him. But he was too fast and too strong.

She tried to take one last big step to get away, but she slipped on a particularly icy patch, falling helplessly to the ground. Fitz tried his best to catch her in time, but with his arms wrapped so tightly around her, he came tumbling to the ground with her.

She stared up at the dark, starry sky, Fitz's arms still wrapped tightly around her as he lay beside her. His face quickly came into her view. "Are you okay? Oh man, I'm so sorry, Liv" Fitz said immediately, looking over her concernedly.

She just laughed. They had landed on some of the fluffiest snow she'd ever felt, but here he was, concerned that she was seriously hurt. "I'm alright, Fitz" she giggled. He smiled down at her, putting his hands on the ground on either side of her body as he sat up beside her.

He leaned down ever so slightly, bringing his body closer to hers. She closed her eyes and felt his soft lips on hers. She could feel the slight hesitation in him, given their location. But, she knew there were barely any people out to begin with, and on top of that, their heavy clothes did a good job of masking their identities. So, she pulled his head down further and deepened the kiss.

He didn't seem to give a second thought, because she felt his tongue slide into her mouth right away. He bit her bottom lip and pulled it into his mouth, smiling when he let it go. He pecked her lips briefly a couple more times before pulling her up to a sitting position beside him.

He took out his phone and took off his gloves. "What are you doing?" she asked. "We don't have any pictures together" he answered. "Oh, we're taking pictures now? she asked with a smile. "Mhm. My favorite place with my favorite girl. It's the perfect time" he said.

She smiled at him and wrapped her arm around his neck as he put his phone out in front of them to take the picture. She took off her own hat and then reached over to take off his, smoothing out his curly hair after she did so. "There, we're ready" she giggled.

He took a couple normal selfies of them smiling, and then did some silly pictures as well. "Okay, kiss me," he said. He turned his head towards her and she leaned in to kiss him as the flash went off. "You're going to have a whole album now!" she giggled. He smiled. "Good," he said.

They put their hats back on and he stood up and helped her to her feet, planting a kiss on her lips when she stood. She looked around the empty central campus, that during the day, was full of life. It was nice to see it like this, without all the normal chaos. It was relaxing.

"We should do this more often," she said, starting to walk back to the path. "Make out in the snow? Yes, I very much agree" he teased from behind her. She laughed. " _No_. Walk around campus at night. But...that too" she said.

She looked at Sterling, the law building of Yale, which was just down the path from them. Its architecture was beautiful, built in the 1930s. It was her favorite building on campus by far, and she marveled at the idea that if she were to possibly attend law school here, she'd get to spend a lot of time in that beautiful building.

She realized that she was still standing by herself, and that Fitz hadn't followed. When she looked behind her, he was just bringing his phone down to look at it. "What are you doing back there?" she asked. He looked up at her. "Nothing," he said innocently, coming to catch up with her.

"Come on, let's get you home so you can get some rest. You'll need to be well rested for our date tomorrow" he said happily. "Is that so?" she asked. He nodded. She smiled and walked closely next to him all the way back to her apartment where his car was parked.

After Fitz drove home that night, she went up to her apartment and got ready for bed immediately. It was past eleven, and she truly did want to be rested for their date tomorrow.

Abby was spending the weekend at David's, which made her a little sad, as she had to come home to an empty apartment. However, she knew Abby was having fun with David. They were by far the cutest couple Olivia had ever seen. She could see how in love they were, and it warmed her heart.

Olivia remembered the first time she had met David. She was wary of him at first, because he was twenty-two, and Abby was still only nineteen and wouldn't turn twenty until the summer. It wasn't a big age difference at all, but Olivia thought that since David was a senior, and would be graduating this year, that he wouldn't have time for Abby, and he wouldn't treat her how Olivia knew Abby should be treated.

But when she saw them together, saw the way that David looked at her, the same way her father always looked at her mother, she truly knew that age was something that just did not matter. Age was, after all, just a number, and it had nothing to do with a person's feelings.

And now Olivia knew it from experience. Because never had she seen someone look at her the way Fitz did, and he was _sixteen_ years older. Not any of her high school boyfriends, not even Edison, whom she dated for almost two years. It was that same way that her father looked at her mother. That same way that David looked at Abby.

Her phone screen lit up next to her on her bed, and she was jolted out of her thoughts. It was a text message from Fitz, containing fourteen images. She smiled as she looked through the pictures they took earlier that night, saving all of them to her camera roll. She sent him a reply.

 _ **Olivia: Wow, my boyfriend looks good ;) Thanks for sending them.**_

 _ **Fitz: Well aren't you just the sweetest. Of course. Those are our first pictures together, you needed to have them.**_

She smiled at his sweet message.

 _ **Olivia: There will be many more to come!**_

 _ **Fitz: Yes there will! But for now, I think I'm going to go to bed. I'll see you tomorrow at 5 pm sharp. Be ready.**_

She shut off her lamp, knowing she should go to sleep too.

 _ **Olivia: Can't wait, I'll be ready. Goodnight.**_

 _ **Fitz: Goodnight, you.**_

* * *

Olivia looked around for her favorite black heels, cursing to herself when she couldn't find them. She breathed a sigh of relief when she looked in the very back of their coat closet in the hallway, and spotted them.

She slipped them on and looked at herself in the mirror. She was pleased with how she looked. She had on a low cut dark red dress which revealed just enough, but not too much. It was fitted on the top and flared out a little past her hips, and went just past her mid-thigh; she never liked dresses that were too short.

Her black heels paired well with the dark red, and the black earrings she had chosen. She wore her hair in loose curls, and wore a light, natural lipstick with her dark eye makeup, not wanting it to be too flashy. She felt good, and hoped he would like it. She had her heart set on impressing him tonight, even though she knew he liked her casual, everyday look too. It wasn't often that she got this dressed up, and she wanted to make it worthwhile.

When she got the text telling her he was here, she put on her favorite white dress coat, grabbed her purse, and went downstairs to meet him. She could see his headlights coming closer to pick her up by the door. When she got in and looked over at him, she about passed out at the sight.

There in the driver's seat sat her boyfriend, all dressed up as promised. He wore a dark, navy suit with no tie, and had the top button of his pristine white dress shirt undone, as not to look overly formal. As she leaned over, she could see his light brown oxford dress shoes to complete the look.

She didn't even know what to say. She settled on, "Wow." He smiled. "Take off your coat," he said. She untied the belt and lifted it off of her shoulders, putting it in the backseat for the car ride. And man, did he stare. "Holy shit," he said under his breath. "You like?" she asked hopefully. "I _love,"_ he said, looking her up and down.

She smiled proudly to herself, thinking that she accomplished her goal. She couldn't wait until they got out of the car so he could see the full look. "Okay, music choice is yours for the next hour or so, we have a bit of a drive ahead of us," he said, handing her his phone.

"Oh, good. We're putting on oldies" she exclaimed. "Oh yeah? Like what we listened to when we got trashed?" he asked simply. She burst out laughing. "Mhm," she nodded. He chuckled. "I'm honestly a bit surprised you knew all those songs so well. You're so young!" he exclaimed.

"I may be young, but come on. Everyone knows all those old hits!" she pointed out. "Good point" he nodded. She scrolled through his Spotify and found a playlist she liked, before hitting shuffle.

As she did so, he reached over and put his hand on her thigh, rubbing small circles on her skin with his thumb. It was truly a glorious feeling. She put her hand on top of his, lacing their fingers together. He looked over and smiled at their hands. "You're still wearing it," he said softly.

She looked down and saw the leather bracelet on her wrist. She knew it was a bit too casual for her otherwise formal attire, but she couldn't bear to take it off. She just didn't feel right without it on. "I never take it off" she replied happily. He smiled and his eyes returned to the road. "Good," he said quietly.

They sang along to the music the whole way there, while also hearing his navigation system give him directions. She had absolutely no idea where they were going, and he wouldn't tell her a single thing besides the fact that their reservation was at six fifteen. But, she was content to be surprised.

When a song came on that she didn't like, she looked down at the screen to switch it, and her heart leapt at what she saw.

There on his screen was a picture of her from behind, looking into the distance at what she recognized as the Sterling Law Building. It was a bit hard to tell, as it looked like it had been taken in portrait mode, so that she was the main focus and everything in the background was blurry.

Her curly hair was blowing slightly from underneath her winter hat, and she was turned ever so slightly to the side, a smile visible on her face. To anyone else, it would be practically impossible to determine who it was, which she knew was purposeful on his part.

She briefly remembered looking behind her yesterday, seeing him doing something on his phone but not thinking much of it. Little did she know, he had been taking a picture of her for his lock screen.

She didn't bring it up with him, but knew exactly what she wanted to do. She discreetly grabbed her phone and pretended to just be on it, when in reality, she was taking a picture. She pointed it downward at their hands interlocked, making sure that the "F" on her bracelet was visible in the picture.

Satisfied with the outcome, she set it as her home and lock screen. She smiled at it, seeing her little hand laced in his much bigger one, the "F" on her wrist claiming her as his, and him as hers. Their lock screens were just a subtle display of their affection, but it meant the world to her, and she knew it meant the world to him too.

When they finally arrived at the restaurant about an hour later, he got out first and went to open the door for her, taking her hand to help her out as she put her coat back on. She tightened the belt around her waist, shivering in the cold winter air.

He held her hand tightly as they walked in, seeming proud to do so. When they got inside, she could immediately see how high end the restaurant was. Everyone was in suits and dresses, wearing shiny diamonds and big pearls. She did feel a bit out of place, but she had to admit, she also felt pretty fancy and sophisticated being here.

The hostess led them to a small booth by the window, Olivia clinging tightly to his hand as they walked. It seemed so...normal. Not at all like how their actual relationship was. They were out in the open. As a couple. She felt a lot of things, but most importantly, she felt lucky. None of the complications changed how lucky she felt to just be with him. He was, in her eyes, the most perfect thing in the world, and he had no idea just how crazy she was about him.

He pulled out her chair for her and took her jacket off, resting it on the back of her chair. She blushed as he did so; he was always such a gentleman with her, which she was still getting used to. "Wow," he said, eyeing her up and down fully for the first time. "You look amazing, Liv. So amazing" he said. "So do you" she replied, admiring his gorgeous body in that perfectly tailored suit.

He smiled at her as they sat down, looking around them. "This feels...different" he admitted quietly. She nodded. "I know. I feel like one of us should be hiding or something" she giggled. "Exactly" he chuckled. "But...it also feels...right" he added. "I think so too. I just wish this is how it could always be" she said, a bit sadly. "Hey, Liv. One day, it will be. I promise you" he said, reaching out to hold her hand. "One day" she nodded.

"Alright, now cheer up, because I promised you an amazing, wonderful, fantastic date," he said with a smile, which of course, brought her smile right back.

And he delivered, just as he had promised. The food was amazing, as well as the lemonade they had both ordered. She told him that he could have a real drink, but he quickly shot that down, saying that a gentleman would not order a drink if his date couldn't.

They flirted endlessly, holding hands across the table for most of the night while they talked. Having known each other for five months, they knew quite a bit about each other, but there were still things that they had yet to learn.

"You've never been out of the country?" he asked, somewhat shocked. "Never" she replied. They had been asking each other random questions all throughout dinner. "Wait a second...I can't believe I don't know this. What's your middle name?" she asked. "Thomas" he replied. She smiled. "Sexy. Do you know mine?" she asked. "Carolyn" he answered.

"What! How do you know that?" she asked, not actually expecting him to know. "It says it on your student profile online!" he exclaimed. "Damn. You have that advantage, but I still know you better than most, even if I'm still learning" she said proudly.

"Yeah? Let's hear it" he teased, squeezing her hand affectionately. She smiled. "Your favorite color is blue" she began. He nodded. "You never wear your sleeves down, they have to be rolled up," she said. He chuckled. "Go on," he said. "You never wear normal black dress socks, they're always a pattern of some sort," she said. "Oh, good catch there" he admitted.

"You're left-handed" she added. "I am" he nodded. "You're a stomach sleeper, you can't sleep in any other position" she continued. "Same with you" he smiled. "And you like hockey, I saw some signed pucks on the shelf in your living room" she finished.

"Yeah, Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Quick, LA Kings," he said proudly. "I didn't understand a word you just said" she giggled. "Kopitar's the captain of the LA Kings, and Quick is their starting goaltender, and probably one of the best in the league. Both will be Hall of Famers, guaranteed. Maybe...um, maybe..." he began, before cutting himself off.

She looked at him funny. "Maybe what?" she asked. "I was just thinking...maybe someday I could take you to a game in LA. The atmosphere at Staples Center is amazing, I think you'd like it. I could teach you everything you need to know" he said happily.

She didn't care a single bit about hockey, but seeing him get excited about it instantly made her want to go. "Well that's it then, we're gonna go," she said matter of factly. "Really?" he asked. "Absolutely" she nodded. "Awesome," he said.

The rest of the night went by quickly, and before she knew it, they were back on the road, almost back to her apartment. She had truly had the best night. The date was perfect. He was perfect. Everything was just...perfect.

When he finally pulled into her apartment building at a little after ten, she found that she was already having a tough time keeping her eyes open. Her left hand was sweating, after holding his hand for practically the entire night, but she didn't care a single bit.

"I had such a fun night with you, Liv," he said, after putting the car in park. "Me too. Thank you so much, Fitz. It was wonderful" she replied. "You're wonderful," he said, bringing her hand up to his mouth to place a soft kiss there. "I get a real kiss goodnight, right?" she teased.

He smiled. "Come here," he said, pulling her hand closer. They closed the gap between them and their lips connected. She savored their goodnight kiss, not wanting to actually have to tell him goodnight. But, she pecked his lips a couple more times, leaving a bit of her lipstick behind that she happily left there, and bid him goodnight.

And boy was he right. She spent the rest of her night, thinking about him and that wonderful date he took her on, just wishing that she could go back in time and do it all over again.

* * *

Olitz date night!

The last chapter was a bit shorter than normal, so I thought you all deserved a nice long chapter. I hope you liked it! I'm pretty sure I had a smile on my face the entire time I was writing it.

I encourage you all to look up a gray trapper hat and picture Fitz in it. Tell me that isn't the most adorable thing you've ever pictured in your mind. I bet you can't. Okay...well, maybe you can.

Btw, proud left-hander here. Lefties unite.

Also, hockey fans unite.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	21. Nice Boy

A couple weeks had passed since Olivia and Fitz's first date, and everything had been going absolutely great. They were still learning, but they had begun to figure out how to do things. They seemed to be fairly good at hiding their feelings in public, but of course, it was still hard to keep their eyes off each other.

Another thing they were great at; making out in the bushes that surrounded Olivia's apartment building. Real pros at that.

They had also developed some routines. They knew they could not be having lunch with each other every day in his office, as that would raise some red flags. But, they tried to have lunch together at least once a week, whether in his office or off campus.

Friday night had transformed into their new date night, since Saturday night still remained trivia night with Cyrus, and occasionally his husband, James. They had gone out to dinner to two different restaurants the past couple Fridays, but they decided that this week they would go to his apartment and make dinner.

That was tomorrow night, though, and for tonight, Olivia was going to have some fun with her friends.

"C'mon, Liv! They're waiting!" Abby yelled from the living room. "Coming" Olivia yelled back, slipping a sweatshirt over her T-shirt. She went to the kitchen to grab a handful of popcorn, before locking the front door behind her. She ran barefoot down the hallway to apartment 4005, where Huck and Harrison lived, eating her popcorn on the way.

When she entered, she was greeted happily by her friends. She saw Abby already talking with Huck on the couch, both drinking beer. Quinn was sitting on a boy's lap on the kitchen stool. She recognized the boy as Charlie from one of their previous hangouts, and was pretty sure that Charlie and Quinn had a little thing going on. He was a friend of Huck's, and he seemed nice enough.

Harrison was drinking and playing video games with a particular girl he had taken a liking to in one of his business classes. Olivia remembered the girl as Hannah.

Olivia immediately went over to the couch to talk to Abby and Huck. They were by far her favorites of the group. Huck was quiet, but one of the nicest guys she had ever met. Also, a great guy to go to when having a technology problem. Huck could fix anything.

"Want a beer, Liv?" Quinn asked from the kitchen. Olivia thought about it before answering. She usually didn't really like to drink on weeknights, and hadn't been drinking much this year to begin with. The last time she had had anything to drink was when she drank a little too much with Fitz at his apartment. _Only a little too much_ , she thought.

She decided to go for it. "You know what, sure" she nodded. Quinn got up and threw her a can from the kitchen. "Thanks, Quinn" Olivia replied, cracking it open. She wasn't really a big fan of beer, but it was cheap and simple; two necessities for college kids.

She took a sip and studied the label. "Harrison, you really need to tell your boy Jackson to buy better beer for you" she giggled. Jackson was Harrison's of-age friend that bought his alcohol for him. Harrison shot her a look. "Hey, c'mon. Busch Light is super cheap and it doesn't taste too awful..." he said. Olivia raised her eyebrows at him. "Okay...it's not the best. But it's still beer. And plus, it's part of the college experience" he smirked, putting his arm around Hannah.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she said, shaking her head. "You know what else is part of the college experience? Drinking Games" Quinn piped up from the kitchen. "Ohhh, yeah let's do it! We haven't played any in a while!" Abby exclaimed. "I'm down" Harrison agreed, turning off his video game. "Yeah, okay" Olivia shrugged. Charlie, Huck, and Hannah all nodded as well, and they gathered in a circle on the living room floor.

"Never have I ever?" Quinn asked the group. Everyone nodded in agreement. It was always fun to try and come up with new questions they hadn't used in the past. "Abby, you start," Quinn said. "Hmm...okay. Never have I ever...been in a talent show" Abby said. Hannah took a sip of her beer. They all turned to her in wonder. "Singer" she shrugged. "Ahhh," they all said.

"Oh, so I'm next now?" Charlie asked. "Yeah, it just goes in a circle" Quinn nodded. "Okay. Never have I ever...gotten a piercing" Charlie said. All the girls, as well as Huck, took a drink. "Like the earrings, man" Charlie joked. Huck smiled. "You're just jealous!" Huck said, playfully punching his arm.

"Never have I ever...gotten a hickey!" Quinn said. Everyone except Huck took a drink. Olivia actually had to hold back her laughter as she remembered how badly Fitz had marked up her neck and chest the first time they slept together. It looked like Abby was giggling as well, probably remembering that same instance.

Olivia was pretty sure she faintly heard Charlie whisper, "we should change that" to Quinn very suggestively. Olivia rolled her eyes, but did find it a bit funny.

"Alright, never have I ever...flirted with someone older than a senior in college," Hannah said. Goosebumps formed on Olivia's skin as she slowly brought her beer to her lips, hoping and praying that someone else would take a sip. Nobody did.

"Wow, really, Liv? You!? You're so...good!" Harrison exclaimed. Olivia felt her cheeks redden. _Yeah...not that good,_ she thought. She just shrugged her shoulders, thankful that nobody had asked her to expand any further.

"Okay...never have I ever...had sex in a public place," Harrison said with a laugh. Only Abby took a drink. They all turned to her and watched her smirk. "David works at Louie's...the bathrooms are nice," she said. They all burst out laughing. "Damn, Abby!" Quinn exclaimed. "Oops," Abby giggled.

"Never have I ever...uh...I don't know. Uh...stolen something" Huck shrugged. Charlie took a sip, which resulted in many questioning looks. "I stole gummy bears from a gas station when I was ten...not a proud moment" he chuckled. They all laughed, finding it a bit funny.

Olivia dreaded when it was her turn, she could never think of anything. "Never have I ever been out of the country," she said. "No, come on, Liv. You've used that one before!" Abby exclaimed. Olivia rolled her eyes. "Fine...never have I ever...had a one night stand" she stated. Harrison, Hannah, and Charlie drank to that one.

They played a couple more rounds, Olivia thankful that she didn't have to give anything else away about herself. Or at least that's what she thought until they started playing their adapted version of twenty questions.

"Ever had someone walk in on you doing anything remotely sexual?" Harrison asked Charlie. Olivia eyed Abby who was biting back a smirk. _Yep_ , she thought. "No" he answered. "Abby, you and David ever have sex outside?" Charlie chuckled. "Yes," she answered, as if it were obvious.

"Oh was it hot or cold outside?" Hannah asked with a laugh. "No, no, Han. No follow-ups, and it has to be a yes or no question" he reminded her. "Ah, dammit that's right," Hannah said. "Harrison, ever been in handcuffs?" Abby asked. "No" he responded. "Unfortunately" he added, which made everyone laugh.

"Liv, have you ever had sex with anyone besides your ex?" Harrison asked with a laugh. _Oh Jesus,_ she thought. "Yes," she replied. Everyone, besides, Abby of course, seemed a bit shocked. Apparently, they hadn't expected that.

"Way to go, Liv!" Quinn exclaimed. Olivia laughed, trying her best to shake it off and appear nonchalant about it. "Thanks, Quinn" Olivia replied. "Uh...Huck, ever...gone skinny dipping?" she asked. "No" he answered. "Hannah, ever made out in an elevator?" he asked. "Yes," Hannah replied. "Quinn, ever slept naked?" she asked. "Yes," Quinn answered.

"Liv, was Edison the best sex you ever had?" she asked eagerly. _Of course, Quinn had to ask that_. "No" Olivia replied. _Not even close_ , she thought. "Damn!" Harrison exclaimed. _"Wow._ Mystery boy with some skills in the bedroom" Quinn said with a wink. Olivia just rolled her eyes playfully on the outside, but on the inside, she was a bit more afraid. She felt like her "good girl" image was slowly fading and she wasn't sure how she felt about it.

Maybe these stupid games weren't such a good idea for her to play anymore, considering all of the little life details they were designed to expose. She couldn't afford to have little things exposed, not with her current secret. Her terrifying, yet amazingly wonderful secret. _Him._

They finally left Huck and Harrison's apartment that night around eleven, without giving away anything else about the men Olivia had had sex with, thank god. "Night, Liv," Abby said, immediately walking to her bedroom. She had had a bit too much to drink, so Olivia was glad she was going to bed. "Night, Abby," she said with a laugh.

She retreated to her room as well, shutting the door behind her. A smile formed on her face when she remembered that she and Fitz had planned to facetime after her hangout. Nightly calls with Fitz were starting to become one of her favorite things in the world.

Seeing him, usually shirtless, sitting in his bed. His curly brown hair seeming to have a mind of its own. His kind blue eyes looking back at her with that look of his. That look that seemed to say everything without any words at all. Man, did she feel lucky. Looking at that beautiful sight every night. What a great way to end each day.

* * *

 _ **Olivia: I'm coming!**_

She grabbed her bag and headed for the door, saying goodbye to Abby as she did so. She walked outside into the chilly winter air, and was happy to get into his warm car. "Hey, you," he said. "Hey, yourself" she replied with a smile.

They talked about their week while he drove, his hand on her thigh as usual. After the short drive to his apartment, they walked hand in hand into the building. This doorman's name was Cole, which left her wondering if she'd ever learn all their names as Fitz already had. Quite an impressive feat, if she had to admit.

She felt relaxed the minute she walked into his apartment. Besides smelling like him and being absolutely beautiful, it was just a great place to be. It kinda felt like home, strangely enough.

"Alright. You, my beautiful girl..." he said, leading her over to the island in the kitchen. "Can sit right here," he said, lifting her up and sitting her down on the counter. She leaned in and kissed him. "Can I help?" she asked after pulling away. "Maybe, we'll see," he said, pecking her lips once again.

She happily watched him move about the kitchen, never taking her eyes off him. "I'm not sure what you look cuter in. That apron you have on, or that hat you always wear" she teased. He smiled at her over his shoulder. "You have a thing for that hat" he chuckled. She nodded. "I _definitely_ have a thing for that hat" she agreed.

He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her lower back. "I have a thing for _you,"_ he said. She smiled at him, feeling the butterflies arise in her stomach. He pressed his lips to hers, and tightened his grip on her body. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, pushing her fingers into his hair. He pulled her as close as he could, brushing her tongue with his.

"Mmm, you are distracting," he said against her mouth. "You're the one who wanted me to sit here" she giggled. "Mhm. I like being distracted by you" he said, kissing her once more. "And, I need a taste tester" he added, reluctantly pulling away from her, going back to the stovetop.

She swung her legs back and forth, waiting for him to come back. He cut a small piece of chicken, blowing on it before holding the fork up to her mouth. She took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. "Holy shit" she exclaimed. "What? Does it need anything else? More seasoning?" he asked. She shook her head. "Oh my god no, that is amazing," she said. The smile on his face was priceless. "Awesome," he said.

He finished making their dinner; salad, grilled chicken, green beans, and rolls. The entire meal was delicious. This man just continued to surprise her. He seemed to be this wonderful mix of everything. He definitely had a shy and nervous side to him, which Abby claimed defined him as a _"nice boy"._ Olivia couldn't really argue with that; she was happy this nice boy was hers.

He also had a confident and strong side to him, though. His confidence showed in the lecture hall, doing what he loved. In the kitchen, where it was clear he knew what he was doing. And in the bedroom, where he proved never to underestimate the nice ones, no matter how shy and nervous they may be. Because he knew exactly what she wanted and how she wanted it. He was certainly something. Something perfect.

"That was amazing, Fitz," Olivia said, finishing her last bite of chicken. "I'm glad you thought so. What can I say, stovetop grilled chicken is my specialty!" he teased. "So I see!" she replied. He got up and refilled their waters, before his eyes landed on his wine rack.

He walked over and studied the bottles he had. "Wine?" he asked. She shook her head. "I don't think I'd like it" she replied. His jaw dropped. "You've never tried wine?" he asked. She shrugged. "Does the wine you drink for communion at church count? I don't really like that" she said, shaking her head. He laughed. "You are so cute, Liv" he smiled. She blushed. "No, church wine does _not_ count. You've never had _fine_ wine" he said, picking out a bottle from the rack.

She gulped, looking at the bottle. She knew absolutely nothing about wine, but that bottle looked extremely fancy. He opened the bottle and came back to sit by her. "Wait, aren't we going to have some?" she asked. He nodded. "Mhm. But we need to let it breathe first" he explained. "I see. So are you like an expert on wine?" she teased. "No, I'm more of a scotch guy. But I like a fine red wine every once in awhile" he nodded.

"Well...maybe it can be our thing...you know, if I like it," she said. He smiled. "I thought gin and tonic was our thing?" he teased. "We can have two things" she giggled. "We can and we will. Because you'll like wine" he assured her.

After about thirty minutes, he poured them both a glass of wine and they moved into the living room, sitting next to each other on the couch. He smiled at her, waiting for her to try it. "Are you gonna stare at me like that until I taste it?" she giggled. "Absolutely" he nodded.

She brought the glass up to her lips and took a sip. Her eyes widened at the taste. It was the best thing she had ever tried in her life. Well, besides lemonade, of course. "Oh my god," she said. "Oh my god good, or oh my god bad?" he asked. _"Good"_ she replied.

He smiled, putting his arm around her. "I'm starting to think I'm a bad influence. Getting you drunk, introducing you to new alcohol...all before you're even legally allowed to drink" he chuckled. "Sneaking over to my apartment, pulling me into the bushes" she continued, laughing hard. "Oops," he shrugged.

She put her glass down next to his on the table. "You're not a bad influence. You're amazing. You're...you're just...perfect" she said. His cute smile was contagious. He sat there, seemingly contemplating what he wanted to say. "You are...everything to me. You're the most important person in my life, Olivia" he said softly.

Nobody had ever said those words to her before, and hearing them come from him was incredible. "I..." he began, looking closely at her. "Um. I..." he continued, growing more nervous. "I just want you to know that you mean the world to me" he finally said.

She wondered why he had gotten so nervous over that, but she let it go and scooted closer to him, letting him pull her close to his body.

They drank their wine together and talked for awhile, still getting to know each other bit by bit. She learned about his family, and the death of his mother when he was just a teenager. She felt awful, especially considering his only remaining parent was his father, who didn't seem to be a great guy.

"Big Gerry thinks I _settled_ to be a professor that "teaches political science to teenagers". He thinks he owns me, because of my name. Because he "made me", and transformed me into some politician that he wanted me to be. And for a while, I did do what he wanted. I listened. I obeyed. But I couldn't take it anymore" he admitted.

"I don't want to be him. Not now, not ever" he whispered. She snuggled close to him. "You're not him. You're not _anything_ like him. You're not Big Gerry, you're Fitz. You're a highly rated professor at a University ranked third in the _nation._ You are _the_ smartest person I know. So many people look up to you, Fitz" she said.

He looked down at her intently, shaking his head ever so slightly. "You leave me speechless sometimes, do you know that?" he asked. She smiled and leaned in to kiss him. "I should stop doing that, I love your voice" she replied. "I love yours too" he nodded, kissing her again.

At his request, she told him more about her family. She told him that her mother was a lawyer, and that her father was an architect, which he thought was cool. She told him a little more about her childhood, which enjoyed, saying that little Olivia was probably "the most adorable child ever". She, of course, agreed.

She also told him about her history, which was pretty much just Edison, and he told her about his. Besides his ex-wife Mellie, he had only had a couple serious relationships. One with a woman for a couple years in college, named Allison, and another in law school for a year, with a woman named Grace.

They were both very open-minded, wanting to hear about their past relationships since it wasn't something they had exactly talked about before. She was honestly a bit surprised that he had only really had two serious relationships, not counting his political marriage. He was an attractive, smart, kind man. So, it was clear he just hadn't found what he'd been looking for. She hoped she was exactly that.

"So Edison goes to Yale too?" he asked. She nodded. "Mhm. He's a business major so I never see him" she replied. She wanted to make sure he knew that Edison would never ever be a problem. He was in the past and that's where he would stay.

"And what about Allison. She went here with you, does she still live here?" she asked. He shook his head. "No, she moved back to her hometown" he explained. She nodded. "So you know about my friends. Who are your good friends here?" she asked curiously.

"Cyrus has been a great friend to me ever since I came back here. Another professor in the department, Sam Reston, is a nice guy too, I'd call him a friend. But truthfully...you're my best friend" he said.

She smiled. "You're my best friend too, Fitz. Just don't tell Abby that you two share that job, she'd go ballistic" she teased. He chuckled. "Got it, my lips are sealed" he assured her. They continued talking and cuddling on the couch, until finally, they weren't talking anymore.

She lay on top of him as his hands gripped her ass, their lips continuously crashing together. He was resting his head on the arm of the couch, Olivia's forearms supporting her body on either side of his head.

They had been going at it for quite awhile, but their clothes were still on. They didn't need to be off for them to enjoy a nice makeout session. Kissing him was one of her favorite things. His tongue in her mouth and his lips on hers was an incredible feeling, one that never got old. "Mm" he groaned, feeling her run her fingers through his hair.

She kissed his cheek, followed by his neck. It seemed it was a weak spot of his as well, because he leaned his head back even further, encouraging her to keep doing what she was doing.

She sucked on the skin at the base of his neck, feeling his breathing becoming heavier beneath her. She could feel his heart beating fast against her chest, and was thankful she wasn't the only one. He held onto her for dear life as she continued her assault on his neck, becoming more handsy by the minute. He brought his lips up to her ear and whispered, "spend the night." She hadn't planned to stay over, but she didn't care.

She started to get up, grabbing his hand. He immediately followed, pressing his lips against hers once more. They moved together, her leading him to his bedroom. She knew where to go.

He stripped her shirt off, leaving it in the hallway behind them. Her fingers made quick work of the buttons on his shirt, also leaving that and his undershirt in the doorway of his bedroom. She slipped off her skinny jeans while he turned his belt loose, taking off his jeans as well. She pulled him into his bed on top of her, and he wasted no time getting them both fully undressed.

He went slow, letting her adjust to him while their breathing became heavier with every passing second. The sound of his breath turned her on immensely. He began to pick up the pace, and she moved her hips with his. "Oh god, Olivia...you feel...so good," he said breathlessly, burying his head into her neck. "So...do...you" she replied, digging her nails into his back.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, which made him moan. He returned to her lips, biting her lower one and pulling it into his mouth. His hands gripped her body hard, while he continued to slide in and out of her. Everything he did turned her on. Everything he did was what she wanted. Everything he did was _perfect._

She decided she very much liked date nights at his apartment.

* * *

Ah yes, some good old college games and a nice date night with her guy.

"Nice boys don't kiss like that." "Oh, yes, they fucking do." _\- Bridget Jones' Diary._ This chapter just reminded me of that scene. Ha, cracks me up.

Anyway, woohoo, let me know what you think.

Read on!

With love,

~T


	22. Having It Bad

Olivia opened her eyes and saw Fitz still sleeping next to her, his arm wrapped tightly around her back. His breathing was light and slow, much different than it had been the night before.

She turned in his arms and propped herself up on her elbow so she could admire him. So peaceful. So beautiful. So gentle. Something caught her eye as she looked over at him. She raised her head and glanced at what was on his nightstand next to him; a framed picture of them kissing with her arm around his neck, their eyes closed, sitting on the snowy ground of campus.

A smile spread across her face at the sight. She hadn't noticed it the night before with the dark lighting and her attention focused solely on him. The little things he did never failed to make her heart flutter.

She traced her finger along his muscular back, feeling his warm skin beneath it. His skin was soft, as soft as she had ever felt. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his shoulder, and continued up his neck.

"Fitz" she whispered. "Fiiiitz" she whispered again. He didn't move. "Fitzgerald Thomas," she said, a little louder. She kept pressing her wet kisses against his skin, until he began to move slightly. "Mmmm" he moaned. A faint smile spread across his face before he opened his eyes. "Olivia" he whispered. "Finally," she said happily.

His eyes slowly opened and landed on her. "Hi, you," he said, his voice still scratchy. "Hi," she said back. She leaned in and kissed his lips, unable to stop herself. He was surprised, but kissed her right back.

"I'm sorry. I'm an impatient person, I needed you awake right this minute" she giggled. He chuckled. "It's okay. You are wonderful to wake up to" he replied. "So are you. I like your picture, by the way" she said, gesturing towards the frame on his nightstand. He turned to look at it and she could see his cheeks were a bit red when he looked back at her.

"Thanks, it's my favorite one. It's the last thing I see before I go to sleep, and the first thing I see when I wake up" he replied. "That's why it faces you" she stated. "Yes. There's a different one on the table next to the couch" he added. She smiled, imagining him buying frames and printing out the pictures to put them in his apartment.

She had been thinking of putting one in her room as well, but couldn't decide on which one to frame. "You're such a sweetheart," she said, running her fingers through his hair. He turned on his side and faced her directly, wrapping his arms around her. "And you're beautiful" he replied. "You're gorgeous," she said. He chuckled.

"I don't get a 'fucking hot' this time?" he asked. "You like that?" she asked. "I like that," he said. "Well you are fucking hot," she said, rubbing her hand down his side. He smiled. "Thank you" he replied, moving closer to her. As he picked up his head, she caught a glimpse of some red-ish, purple sizable marks on his neck. They were much more noticeable on his fair skin than they had been on her caramel skin.

"Oops. Don't thank me yet" she said with a little laugh. "Huh?" he asked. "Turn your head for a sec," she said. He turned his head further and she saw them fully, which made her laugh. "What are you laughing at?" he asked with a smile. "Wear a shirt with a collar today. Or don't, actually. People should see my work" she shrugged.

He got up and walked to the bathroom, looking in the mirror. "Jesus, Liv!" he exclaimed, running his fingers over his neck. "Payback" she smirked. A smile spread across his face as he stood there, naked in the bathroom. "Come shower with me," he said. "Now, now, Professor Grant, that would be inappropriate," she replied, still sporting a little smirk."Then let's be inappropriate" he said, coming closer to the bed.

He yanked the covers back and picked her up in his arms, starting to walk her over to the bathroom. "Fitz!" she giggled. He gripped her bare ass and kissed her neck as he walked them into the bathroom, kicking the door shut behind them. She began to tilt her head back, letting him make her feel as amazing as he always did.

He set her down and turned on the water, but immediately went right back to her. "Mm, someone's feeling it this morning" she whispered, as he continued to kiss her neck while his hands moved lower down her body. "You...make me...feel things," he said, all in between his kisses. "Like what?" she giggled, taking off her leather bracelet so it wouldn't get wet.

"Nervous. And...twitchy...and...all warm inside. And...Turned on. So...turned on. Right now" he breathed. That shy, nervous Fitz was nowhere in sight at the moment, and although she thoroughly enjoyed that Fitz too, she was glad his confidence was showing. "Yeah, I can feel that last one," she said, feeling his erection pressed against her body. He smiled and his cheeks turned red as she pushed them towards the shower door.

They got in and he shut the shower door behind them, immediately pinning her against the side shower wall. She hadn't ever seen his shower before; it was huge, with two shower heads on either side, both of them running. The water was hot and his hands were everywhere, both feeling extremely good on her skin.

He began kissing down her body, his hands following as he went. He kept going until he was down on one knee, teasing her with his tongue. She buried her fingers in his wet curls for support, already anticipating the feeling of him down there. He lifted her leg up and draped it over his shoulder, allowing himself a little bit better access to her.

The moment he slid his tongue inside her, she slammed a hand against the shower wall, and tightened her grip on his hair with the other. She saw him wince when she pulled on his curls, already a bit sensitive from the night before, if she had to guess. That's usually where her hands were. But then he smiled, knowing he was having this effect on her.

"Sorry, sorry" she whispered, pulling her hand slowly away from his hair. "No, keep your hand there," he said. She put her hand back, and leaned her head back against the wall as he continued to pleasure her. Her breathing became faster and louder, and she could feel the build up in her abdomen.

"Feels...so good," she said. She was surprised she had even managed to get that out. Her thoughts were jumbled, but he was making her feel incredible. He reached for her hand against the wall and held it in his own, while the other one held onto her hip tightly. "Keep going...Fitz, keep...going" she breathed. "You almost there, beautiful?" he asked, pulling away for a second.

She nodded, tightening her already strong grip on his hand. "Almost...there," she said. Her legs were shaking and she couldn't control her breathing anymore. He never faltered, and kept going until she finally let go, his name filling the air as she did. She breathed hard, trying to slow down her heart rate while she leaned her head against the shower wall.

He stood back up and smiled at her. "How are you doing?" he whispered, pulling her closer to him. "Good. Really...good" she replied, still breathing hard. He laughed. "You're sexy when you come, Liv," he said. "Aren't I always sexy?" she asked with a smile. "Oh yes, you are. Most definitely" he nodded, pulling her directly under the water with him.

They washed themselves, which mostly consisted of him lathering soap all over her body, and then she, all over his. Of course, that was interrupted when things got really handsy and led to sex against the shower wall. Definitely something she had never done before, but she had to admit that she very much enjoyed it.

She knew she would smell like him after this particular shower, which, she wouldn't complain about. What a great scent. They laughed together as he let her wash his hair. She had to stand on her tip toes just to reach, but feeling his soft, soapy hair between her fingers was definitely worth it. That hair was definitely a weakness of hers.

When they got out, they dried off and went to go put some clothes on. She put her bracelet back on and her jeans from last night, but couldn't find her shirt. "Where's my shirt?" she asked, fastening her bra. He looked around his bedroom. "In the hallway, I think" he chuckled. "Ahh, right, right," she said, laughing.

"You want to just wear one of mine?" he asked. _Mm, yes please,_ she thought. She nodded and watched him walk over to his dresser, wearing only a pair of slim khakis. His back looked glorious from behind, his muscles flexing with every step, and his ass looked perfect in those pants, although it always did no matter what.

He pulled out a gray T-shirt that had "Yale" written across it in black, block letters. He grabbed a navy blue Yale hoodie for her as well. "You can keep these," he said, handing them both to her. "What? How come?" she asked. "Because I want you to," he said with a smile. She returned his smile. "That's so nice of you, thank you" she exclaimed, putting them on.

He seemed to be lost in his own world, staring at her in his sweatshirt. She snapped her fingers to get his attention. "Fitz," she said. "Yeah, sorry. Sorry. You just look...so perfect" he said. He always knew how to make her blush. "Good, because I don't ever want to take it off," she said. It was already her favorite sweatshirt. It was a little bit big on her, which she liked. It was definitely a little worn, which made her think of a college-aged Fitz wearing it around campus; adorable. And best of all, it smelled like him.

They finished getting ready, Olivia stuffing her other shirt in her bag before grabbing her coat so he could drive her home. They weren't too hungry and didn't bother with breakfast, but they did stop for coffee and tea on their drive back to her apartment.

It was a quick trek back, and before they knew it, they were saying their goodbyes for the day. They both had to do a little work and Olivia promised Abby she'd be back that day. But they would see each other that night for trivia, which made them happy. They'd be back together in no time.

* * *

Fitz sat at his desk, going over a lecture he had redone from last year. He could only go about five minutes without getting distracted by thoughts of her. Of her laugh. Of her smile. Of her body. Of course, it had been this way for pretty much as long as he had known her. But the fact that he still hadn't told her made it even worse.

He had tried a couple different times, but each time, he got scared and backed out. They had known each other almost half a year already, but he fell for her a long time ago. So he wasn't sure why saying those three words to her frightened him so much.

He had said it before to women he thought he felt this same way about, but Olivia was making him doubt himself with that as well. Olivia was not Allison. Olivia was not Grace. She was...Olivia. She was something else entirely, and he was starting to wonder if he had ever actually loved a woman before. He thought he had. He had said the words. And he was certainly old enough to have fallen in love before now.

Women seemed to like him a good deal, that much he knew. But he was never very good at talking to them. With Olivia, though, that had been different. She still made him insanely nervous, but he felt like he could be himself with her.

She was making him realize that maybe he didn't know how it was _supposed_ to feel. Because this wasn't how it felt with Allison or Grace. They paled in comparison to his Olivia. They never would've made him risk losing his job for them. They never distracted him to the point that he couldn't even do anything productive. They never made him feel sick to his stomach thinking of some horny college guy touching them, or even looking at them in a way he didn't like. They just weren't her.

"Fuck," he said, putting his head in his hands. He had it bad.

Finally, a little while later, it was time to go pick up his girl. His day had been somewhat productive at least, but it could've been better. He put on a casual dress shirt, which somewhat hid the marks Olivia had left on his neck the night before. He chuckled, seeing the almost purple markings visible at the edge of his collar. He was just going to have to hope for the best.

He drove over to her apartment and waited patiently for her to come out. It didn't take long, and he felt the all too familiar butterflies in his stomach when he saw her, even though he had just seen her this morning.

"Hey, you" he greeted. "Hi! I missed you" she said back, taking his hand immediately after he put the car in drive again. "I missed you too. How was your day?" he asked. "It was good. Abby, David and I did homework for most of it. How was yours?" she asked.

 _Unproductive,_ he thought. "Good. Would've been better with you, of course" he replied. "Of course" she giggled. He smiled at the sound of her laugh, trying to keep his attention on the road. It was hard when she sat right next to him in his passenger seat, smiling over at him and holding his hand. She was his biggest distraction, always.

They walked hand in hand into Oak Haven, letting go, of course, as soon as they entered. They headed over to their normal booth, a booth that had sort of become theirs each Saturday night. "Hey Cy" he greeted. "Hey, you two. I ordered your drinks" he replied. "Thanks, Cyrus!" Olivia exclaimed. "Of course!" he answered. "No James tonight?" Fitz asked. Cyrus shook his head. "No, he's visiting his parents this weekend in Montana" Cyrus explained. "Ahh" Fitz replied. The waiter brought their drinks and they chatted for awhile before the first round started as they normally did.

"Hiking, huh?" Fitz chuckled. "Yes! It's a fun workout" Cyrus replied. "It doesn't get boring?" Fitz asked. "It can, but it's definitely more fun than a normal gym routine!" Cyrus said. "Hey, what's wrong with a normal gym routine?" Fitz asked. "Ahh, you're one of _those_ guys. Okay please enlighten me as to how that's fun. What's your usual routine?" Cyrus asked, crossing his arms.

Fitz saw Olivia lean in to listen closely, which had him biting back a smirk. She was clearly interested in this particular conversation. "Well usually I run about five miles on the treadmill every day. But in the summer, I'll run outside. And then I usually have a certain workout for each day" he explained.

"Like?" Olivia asked. He hid his smile. "Like arms and back one day, shoulders and chest the next, then legs and core. And repeat" he said. "See, that sounds awful. Please tell me you take days off" Cyrus chuckled. "Yes, weekends are for rest," Fitz said with a smile.

"Wow. That's quite a routine. I only work out about three times a week and I still rest on the weekends" Olivia said, which made both men crack up. "Although, I got quite the workout this morning, I must say," Olivia said with a smile.

Fitz nearly spit out his gin and tonic. He started coughing excessively, trying to regain his composure after that sly comment. Olivia just looked at him innocently. "You okay, Fitz?" Cyrus asked. He cleared his throat and nodded. "Wrong tube," he said, his voice sounding raspy.

"Jeez, buddy! Here, I'll go get you some water from the bar. I want some anyway" Cyrus said, starting to get up. Fitz nodded in appreciation. As soon as he left, Olivia couldn't seem to contain her laughter. "You are evil" he chuckled. She just sat there giggling. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" she managed to get out.

"You will pay for that later," he said with a smile. She put her hand over her mouth, trying to stop herself from laughing. "Alright, alright I deserve payback, but come on, it's true" she shrugged. He nodded, remembering their shower sex this morning. "You're right, you did get a good workout this morning. _We_ did. That was a tiring position," he chuckled.

"Mhm. I'm also glad I now understand how you look like _that_ , despite your strong feelings for ice cream" she said with a laugh, patting his abdomen. He rolled his eyes playfully. "Yeah, says the hottie with a body sitting next to me, eating onion rings," he said with a laugh.

She shrugged. "Hey, these are the best onion rings in Connecticut" she replied. "Oh yeah? Let me try" he said, opening his mouth. He had already had their onion rings many times before, but he took Cyrus's absence as an opportunity to be more openly flirtatious with her.

She took a bite of one and then fed him the rest, purposely getting grease all over his face. "Gee, thanks for that, Liv" he chuckled, wiping the grease off his face. "My pleasure" she replied happily.

He smiled, admiring everything about her. The fact that she didn't give a damn about what she ate. The fact that despite their situation, she wasn't against flirting, even if it was a bit risky. The fact that she could just be sitting there doing nothing, and his heart would be beating out of his chest merely because he was next to her.

And because he loved her.

* * *

Well, like the title of this chapter hints, he's got it bad. _They've_ got it bad.

Olivia's out here making Fitz rethink everything! Also, making him feel nervous, twitchy, and all warm inside. Oh, and turned on. Can't forget that one.

Hope you all enjoyed.

Read on!

With love,

~T


	23. Office Visits

Olivia walked to Fitz's office after attending a review session for her biology class. It was after eight, but she had managed to get Fitz to confirm that he was still at his office, without raising his suspicions. She wanted to surprise him on this fine Wednesday evening. It was freezing outside, so besides seeing her favorite guy, she had plenty of motivation to get to Woodbridge hall as fast as she could.

When she got there, she walked down the hallway straight ahead of her and took a left, and then a right, reaching his office at the end of the hall. She peeked through the windows and saw him staring at his computer screen, looking extremely tired.

She opened the door and saw his face light up at the sight of her. "Olivia?" he asked. "Professor Grant" she replied, closing the door behind her so that she could be less formal. "This is such a pleasant surprise, what are you doing here?" he asked, coming over to her. "I just missed you. A lot" she admitted. "Well that makes two of us," he said. He closed the blinds and pecked her lips.

"How come you're still here?" she asked. He sighed, walking back to his chair. "Well, I had a meeting about an hour ago, so I just decided to stay and do some work. I think I'm going to leave soon, though, I'm exhausted" he replied. "Well, that's understandable. You've been here all day! You need to get off campus. One can only stay so long until they start to go insane" she joked. "True that" he chuckled.

"Oh right, I was going to show you this, Livvie, come here," he said, waving her over. Her heart leapt. _Livvie?_ She didn't let anyone but her mother call her that. But hearing it come from him somehow made goosebumps arise on her skin. He didn't seem to take any notice of what he had just called her. It probably slipped out, if she had to guess.

She walked over next to him and looked at his computer screen. He had just exited out of his powerpoint to open something in his downloads. In the brief second that his home screen was visible to her, she saw that it was the same picture as the one on his phone's lock screen. The one of her from behind, looking up at the Sterling Law Building.

She glanced over at him and saw that he was blushing hard. He eyed her nervously. "You...uh...weren't supposed to see that," he said, clearly embarrassed. "What? Why not? I like it" she said happily. "Oh...really?" he asked. She giggled. "Yes, Fitz. _Really_. Plus, I already saw your phone screen" she said. His cheeks turned an impossibly darker shade of pink. "Oh..." he replied.

"How come you're so embarrassed?" she asked with a laugh. "Well...I don't know, I just thought...you'd think it was weird" he replied. "No, of course not. See, look at mine" she said, holding up her phone for him. His reaction was the cutest thing she'd ever seen. He looked so happy. "Those are our hands," he said, smiling. "Those _are_ our hands" she nodded. "Could you send that to me?" he asked. "Of course" she replied. "Awesome, thanks," he said with a smile.

"So what did you want to show me?" she asked. "Oh, right, right. So they just sent this out on Monday, it's the list of students that are projected to be on the Dean's List at the end of this year" he said, scrolling down the list. "And look at this beautiful name," he said, pointing to hers.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed. She had made the Dean's List last year as well, which was sort of a given, considering she had a 4.0. But it had kind of slipped her mind this year. He looked just as happy as she felt, which she thought was cute. "Olivia. Carolyn. Pope. My girlfriend" he said happily. She smiled at him. "Thank you so much for showing this to me, this just made my week. _Thank you"_ she replied, giving him a hug.

She pulled away quickly, just in case someone were to walk in. "Of course. I'm so proud of you, Olivia" he said. That was one of the greatest things she had ever heard, him telling her he was proud of her. It ranked right up there with her parents telling her they were proud. Just as she was about to respond, there was a knock at the door.

Fitz's eyes widened. Olivia quickly went to the other side of his desk, as not to appear suspicious, and Fitz sat back down. "Come in," he said casually. "Thank you for the help, professor. I'll see you in class tomorrow" she said happily. "Of course, let me know if you have any more questions," he replied, following her lead. "Will do. Goodnight, professor" she said. _Mm, good actor,_ she thought.

She turned around and looked at who had entered. It was a younger guy, probably in his mid-twenties, if she had to guess. She was pretty sure it was one of Fitz's teaching assistants, but she wasn't positive. She gave him a polite smile and walked out.

Fitz directed his attention back to his computer screen, hoping that he appeared normal. He quickly exited the Dean's List and went back to his Powerpoint, just in case Marcus were to walk over to him.

"Hi, Marcus. What can I do for you?" he asked. He always stayed much later than all of the other teaching assistants, so he wasn't surprised to see him. Marcus was at the window that looked out into the hallway, opening the blinds to glance out of it. "Marcus?" he asked again. "Who _was_ that?" Marcus asked, not moving from the window. "Um, just one of my students" Fitz answered casually, hoping he wouldn't ask why a student was in his office so late.

" _Holy_ shit" he exclaimed, finally turning to look at Fitz. "What?" Fitz asked. "Wow. What year is she?" he asked, ignoring Fitz's question. "I'm not sure...why?" he lied. He did _not_ like this. "Do you have eyes? Did you see that girl?" Marcus asked.

He had the sudden urge to beat the shit out of him. He had to bite the inside of his lip in order to keep himself from saying something he shouldn't say. "I saw her," he said nonchalantly. " _Damn_ , she was fine," Marcus exclaimed. "Down, boy," Fitz said. Marcus shook his head. "Sorry, man. She was just...whew. Do you know her name?" Marcus asked.

He started to feel ill. Physically ill, at this conversation. This was not okay with him. "No. I think you're out of luck though, anyway. She kept rambling on about her boyfriend that she was going to meet up with after this. She was a bit strange" Fitz said, hoping Marcus bought the lie he had just made up on the fly.

"Damn. Well if she has a boyfriend, I gotta respect that. Guess it's not meant to be" Marcus said. _Nope, nope, nope._ "So what's up?" Fitz asked, desperately trying to end this conversation. "Oh, right. Here's my stack of the International Politics students' papers from two weeks ago. All graded" Marcus replied, setting a decent sized stack of papers on his desk.

"Right, thanks. All good?" Fitz asked. "Yep, all good. They're doing great work this year. Their professor is clearly very good" Marcus said with a smile. "Ha, you're too kind. Thanks, Marcus" he nodded. "No problem. Have a good night, Fitz" he said. "You too" Fitz responded, watching him walk out.

Despite the whole Olivia conversation that made him want to throw up, he was thankful for all of his TA's, including Marcus. Not only did having them save him a lot of time, but it also kept his relationship with Olivia somewhat ethical. This way, there was no bias in the way Olivia was graded.

He knew he could be unbiased when grading her if necessary, but this meant more to Olivia than it did to him. She felt better knowing that she was still being graded by someone who wasn't emotionally involved with her, and could grade her as they saw fit. And he understood that completely.

She was a great student, and he had wanted to make sure this didn't cross any academic lines for her. She was his main concern, always. And he was starting to realize that caring this much about someone came with negative side effects, such as other people taking interest. Hearing someone else call her "fine" actually made him sick to his stomach.

It would be easier if their relationship was public knowledge, because then people most likely wouldn't show their interest. He saw how heads turned when they were out together. He saw how men looked at her. The fact that she was beautiful wasn't new information to him. But he knew he needed to get used to the feeling, because most of the time, he couldn't do much about it.

One day, he'd be able to go anywhere with her, and watch the whole room change when they walked in together. One day, he'd see all the heads turn towards her in awe, and feel proud to be hers. One day, he'd be able to show the world that he loved her. _One day,_ he thought.

* * *

Olivia laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling. She was waiting patiently. Just waiting. And then her phone rang. "Finally," she said happily to herself. Her nightly call with Fitz. She answered the Facetime request from him right away.

"Long time no see, professor" she greeted. "Too long" he chuckled. He was shirtless in his bed, smiling at her. "I'm glad to see you're finally home now, away from campus" she teased. "Mhm. I had a little hold up at my office with one of my TA's" he said.

"Yeah, I was pretty sure that was one of them. What'd he want?" she asked. "To return his stack of graded papers you all turned in a couple weeks ago. And to drool over my girlfriend" he said. "What?" she asked. "He had a thing for you," he said. "He did?" she asked. "Yes," he replied.

"Yikes. I hope you told him I was taken" she said with a smile. "I did. I made up some story about you rambling on about your boyfriend" he nodded. "Good," she said with a smile. "Yeah. I can tell you that I really did not like it" he said. He was visibly uncomfortable, she could tell.

"What do you mean?" she asked. "I didn't like someone else being into you. It just kind of...hurt. Especially since I can't tell anyone you're taken by _me"_ he said. "Oh, I totally get that. It's hard when people are interested in what's yours," she said. "Yes," he nodded.

"It happens to me all the time" she shrugged. "It does?" he asked. " _Oh god,_ yeah. Do you know how many girls discuss how attractive you are, or talk about your body, or talk about doing some dirty thing to you that I probably did to you last week?" she asked with a laugh.

He burst into laughter. "A _lot,"_ she said. "Really?" he asked. "Really" she nodded. Abby literally calls you 'pretty boy'. And a lot of other names, actually" Olivia said with a laugh. "What!" he exclaimed. "Mhm. But she has a boyfriend and she's Abby. So she's okay" Olivia shrugged.

"There's also a particular group of girls that I sit by in class, that are obsessed with you," she said. "Well, I'm kind of obsessed with you too. But...you know, in a good way" she giggled. He laughed.

"At first they were amusing just because they were immature and kind of funny, and I was really happy to know that I wasn't the only one who thought you were the hottest thing I had ever seen," she said. He smiled, his cheeks turning red.

"But after awhile, I had to start tuning them out, because like you said, it hurt. And...you're mine. Nobody else can have you" she shrugged. "Nobody, huh?" he teased. "Nope" she answered. "Good. Because I don't want anyone else" he said. _"Good"_ she smirked.

"So you're obsessed with me?" Fitz asked, smiling. "Maybe a _little"_ she replied. He sat there laughing at her. "Hey, shut up!" she said. "You know, if your laugh wasn't so cute, I'd hang up on you" she added.

He cocked his head to the side and smiled at her. She rolled her eyes and smiled back. They talked for about an hour longer, before they ended the call and went to sleep. Olivia's dreams were filled with him.

* * *

Fitz sat in his office the next afternoon, going over his notes for a meeting he had the next day. He had to speak in front of most of the department, which he was quite used to by now. It was one of his strengths, despite his generally quiet, reserved demeanor.

As he was writing, he heard a knock on the door. "Come in," he said, not looking up at the door. "Fitz" a man greeted. He looked up and smiled. "Oh, hey, Cy. What's up?" Fitz asked. Cyrus's office was in a different building, so he didn't get many visits from him.

"I had these old articles in my desk and thought maybe you'd want to look them over for possible lecture material. Totally up to you, just thought I'd bring them by" Cyrus said, handing over the papers. "Oh, thank you! I'm always looking to change up my lectures" Fitz replied gratefully.

"Of course. You've done a little redecorating since I've been here last" Cyrus said, looking around his office. "Yeah, a little bit. Nancy helped me, I'm not very good at that stuff. She even suggested I have flowers by my window to 'color up the room'. I politely declined" Fitz chuckled. Cyrus laughed.

"Oh, Nancy. Such a nice lady" he replied. "Hey, this is a neat box," Cyrus said, coming around his desk to get the full view of it. "It is, isn't it?" Fitz said. "Yes, beautiful nameplate," he added, leaning down to glance at the gold plate under the lid.

"Forever Your Favorite" Cyrus read, tracing over the engraved message on the front of the box. Fitz started to get a tad nervous. "Mhm," he replied. He got ready to tell him the story he had prepared in case anyone asked about who the box was from; an old student from his first year of teaching.

Cyrus stood up straight again, but didn't move. The two men remained in silence for a little bit, before Cyrus finally spoke up.

"She's a lovely girl" was all he said. Fitz's heart started beating faster. "Sorry?" Fitz asked. "She's a lovely girl" Cyrus repeated. "I'm not sure I know who you're talking about?" Fitz said, hoping he sounded truthful.

"You know exactly who I'm talking about," Cyrus said back. _Oh fuck_. Fitz gave him a questioning look. "Jesus, Fitz. Come on. I've known you a long time. Don't insult me" Cyrus said. Fitz started fiddling with his hands, not expecting that this was how Cyrus's visit would go.

What should he say? It certainly seemed like he knew, which was confusing. Fitz thought they had been careful around him. But if he did know, like it appeared he did, it could be bad. Cyrus was the head of the department. He couldn't fire him alone, every hiring and firing needed approval from the President or the Vice President of the University. But Cyrus had all the power he needed to bring this to their attention and get him fired. It would be easy for him.

Fitz was always good at thinking on his feet, he was well spoken, which he had learned to be at a very young age. He usually knew how to handle everything. But he had to admit, he had no idea what to do at that moment.

Since Olivia had entered his life, he had become less formal. Less tense. And honestly, he loved that. He felt genuinely better with her in his life, not always so worried and stressed about every little thing, even though their situation was cause for worry and stress. She just made it all better. But now, in this situation, he was coming up empty-handed when he thought he could've used something in the formality department.

"I'm not sure that I...know exactly what you mean" Fitz stammered. "Olivia is what I mean" Cyrus answered. "Olivia? Well yes, she...is lovely" Fitz nodded. "Bit of an understatement coming from you, don't you think?" Cyrus asked.

"She's just my student, Cy" Fitz replied. "Just your student my ass," Cyrus said. Fitz looked up at him, not entirely sure how to proceed. "You think I don't see the way you look at her? I wasn't born yesterday" Cyrus added. _Well, he was fucked_. Fitz cleared his throat, and prepared himself. "She's...very dear to my heart," Fitz said quietly. Cyrus nodded, and looked down at him seriously. "Just be careful what you do, Fitz" Cyrus said. And with that, he left.

Fitz sat there in shock. "What the fuck?" he said aloud to himself. _Be careful what you do?_ What the hell was that supposed to mean? It certainly didn't seem like a blessing, but it also didn't seem quite like an "I'm going to get you fired" either. He ran his fingers through his hair, feeling Cyrus's words begin to weigh down on him. As Olivia would say, that ship had sailed. He already hadn't been careful enough, clearly.

He packed up his stuff quickly and texted Olivia to see if he could pick her up in five minutes. When she said he could, he left to go get her so that they could talk.

When he got to her apartment, she came out, already looking worried. "What's up? What's wrong?" she asked, as soon as she got in. "Just give me a sec" he replied, driving down the block and turning into the parking lot of a church. He parked in the back, and looked over at her.

"Cyrus knows," he said. "What?" She asked. "Cyrus. He knows about us. I mean, I don't know if he knows the extent of it but...he knows enough" he replied, nervous to hear her reaction. She sat there, eyes wide, looking so afraid. "What did he say?" She asked. "He told me to be careful what I do. Whatever the hell that means" Fitz said.

She sat there processing, which didn't seem to be a good thing, because she looked more afraid with every passing moment. "Oh god. Oh god. Oh...god" she said, starting to panic. He could see the fear in her eyes. "Olivia," he said softly, reaching for her hand. She didn't really let him hold her hand, she sort of pulled away. So he let her be, wanting to make sure he didn't upset her.

It seemed she was holding her breath, because it was completely silent in the car. She was clinging to her thighs tightly, looking like she was going to be sick. "Okay, Livvie, you need to breathe," he said calmly. She nodded and exhaled, trying to calm herself down.

"Everything's going to be alright, okay? We're going to be just fine" he assured her, although, he wasn't exactly sure himself. She nodded, her breathing starting to return to normal. "Right. Yes, it's going to be fine" she agreed.

He knew this was a lot for someone so young to take on, in addition to classes and trying to figure out what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. It was a stressful time period for her, and this was just added stress, but she was handling it very well.

"I'll talk to him, okay? I'll...I don't know. I'll meet up with him tomorrow and talk to him" Fitz said. "You will?" she asked. "Yes, I will. I'll figure this out, I promise" he assured her. "Maybe...should I come with? I...could" she said, although he could tell she was nervous.

"No, it's okay. This is on me. I will take care of it, you don't worry about a thing, alright? This is my responsibility" he said. If this was going to end badly, he sure as hell wasn't going to let her go down for it. He knew if people found out, they would fault him for an inappropriate relationship, and that's how it should be.

He was older, he was her professor. He wasn't supposed to be taking her on dates. He wasn't supposed to be sleeping with her. He wasn't supposed to be her boyfriend. But he was. So he wanted this to be on him, and him alone, especially because he was the one who had practically begged her to be with him _now._ And since Cyrus was a friend, maybe he could convince him of that. He didn't tell her any of this though, because he thought it would scare her even more.

"Are you sure you want to talk to him alone?" she asked. He nodded. "Yes. I just don't want you to worry, okay?" he asked. She nodded at him, but still seemed a bit hesitant.

"I'll take you back home now, okay?" He said softly. "Yeah, okay" she nodded. "Okay. I'm sorry I scared you. I didn't mean to. I just thought it was something you needed to know too" he said. "No I'm glad you told me, I am" she replied. He nodded and they remained silent for the short drive back.

When they pulled back into her apartment building, he looked over at her with a smile. "If you're up for it later, call me tonight and we can talk, okay?" he suggested. "Okay," she nodded. "Okay. I'll see you later Livvie" he said. "See you" she replied, getting out and shutting the door.

He drove back to his office, a little sad. He hoped she was okay. That's all he wanted, was for her to be okay. He knew that everything wouldn't always be sunshine and rainbows, nothing's perfect, after all. _Well, except for Olivia_ , he thought. _She was_. But their relationship certainly wasn't, which was alright.

They'd get through it and figure it out. That, he was sure of.

* * *

Well, Cy isn't stupid. We all know that. So I'm sure it isn't a surprise that he picked up on what was going on.

Just a tiny bit of a bump in the road, but we'll just have to see how it unfolds.

And damn, Fitz can't seem to get a decent office visit besides Olivia!

Hope you all enjoyed.

Read on!

With love,

~T


	24. Confessions

**To answer some uncertainties about the previous chapter, it is _very_ common for a professor to not know the name of one of their students. Very common. Classes in college can have over 300 students, not to mention that he has three of them. So not knowing a specific student's name would certainly not be surprising to Marcus, no matter what time they may be in Fitz's office, or what information they could have possibly told him about themselves (the fact that she had a "boyfriend she was going to meet up with afterward").**

 **Also, addressing Fitz's feelings; having Fitz seem almost inexperienced, _is_ my intent. This is not a normal relationship by any means, and no matter how unemotional one could possibly be, it would definitely be cause for nervousness, and/ or giddiness. He is _supposed_ to feel like he has no idea what in the holy hell he is doing, because this relationship certainly warrants that feeling from both him and Olivia. He is not meant to be some immature teenager that hasn't had a girlfriend before, because he has, and is very experienced in that regard, much more so than Liv. But he _is_ inexperienced with everything that this relationship entails, as most people would be. Having to hide it, the huge age gap, and just the fact of how surprising it is to him that this young woman has made him feel things he has never felt before, despite his prior lengthy relationships. This is all on top of the fact that Olivia happens to make him pretty nervous, much more so than he's used to being.**

 **This is just how I write this version of Fitz, if you are not a fan of it I certainly understand and respect that. But just know that this is how I write him, and I've found that most people really seem to like him.**

 ** _Anyway_ , on with the story!**

* * *

"Explain," Cyrus said, taking a sip of his drink. "Everything?" Fitz asked. "Well, that's what you called me here for, right?" Cyrus asked. "Well, kind of. I just...I'm doing this for her" Fitz replied. "Explain" Cyrus repeated.

Fitz shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and looked around at the restaurant they were at. Everyone looked happy and excited on this fine Friday night. He, on the other hand, was not. He was skipping date night with Olivia so that he could talk to Cyrus about this whole situation. Their last conversation had ended strangely, and he needed to figure things out. Otherwise, they would just be paranoid about what Cyrus could do, which freaked Olivia out a lot.

He and Olivia had been up extremely late the previous night, talking on the phone. She had still been handling it well, but she broke down in tears on the phone because she was scared. And it was awful. He felt helpless, sitting there listening to her cry. So talking with Cyrus, was for her. Even though Cyrus had an idea about what was going on, confessing everything still scared Fitz a little bit. But here he was.

"Alright, well, I uh...I met her this year" he began. "We've always been great friends, right from the beginning. For the longest time, though, we kind of denied that there was clearly something, uh... _more_ there. But at one point, we found ourselves in a position to be something more," he said. _A much more PG way of saying they had sex one night,_ he thought. "And then we just...didn't deny it anymore," he finished.

He hoped that was a good enough summary of things for Cyrus, because he wasn't sure he wanted to go more in-depth than that. "So, she's your...?" Cyrus asked. "Girlfriend," Fitz replied. "Girlfriend" Cyrus repeated. "Mhm. It was a month, yesterday" Fitz added. He wasn't even sure if Olivia had remembered that. He had, though. January eighth was when he had asked her to be his girlfriend. He thought the first month had gone pretty great. Well, until now.

Cyrus put his head in his hands on the table. "Oh, Fitz," he said, his voice muffled by his hands. Fitz winced at the clear uneasiness in Cyrus's voice.

"Look, Cyrus. I know that this is against policy. And I'll understand if you bring this to others' attention. I just ask that, if at all possible, you leave Olivia's name out of it. She is a tremendous student, and gains absolutely no academic benefits from this relationship. My TAs grade all papers and assignments, and exams are graded electronically, which you already know...I guess. Just let me take the fall, please. I couldn't live with myself if she suffered from this. She's a good kid" Fitz said, hoping Cyrus would at least think about it.

"What?" was all he said. "Okay, I can uh...I can say it again" Fitz began. He had been going through what he was going to say all day, he practically had it memorized. "No, no. I mean you think I'm going to out you?" Cyrus asked. Fitz froze. "Well, I don't...know. I just...I wouldn't hold it against you if you did" Fitz replied.

"Fitz, I'm not going to do that. If I was going to I would've done it already" Cyrus said. Fitz let out a sigh of relief and nodded. _Oh_ _thank god._ "I just think you're an idiot," Cyrus added. Fitz let out a laugh. "Agreed" he nodded.

"Just out of curiosity...exactly how many years apart are you and her?" Cyrus asked. Fitz grimaced. "You really want to know?" he asked. "Surprisingly, yes" Cyrus answered. "Sixteen" Fitz stated. "Phew. So how's that work?" Cyrus asked. "What do you mean?" Fitz asked. "Well that's quite an age gap," Cyrus said. "Yes," Fitz nodded.

"So...?" Cyrus inquired. "I don't know, it doesn't seem to affect us too much. She kind of...makes me feel young" Fitz said. "You are young. Man, what I would give to be your age again," Cyrus said, shaking his head. "I mean she makes me feel... _her_ age, young" Fitz clarified.

"How do you mean?" Cyrus asked. "She's just carefree and laid-back, she's got a young spirit. And that's how I feel when I'm with her" Fitz said, trying his best to explain. "Yeah, I've noticed" Cyrus nodded. "You have?" he asked. "Yes. You're different. You're...happier" Cyrus said. Fitz smiled. "Yes. Among other things" Fitz sighed, rubbing his forehead. Cyrus cocked his head to the side. "Such as?" he asked.

Fitz bit his lip, preparing for the conversation to get a little more personal. "Just...she makes me feel all twitchy. And...nervous. I still haven't figured that one out yet" Fitz said, shaking his head. He had never really been that way before. He had to be able to keep his nerves in check as governor. But even then, he didn't really have to, because nothing ever made him all that nervous. Until Olivia, that is.

Cyrus just let out a little laugh. "Fitz, it's not that hard to figure out," he said. Fitz swallowed hard and nodded. He was right, it wasn't that hard to figure out. "She doesn't know," he said quietly. Cyrus gave him an encouraging look. "I don't want to overstep, but...can I ask why?" Cyrus asked.

Fitz sighed and ran a hand through his hair, not knowing exactly what to say back. "Nervous. Right" Cyrus said, nodding his head. Fitz nodded back. "Right. It's kind of a pain in the ass," he admitted. "It is. Been there, done that. It gets better" Cyrus assured him. _Well, that was promising, at least_.

"Look, buddy. This isn't normal, and if I'm going to be honest with you, I don't know how I feel about it. But I do trust you. And...I know what it's like for people to think you shouldn't be with someone that you want to be with. It doesn't feel good, and I would never out you because of that" Cyrus said. Fitz nodded in appreciation.

"But you need to be careful. Anyone could bring you guys down, and I wouldn't be able to do anything about it. You're on your own then. I can keep your secret. I can do that. But I'm not going to put _my_ job at risk because of it. Understood?" Cyrus asked. "Yes. Understood, completely" Fitz nodded. Cyrus nodded back. "Alright," he said. They sat there and drank, sitting in silence for a little while.

"Can I ask...how you knew?" Fitz asked, finally breaking he silence. "Besides the fact that all you two do is ogle each other?" Cyrus asked. Fitz could feel himself blushing. He cleared his throat. "Uh...yes. Yes, besides that" he said, feeling embarrassed.

"Well, for starters, you ride _together_ every Saturday night, even though she mentioned once that she has her own car. Then there's the fact that she still even _comes_ to trivia night. She's about the only student I have _ever_ seen in that place on Saturday night. She may like it, sure, but she's a college kid. College kids don't play trivia with a bunch of older people every single Saturday night when they could be partying or doing god knows what else. She's clearly there for something else, or in this case, _someone_. Out of us professors, I knew she certainly wasn't there for the old, gay one" he said with a smile, gesturing to himself.

"So that just leaves the much younger, _straight_ one" he continued, gesturing to Fitz. "You hang on her every word, and she does the same. She wears a bracelet on her left wrist. A very simple, yet very beautiful bracelet, with the first letter of your name on it. Good job with that one, by the way. Very subtle, I applaud you. She never mentioned another guy in her life, so given everything else I noticed, it was easy to connect the dots. She wears it for you. _You_ are the guy. _You_ are the "F". Plus, one night after trivia James told me very confidently that he thought you two were hooking up" Cyrus said.

"And given all the marks you two have left on each other I'd say that my sweet husband is not wrong," Cyrus added casually. Fitz felt his whole face turn red. _So much for hiding those damn things,_ he thought.

"You're very observant," Fitz said. "Maybe, yes. But it didn't take me long to figure out, Fitz. You, especially, need to watch yourself in public. It's easy to see how you feel about her. What's that slang word I hear the kids using these days? 'Whipped'? Yeah, I think that's it. You're whipped, Fitzgerald," Cyrus said.

"Don't call me Fitzgerald, what? I am not! Wait...what does that mean? Is it bad? Fitz asked. "It can be but I don't mean it that way. It's basically just signs that you're completely and totally infatuated with someone. For instance, you would drop everything you're doing to go see her. Or you'd do absolutely anything for her, no matter what" Cyrus explained.

"Well I probably _would_ do those things," Fitz said, as if it were obvious. Cyrus chuckled and shrugged. "Exactly my point," he said. Fitz scrunched his nose and shook his head. "Okay wait a second, how do you, Cyrus Beene, know what that means and not me?" Fitz asked.

Cyrus raised an eyebrow. "Well maybe if you paid attention to more than just the student that you're _completely and totally infatuated_ with, you'd know these things" Cyrus pointed out. Fitz laughed. "Ha. You're tellin' me" he replied. _As if it was his choice to be consumed by thoughts of her, nonstop. That's funny._ Cyrus nodded, and started to get up, putting some cash down for his drink. "I'll see you tomorrow night. And your girl" he said patting him on the back as he left.

Fitz chuckled to himself, finishing the rest of his drink so he could go tell Olivia _everything_ , as she had made him promise he would do.

* * *

"So everything's fine? You're not getting fired?" she asked. "Everything is perfect, Olivia" he replied. "And you're not getting fired, right?" she asked again eagerly. "Liv, no. I am not getting fired" he assured her. Funny how that had been her main concern, when his main concern had been keeping Olivia's name out of it if Cyrus _did_ take them down.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank god. Thank god" she said. "We live to fight another day" he teased, smiling. "So it looks like you're still stuck with me then!" she said. "Damn, really. Do I have to be?" he teased. She scoffed playfully. "Fine, I'll hang up" she threatened.

"No, no, no. Wait, wait, don't do that, Livvie, come back" he pleaded. She laughed on the other end. "That's what I thought," she said happily. He chuckled at her cuteness. "So what have you been up to tonight?" he asked. "Well, besides freaking out, not much. I talked to my parents on the phone, I made grilled cheese, and I watched some Disney movie that was on TV. You know, to think happy thoughts and all. So yeah, basically I'm twelve years old" she said. He burst into laughter.

"That sounds like the best Friday night _ever"_ he replied. "Yes, overall, can't complain too much. Although I do wish you were with me right now" she said. He smirked. "What if I were pulling into your apartment's parking lot right now?" he asked, making the turn. "You _aren't!"_ she exclaimed. "Oh, but I _am_ , though" he replied. "Fitz!" she giggled. "Get your cute ass out here," he said, before hanging up.

He made sure the coast was clear before he walked to their spot, behind the thick, snow-covered shrubs on the side of her apartment building. He waited about three minutes before he heard, "Fitz?" in a faint whisper. "Livvie" he whispered back.

She suddenly came into view and he lifted her up in a huge embrace, spinning her around. Part of it was because they were just happy to see each other, but most of it was because everything was going to be okay. Nobody was getting outed, nobody was getting fired.

He pulled his head back to look at her as she did the same, and she kissed him without warning. It was absolutely freezing outside, but the feeling of her lips on his sent a warm rush through his body. With her still in his arms, he gently pinned her to the brick wall and continued their kiss. He could kiss her for hours and not get tired of it. He could just sit and _look_ at her for hours and not get tired of it. That was the effect she had on him.

He pecked her lips briefly a couple more times before he leaned his forehead against hers and looked down at her. "We're going to be alright" he whispered gratefully. She smiled. "We're going to be alright" she agreed. He bit his lip as he looked down at the girl who stole his heart. The girl that was his everything, his world. And he knew that as long as he was with her, everything would _always_ be alright.

* * *

"Hey, Liv. I'm back!" Abby yelled. Olivia stirred in bed and looked up at her clock. 11:27 am. "Damn" she muttered to herself. "Liv?" Abby said, clearly confused as to why she was not answering. "Bedroom" she yelled, her voice sounding incredibly raspy.

She heard Abby halt in the hallway. "Do you have a naked professor in there with you?" Abby asked. "What? No, Abby" Olivia answered. Abby appeared in her room. "Oh, weird. You had a little bit of a just-fucked voice going on there" Abby said. Olivia laughed. "Yeah, or a just-woke-up voice" she replied.

"Yeah, what the hell? I've already gotten two rounds of morning sex and breakfast in and you're just now getting up?" Abby asked. "Jealous" Olivia replied, rubbing her eyes. "Was pretty boy here last night fucking you senseless or what? Jeez, come on, up and at 'em, Liv!" Abby said, patting her legs.

Olivia shook her head. "No, pretty boy can't do that here" she replied. "Eh, I bet I could figure out a way to sneak him in" Abby smirked. "I don't doubt that honestly," Olivia said with a laugh. Abby smiled. "Seriously, though, what's up?" Abby asked again.

"Nothing, we were just up late talking" she shrugged. "Oh, about the Cyrus thing, right! How'd that go? Is Cyrus going to talk? If he does I'm gonna open a can of whoop-ass on that fucker, I don't care who he is—". "Abby, Abby. It's fine. No need for cans of...ass-whooping, or...whatever. We're all good, really. We...got lucky, though. Really lucky. If he wasn't Fitz's friend...I don't know. We just got lucky" she said.

Abby nodded, seeming relieved at the news. "Oh, praise Jesus. I wasn't about to lose my favorite couple. My Olitz" she said. Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, what now?" she asked. "You heard me. Olivia plus Fitz equals Olitz! I couldn't figure out a couple name that worked with pretty boy, so, unfortunately, I had to use his actual name" Abby shrugged.

Olivia laughed. "Well, Fitz is his nickname. His actual name is Fitzgerald" she replied. Abby grimaced. "Uh, yeah. Noted. Not a very sexy name. _Fitz_ on the other hand, sexy" she smirked. Olivia rolled her eyes. "So, I know they're friends and all, but I'm just curious. How did Cyrus know?" Abby asked.

"Fitz said it was obvious to him, I guess. My bracelet, our "ogling". Somehow Cyrus's husband could tell we were...you know" Olivia said. "Fucking" Abby stated, finishing her sentence for her. "Mhm. Apparently we're not as careful as we thought" Olivia sighed. "No, you two are definitely careful, Liv. They just see you every week _together,_ they were bound to catch on at some point, especially considering Cyrus and pretty boy are close. You guys will be just fine, I know it" Abby assured her, putting her hand on Olivia's shoulder.

"And you'll always have your secret spot" she added with a smile. Olivia couldn't help but smile back. "Behind those damn bushes," Olivia nodded. "We were out there for like an hour and a half yesterday talking in the freezing cold," Olivia added, laughing. "Oh, you two" Abby said with a laugh, shaking her head.

They chatted for a little while longer, and then did some laundry and cleaned their apartment. It was a good, productive day. Olivia didn't have anything to study for this weekend, and had already finished her homework before the weekend even began. Plus, she was seeing her favorite guy tonight. She was feeling good.

Hours passed by, and before she knew it, he was on his way to pick her up. She practically skipped down to the lobby and out the door, eyeing the parking lot for the headlights of an Audi R7. When she saw them, she went over and got in.

"Fitz!" she exclaimed. His face lit up. "Olivia!" he replied, matching her enthusiasm. She waited until they were on the road to lean in and kiss his cheek. "Mm, thank you for that," he said, his cheeks blushing in response. "I waited all day to see your handsome face" she replied. "Oh did you?" he asked with a smile. "I did" she nodded. "Well, how's it look? Did I disappoint?" he asked, turning towards her briefly while he drove. "Oh, no. Never" she giggled. He smiled at her and took her hand, holding it for the rest of the way there.

She was a bit nervous as they walked in together, anticipating being with someone who actually knew about them. Someone that wasn't Abby. Someone that was in a position to take them down. Cyrus and his husband were there, chatting over drinks. _Oh great, two people that know_ , she thought.

Fitz squeezed her hand, probably noticing that she was a little tense. "Relax, Livvie" he whispered to her. "Relaxed" she assured him. He shot her a smile. "Hey, you two" Cyrus greeted. Fitz and Olivia bid them both hello as they sat down.

Olivia let Fitz do most of the talking for a while. It seemed he could sense that she felt a little weird, so he took the lead. But eventually, she warmed up and joined the conversation too, realizing that it wasn't weird at all.

They talked a little about politics, joked around on occasion, and played trivia while the band played behind them like normal. Olivia and Fitz's relationship never really made it into the topic of conversation, which was completely okay with her. She thought they probably didn't want to make a big deal of it. But, if and when it did come up, that would be okay with her too. Because she was beginning to realize that it was pretty nice not having to think about hiding her feelings in front of people. People that she knew and trusted.

They certainly couldn't go around making out at Oak Haven or anything, but it was nice to have it be common knowledge among a small group of friends. It felt good.

* * *

After it ended around eleven, Olivia walked closely behind Fitz to his car, stopping when he opened the door for her. "Thank you" she nodded. "Mhm," he replied, gently closing it behind her. He walked around to his side and got in, putting his car in drive immediately.

"That wasn't so bad," he said. "No, it really wasn't" she agreed. "It kind of felt good, huh?" he asked. "That's exactly what I was thinking. I can't wait until we don't have to hide it from _anyone_ anymore" she said. He smiled. "Me neither. You know I'm going to show you off, right?" he asked. She giggled. "You better" she teased. "Oh, I _will_. Trust me" he assured her.

"Hopefully we don't have to wait too long" she sighed. He nodded. "I know. But I don't care how long it takes, you're worth the wait" he said. A smile spread across her face at his words. "As are you" she replied.

She looked out the window and realized they had been driving the wrong way. "Fitz, where are we going? My apartment is the other way" she said. "I know that, silly" he replied. "Well then where are we going?" she asked curiously. But just then, he pulled into the parking lot of a park.

"A park?" she asked. "A park" he replied. "Wow, we're going to play at a park? I really _am_ twelve years old" she said with a laugh as she got out of the car. "Hey, parks are fun for all ages," he chuckled.

But instead of heading over to the playground, he began to lead them up the big, snowy hill next to it. "What exactly are we doing here?" she asked. Not that she was complaining, she loved spending time with him, no matter what. "I wanted somewhere to talk" he replied. She felt a bit nervous at that, but she pushed it aside.

"I don't think I'm wearing the right shoes for this endeavor" she giggled, looking down at her dressy boots. Before she knew it, she was being picked up and slung over her boyfriend's shoulder. "Fitz!" she giggled. "What? I am not about to get in trouble for ruining my girl's shoes. No ma'am" he replied, nearing the top of the hill.

She laughed and reached up to pat the top of his hat affectionately. "My hero," she said. "And don't you forget it, cutie," he said, reaching the top of the hill. He set her down gently by the big tree that stood at the top of the hill, and then to her surprise, he sat down next to it.

"We're gonna sit here now? In the snow?" she asked. He just looked up at her and nodded, as if it were obvious. "Okay," she shrugged. She took a seat next to him, and they looked out at the empty park, which included what seemed like miles of beautiful snow.

"My buddies and I used to come here to sled. Can you believe that? A bunch of guys in their early twenties, coming to sled at like midnight" he chuckled. "In our defense, though, we may have been slightly intoxicated" he added.

She laughed. "Wow, college Fitz seemed so awesome. What happened?" she teased. He shot her a playful look. "Oh, you did _not,"_ he said. "Oh, I _did"_ she smiled. He shook his head and pecked her cheek.

"I kid, I kid. You're very awesome. And I have no doubt in my mind that if we had a sled right now, you'd tear it up on this hill" she said. "Hell _yeah,_ I would. I _so_ would" he replied proudly. She smiled at him and reached for his hand, holding it the best she could, given that they were both wearing gloves.

They were silent for a long time, just taking in the sounds of the night, and each other's light breathing. It was peaceful there with him. A little cold, but peaceful.

"Livvie?" he said softly, finally breaking the silence. She smiled at the new nickname she had recently acquired from him. "Hmm?" she replied. "I just want you to know that these last six months have been the happiest of my life," he said. Her body warmed at his words.

"I feel so incredibly lucky to be yours, and I can't wait to see what our future has in store for us" he added softly. She felt goosebumps arise on her skin, thinking about the direction this conversation was headed.

"You are my everything. Truly, my everything, Liv. And..." he began, cutting himself off. "I love you," he said. And that's when she could've sworn that her heart exploded. "I am so in love with you, Olivia. Have been for months. You are amazing. _So_ amazing. God, I just...I just fucking love you" he finished.

She threw her arms around his neck immediately and kissed his cheek, so happy at what she had just heard come out of his mouth. "That was the best confession I have ever heard. And I love you too" she said happily. "I mean, I _fucking_ love you too" she added. He smiled. "Yeah?" he asked hopefully. "Yeah" she nodded.

His cheeks turned red as he smiled. "You were nervous to tell me that" she stated. "Uh, yes" he agreed. She couldn't help but smile at her boyfriend. What a blessing he was. She leaned back in to kiss him. "I _really_ love you," she whispered, hoping to hear him say it again. "I really love _you"_ he whispered back.

And just like that, when she had begun to fear the worst for her and Fitz, everything was okay again. Everything was okay.

* * *

And there you go. I updated a little faster for you all. Also, I apologize for the extreme lengthiness. Although, maybe you all like that, I don't know. I just had a ton to get out!

Lots of confessing in this chapter. To Cyrus, to Olivia, and to Fitz. All very necessary confessions. Love is in the air, folks. Also, this Cyrus is a lot less evil than the Cyrus on TV. I like that.

Hope you all enjoyed.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	25. Valentine's Day

"Happy Valentine's Day to you too, mom," Olivia said. "Thanks, honey. Oh, and your dad told me to tell you he'll take you out for a belated Valentine's Day dinner when you come home for spring break like you did last year" Maya replied.

"Sounds great. Tell him I can't wait!" Olivia exclaimed. Eli had always taken Olivia out the day before Valentine's day for a little father-daughter date. He was the man who would always be her valentine, no matter what, and she loved him dearly.

When she first came to college, they decided he would take her out to a belated dinner when she got home for spring break. She was happy to have it planned for this year as well.

"So what are your plans for tonight? Any hot dates?" her mother asked dramatically. "No, mom. Just homework probably" Olivia replied. "Livvie, you don't have to be studious _all_ the time. Come on, this is your mother talking. Go out, do something fun!" Maya exclaimed. _Definitely not studious all the time,_ she thought. "We'll see, mom," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Alright, baby. Well, I'll let you go. I just wanted to say a quick hi to you during my lunch break. You can call me whenever you want, okay, honey?" Maya said. She always said that, which Olivia found cute. "Of course, mom. Thank you for calling. Say hi to dad for me" Oliva replied. "I will. I love you, study hard" Maya said. "I will. Love you too. Bye, mom" Olivia said. "Bye, Olivia."

Olivia continued on her way back to her apartment. Her last class of that day had gotten canceled, so she was heading home a little earlier than usual, which she loved. She would occasionally see students holding little chocolates and candies as she passed by them, which made her feel happy.

She had always liked Valentine's day, even as a young child. It was full of love. Well, and candy, usually. Candy was always great.

She and Fitz didn't really have anything planned, which made her a bit sad. He had a crazy week this week, which had prevented them from seeing each other since Sunday afternoon, three days ago. There was some teacher's conference this week, which had been taking up a huge amount of his time. But he promised he would stop by her apartment later that night to see her. So, that was good at least.

When she got home, Abby was also already home. She only had one class on Mondays and Wednesdays, which left her with a good amount of free time those days. "Wow!" Olivia exclaimed, looking at the huge vase of flowers that Abby was sitting there staring at. "I know, right? How sweet is David?" Abby asked. Olivia walked over to read the tag. It said;

 **Happy Valentine's Day, Abigail. Can't wait to see you tonight.**

 **All my love,**

 **David**

Olivia put her hand up to her mouth. "Oh my gosh, Abby. That is adorable" she said, smiling at her best friend. "I know!" she exclaimed happily. "So you guys are going out tonight?" Olivia asked.

"Yes, he said it's a surprise, I'm excited. How about you and Fitzy boy? You two doing something awesome now that you've said the big L word?" Abby smirked. "He said he'll stop by later tonight. But we can't go out, unfortunately" Olivia said, a bit sadly. "Oh, because of that conference thing taking up all his damn time?" Abby asked with a frown. Olivia nodded. "Aw, Liv. I'm sorry. I know how much you love Valentine's Day" Abby said.

"It's okay. He's a busy man" she shrugged. "How could he be too busy for my beautiful best friend? That is just not okay" Abby said. "Abby, it's fine. Really" Olivia said with a laugh. Abby didn't look convinced. "Alright. Well if he doesn't make it up to you...you let me know. His pretty face won't look so pretty anymore" Abby threatened.

Olivia had to laugh at that. "Oh yeah? You're gonna...what did you say about Cyrus the other day? Open a—". "Can of whoop-ass on that fucker, yes," Abby said, finishing her sentence. Olivia laughed again. "On my boyfriend?" Olivia asked. "That's right. I didn't take karate as a kid for nothing" Abby nodded. Olivia shook her head. "Thanks for the support, Abby. I appreciate it" she said. "No problem," Abby said happily.

* * *

Olivia laid in her bed, watching _Friends_. She was laughing at a particular joke Chandler had just told, when her phone started ringing. She glanced at the clock next to her, which read 7:48 pm. "Finally," she said to herself. She picked up the phone and put it up to her ear. "Hi" she answered. "Come outside, you" he replied. "Oh, you're here?" she asked. "Mhm," he replied. "Okay. I'll be out in a sec" she said. "Okay."

She hung up and grabbed the small wrapped box for him, and then grabbed her coat. She quickly put on her boots and left, locking the door behind her since Abby was gone. She went to find his car. It took her awhile, because he was parked in the way back where practically nobody parked. She assumed it was so they could sit and talk for awhile without being noticed.

She got in and looked over at him. He smiled immediately at the sight of her. "Olivia," he said happily. He looked absolutely exhausted, despite his happiness. "Fitz," she said with a smile. He leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "Happy Valentine's Day, beautiful," he said. "Happy Valentine's Day to _you_. I got you something" she said, handing over the box. He smiled and took it from her, starting to unwrap it.

She watched happily as he opened his new stainless steel coffee mug to replace his old one that looked like it had taken a beating. "Oh, Livvie. Thank you. I needed a new one" he said gratefully. She laughed. "I know you did. I put a heart sticker on the bottom. You know, to make it more Valentine-y" she said. "Very sweet of you, thank you. You want your present now?" he asked. "Is that even a question? Of course!" she exclaimed.

He reached into the back of his car and pulled out a huge bouquet of red and white roses, with a little card attached. She gasped at the beautiful flowers he handed her. "Oh my god, Fitz. These are beautiful" she exclaimed. "Beautiful flowers for a beautiful girl" he smiled. She blushed and admired them some more. "Open the card," he said. She took the card off the plastic and opened it. It read;

 **My dear Olivia,**

 **Happy Valentine's Day. I can't wait to celebrate with you** **properly** **this weekend. You deserve the world, but they only had NYC available on such short notice:) Get ready!**

 **I love you,**

 **Fitz**

"New York City?" she asked in awe. He smiled. "Look what else is in the envelope," he said. She opened the envelope further and pulled out a little slip of paper that it looked like he had cut himself. On it, in his adorable handwriting, read:

 **Voucher for a two night stay at the Novotel in Times Square with your boyfriend. Bring a bathing suit and some dresses. Sexy ones.**

 **-Fitz**

She had a hard time containing her excitement after reading that. "I know you love Valentine's Day, and I knew this week would be crazy for me with this conference, which made me feel awful. So I thought, let's go away this weekend. I can make it up to you" he smiled.

"In New York City!?" she exclaimed. "Mhm," he replied. "Fitz. This is...you did not need to do this, seriously. It's just Valentine's Day!" she said. "Livvie, I don't care. I _wanted_ to take you somewhere, regardless of if it's Valentine's Day or not. I already told Cyrus and everything, he and James will be alright without us for a weekend," he winked.

She just smiled, not believing that they were going to go on a little trip. She had never really gone on a trip with anyone but her parents, so going on one with her boyfriend sounded amazing. And to somewhere she had never been, like New York City!

"You want to go...right?" he asked worriedly. "Oh my god, Fitz, yes!" she said back. He smiled. "Awesome. We'll leave after your last class ends on Friday. I'm done at eleven so I'll just pick you up when you're ready and we'll go" he explained.

"Yay! I can't believe you did this, Fitz. You are such a sweetheart" she gushed. He smiled and leaned in to give her a kiss. "Thank you, thank you," she said, covering his face in kisses. "You're welcome" he smiled, closing his eyes and letting her kiss his face. He looked as happy as she felt, but he also looked incredibly tired.

"You should go home and get some sleep. You're exhausted, I can tell" she said. He looked a little sad, but she knew he was probably dying to go to bed. The man already had sleep issues, so this crazy week was probably not helping. "Are you sure? I can stay with you longer" he offered. "No, sweetie, just go home and sleep" she assured him.

He thought about it, but eventually he nodded, although hesitantly. "Okay. Text me tomorrow. Again, I'm so sorry about this week, Liv. I'm really sorry. You deserved a better Valentine's Day" he said. "Fitz, oh my goodness. You don't need to apologize, okay? Really, it's totally fine. This is your job. And we're going to fricken New York City!" she said.

"Yes, we are! Start packing, beautiful" he said with a wink. "Oh, I will. I'm so excited" she said happily. "Good, me too. I'll see you later, okay?" he said. "Okay," She said, giving him a wave. "I love you," he said, watching her get out of the car. Her heart fluttered, hearing that once again. "I love you too" she replied.

She walked happily back to her apartment, already trying to think of what she was going to pack for New York City. She still couldn't believe he had planned that for them. Although, he was always full of surprises, it seemed. Good surprises. That man was certainly something.

* * *

The next two days went by painfully slow for Olivia. She had packed and repacked multiple times already, but had finally decided she was set. And now, thankfully, it was almost time to head out with her guy.

She got back to her apartment after her last class ended at one, and got her stuff ready quickly as Fitz was already on his way. "You leaving now?" Abby asked. "Yeah, he's almost here," Olivia said with a smile.

"You two are going to have so much fun. He's certainly making it up to you!" Abby replied. "I know. I still can't believe he did this. He is just...he is something else" Olivia said. Abby smirked at her. "He makes you so happy" Abby stated.

Olivia looked over at her. "Huh?" she asked. "I'm just saying. I can see it. It's written all over your face, all the time. Seriously. All the time" Abby said with a smile. Olivia nodded. "I love him. So much" she said. "I know you do. Go have fun with your love. And take pics! The first trip is a big deal!" Abby said. Olivia went to hug her. "Thanks, I will. I'll see you on Sunday" Olivia replied.

"Sounds good. Love you, Liv. See lots of sights, drink lots of alcohol, have lots of sex" Abby said. Olivia burst into laughter. "You're crazy. Love you too" she said. She waved goodbye to Abby, and out she went, to go on a trip with her favorite guy.

She saw his car parked near the back like it had been a couple nights ago as not to draw attention, so she walked over there with the decent sized garment bag she had in her hands. It held all of her things for the weekend, including her bathing suit and dresses, at Fitz's request. Sexy ones, of course.

"Hi, you! Are you ready?" he exclaimed as she got in. "Yes!" she nodded. "Awesome. You look beautiful, as always" he said with a smile. "Thank you, Fitz" she replied. "Mhm. Alright, music choice is yours. We have a little over two hours to drive, so pick good songs" he teased, pulling out of the parking lot. "Always do" she smirked.

He exhaled happily and grabbed her hand. "I can't wait for this with you," he said happily. "Me neither. New York City, here we come" she exclaimed.

"New York City, here we come."

* * *

A busy week for Fitz means Valentine's Day wasn't so great. So what better to do than surprise your girl with a trip to NYC, huh? Go big or go home, apparently.

I got a few requests for Valentine's Day chapters, and I already had it in mind, so I knew I should give you something fun!

I apologize for the shorter chapter, but don't worry, the full New York City chapter will be up very soon, and it is _long_. I have most of it written, I just cut this one off here so that it didn't turn into a 10K word book or some damn thing.

I have a feeling you all will love Olitz getaway weekend. Hang tight and don't hate me too much for making you wait a little longer ;)

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	26. New York City

To address another uncertainty someone had over the last chapter, and it seems probably a majority of this story;

Fitz drives Olivia around a lot, merely because he likes to do it, he likes to pick her up. But she also lives on campus, where he tends to be most of the time, and he lives further off campus, which is not as convenient. She does have her own car, which obviously she uses and will continue to use, but when they are together, he tends to drive. This _does_ make it riskier around campus, absolutely. But there are many things they do that are risky, and given the nature of their relationship, there will _always_ be things that are risky for them. Things such as parking in the back part of the parking lot to avoid being noticed and hiding in their secret spot ("behind those damn bushes"-Liv) are all just parts of the story, and their relationship. It is Forbidden, after all.

Of course they enjoy spending time at his apartment where they are much more free to do as they please without being noticed, but they can't just sit in his apartment all the time. They are already a bit confined to the New Haven area _as is,_ since they live, go to school, and work there, which is why they have a date night every week where they can get away from that. And even trivia night at Oak Haven provides a bit of an escape for them. But simply going to his apartment all the time would not be the most fun. I hope that helps a bit.

Anyway, on with NYC!

* * *

The drive to New York City took almost two and a half hours, which wasn't bad at all. The drive was filled with singing, hand-holding, and stealing kisses at the very occasional red light.

When they stopped for gas a little over an hour into the drive, they even picked up some snacks. All courtesy of Olivia, of course, since she didn't even want to know how much he had spent already for this little getaway. Despite being naturally broke as a college kid, it was the least she could do to pay for some damn road trip snacks. She was not going to let him get away for paying for everything. She really didn't like that, no matter how well-off he clearly was. And he seemed to understand that.

And now, finally, they were pulling up to the Novotel, having the valets park his car for the weekend. They had decided it would just be a lot easier if they took cabs all weekend, since driving in New York City was rumored to be crazy, and they both were unfamiliar with the city.

"Thank you," Fitz said, handing the valet the keys. "Of course, sir" he replied, handing Fitz his ticket to have it retrieved on Sunday. The hotel was absolutely beautiful. Olivia was sure she had never been in a hotel so nice before. She could feel Fitz's gaze on her as she admired the place, undoubtedly happy that he had gotten this reaction out of her.

After they checked in, they brought their bags up to their room and were both very impressed with that as well. It was absolutely huge, with a king-sized bed near the tall windows that spanned one wall. There was a sofa and a chair in the opposite corner near the bathroom, and a TV mounted directly across from the bed. The view out of the window of Times Square was absolutely breathtaking.

"Oh, Fitz" she breathed, setting her bag down on the bed to go look. "You like it?" he asked hopefully, coming to stand by her side. "It's beautiful," she said. "Very beautiful," he nodded, although he wasn't looking out the window. He was looking at her. She turned to look at him and immediately closed the space between them, pressing her lips to his.

"I still can't believe you did this," she said after pulling away. "Well let's go adventure, then maybe you'll believe it," he said with a smile. "Adventure?" she asked, jumping up and down slightly in his arms. "Adventure!" he replied, kissing her nose. "Oh my god, okay!" she said, going to change into some better shoes. She heard him chuckle at her excitement.

"We'll walk around for a little while and then come back to change so we can have dinner somewhere. How's that sound?" he asked. "Awesome," she said. "Will you get recognized here?" she asked curiously. "As governor?" he asked back. She nodded. "As a one-term Californian governor that was elected almost ten years ago and then dropped off the face of the earth? No. I barely get recognized _in California_ anymore" he chuckled.

"Plus, I look like the average white guy, and this is New York City. I'm sure I look the same as about a thousand other men here" he added. "What? No way, absolutely not" she said, shaking her head. "To which part?" he asked with a laugh. "The average white guy part!" she exclaimed. "Liv, come on. No need to flatter me" he chuckled. "What the hell, Fitz, I am not flattering you. You aren't average in a single way, looks included" she said. "You are white, though" she added. "Indeed," he nodded.

"You seriously think you look like every other white guy? With that hair? And those eyes? And that body? And...okay, wow, I got side-tracked. See! You are literally the hottest thing I have ever seen, you know this" she said with a laugh. He was just laughing. "Okay, maybe I _do_ want you to flatter me, that was fun" he teased. She rolled her eyes and laughed, grabbing his hand. "Come on. Let's go before I keep listing hot things about you."

They walked outside and looked around Times Square. It was buzzing with activity, and it was just after four. So she wondered how it would look later at night, especially given that it was a weekend.

Thankfully, it wasn't too cold at all this weekend, around forty-five degrees, which was pretty good for mid-February. Their light coats were enough, they didn't wear their hats or gloves.

He immediately grabbed her hand as they started walking, which made her heart flutter. She had started to get used to this feeling on their date nights, when they'd go to dinner far away from New Haven. Where they could hold hands and show affection. Where they could be a real couple. But somehow, here in New York City, it felt even better.

"Have anywhere in mind that you want to go?" he asked. "Honestly, I have no idea where anything is. So we can just walk" she shrugged. "Sounds good to me" he smiled. They walked hand in hand down the streets of New York City, looking at all of the beautiful buildings. Looking at all of the commotion. Looking at each other.

They ventured out pretty far, trying to find restaurants they could go to later that night. They neared Madison Square Garden, where it looked like there would be a game going on fairly soon. "Ah, the Rangers play tonight," Fitz said happily. "Oh, that's the hockey team!" she exclaimed. They were one of the few hockey teams she actually remembered.

He turned to her with a smile. "It is! It looks like they play the Senators tonight" he noted. "The Senators?" she asked. "Mhm. From Ottawa. See, over there. That fan's wearing an Erik Karlsson jersey. That red and black one. He's their captain. Probably the best defenseman in the league, along with Brent Burns" he explained.

"You're so cute when you go all hockey on me" she smiled. "You think so?" he chuckled. "I do" she nodded. "Well thank you," he said, giving her a quick peck on the lips.

They walked around a little more, and decided after seeing Hard Rock Cafe that that's where they would go for dinner later. It looked very fun, and she had never been to a Hard Rock Cafe before. He insisted it was definitely somewhere she needed to go.

As they were walking back to their hotel, they came across New Amsterdam Theatre, which really intrigued Olivia. She pulled him along with her to go look at what was playing, and she about started crying when she saw the Now Playing poster. "Phantom of the Opera" she exclaimed, looking at the big, beautiful lights surrounding the theater.

"I love Phantom of the Opera" Fitz said. She turned to him in awe. "You do!?" she exclaimed. He nodded. "Of course, it's one of my favorites. I've seen quite a few shows, and this one ranks near the top of my list" he said casually.

"Are you serious?" she asked. "Mhm. My mom always liked to take me to the theaters that hosted Broadway shows in Los Angeles when I was little. She said that the arts were as important as anything else, and it was good for me to surround myself with a variety of things. And so I did. I really grew to love the theater, actually, which my dad wasn't a fan of. But I didn't care" he said. She couldn't stop smiling at him. _Was there anything wrong with this man?_

"What?" he asked as she stared. "I just can't get over the fact that you like theater. I didn't know that about you" she giggled. His cheeks turned slightly red. "I do" he nodded. "That's amazing. Also explains why you actually have a great voice" she pointed out. "You always say that" he blushed. "Because it's true! I've heard you sing countless times. You're good" she smiled. "Well thank you. You are too, actually" he nodded. "Thanks!" she replied happily.

She glanced at the poster again, admiring it once more. "So this is your absolute favorite musical?" he asked. She nodded. "I'll keep that in mind," he said. She turned to him with a smile, before they headed back to their hotel to get ready for dinner, breaking out some of the alcohol in their fridge as they did so.

They both dressed up pretty nicely. He wore a casual suit, which almost had Olivia drooling. Literally.

She wore an elegant black dress with heels to match. She wore her hair in loose curls, and did her makeup a little bolder than she was used to. They were going out in New York City, after all, she wanted to dress the part.

It felt nice, getting ready to go out with him. Sharing the bedroom and the bathroom, stealing glances at each other while the other wasn't looking. She imagined this is what it would be like to live with him, and she had to admit, it felt good.

When she completely finished getting ready, she had that man staring _so_ hard. _Mission accomplished,_ she thought. "What do you think?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips to show off the slim fitted dress. He just stared. "Woah" he breathed. "Woah, yourself," she said back, admiring his gorgeous body in that suit.

He walked towards her, continuing to slowly eye her up and down. He pulled her closer to him in one motion, his hands starting to wander. And she let them wander. She could feel their warmth through her dress as they traveled down her body.

"Mmm. I like this dress" he said, returning his hands to her hips. "So I should wear it more often?" she asked. He nodded eagerly. She giggled and leaned in to kiss him. "Wanna get going?" he asked. "Absolutely" she replied. They headed down to the lobby, seeing the occasional person carrying a towel back from the pool area. "We're trying out the hot tub tonight," he said quietly to her. "Yes, please" she smirked.

They took a cab over to Hard Rock, just because it was a little cooler outside now and he didn't want her to be cold in her dress covered by only a coat. It was a short little drive, and Fitz handed the driver some cash when they reached the entrance. "Thanks, man" he nodded. The driver nodded back to him in appreciation. He extended a hand out to Olivia, helping her out of the cab.

The restaurant was insanely busy, so it would be about an hour wait, they were told. Which was fine, because they were content to sit at the bar while they waited for their table.

Fitz took off her coat for her, and draped it on the back of her chair before they sat down. "Can I get two virgin margaritas, please?" he asked the bartender. Olivia smiled. "Oh my god, Fitz. You did not have to do that" she said. He turned and looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked. "You can have a real drink. We're in New York City for god's sake!" she replied.

He just shook his head. "We had one before we came, and I'm only drinking when you can drink with me," he said. She looked at him and smiled. "That's very sweet of you" she smiled.

He pecked her lips a few times and then cocked his head to the side, giving her that Fitz smile. "I like this," he said. "You like what?" she asked. "Just...everything. Being here. Going out with you. Kissing you in front of everyone else" he explained. "Showing me off a little?" she teased. "Hell yeah," he nodded. "I like showing you off too. You're a sexy thing to look at, you know" she said, grazing his arm. "Mm look who's talking" he replied. That feeling never got old, flirting openly. It was amazing, virgin margaritas and all.

They chatted at the bar with each other, and even a few couples around them that came and went as they continued to wait for their name to be called. "So how long have you two been together?" a woman that had introduced herself as Margaret, asked them. She was with her husband; they both seemed to be in their fifties or so. She turned to look at Fitz out of habit, because she wasn't sure what to say. _Officially, only about a month,_ she thought. But they had been involved for a lot longer, it seemed. Fitz seemed to agree, because he replied, "A few months."

"Ahh, so you two are kind of in that honeymoon phase, huh?" Margaret asked, smiling at her husband next to her, who had introduced himself as Keith. "I suppose you could say that" Fitz chuckled, wrapping his arm tightly around Olivia. "We remember those days. Great days. Try not to lose that" Keith said, giving his wife a kiss on the cheek. "Of course we won't" Olivia smiled, giving Fitz a kiss. His cheeks blushed red in response as he smiled at her.

"You two are just the cutest little things, ugh, so adorable! Young love in the making," Margaret said. Olivia could feel her cheeks begin to turn red now. "Oh, we better get going, honey. We should be getting seated any minute" Keith informed his wife. "Ahh, okay. Well, it was very nice to meet you two" Margaret said, extending her hand to them. They all shook hands and bid each other goodbye, which left Olivia and Fitz to themselves yet again.

"The honeymoon phase!" Fitz chuckled, kissing her cheek. "I forgot that was even a _thing"_ Olivia giggled. "Yeah, so did I. She thought we were cute, though," he said happily. Olivia raised her eyebrows at him. "Uh, duh. We _are_ cute" she said as if it were obvious. _"Duh,"_ he smiled.

"I'm gonna run to the restroom real quick, alright? You'll be okay?" he asked. She smiled. "Yes, Fitz, I'll be okay" she assured him. "Okay," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

She looked around at the packed building for a few minutes. She really liked it. They played old school rock and roll music nonstop, which she could've predicted before she even stepped foot inside, given its name. There were signed instruments and pictures covering every wall of the place in both the restaurant and the attached bar. She made a note to come back to this place if she ever returned to New York City in her life.

She was jolted out of her thoughts at a man's voice. "Hey, honey." She turned her attention to the man getting into the seat next to her, clearly ignoring Fitz's drink right in front of him. "Um, do I know you?" she asked. "No, but how about we change that huh?" he asked.

"Sorry, I'm not interested, I'm actually here with someone" she replied, uninterested. "Oh, come on. Let me buy you another drink" he offered, ignoring what she said. "I don't think so" Fitz's voice chimed in. The man looked up at Fitz, but didn't move. "Can I help you?" he asked Fitz. "My seat. You're in it" Fitz said. Olivia raised her eyebrows and hid a smile. Annoyed Fitz seemed to be making an appearance.

"Oh, this is your seat?" he asked innocently. "That is, indeed, my seat. And that's my girlfriend" Fitz replied, gesturing for him to move. The man put his hands up in defense, and started to get up. "Thanks for the chat, honey," he said, smiling at her. She just glared back at him. "Away," Fitz said, shooing him off.

The man left, after shooting some looks at Fitz. "Are you okay?" he asked immediately, putting his hand on her arm. "Yes, Fitz, I'm okay" she assured him. "Are you sure?" He asked concernedly. "Sweetie, I'm fine. It happens," she said with a laugh.

"Okay, okay. I'm just making sure" he replied. "I know. You're very sweet. My sweetie" she said, giving him a kiss. "Mmm, thank you. You want to go? It's almost been an hour, we should be seated soon" he said, looking down at his watch. "Yes!" she said.

"Good. Now I can also get you away from all the single men that think they actually have a chance" he chuckled. She smiled. "Looks like you'll just have to be more affectionate with me in public" she shrugged with a laugh. "Olivia, be careful what you wish for. I will take you right here on this bar-top" he said, not at all quietly. She had to put a hand over her lips to keep from spitting out her drink. "Fitz, oh my god" she whispered, still giggling. He just smiled and winked at her. _Naughty_.

They finished the last bit of their drinks and headed over to the restaurant entryway, where they were seated shortly after.

Their dinner was wonderful, as was the dinner on all the other dates they had gone on. But this one was different. This one was special. _And in New York City and everything!_ She was still having a hard time grasping that. He had given her an amazing Valentine's Day weekend already.

After their dinner, they took a cab back to the hotel. By then, it was around nine o'clock. The hotel was pretty lively, which was fun. There were people everywhere in the lobby, most dressed pretty nicely as if they had all gone out too.

When they reached their room, they changed and got ready to go down to the pool area, like they had talked about before. She wore a peach-colored bikini, which Fitz seemed to quite enjoy. She put on some comfy clothes over her suit and looked him over. He was wearing black board shorts that had a white horizontal stripe, and a blue V-neck T-shirt with some sandals. Hot. "You ready?" he asked. She nodded happily.

The hot tub was amazing. Unlike the lobby, there weren't many people in it, or the pool. Only a few other couples, that slowly diminished as time went on. Eventually, it was just them and one other couple, who were keeping to themselves in the corner, being a little handsy with each other. But Olivia and Fitz didn't pay attention to them, they only paid attention to each other.

"This is so nice," he said, leaning his head back against the edge of the hot tub. "It is" she breathed, resting her hand on his thigh. He tightened his grip around her waist under the water, pulling her impossibly closer to him until she was just about sitting on his lap.

He turned towards her and leaned in, waiting for her to close the distance between them. She pressed her lips to his, feeling their warmth. She expected it was going to be a quick peck, but he pulled her top lip into his mouth right away, and it quickly turned into a makeout session in the hot tub.

She struggled to keep her hands to herself under the water, when all she really wanted to do was slide her hand inside those board shorts of his. She opened her eyes as Fitz moved to her neck and looked over at the corner, only to realize that the couple was no longer there. Either they left to go be alone elsewhere, or they got sick of the little show Olivia and Fitz had begun to put on for them. Olivia didn't really care which it was at the moment, because she was too caught up in what Fitz was doing to her.

He pulled her into his lap and moved his hands further down her body while his lips returned to hers. His tongue was playing with hers, making it harder and harder to stop what they were doing. He ran his fingers over her bathing suit, kissing her slowly.

His hands were becoming more restless by the minute, as were hers. He was clenching his hands into fists against her body, trying to keep himself from starting something he probably couldn't finish in a public space. Anyone could walk into the pool area at any second, so she didn't want to risk it either. "Take me back to our room" she whispered. He pulled back from her and nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

They were upstairs in a flash, the clothes coming off so fast. And then came the swimsuits. Their bodies were warm and still a bit damp from the hot tub, despite drying off, but the only thing on their minds was expressing what they felt.

It didn't take them long to get to the bed, him on top of her, setting a slow and gentle pace. It was the perfect end to the perfect first day in New York City. The perfect end to what was beginning to be the best Valentine's Day she had ever celebrated.

* * *

She woke up the next day to the sounds of the city. She started to panic when she didn't feel his warm arm draped around her back. She quickly turned her head, only to see a showered and dressed Fitz on his iPad on the chair. He smiled at her. "Good morning, beautiful. How'd you sleep?" he asked. "Pretty good actually. What time is it?" she asked curiously. "Ten. You're a sleepyhead" he chuckled. She smiled. "You wore me out last night," she said.

He raised his eyes from his iPad. She didn't even need to see his mouth to know he was smiling, those eyes said it all. "Woah. That came out...dirty" she said with a laugh. "It certainly did. And that's how I'm taking it. So...you're welcome" he replied happily. She smiled and rolled her eyes at him.

"What are you doing over there, anyway?" she asked. "Oh, just looking at some restaurants we could go to today. Getting a jumpstart since my cute girlfriend's too tired after all the dirty things I did to her last night" he said casually, not even looking up from his iPad now. She scoffed. "You think so, huh?" she asked, getting up from the bed. That drew his attention. "Oh, I know so. I heard you last night" he said.

"Oh, shut up, you did not!" she giggled, going over to him. He put his iPad down and wrapped his arms around her little body covered in his T-shirt that she had worn to bed. "Oh, Fitz. Oh god, yes, Fitz!" he mimicked in his best Olivia voice. "You, shush!" she exclaimed, punching his chest.

He laughed and leaned in close to her, rubbing his nose against hers before placing a soft kiss there. "We can go wherever we want today. But we have to be back and ready to be somewhere at six-thirty, okay?" he asked.

"Oh do we have reservations somewhere for dinner?" she asked. He paused. "Uhh...yeah. Mhm," he nodded. "Oh, where? A place you were looking at earlier?" she asked, gesturing to his iPad. "Yeah...but I'm not telling you where, it's a surprise" he explained. She smiled. "Oh okay! I'll go shower quick so we can get as much _adventuring_ in as we can! _"_ she smiled. "Sounds good" he replied, kissing her once more.

After she got ready for the day, they went out and adventured around the city, taking as many pictures as they possibly could. She assured him they would be making a photo album of their first trip together, which he happily agreed they should do.

She sent a few pictures to Abby, including one where they shared a kiss in the crown of the Statue of Liberty, which she thought Abby would thoroughly enjoy. She also sent a few more of the other places they went. Which, besides the Statue of Liberty, included Central Park, the Museum of Modern Art, the Empire State Building, and a little cafe they ate at for lunch.

They were blessed with another beautiful winter day, the temperature nearing fifty degrees, and the sun shining down on them. Everything was absolutely perfect. And as they stood and admired the big screens of Times Square just outside their hotel after a packed day, she directed her gaze at the man next to her. His curly hair blowing in the wind. That smile lighting up his face. Those blue eyes, shining so bright. Everything he was, everything he did, was perfect to her. _He_ was perfect.

* * *

She stood at the sink, putting on a little more makeup while he fixed his hair next to her. His shirt was still unbuttoned, his tie hanging around his neck untied. She felt his gaze on her as she finished touching up her eyeshadow, which went perfectly with the dress she was now wearing.

When she turned to him, he just looked at her intently. "What?" she asked. "You don't need that, you know," he said quietly. "My makeup?" she asked. He nodded. "Well nobody _needs_ it, I guess. It just...makes me feel prettier," she shrugged, not really sure how else to explain it.

"You are beautiful. With, or without makeup" he said with a smile. "Well thank you, that's very sweet of you," she said with a smile back. "It's just a fact, Livvie," he said, starting to button his shirt. "A fact, huh?" she giggled. He nodded. "Uh-huh. Just look it up on google. It will say, right there. Olivia Pope equals beautiful, always" he said, flipping up his collar. She couldn't help but laugh at that. "Oh, well it must be true if it's on _google"_ she teased. He smiled as he began tying his tie.

Her phone buzzed next to her, revealing a message from her mom, asking how her weekend was going. "Everything okay?" he asked. "Yeah, yeah. It's just my mom" she replied, as she sent a text back to her mother. "Is it okay that...they don't know you're here?" he asked.

"Well...it's probably not the greatest idea to keep it from them. But I didn't know how to lie my way through it" she admitted. He looked down. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't really think about that when I was planning. I know they're protective of you" he said apologetically.

"Oh, Fitz, god no. Don't worry about it. They can be as protective as they want, but I'm not a child anymore. I can make my own decisions" she said. "No, Livvie, I know. I know that. But they _are_ still your parents" he said. "They are. And one day, they'll know everything. Absolutely everything. Just...right now. I don't know. I'm afraid of what they'll say, or do, if they find out" she sighed.

"I understand, Liv, completely. I wasn't questioning you. I just feel bad that you have to keep something like this from them, is all" he replied. She nodded, understanding what he meant.

"Do you think...they'll like me? I mean, given everything..." he asked nervously. "Fitz. They will love you. Just like I do" she said with a smile. He nodded, but then cocked his head to the side. "Well...not _just_ like you do" he replied. She laughed. "Okay, true. You know what I mean!" she said, hitting his arm.

He chuckled and pulled her close to him. "I know, I know. I just like messing with you" he smiled. "Mean" she said, although she couldn't help but smile. He kissed her nose. "You ready to go? We should probably leave soon" he said, checking his watch. "I'm very ready, just let me grab my purse," she replied.

They walked hand in hand out of the hotel, heading down the crowded sidewalks of New York. They decided to walk, since it still wasn't all that cold, and he told her it was only about a ten minute walk.

She was very excited as to where they were going for dinner, but wondered why he had decided to keep it a surprise. It must be _some_ restaurant. They walked a similar path as they did yesterday on their little adventure, so she recognized some of the places they passed by.

She glanced at the New Amsterdam Theatre just ahead of them, looking so beautiful at night with all the lights lit up. It looked absolutely magnificent. And that's when he started to slow down.

He looked over at her and smiled. "Oh my god" she said. "We're not going to dinner, are we?" she asked. "No" he replied. "Oh my god!" she repeated. "I was hoping to get that reaction!" he smiled. "Are you serious? No way, Fitz. No way!" she exclaimed. "Yes, way!" he nodded. She wrapped her arms around him happily.

"I can't believe you did this. This is what you were doing this morning?" she asked. He nodded and smiled at her. "I got the best seats I could find on such short notice. I hope they're good" he replied. "Anything is perfect, Fitz. Thank you, thank you. I seriously can't believe you did this! We're going to see a Broadway show. At a real Broadway theater in _New York City!"_ she exclaimed, jumping slightly in his arms.

"We are! So come on, the Angel of Music awaits" he said. She nodded eagerly and they headed inside. They scanned the tickets on his phone after waiting in line for a bit, and off they went, to find their seats in the New Amsterdam Theatre.

Their seats were in the fourth row of the Mezzanine, which was actually optimal for viewing the stage. And it put them at eye level with the famous Chandelier, that would eventually "crash" in a normally very dramatic, and loud, way.

Olivia had seen multiple versions of the movie, and had already seen the musical three times. However, she never seemed to be prepared for that loud sound of the piano, when the Overture began to blast around them. But it was wonderful. Everything about it was just wonderful.

She felt tears in her eyes at different points throughout the show as she listened to the beautiful music around them, singing along to the songs in her head. Fitz's eyes never left the stage. She would occasionally sneak a glance over at him, to see him focusing so intently on what was happening on stage, whether dialogue or singing, which she found adorable. He really _did_ like theater.

It went by much too fast for her liking, because before she knew it, the cast was bowing in front of them as the audience gave them a well-deserved standing ovation. And then the curtains closed, ending their night out at the theater.

"So what's your favorite song from the soundtrack?" she asked as they walked. "Hmm...well, it's hard to beat the Overture. I like the piano. But other than that, I like 'Masquerade'" he smiled. "Oh I love 'Masquerade'! I think 'The Music of the Night' is my favorite, though. I liked this Phantom's voice better than any of the other's I've heard" she said happily.

"Really? Good, I'm glad" he replied. "Yes, thank you again. I can't say it enough" she said, kissing his cheek. "You are very welcome, Livvie. I'm glad you liked it, that was really fun" he smiled. "It was!" she nodded. "So now that it's almost eleven, do you want to actually get some dinner now?" he chuckled. "Sure. I could definitely eat" she said. "I figured. I'm pretty hungry too. Anywhere you want to go?" he asked.

She looked around as they continued walking back to the hotel, but nothing specific caught her eye. She was beginning to realize that she was not only hungry, but slightly exhausted from the long day they'd had. "How's room service on me sound?" she asked. He thought about it a bit. "You know what, that actually sounds awesome" he replied. "Good," she said with a smile.

They returned to their room and changed into some comfy clothes, before ordering burgers, fries, and chocolate lava cakes for dessert. They laid in bed and watched TV while they waited for their late night dinner to come. She lay on her back, propped up against his chest as he held her close. She found NBC sports as soon as they laid down, hoping to find something he'd like to watch. Luckily, there was a hockey game on, so she let him try and teach her the rules.

"Wait, so you can kick the puck everywhere else but you can't kick it in the net!?" she asked, taking a sip of whatever the hell Fitz had managed to mix for her with the alcohol in their mini-fridge. "Nope, that would be no goal, Livvie" he replied. "That's bogus" she replied. He just laughed. "You tell 'em, babe," he said, still laughing.

Her body tingled hearing him call her that. "Babe?" she asked. "Shit, uh...sorry. That just kind of...came out" he said nervously. "No, it's okay. I like it" she smiled. "Oh, okay. Well...sweet" he replied. She smiled to herself, knowing that if she could see his face right now it would probably be red.

"What the heck! Why'd that ref just karate chop his own arm?" she asked, suddenly. He burst into laughter again. "He's signaling slashing. See, watch the replay. The Nashville player slashed the stick right out of the Columbus player's hands" he pointed out. She saw what he was talking about, the guy's stick actually broke. "Woah! And he broke that guy's stick! He better buy him a new one" she said. She could feel him laughing, as his chest continued to rise and fall beneath her.

"What?" she asked. "Nothing. You are just so cute" he replied. "Their sticks break all the time. Sometimes players even break their own sticks because their slap shots are too strong" he explained. "That's crazy!" she exclaimed. "Mhm," he nodded, starting to play with her hair.

They continued watching the game, only stopping when she went to pay for the food that was brought to them with her card. "Thanks for dinner, Livvie," he said with a smile. "You're very welcome, handsome" he replied. They sat cross-legged on the bed across from each other as they ate their late dinner, which was amazing. As was the chocolate lava cake that they ordered.

By the time they had gotten ready for bed, they were exhausted. It had been a jam-packed day, and it was almost two in the morning when they finally crawled underneath the covers together. "I don't want to go back. I wish we could just stay here" she whispered into their dark room. He pulled her closer from behind. "Me too" he whispered back. But, as fun as staying there sounded, they both had lives to get back to the next day.

She turned around in his arms and planted a kiss on his lips, then moved to his neck. He seemed surprised, but lifted up his head a bit further for her to continue. Her hands slowly traveled further down his bare chest, and into his boxers. "Livvie" he whispered. "Hmm?" she replied. "It's two in the morning," he said, with a little laugh.

"It _is_ two in the morning" she nodded. But she pulled away to look at him, thinking maybe he wasn't into it after such a long day. "You want to?" he asked. She nodded shyly. He smiled and sat up, bringing her into his lap. "Mmm, as you wish." His lips trailed down her neck, before he quickly took off the T-shirt of his that she was wearing to bed, leaving her in just her underwear.

He pulled away and looked down, using both hands to slide her underwear down her legs further. She pulled back from him so she could take them all the way off while he did the same, and then straddled him once more.

She grinded against him a little first, which she couldn't take much of before she just wanted to give in. She had never been the greatest at foreplay, while he, on the other hand, seemed very good at it and took matters into his own hands most times. But right now he seemed just as eager as her.

He helped her onto him slowly, not moving at first so that she could get used to him a bit. She moaned at the feeling of him, and fought the urge to bite down on his shoulder. "You okay?" he whispered. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good," she nodded, starting to move her hips. A small groan came out of his mouth as she began to set the pace, his hands holding tighter to her little body. "Jesus Christ" he breathed. "What?" she asked. "Just...oh, god, just keep going," he whispered. "As...you wish," she breathed.

He moved his hands down her back further and helped her, pulling her as close as he could with each thrust. She returned to his mouth as their pace quickened, their tongues dancing together.

He felt so good. He always felt _so_ good. And she couldn't help but smile when they both let go and she heard her name come out of his mouth multiple times, as well as a few profanities. She could tease him later for that, as he had done to her.

They collapsed on the bed after cleaning themselves up, still trying to slow down their breathing. She lay on her back, looking up at the ceiling as he laid his head on her chest. Her fingers played around in his already messed up hair, and she just listened to the peaceful sound of his breathing. "Your heart" he whispered. "Hmm?" she replied. He snuggled closer to her, his head remaining directly above her heart and his hands holding on tightly to her waist. "It's beating so fast" he whispered. "I wonder why" she giggled quietly. "I have no idea" he teased.

They laid there for awhile, barely keeping their eyes open. "It's slower now" he whispered sleepily. "Mm, good" she replied. "I like this sound," he said. She laughed quietly. "You do, huh?" she asked. "Mhm. It's your little heart in there" he said, tickling her sides gently. She giggled. "You mean the one that you stole?" she asked. He was silent for a moment. "That was smooth, babe" he chuckled. She smiled. "Thanks, I tried" she shrugged. "You're a little heart-stealer too, you know" he whispered. "Oh yeah did I steal yours?" she asked happily. "You did. You know you did" he whispered back. She smiled, because she really did know that. "You have my heart, always" he whispered. "And you have mine."

* * *

They woke up the next day in the same position they fell asleep in, surprisingly. His arms still wrapped tightly around her, and his head on her chest.

After a little fooling around and quick showers, they got dressed and got ready to go get some brunch before they headed back to Connecticut.

Olivia looked to see if she had all of her souvenirs packed. Her brochure from the Museum of Modern Art, a keychain from the Statue of Liberty, and her Playbill from the Phantom of the Opera. She stowed all of it safely into her purse.

They were sad to be leaving their amazing hotel room, and the amazing city. It had been a fantastic weekend, one that neither of them would ever forget. It was certainly a Valentine's Day to remember.

* * *

Wow! Happy Valentine's Day, huh?

That was certainly a fun-filled weekend. I hope you liked it, extreme lengthiness, and all. I certainly had fun writing it.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	27. Nobody Is You

Olivia watched him as he paced the front of the auditorium, hands in his pockets, looking around the vast room. He had that wonderful smile on his face, the one that he usually had when he was up there. His mouth was definitely moving, he was speaking, but she had no idea what it was that he was saying.

On occasion, she found it hard to focus on his lectures. Which, kind of sucked, honestly. It was just more work for her in the end, having to go back and look at his lectures that he posts online after class so that she could read up on whatever she missed while she was daydreaming about god knows what.

Sometimes, it was his smile. Or just how happy and confident he was when he was teaching. Sometimes it was his hair, that seemed to only get curlier each day. Or his body, that his clothes always seemed to emphasize perfectly. Other times, it wasn't even what was right in front of her. It could be something he said to her the day before. Or some cute, nervous thing he did a month before. Or the way she could bring that man to his knees, begging her to keep doing what she was doing to him behind closed doors.

Needless to say, all of it was a distraction. But, she was fairly good at ignoring how wonderful her boyfriend was when she truly needed to in class, except for some days. And today was one of those days.

"Dismissed." She practically jumped out of her chair. Already? Had fifty minutes truly already gone by? _Fuck_. She grabbed her stuff and followed the crowd of students towards the front of the lecture hall, heading over to him. A couple students went to ask brief questions, before she was finally the one that stood in front of him.

"Professor Grant" she greeted. "Ms. Pope" he greeted back. "Wonderful lecture today" she smiled. He smiled, but continued looking down at the things of his that he was packing up. "Were you...paying attention?" he asked quietly. "Not in the slightest," she said quietly back. "You shouldn't be getting distracted, Ms. Pope" he whispered. "Then you shouldn't look like _that,"_ she said back. He chuckled quietly. "I'll work on it," he said, slinging his briefcase over his shoulder.

They walked out together into the chilly air. Spring was just about here, so it wasn't all that cold, just a bit of a breeze. "I'll call you later," he said under his breath, beginning to turn right as she began to turn left. "Please do" she replied. She turned to see him looking over his shoulder with a smile on his face, mouthing the words, "I love you." She, of course, mouthed back, "I love you too."

Tuesdays and Thursdays always left Olivia in a very chipper mood. It was always nice being able to interact with Fitz in public without being questioned about it, but it was also nice just to see him at work, because it was evident he loved his job. Even if he distracted her every now and then.

* * *

Fitz sat at his desk, making notes on what he still had left to do that day, when there was a knock on the door. He looked up to see Amanda outside his window. "Come in," he said.

Amanda had been a lot better since he told her he had someone in his life. She was, thankfully, a lot quieter. She didn't touch him, she didn't ask to go out for drinks, she truly didn't do anything besides keep her distance. Which, Fitz was thankful for.

"Hi, Fitz. Sorry to bother you, Sam just wanted me to run this to your office, quick. He had a meeting" she explained, handing him a stack of what looked like articles. "Ah. Thanks, Amanda" he replied, grabbing them from her. "No problem." She was just about to turn and leave when something seemed to catch her eye on his shelf behind him to his left.

"Wow, you've seen Phantom of the Opera?" she asked. He followed her gaze to his Playbill sitting on the shelf. "I have, yeah. Multiple times actually" he nodded. That specific Playbill was from when he had gone with Olivia, though, so it immediately brought a smile to his face.

"I love that musical. Did you actually go in New York City, or a theater that hosts Broadway shows here?" she asked. "That Playbill is from New York City, actually. I just went a couple weeks ago" he said. "Wow! I didn't know that. I hope you went with someone, New York City alone doesn't seem like much fun" she replied. "I went with my girlfriend," he said, a smile coming to his face just at the thought of her again. "Oh, well then that must have been very fun" she said. "It really was" he nodded.

It all came flooding back to him again. Being there with her, not having to hide. That trip was definitely one to remember.

His smile faded when he snapped out of it, and noticed who was standing outside his office window by the door. Olivia.

* * *

Olivia stood there, watching a very smiley Fitz talk to another woman, one that she actually recognized. She didn't have the full view of her, but she could see the side of her face very clearly, and she knew that it was the woman from Three Sheets all those months ago. The first time she had ever even seen Fitz outside a lecture hall, and that was one of the women he had been with. That was her, she was almost positive.

It was also the woman that she knew had a thing for him, the one he had told her about a while ago. The one he didn't even _speak_ to anymore, or so he said. _So much for that_ , she thought.

The woman had a smile on her face too, looking over at Fitz. And then he made eye contact with Olivia.

She didn't even wait, she just bolted. She made her way out of that building faster than she ever thought she could. In reality, she wanted to walk in there and ask what the hell they were talking about that made him look at her that way. Ask why Fitz had clearly lied to her. But she knew she couldn't, so she just ran.

She felt her phone vibrating in her coat pocket as she made her way across the street, but she didn't care. She didn't want to look at it, even though she knew it was him. Part of her knew that she was probably being somewhat dramatic and jealous, not even stopping to consider other reasons as to why they were talking. But she just kept picturing the way he smiled at her. That same smile that she thought was only for her, and nobody else.

She didn't care how ridiculous her thoughts were. She had never been so jealous before in her life, that, she was sure of.

She ignored the constant ringing of her phone, and made it back to her apartment, going immediately to her bedroom. All she had wanted to do, was go surprise him in the middle of the day. Just a quick visit, nothing more. But just like that, it had all gone wrong.

* * *

Fitz saw her quickly disappear from view, but the look on her face had said it all. She was hurt. He cleared his throat. "Um, sorry, Amanda. I actually have a conference call. Can you excuse me?" he asked. "Oh, uh...okay. Nice talking to you," she said. "Uh-huh," he said, uninterested.

After she left, he quickly grabbed his phone and called her. "Come on, Liv. Pick up" he muttered. No answer. He called her five times, but kept getting her voicemail. He sent her a text.

 _ **Liv, can you please answer your phone?**_

He waited for a response, but got nothing. So he called once more. Still no answer.

 _ **Olivia, come on. Answer your phone.**_

No response. He looked at his watch. 3:47 pm. He sighed. He had a meeting at four o'clock that he couldn't miss. It should only last about an hour, but until then, he wouldn't really be able to contact her. _Fuck_ , he thought. This is not at all how he imagined his Tuesday going.

He sat in his meeting, paying attention as best he could. The hour seemed to go by slower than he ever thought imaginable. He knew he had done nothing wrong, he knew that. But he also knew that in her eyes, it probably looked like a completely different story. And she wouldn't even let him prove her wrong.

Finally, his meeting ended. He quickly went back to his office to collect his things before he went out to the parking lot to get in his car. The drive to her apartment from his office was a mere five minutes, so it gave him a brief chance to call her as he drove. After the second call, he finally heard that wonderful sound. The sound of her picking up the phone.

"Olivia?" he asked. "What" she replied. "Olivia, I'm sorry I had a meeting. I'm almost to your apartment. Will you come down please?" he asked. "Why?" she asked. "Because I need to talk to you" he replied. "Why don't you just go talk to Amanda? It is _Amanda_ , isn't it?" she asked. "Liv, come on. Just come down and let me explain. I'm pulling in now" he said, parking in the back. "You mean cover your ass because you lied to me?" she asked. "Really, Olivia? Really? Just come down here" he said.

She was silent on the other end for a few moments, before she uttered a quiet, "fine", and hung up the phone.

He waited a couple minutes before seeing her emerge from behind some cars in the parking lot, walking towards his car. She got in silently, and he looked over at her. "Olivia—". "Why did you lie? You don't lie to me. Or, maybe you do and I'm just too stupid to see it" she interrupted.

"Olivia, I did not lie to you. I _do not_ lie to you. She came by to give me some articles for another professor who asked her to, that's all" he explained. "It sure didn't look like that was all. You seemed pretty happy there with her" Olivia replied. "Because I was talking about _you!"_ he exclaimed. "Livvie, come on. We hadn't spoken to each other in forever before today. She knows I have a girlfriend, she respects that. She has kept her distance, and I _certainly_ never seek her out to talk" he added.

"It looked like you two talk every day, which, you know, fine. You can certainly talk to other women. But don't lie about it to make me feel better" she said quietly. "Olivia! I did not lie! We do not talk, ever" he said.

She turned away from him, hiding her frown. "Livvie, please—". "You don't understand, Fitz! Do you know what it's like for me to see a woman in your office that you claim you never speak to when I come by to surprise you? A woman that we both know has a thing for you? A woman that is actually _your age?"_ she asked. "Maybe this is just me being overdramatic, or jealous. Maybe. But you just don't understand this part, okay?" she asked.

"Talk to me then. Help me understand" he replied softly. She sat there, looking out the window at the empty back half of the parking lot.

"I was barely twenty years old when we met, Fitz. Do you get that? Literally, two weeks before I met you, I was still nineteen _. Nineteen_ years old" she said. "Liv, I know—". "No, just let me finish" she interrupted.

"Everyone looks at me like I'm still a child. And, you know, I guess that's fair. My parents still support me, they're helping me with school payments, I get it. I'm still just a fucking kid, and that's how everyone looks at me. But not you. You have never looked at me that way. Last August, for the first time, a grown man, a thirty-six-year-old man, looked at me like I was an adult, a _woman_. You saw me. _Really_ saw me" she said.

He just sat there in silence absorbing her words. "But...sometimes when I see you with women, women _your age_ , it just...it feels like you _stop_ seeing me, and it hurts. Because to me, _that_ looks right. _That_ looks normal, you with women your age. I get it, alright, this isn't fair of me. And I know you don't...lie to me, I just...I guess I just got jealous of her and...I don't know, maybe I'm just rambling and I don't make any sense right now" she said.

It wasn't until then that he remembered why she said her prior relationship had ended. Because that bastard had cheated on her. Fitz knew he would never, _could_ never, but he also knew that that boy had probably left Olivia feeling insecure about herself, which was on top of the fact that _now_ she clearly felt a bit insecure about their age difference. He reached out to grab her hand.

"It makes sense. You make sense. I understand" he nodded. She looked over at him. "But I don't ever want to hear you imply that we don't look _right_ , or that we don't look _normal_ , because of our age difference. What it looks like, doesn't matter. You know that, I know you know that," he said. She sighed. "I know that" she nodded.

"Alright. And I don't talk to Amanda on a regular basis, I don't. I see her at work, because we do work together. But that's the extent of it" he assured her. She nodded. "Okay," she replied.

"And I know what it feels like, Olivia. I do. You remember my TA. The one that liked you. That hurt me too, not just because he was into you. But because he's someone that you could actually bring around to your parents, to your friends. He's someone that society would actually accept dating you, unlike me. But I just reminded myself what I reminded you, that it doesn't matter what we look like. So, long story short, I know how it feels, and I'm sorry I made you feel it, because it's not a good feeling" he said softly.

"I'm sorry I accused you of lying. I was just...jealous," she replied. He nodded, squeezing her hand. "Come here," he said, pulling her in for a hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. He pulled back and kissed her cheek.

"You know that I love you. Very much. You don't need to be jealous, ever. Nobody is you. Nobody will _ever_ be you" he said. She nodded at him, smiling a little at what he said. He couldn't help but smile back. He ran his finger along her jawline and kissed her nose. "I like the smile on your face much better than the frown" he whispered. "It feels better too" she replied.

"How about you come over and we can work on our book a little bit? We can grab dinner on the way" he suggested. He wanted to cheer her up a bit from their little argument. "Right now?" she asked. "Mhm, right now" he nodded. "Okay. Let me guess, you want Ivy Wok for dinner?" she asked. He smiled and didn't say anything. "You and your Ivy Wok" she giggled. "It's highly addictive," he said. "Very true. Alright, let's go" she smiled. "Sweet" he replied, putting his car into reverse.

They stopped and grabbed Ivy Wok on the way to his apartment, and headed inside. Since their trip to New York City, they had been slowly working on their photo album that they had planned on making. It had been quite an adventure, for sure. They went and developed the insane amount of pictures they took and bought a photo book that had lines to write on next to each picture, all about two days after their trip. Since then, they had been making good progress. That is, of course, when they didn't get _distracted_.

She laughed as soon as she saw his coffee table, still covered with their pictures. "I'm sorry our little project has taken up your living room" she giggled. "It's okay, I like it," he said. "You do, huh?" she asked. "Mhm. I'm watching a game, I look down at the table and see my Livvie. I'm watching the news, I look down at the table and see my Livvie" he smiled.

"Yeah, sweetie, I think you took too many pictures of your Livvie" she giggled, spreading out all the pictures on the coffee table. She was right, there were a ton that he had taken just of her, including many where she wasn't even looking at him, but out into the distance. There certainly were not _too_ many though. She was so perfect.

"Impossible" he replied. "This is my favorite one," she said, holding up a picture she had taken of him. He was sticking out his tongue at her in Central Park, his hair blowing every which way in the wind.

"Dammit, I knew I forgot to get rid of one of the pictures" he joked. She gasped. "You wouldn't dare!" She exclaimed. "Ugh, fine. I'll let you put it in the book" he sighed. "But only if you write 'fucking hot' next to it" he added. "Oh, you know I _so_ would," she said with a laugh. "Yes, I know you would, you silly girl" he smiled, leaning over to give her a kiss. "Wanna eat?" he asked. She nodded.

They ate their dinner in the living room, looking over some of their pictures while hockey played on the TV. It had become one of their favorite things to do, something Olivia called "carpet picnics", which he thought was adorable. As was everything else about his sweet girlfriend, at least in his mind. In his mind, she was perfect. So perfect. And she didn't even know it. She didn't even know just how perfect he thought she was. But someday, she would know. That, he was sure of.

"Move your arm over!" she exclaimed. "You move yours over!" he teased. He bumped his left arm against her right as he continued writing in their book next to a photo he had taken of the Statue Of Liberty.

"You realize we could just switch sides right now, right?" he chuckled. "Yeah, but what's the fun in that? Just write with your other hand!" she teased. He scoffed. "You right-handed people already take over the damn world, okay, let me be" he chuckled.

"I'd let you be but then I'd have to watch you struggle. Sweetie, why do you hold your pen that way?" she asked with worry. "This is just how I write, babe" he chuckled. "It looks like it hurts! Your hand is like...hooked" she noted. "Mhm. So it doesn't _smudge_. We don't have it easy, you know. You should see me try to use a can opener" he said, looking over at her. She giggled and put her pen down, leaning her head against his shoulder to watch him write.

"This is fascinating," she said. "Why thank you" he replied. She clung to his arm while he continued to write next to a couple pictures.

"Hey, Fitz?" she said. "Yeah, babe" he replied, still writing. "Nobody is you, either. Nobody will _ever_ be you, either" she said softly. He stopped writing and turned to look at her. _"Obviously"_ he teased with a smile. She scoffed. "Okay, I take it back," she said, trying to look as serious as she could. "No, no, I'm sorry say it again," he said.

She pulled her arm away from his and started to move away in defiance. "No can do" she replied with a smile. "You come back here," he said, dropping his pen to reach for her arm. She giggled and started to get up to try and run away, but he caught her and brought her back to the ground, pinning her arms above her head with one hand. She squirmed and giggled in his grip, already anticipating what she knew was to come.

"Don't make me do it" he teased, moving his hand towards her stomach. "Ahhh!" she screamed, laughing uncontrollably. "Say it again, Livvie, say it again" he chuckled, starting to tickle her. "No!" she giggled. He was surprised she had even lasted this long without giving in. He had just recently discovered that she was by far the most ticklish person he had ever met. He could "pretend" to tickle her without even physically touching her, and she'd be in tears laughing.

"You gotta say it, come on" he threatened, moving his fingers up to her underarms which were completely exposed. "Okay, okay! Nobody will ever be you!" she giggled, tears streaming down her cheeks. "There it is" he said with a smile, letting go of her hands.

She wiped the tears off her cheeks and smacked his chest. "Um, ow," he said, clutching his chest jokingly. "Mhm, that's right, you deserved that" she replied. He laughed. She just giggled as she looked up at him with that smile of hers. The one that drove him crazy.

He found himself looking down at her lips, her perfect lips. And he couldn't resist. So he leaned down and kissed her. He got déjà vu and realized they had been in a similar situation before. During their little New Years Eve party, when they were supposed to be just friends, but ended up making out on the living room floor for a while.

The thought made him happy, though, because it was the day after that, that everything had changed for them. They had decided to no longer be friends anymore, but to be what they had wanted to be since the day they met each other. And for all of that, he was extremely grateful.

* * *

Well, you all saw jealous Olivia make an appearance in this chapter, as well as a bit of an argument. But they handled it fairly well, huh? Do you think Olivia had a reason to be upset, or was she being a bit too protective?

Hope you all enjoyed.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	28. Spring Break

"Abby! Come on, Fitz is waiting outside!" Olivia yelled. She turned to see Abby struggling down the hallway with her giant suitcase. "Coming!" she replied. Olivia laughed at the funny sight. "Need help?" she asked. "Oh, no. No. I got this" Abby assured her. "Okay, okay" Olivia shrugged.

They, very slowly, made their way down to the apartment lobby and outside. Thankfully, Fitz had pulled up to the front so they didn't have to walk too far. "Hey, you two!" Fitz greeted, rolling down his window. "Hi, pretty boy" Abby replied. Fitz chuckled. "We're still doing that nickname, huh?" he asked. "Always, pretty boy, always. Hey, it's a compliment" Abby said, slamming the trunk and getting in the back seat. Liv got in the front seat and smiled at him. "Hi, sweetie" she greeted. "Hi, you" he replied, putting the car into drive.

They started driving a bit and at the first red light they hit, he leaned over and kissed her, giving her a proper greeting. "Aw, my faves are so cute," Abby said from the backseat. They both laughed and looked over at each other.

"So what are your plans for break, Abby?" Fitz asked. "Nothing, really. Relaxing mostly, seeing some high school friends. Facetiming Liv when you're not" she giggled. Fitz laughed. "No, no. I don't want to intrude on girl talk. I'll work around your guys' facetime schedule" he chuckled.

Abby smacked Olivia's arm. "Did you just hear him? He is definitely a keeper" she said. "Oh, I've known that for awhile, Abby" Olivia assured her. "Damn right, you have," he said. Olivia grabbed his hand and held it on the center console.

She was happy, driving to the airport with the two people she would miss most over break. She and Abby always found flights as close together as possible so that they could take a cab to the airport together, but having Fitz drive them allowed them to save some money, and allowed Olivia to see him right before she left. Plus, he was happy to see her off as well.

It wasn't long before they were pulling into the airport drop off-area, getting ready to say goodbye. Abby left the car to grab her suitcase, and to give the two of them some privacy.

"I'll miss you," Olivia said sadly, turning towards him. "I'll miss you too. But it's only a week, not bad at all" he said with a smile. "Yes, you're right. I'll call you tonight, okay?" she said. "Sounds good, babe. I'll see you in a week" he said, leaning in to kiss her. "Bye. I love you" she said. "I love you too."

She reluctantly got out of the car and grabbed her suitcase, waving to Fitz as he drove away. She looked sadly down at the ground. If she felt this bad about saying goodbye to him for a week, she had no idea how it would feel saying goodbye to him for three months for summer break. That would be awful.

"It will go fast," Abby said, bringing her out of her thoughts. "Yeah, I know," Olivia nodded.

They were a couple hours early, but by the time they got their boarding passes and had gone through security, they didn't have to wait too long before Abby was boarding her plane, and Olivia was going to her gate to wait about twenty more minutes to then board hers.

The flight was boring and too long for her liking, but finally, after what seemed like a whole miserable day, she was getting off at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Her parents were waiting for her in the pick-up area, and they were incredibly happy to see her after not seeing her for a few months.

"What do you want for dinner, Livvie? Anything special?" her mother asked as they drove home. "It doesn't matter to me, mom. Anything's fine" she replied. "Is everything okay, baby?" she asked. "Oh, yes, of course, mom. I'm so happy to be home. To see you both" Olivia said happily. "We're happy too, Livvie. We've missed you!" Maya exclaimed. "We have, indeed. And don't forget, kiddo, our Valentine's dinner is tomorrow night" her father reminded her. "I could never forget that, dad. Can't wait!" she replied.

They grabbed some dinner on the way home and went to have a nice, relaxing night at home. Olivia was very happy to be back there, and staying in her old room was always the best.

When she finally retired to that wonderful bedroom of hers, she immediately pulled out her laptop from her backpack so she could FaceTime Fitz on it. He answered pretty quickly.

"Hi!" she exclaimed. "Hey beautiful girl," he said back. "What happened to your shirt?" she teased, glancing at his shirtless self on her screen.

It was certainly not uncommon to see him without one, but she loved to tease him. He glanced down at his bare chest. "Hmm...I seem to have misplaced it" he said confusedly. She laughed. "No complaining here. How has your first day of break been going?" she asked. "Pretty good, how about yours? How was the flight?" he asked. "Boring, but not too bad. Being home is fun, I'm definitely glad to see my parents again. But I already miss you" she replied. "I miss you too, but you'll have fun at home!" he assured her.

"Yeah, I know. I like spring break" she nodded. He nodded too. "Yeah, spring break is fun. And don't hate me for saying this, but I'm pretty happy that you're not spring-breaking in Mexico with a bunch of other college kids or something. That would...give me nightmares" he said.

"I don't hate you for saying that, that's completely understandable," she said with a laugh. "Yeah, I completely trust you, Livvie, but...college boys on spring break...nope. No trust there" he said, shaking his head. "None, huh?" she teased. "None. They'd be all over you and then I'd have to fly to Mexico to start kicking some frat boy ass" he replied.

She burst into laughter. "You and Abby are so supportive, offering your ass-kicking services to me whenever I need them" she giggled. "But I think you give me too much credit, I seriously doubt they would be 'all over me'" she said, air quoting what he had said.

He looked at her as if she was insane. "Um...have you seen yourself?" he asked. "Well, I do see myself on occasion, yes" she giggled. "You are the most beautiful thing I have ever freaking seen, and I am certainly not the only one who thinks this. I'm just the only one lucky enough to call you mine" he said. She could feel herself blushing. "You always know just what to say to make me blush" she replied. He cocked his head to the side and smiled at her.

"But yeah, I'm also happy to just be _home_ for spring break. I really did miss my parents" she said. "Well, I'm glad, Livvie. I'm sure they missed you tons as well" he smiled. "I think they did. I spent all night with them, we had dinner and watched two whole movies" she giggled. "Your family is so cute. Which movies?" he asked. "The first two Hunger Games movies" she answered.

"Oh, those are good movies," he said. "Aren't they? I love them. Oh and please don't tell me you're team Gale" she grimaced. He scoffed. "Um, absolutely not. Team Peeta, _obviously"_ he said, very dramatically, of course. She started laughing. "Thank god," she said.

They talked for a while longer, but she was tired from the day of travel, so she didn't put up much of a fight when he said he'd let her go so she could go to sleep. As always, she went to sleep with him on her mind.

* * *

The next day, Olivia woke up and smelled that wonderful smell of her mom making breakfast. It was Sunday morning, after all.

She had half unpacked the previous night, so her clothes were scattered throughout her room. She slipped on the nearest sweatshirt she could find, and headed downstairs. "Good morning," she greeted. Her mother turned around and smiled. "Well good morning Livvie," she said. "Hi, honey" her father greeted, looking up from his newspaper and coffee. She smiled at this wonderful sight.

"You are just in time, it's about ready," Maya said. Olivia sat down next to her dad at the table after pouring herself a glass of orange juice. "Sleep well in the old room?" Eli asked. She laughed. "Of course" she replied.

"Alright, here we are," Maya said, bringing her and her dad their plates of pancakes, eggs, and bacon. "Thanks, mom. Looks great!" she exclaimed. "Thank you, dear," Eli said. Maya brought her plate over to the table as well, and they all had a nice family breakfast together.

"Livvie, I love that sweatshirt. Did we get that for you? I can't remember" Maya said, studying her sweatshirt. Olivia looked down and realized that it was a navy blue, worn Yale sweatshirt. _Fitz's_ navy blue, worn Yale sweatshirt.

"Uh...no, actually I got this, myself. From the bookstore, with all the points I had on my account. Vintage is really... _in_ right now" Olivia said, hoping they'd believe that was why it looked so worn. "Mm, that's very true, actually. I'm seeing vintage everything nowadays" Maya replied. "Mhm," Olivia smiled, thankful that she dodged a bullet.

"Oh, I was going to tell you, Liv. I finally set up your wisdom teeth appointment for the first week you get back this summer. I just figured you wouldn't be working quite yet so you'd have plenty of time to recover," her mother explained.

Olivia grimaced. She had been putting that off for over a year now. Her wisdom teeth weren't hurting her or anything, but according to her dentist, they needed to come out because there just simply wasn't enough room for them to come in. Plus, after having braces for a year and a half in high school, she didn't really want anything messing up her now very straight teeth.

"Yippee," Olivia replied. "Oh, _Olivia_. It won't be too bad, I promise. You're tough! Plus, they give you lots of medication, you'll be a little loopy afterward" her mother said with a laugh. Olivia froze. _Oh shit, that's right._ "And the younger you are, the better. I was twenty-four when I had mine out. Worst mistake ever. You'll recover faster than I did" her mother assured her.

But all Olivia could think about was what they'd give her. She thought back to when her friend Sandra had gotten her wisdom teeth out. She had been pretty loopy for an hour or two afterward and had said a lot of funny, but crazy things. What if Olivia said something about Fitz? She made a plan to ask Sandra to take and pick her up from surgery as well. At least if she spilled something about Fitz, she could trust Sandra with it.

Olivia spent the day with her parents, and eventually the evening just with her dad. He took her to a very nice Italian restaurant called Fiola in D.C. for their Valentine's Day dinner, which was extremely good. They even took some tiramisu home for dessert, which was absolutely delicious. After about an hour FaceTime chat with Abby, and a brief chat with Fitz on the phone, Olivia was out like a light.

* * *

 _ **Olivia: I'm here!**_

 _ **Sandra: Coming!**_

Olivia watched happily as Sandra walked out to meet her. "Liv!" Sandra exclaimed as she got in, giving her a hug. "Hi Sandra!" she replied. "Nice ride! He let you use his car?" Sandra asked, clearly impressed. Olivia laughed, looking around at the beautiful interior of her dad's Land Rover Discovery. "Yes! He and my mom carpooled today so I could use his car. Mine's still at school" she explained. "Well, I drove back from school, so we can also use mine this week," Sandra said. "Sweet" Olivia replied.

They went to the old coffee shop where she, Sandra, and Stephen had spent a lot of their days after school. Olivia, of course, got tea rather than coffee.

They were both a little sad that Stephen couldn't join them, because his college's spring break was the week after theirs, so Olivia, for sure, wouldn't see him until summer.

They chatted about how their second semesters were going so far, and about what their plans were for the summer.

"Oh, Sandra, before I forget. Will you be free on Tuesday, May eighth?" Olivia asked. "Um, I should be. I think I get back the weekend before that. Why?" she asked. "My mom made my wisdom teeth appointment for that day, and I don't want to say something stupid in front of them when I'm all loopy," Olivia said with a laugh. Sandra giggled. "Oh! I remember those days, I feel you. Yes, I can totally do that" Sandra nodded. "Oh, thank god" Olivia sighed.

Sandra raised an eyebrow at her. "What exactly are you afraid of spilling to your parents? You're a good girl" Sandra said with a laugh. Olivia considered telling Sandra right then and there. She trusted her, but for now, she decided to keep all the details from her.

"Well, there are just things I would rather keep...from them. Drinking, partying...boys," Olivia replied. Sandra smiled. _"Mmmm_ hm. With special emphasis on _boys,"_ she winked. Olivia could feel herself blushing. Sandra screamed, not at all quietly, in the coffee shop.

"I knew it! I knew you were gettin' some! There's a boy" Sandra stated. Olivia bit her lip. "Maybe there's...a boy, yes" she replied. "Yes, girl, yes!" she exclaimed. Olivia laughed. "I'm not really...ready to tell people about him right now. Just...you know, it's not that serious or anything yet so I don't want to make a big deal about it" she shrugged. She knew her relationship "not being serious" was a straight up lie, because her feelings certainly suggested otherwise. But, she didn't really know else to lie her way through that one.

"Hey, no problem, Liv, no problem. At least tell me if he's cute, though" Sandra smirked. Olivia smiled. "Oh, Sandra, Ohhhh Sandra. He is so beyond cute" she replied. Sandra screamed. _Again._ "Ugh, yes! A cutie from Connecticut or...maybe not from Connecticut?" Sandra questioned. "California" Olivia stated. Sandra's jaw dropped. "I almost just screamed again but I don't want to get us kicked out," she said. "Thanks for that" Olivia said with a laugh.

"A cutie from California! A Cali boy! Ahhhhh!" Sandra yelled in a hushed voice. Olivia just sat there shaking her head. Sandra and Abby's similarities were really being shown at the moment. "Mhm," Olivia nodded. "Um, let me just live vicariously through you real quick," Sandra said, which made Olivia laugh even harder.

She had missed Sandra so much since the last time she had seen her. She was so happy to be back with her, laughing and joking together.

They had a wonderful day, just being with each other. It felt like old times, but they were just missing the third musketeer, Stephen. Olivia was getting a little more excited for summer now, knowing that she'd be able to have fun with her old friends again. Of course, that wouldn't change the fact that she'd miss all the people she had grown to love at school, so much.

* * *

"Hey!" Olivia greeted. "Hi, you," Fitz said back, smiling over at her on her screen. "Woah, you're not in your room," Fitz added. "Yeah, I'm in my basement. The TV's bigger and I don't have to be as careful and quiet down here when I talk to you" she explained. "Ahh, nice, nice" he nodded. "Mhm. Oh, right. I talked to Sandra today and she said she can take and pick me up from my appointment" Olivia said.

"Oh, well that's good news. Although, I wasn't that worried, to begin with, I'm sure everything will be fine, but good call" he replied. "Yeah, I'm sure it will be too, I just wanted to be safe. I told my parents that Sandra was taking me because she wanted revenge after I got embarrassing videos of her when she got hers out. Which, is actually true," Olivia giggled.

Fitz laughed. "I kind of wish I could see loopy Liv" he chuckled, which made Olivia laugh. "Oh god. I'm sure it will be a sight to see. Sandra's gonna have a great time watching that" Olivia said, shaking her head. "I'm sure she will. Although, I've seen drunk Liv a few times. That's also amusing" he chuckled. "Shut up!" she giggled.

He shrugged. "You've seen your fair share of drunk Fitz, too, so don't worry," he said. "True, actually. Like when we finished three whole bottles of champagne. Man, that was just...not a good idea" she said. "No, it really was not, was it? Why did we do that?" he chuckled. "Well, it was our New Years Eve, we deserved to go a little too hard that night" she pointed out. "True. Very true" he nodded.

"That was a great night" she sighed. "Mhm, I fully expect a similar celebration this year, by the way" he smiled. "Sounds like a plan. I'll even make out with you on the floor again if you want" she giggled.

"Ha! You did me so dirty that night, Liv. You were all, 'I never got a New Year's Kiss!' So, then I'm thinking, 'okay, hell no Fitz, don't do that. Code red, _do not_ do that'. But, of course, my drunken self did it. And then you pulled me down on top of you and...it all just went downhill from there" he chuckled.

"Downhill! Are you insulting my making out abilities!?" she exclaimed. "Oh, no. Your abilities are...phenomenal. Downhill in the sense that that wasn't supposed to happen" he said with a laugh. "Yes, well. It was still amazing, so...no regrets" she shrugged. "Definitely not," he said, shaking his head.

Facetiming with him and Abby became a routine over Olivia's spring break. Not every night, but as often as everyone could.

Her week really did go by so fast, just as Abby had told her it would. She hung out with Sandra a lot, she spent time with her parents, and she just relaxed. Overall, she couldn't complain. It was a pretty good spring break.

* * *

Well, this second semester is going pretty fast! Big things planned for the near future, but you'll just have to wait and see. The next update should come fairly quickly, because I actually switched a couple things around that I hadn't planned to so most of it is already written. Hope you enjoyed Liv's spring break at home, (not in Mexico, fortunately for Fitz)!

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	29. Good To Be Back

When Olivia flew back to school on Saturday night, Fitz was happily there to pick her up. She was exhausted again, from another full day and an evening of travel, so he immediately went to drop her off at home. After getting everything somewhat settled back at her apartment, she was out cold around eleven o'clock.

The next day, she spent a lot of her time catching up on the schoolwork she hadn't finished while she had been at home. Truly she had done a good amount already, but she just needed to finish a few more things.

Now, Olivia looked at her planner, with every single box for spring break already checked off, besides studying for her biology exam. Biology was her easy subject this semester, so she wasn't all that worried.

She was feeling good about herself, and after the past three hours of paper-writing for International Politics, all she really wanted to do was see the professor, since she hadn't gotten to spend proper time with him the prior evening. She quickly dialed his number as she looked out the window on this beautiful Sunday afternoon. He didn't take long to pick up.

"Hey, you" he greeted. "Hi!" she replied. "What's up?" he asked. "Can I come over? I miss you and I'm bored" she said. He scoffed on the other end. "You just want to come over because you're bored!?" he asked. _"And_ I miss you! I've barely seen you in a week!" she exclaimed. He laughed. "Okay, okay. I believe you. Want me to come get you?" he asked. "No that's okay, I'll just drive" she replied. "Okay, I'll see you soon. You can just come in, the door will be unlocked" he said. "Okay. See you soon, bye" she said. "Bye."

She went to grab Fitz's old Yale sweatshirt to wear over her T-shirt, and grabbed her keys to head out. Abby still wasn't back yet, so she locked the door behind her.

Paxton Hills was an easy, quick drive. When she got there, she purposefully parked her car next to Fitz's Audi near the back of the lot. He always parked in the back of parking lots so that he didn't get door-dinged. That Audi of his was very dear to his heart.

She walked up and was relieved when she saw that the doorman today was Christian, her favorite doorman. He was always chipper, and over the past few months, he had always been extra sweet to her.

"Ma'am!" he greeted. "Hi, Christian, thank you very much" she replied. "Of course. Have a wonderful day, ma'am" he said sweetly. "You too, Christian." She smiled at him as he let her into the building.

She had slowly been learning all of the doormens' names, one of the things Fitz was very good at, and one of the things she admired most about him. He always made an attempt to make friends with as many people as he could. "Grant's girl!" the man at the front desk exclaimed. She laughed, knowing exactly who it was.

"Hi, Mr. Baxter" she greeted back. "You and FTG three causing trouble today?" he asked. "Oh, don't we always" she replied, laughing. "That's what I like to hear. Have a good day, now" he said. "You too!" she said back. She shook her head as she got into the elevator, hitting the button for the sixth floor.

When she neared the end of the hallway, she saw apartment 639 and turned the handle to head inside. She smiled at the familiar scent that always hit her as she walked into his apartment. The scent of his apartment, of him.

"Fitz, I'm here!" she yelled. "Be out in a sec, just putting on a shirt!" he yelled. She frowned. "Why on earth would you do that?" she asked. He was silent for a moment. "When I walk outside naked, people throw garbage at me" he replied. She burst into laughter. "Oh my god, did you just quote Chandler Bing?" she yelled. "Yeah I just did that" he yelled back. "Wow, I love you" she giggled. "You better" he shot back.

"Hurry up and come kiss me. Forget the damn shirt" she yelled. "So bossy" he replied. He emerged from the hallway, wearing gym shorts and no shirt, as she was taking off her shoes. Staring at his muscular body never got old. _Ever._

"Hey, babe," he said, coming to give her a kiss. "Hey," she said, kissing him back. "The drive okay?" he asked, going to get some water from the fridge. "Mhm. Your buddy said hi to me again downstairs" she said. "Oh, Logan?" he asked. "Yeah. Only Logan would yell 'Grant's girl!' across the room" she said with a laugh. He shook his head. "He's crazy" he chuckled.

"How come that's all he calls me? He knows my first name" she questioned. "Uhh..." he replied. "Oh god, what," she said nervously. "Well, no, no. It's not...bad. He just gives me shit about you" he replied, taking a sip of his water.

"Um, okay, that _sounds_ bad" she replied. "What? No, no. It isn't bad. It's just..." he began. "What?" she asked. "Well. I never really brought...women here much...before" he said quietly. She raised an eyebrow at him. "You didn't?" she asked. "Not often. So he gives me shit, because you are clearly...different. Hence, 'Grant's girl'" he said. She nodded, smiling at that explanation.

"Well, the nickname he has for you is way better," she said. He laughed. "Ah, FTG three, right?" he asked. She nodded. "Yeah, what's the backstory on that one?" she asked. "Nothing, really. We were just having drinks one night and I mentioned that one of my buddies from high school used to call me that. And Logan loved it, so" Fitz shrugged.

"I like it too. Your high school buddy was very clever" she nodded. "Mhm, that's Brett for you. Speaking of him, he just sent me this on Friday, actually" he said, going to look through a stack of mail on his bar. He brought back two cards, that she realized were a wedding invitation and the RSVP card.

"He's getting married?" she asked, looking over the details written on the card for the July wedding. "Mhm," he nodded. "Well that will be fun! Are you not going to go or something?" she asked, noting the unmarked RSVP card.

"Well, no I'm going to go. I just...I thought maybe I could talk to you about it" he said. She raised her eyebrow. "Talk to me about your friend's wedding?" she asked. He bit his lip. "Yeah...I was wondering if there's any way you could...come with" he said.

She looked at him in surprise. "Wait, really?" she asked. "Mhm. I know it's during the summer and all but it's on a Saturday night, so you wouldn't be working. And he lives in Pittsburgh now, which is where the wedding is. I know it's a long shot and I know your parents are a little strict but I just thought I'd ask, because I'd really like it if you could be my date" he said.

She thought about it, wondering how it would all work. "I'm thinking," she said. He smiled, seeming to watch the wheels turn in her head. "Well, my parents let me go visit Abby last summer, so that excuse could probably work," she asked.

"But are you okay driving that far? Pittsburgh is about a four-hour drive from Arlington, I looked it up. I don't want you to do anything you're not comfortable with" he said.

She smiled. "Fitz it's okay. I have to drive over _five_ hours to get to school from home, and four hours to go visit Abby, which I've done multiple times. I'll be okay" she assured him. "You're sure?" he asked.

"Positive. I can make this work, I really want to go!" she exclaimed. "Yeah?" he asked. "Yeah!" she replied. "Awesome. I'll probably fly there because it's about an eight-hour drive from here. I'm sure we can figure out all the details, later" he said. "Yeah we can. I'm so excited!" she exclaimed. "Me too! I'm so glad you're going to come" he replied.

He began writing down his and Olivia's name on the RVSP card, and they chose what they wanted for dinner at the reception. She already couldn't wait. She had never been to a wedding as anyone's date before, she had only gone to family or family friends' weddings with her parents. She knew it would be a blast with him. But it also gave her a reason to dread going home to Virginia for the summer even more. It was coming up fast, and she wasn't exactly ecstatic about it.

She was excited for a break, for no more studying and homework. And spring break had reminded her how fun it could be there. But she would miss her friends here so much, she would miss her routine. And she would miss him. A lot.

Three months was a long time to be away from anyone you loved. Fitz, Abby, Quinn, the boys, even Cyrus and James. She'd miss them all so much. Although, she and Abby would obviously see each other a couple times this summer, since she lived the closest of all her college friends, so at least she'd have that. And at home, she'd have Stephen and Sandra.

She was also excited to go back to the internship in D.C. she had started in the middle of last summer. But she'd still miss school so, so much. She tried to shove these thoughts aside, because she still had over a month left here, which was a fairly decent amount of time, at least.

"What're you thinking about over there?" Fitz asked. She snapped out of it and looked at him. She shook her head. "Nothing you want to hear about" she replied. "No, talk to me" he encouraged.

She sighed. "I'm just thinking about...summer. When I go" she said. His eyes grew sad. "Yeah. I...think about that too" he admitted. "We'll be okay...right?" she asked. "Liv, of course, we'll be okay. Why would you even ask that?" he asked. "Well I don't know. I just...I've never done long distance before" she said. "Neither have I, but we'll figure it out together. We'll be just fine. Plus, now we'll for sure see each other in July for the wedding" he said. She nodded happily.

"You still want to...do that, right?" he asked. "Do what?" she asked back. "Well...you still want to date me when...you go home?" he asked again. "Fitz, sweetie, yes, of course. I wouldn't have agreed to the wedding if I didn't want to" she said.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Right. I thought you would want to, I just...well I guess we've never actually talked about it" he said. She nodded. He was right, they hadn't officially discussed it.

"We can talk every night on the phone" she suggested. "Yes. But I don't want to get in the way of your summer, either. I still want you to go out and have fun, Livvie. These are some of the best years of your life and I don't want to ruin that" he said. "What? Fitz, no. You could never ruin anything. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me!" she exclaimed. He started blushing. "As are you" he replied. She smiled.

"And plus, I'll still have Stephen and Sandra. And my internship. I'll have plenty of fun. Obviously just...not as much fun as I have with you" she admitted. "Your internship counts as fun?" he chuckled.

"Yes! Well, it's a lot of work. But that's kind of what interns are for, I suppose. It pays well, it has decent hours, and it's only four days a week. Overall, I can't complain" she said.

"I know you're a press intern but which company is it again?" he asked. "Center for American Progress in D.C. It's pretty damn close to the White House, actually" she explained. "Mm, my baby's a big deal," he said proudly, wrapping his arms around her. She laughed. "I don't know about _that"_ she replied. "Well you're certainly a big deal to me." She smiled and gave him a kiss.

"What are you gonna do here without me for three months?" she teased. He laughed. "Hmm. Well, I usually teach a couple evening classes. Attend a few conferences here and there. Spend some time at the cabin I like to go to, just relax a bit" he explained.

"Wait, what cabin?" she asked. "The one I rent out. It's one of my favorite places to go" he replied. "Like a house on the Atlantic?" she asked. "Oh, no. It's not on the ocean, it's on a lake. Candlewood Lake, just outside of New Fairfield and Brookfield. A guy named Dennis owns it and rents it out to people for as long as they want. He's got a couple of boats and a jetski and everything. I think he actually makes a pretty good deal of money doing that" he said.

"Really? You've never told me that. That sounds so fun!" she exclaimed.

"It is. It's so relaxing up there. I started going there in college when I just wanted to get away from school. I couldn't really just up and fly home to California, nor would I really have wanted to. So when I did some searching and found Lake Candlewood, I found Dennis's cabin and fell in love with the place. It's a great area, has a small town feel for sure, everyone kind of knows each other. It's just...you don't get anything like that here in such a big city, you know? It's definitely one of my favorite places to go. I can't believe I haven't told you about it" he said.

"That sounds amazing. So you'd bring your college friends up there and stuff?" she asked. "Actually, no. I have always just gone by myself" he replied. "Oh really?" she asked. "Mhm. I definitely didn't want my crazy college buddies burning down Dennis's cabin or something" he chuckled, which made her laugh.

"Plus, sometimes it's relaxing to just go and enjoy some time by yourself. But, you know...maybe...you'd want to come with me sometime?" he asked. She looked at him in surprise. "You'd want me to come?" she asked. "Yeah. You're the only one I'd want there with me" he said.

"Oh, Fitz. I don't want to intrude if you like going there alone!" she said. "Well, I do like that. Nobody else is allowed. But you're different" he shrugged. "I'm different?" she asked. "Um, yes. First of all, you're about six times more mature than my college buddies were, I know you wouldn't burn down the damn cabin. Second of all, I'm in love with you. And third, I like going places with you. See, you're just different" he said.

She giggled at his explanation. "So would you want to?" he asked hopefully. "I definitely would want to!" she answered. "Cool. I usually go in late April to early May, depending on how the weather is" he explained.

She gasped. "What if we went for your birthday?" she asked. He chuckled. "It might be a bit too cold up there yet in mid-April. Plus, we don't have to do anything special for my birthday, I just want to spend it with you" he said. She laughed. "Um, of course, we're doing something special," she said, as if it were obvious.

"What? No, Liv. You'll be studying for finals by that time and...birthdays aren't a huge deal anyway" he shrugged. She scoffed. "I mean, except for yours!" he exclaimed. She laughed. "Birthdays _are_ a huge deal, and we are _definitely_ doing something for yours" she stated. He shook his head and she smiled happily at him.

"You are so cute" he chuckled, kissing her nose. "Mm, look who's talking" she smiled. "Wow, I'm so excited. Now I have all these things to look forward to!" she added. "You certainly do," he said with a smile. She hugged him tighter and rested her head on his chest.

"I love you" she whispered. "Well that was sweet of you, I love you too, Livvie" he whispered back. He pulled back and just looked at her. "Oh, hey, I went to target yesterday and bought you this new white cheddar popcorn. Wanna try some?" he asked as he pulled back. "Um, yes. Always" she replied. He laughed. "I thought so. It looks pretty good," he said, going over to the counter by the fridge.

He reached into the grocery bags that were there, and pulled out the bag of popcorn. "Oh, and I got that shampoo you like, by the way," he said casually, pulling out bottles of Pantene shampoo and conditioner. "Oh and this body wash. And face wash" he added, pulling those out too.

"What? For me?" she asked, coming to stand next to him. "Mhm. So you don't have to smell like Old Spice every time you shower here" he chuckled. "Oh, Fitz, thank you! You didn't have to do that, it's my soap I could have gotten it" she said. "Eh, I just thought of it while I was at Target, it's no big deal" he shrugged. She smiled at him. The little things he did for her were so cute.

"Well that was very sweet of you, thank you" she nodded. "Of course" he replied. The only things she really had at his apartment were a razor, a toothbrush, a couple of sweatshirts and occasionally some jewelry, but things were slowly being added to that list.

"So...is this your way of saying that you don't like it when I smell like you?" she asked. His eyes widened. "What? No, no. Not that. I like however you smell...I just thought...you'd like the soap that you told me you had at your apartment" he said. "Fitz, I'm kidding" she giggled.

He shook his head and gave her a smile. "After all this time, you are still such a tease" he chuckled. "But you love it" she shrugged. "I just love _you,"_ he said, pulling her into another hug. She smiled and pecked his lips briefly, and then once more. But after the third time, it turned into much more than that.

His hands slid down to her ass and pulled her closer to his body, intentionally making her feel every inch of him. His tongue tangled with hers as he slowly pushed her up against the island.

He finally broke away and kissed her neck as best as he could with, what used to be _his_ hoodie, guarding it pretty tightly. "Take it off" she whispered. He quickly obeyed, his hands immediately at the bottom of the sweatshirt to start taking it off. "Do you still want that popcorn?" he whispered, returning to her now much more exposed neck. "No" she replied. "Good."

He picked her up and walked her down the hallway and into his bedroom, before he laid her down gently on his bed. He kneeled above her, immediately stripping her leggings and underwear off and throwing them carelessly to the floor.

She sat up and took her T-shirt and bra off and watched as he stared. He exhaled deeply, biting his lip at the sight of her in front of him. "You are so fucking beautiful," he breathed. She just smiled at him. "Lay back," he said, nodding towards the top of the bed with his head.

She laid back and watched him crawl up to see her face to face very slowly, still kneeling on his hands and knees directly above her. He kept a good distance between their bodies, which she was not a fan of.

She reached down to try and slide his gym shorts off, but he quickly moved her hand away. "No, no," he said. "Fitz" she pleaded. "Not yet," he whispered. He lowered himself down onto one elbow and began tracing a single finger along her chest, and downward. He'd get dangerously close to where she wanted him most, before he just pulled his finger right back up to her abdomen.

She was gripping so tightly to his right forearm, which rested on the bed. By now, he had her shaking.

"You are...so mean" she managed to get out. He smiled. "You think so?" he replied, inching his finger downward. She nodded. "Hmm...how about now? Am I mean now?" he asked, slowly sliding a finger inside her. She gasped and held impossibly tighter onto his arm.

He slid his finger back out and opened her legs wider with one hand, before sliding his finger back in. "I think you missed me," he whispered, looking down at what she assumed, by now, were his wet bed sheets.

"Sh-shut up" she giggled, which brought out his smile. He leaned down and rubbed his nose against hers, before placing a soft kiss there. She used her free hand to pull his head down to kiss him. That, he seemed okay with doing, because he eagerly opened his mouth against hers right away.

His tongue reached every crevice of her mouth, and his fingers worked their magic. As usual, he made her feel incredible.

It was good to be back.

* * *

She's back from break! And now she's got some things to look forward to.

Also, in this story, Olivia's birthday is August 8th and Fitz's birthday is April 17th. There's nothing significant about that, but just in case y'all wanted to know the exact dates. There ya go.

Things are happening for them, they're becoming more and more serious ;) How's it all going to work out? You'll just have to read on!

With Love,

~T


	30. Somewhere In His Car

"Liv! They're coming right now! Is your room good?" Abby yelled from the living room. Olivia jumped up from her bed and grabbed her framed picture of her and Fitz from her desk, and a couple of pictures that she stuck in her mirror. She put them all in a shoebox way underneath her bed, where nobody would ever look. "Yep, good!" Olivia yelled back.

It was a pain to hide all evidence of the man she loved whenever friends came over, but it was also extremely necessary. None of her friends even had him as a professor, and half the time her friends didn't even _come_ in her room, but she didn't want to take any chances, whatsoever.

She knew it would probably be smart to just not have anything revolving around him in her room period, but she couldn't bear to take her pictures down for good. Just like she couldn't bear to take off her bracelet. She _had_ taken it off at home for spring break, though, because she wasn't sure how to explain it to her parents if they asked.

On the other hand, she had already been forced to make up a lie about it to her friends when Quinn asked her about it one day. Her aunt Faye, whom she was extremely close to, had given it to her, which explained the "F". At least, that's what they all _thought_. Which, Olivia didn't feel too bad about, since she actually _did_ have an aunt Faye that she was fairly close with.

The things she had to do to keep her relationship a secret kind of exhausted her, but she knew she just simply didn't have a choice right now, and she had learned to deal with it well.

She remembered when she used to fear how close she and Fitz were getting, how strongly her feelings were for him. She was glad those days were well behind her, because now he was her everything. He had changed her life for the better. And someday, she could drop the act and stop with the constant hiding and lying, and everyone else would know just how much he meant to her, too.

Just then, she could hear their footsteps in the hallway as they ran. They were probably halfway trashed at this point, considering it was Friday night. Olivia, on the other hand, had had a nice night in with Fitz before now, so she had _some_ alcohol in her system, but not nearly as much as her other friends probably did.

Normally she would have spent the night at Fitz's on date night, but her friends all wanted to get together tonight, and she didn't want to ditch them any more than she already did. She loved them all dearly, and she didn't want them to think otherwise. She just loved Fitz dearly too, so it was tough to give them all a somewhat equal amount of her time. Of course, Olivia spent most of her time with Abby, and Fitz ranked second, followed by her other friends.

"Abby!" Quinn yelled. Olivia laughed out loud as she made her way to the living room. Just by the sound of Quinn's voice, she could tell she was hammered. "Hey there, Quinn" Liv greeted, emerging from the hallway. "Liv! Oh my gosh! Hi!" she exclaimed, coming to hug her. Abby just laughed from the couch. "Quinn, you need water," Olivia said with a laugh. "What!? _Hell_ no. Who drinks water!?" Quinn exclaimed. "Um, most people" Olivia replied, still laughing. She led Quinn to the kitchen so she could pour her a glass.

The door opened once more, and in walked Huck, Harrison, and Charlie. "The party don't start till _we_ walk in!" Harrison yelled. "Oh good lord" Abby giggled. "Hi, boys" Olivia greeted, making sure Quinn drank her water. "PARTY!" they all yelled in unison. Olivia shook her head.

"Liv, I think they all need water too," Abby said. "Nonsense!" Harrison yelled. "Gross, water tastes like nothing" Huck added. "Mhm," Charlie nodded. Olivia turned to Abby, shaking her head. "Oh, you guys" Olivia scolded. "Sorry, _mom"_ Huck chuckled. Harrison got a good chuckle out of that one, it seemed, because he almost fell over laughing.

On occasion, they would joke that Olivia was the mother of the group, because she was usually the one taking care of them if they all went too hard on the alcohol. But, even Olivia still liked to go a little hard every once in awhile. Not _too_ hard, but just enough.

"No Hannah tonight, _Harry?"_ Olivia asked with a laugh. Harrison hated being called that, so he scoffed. "She went home this weekend, and don't call me that!" he exclaimed. "You know, you freaking out every time I say it only makes me want to say it more" Olivia shrugged. Harrison shook his head.

"You're lucky you're a close friend, _Livvie"_ Harrison chuckled, his words slurring a bit. Now it was Olivia's turn to scoff. Only her mother and Fitz were allowed to use that nickname. "Ew," Olivia replied. Harrison shrugged. "You drew first blood," he said. "True, I'll give you that" Olivia replied.

"Olivia, Abby, look at my new tattoo!" Huck exclaimed, rolling up his shirt sleeve to reveal a black design on the back of his arm. "Wow, another one?" Olivia asked, turning his arm to see it clearer. "When'd you get that!?" Abby asked, coming to inspect it with Olivia. "Yesterday!" Huck said excitedly.

"What does it mean?" Olivia asked. "My dad had the same exact one on his arm. I showed the artist a picture of it and he was able to copy it. I've been wanting to do it for awhile, so I finally just went for it yesterday" he replied. Olivia's heart melted. Huck's dad had passed away in a car accident just before Huck's freshman year of college, so seeing a tattoo dedicated to him made Olivia happy.

"Aw, Huck. That's so sweet" Abby said, to which Olivia nodded her head in agreement. Huck smiled proudly in his drunken state. "What do the other ones mean again?" Olivia asked, looking over the other scattered tattoos on his arm. "Oh, nothing. Those were just for the hell of it" Huck shrugged. Olivia and Abby laughed. "Love the honesty," Abby said, shaking her head.

 _"Liv, Liv, Liv!"_ Quinn interrupted from the kitchen. Olivia turned to look at her. "Do you have your wine like last time?" Quinn asked eagerly. Olivia laughed. "I do, I'll go get it. But only one _small_ glass for you, Quinn, that's it, you've had a lot already" she said. Quinn nodded. Olivia went to her room to grab the last bottle of wine that Fitz had gotten for her.

When he went to the liquor store, he would sometimes buy a little something for Olivia. Nothing too fancy or expensive, just a little something. So when she requested some bottles of red wine last time, she made sure to leave him money and demanded that he use it. Usually, he refused to let her pay for most things, even if they were for herself, so when he actually _did_ use the money, she was thankful. And now, she was on her last bottle.

Quinn followed Olivia to her room like a little puppy, so on this particular night, Olivia was thankful she had put her Fitz pictures away. She grabbed the wine bottle out of the brown bag in the corner of the room and showed it to Quinn, who got excited. Only Quinn, of all her other friends, liked red wine. So Olivia was glad to share some with her.

Olivia was happy that Fitz had shown her her love for red wine, because it was one of her favorite alcoholic drinks now. She preferred to drink it with him, like they normally did on date night at his apartment, but drinking with friends was very fun too.

She had a pretty good night with all her friends, drinking a little too much, if she had to be honest. But, it was alright. The last part of the semester was always a stressful time no matter what, and they deserved to let loose a little, or at least they thought so.

* * *

Olivia woke up the next morning with a bit of a headache from the prior night. She groaned at the dull ache, and reached over to her nightstand to grab her water bottle. When she sat up, she was nearly blinded by the sun streaming through her window. It looked like it would be another gorgeous spring day. So far, they had been blessed with beautiful weather this spring, and she only hoped that it would continue, so that they could have a nice weekend up at Dennis's cabin.

She was going to put all her Fitz pictures back up, but she decided to wait until the weekend was over, just in case her friends were to come over again. She just needed to be safe. Olivia checked her phone and saw that she had a text from her favorite guy.

 _ **Good morning beautiful. Call me when you wake up?**_

A smile spread across her face as she read it. She quickly dialed his number, and it only rang a few times before he answered. "Hi, babe." "Hi" she replied, still sounding a bit tired. "Rough night last night?" he asked. She laughed. "Just stayed up too late and drank too much, probably, but I'm good" she assured him. "Want me to come over there and make you a hangover breakfast?" he chuckled. She smiled. "Mm, don't I wish" she replied. "Well, what are you up to today? Maybe I can make you feel better" he offered.

"I have quite a bit I should do today. It's getting to that point in the semester where I kinda gotta pick up the pace on the studying" she said sadly. "Yeah, I get you. I don't want to distract you. But you're still on for trivia tonight even though Cyrus and James can't come?" he asked. "Oh, yeah. I will definitely need a break by tonight for sure" she nodded.

"Awesome. Well, I'll let you go so you can start your day. Call me if you need a break, okay?" he asked. "Oh, I'll definitely take you up on that" she replied. "Okay. Don't work too hard today, babe. I'll pick you up at normal time tonight" he said. She smiled. "Sounds good. I love you" she replied. "I love you too. I'll talk to you later."

They bid each other goodbye and hung up the phone. Olivia went to the kitchen to make herself some toast, just something she could get in her stomach so she could take an Advil for her headache.

* * *

Olivia's day went by painfully slow. She knew she was getting in some good studying, but it was an extremely boring way to spend her Saturday. All her friends were starting to study for finals as well, so on occasion, they'd go take a small break in Huck and Harrison's apartment.

They were at the point in classes now where they were still learning a bit of new material, but there wasn't as much homework. The professors were laying off the students a bit, giving them ample time to start studying for final exams.

Throughout the day, Olivia called Fitz twice and ended up visiting Huck and Harrison with Abby three times. Quinn and Charlie had brought their backpacks the night before, and spent the night on Huck and Harrison's pullout couch, so they were there studying too.

She figured this would be how her remaining weekends at school would be spent; studying most of the time; all while trying to take enough breaks to keep from going insane. That's also why she was really hoping she and Fitz would get to go away to Dennis's cabin; so that she could at least have one more fun weekend.

She knew she'd probably bring some of her books and notes along just so she could study a few times a day and not feel awful about taking a weekend off. But she also knew that she couldn't study every minute of every day. College really _is_ about more than just that. So, she kept her fingers crossed that there was a little cabin getaway weekend in her and Fitz's future.

After a long day, Olivia was pretty excited to be going out with Fitz to Oak Haven. He got to her apartment around six-fifty, as usual. When she got in his car, she immediately slumped down in the passenger seat with a big sigh, and looked over at him. It was funny how tired she felt, even though she hadn't done anything physically demanding that day.

"Oh, Livvie, what's wrong?" he asked immediately. "Nothing, my brain just feels fried," she said with a slight laugh. He smiled, and started driving, putting his hand on her thigh. "Oh, I'm sure. You're such a good student though, Liv. Seriously" he said, patting her thigh encouragingly. She smiled over at him. "Thanks, Fitz" she replied.

As they neared Oak Haven, she noticed that Fitz didn't take the usual turn. "Fitz...you just missed the turn" she stated. "I missed the turn" he nodded. She looked at him in confusion. "Are we not going to trivia?" she asked. He shook his head. "No, I think you've used that big brain of yours enough already today" he replied. She laughed. "So where are we going?" she asked, watching as they made their way out of New Haven.

"Nowhere, we're just going to drive and listen to music. You need a relaxing evening" he said with a smile. "I think you're right about that" she agreed. "How come whenever Cyrus doesn't go to trivia, we always end up not going too?" she added with a laugh. He shrugged. "Hmm...I don't know. I guess we just like being rebellious" he said. "Yeah, pretty much everything about us is rebellious, Fitz" she giggled. He turned to her with a smirk, which made her laugh even more.

"So did your friends study all day today too or just you?" he asked. "No, they all did too. We were very studious today to make up for our lack of it last night" she said. "Well, that's good. Who was all there last night?" he asked curiously.

"Well, Abby, of course. And then Quinn and Charlie, Harrison, and Huck" she answered. "Ah. And you guys had fun?" he asked. She nodded. "We did. They're a funny group for sure. Like, first Quinn walks in very clearly trashed, so I get her water. Even though, she didn't want it, of course. Then the boys walk in, yelling at the top of their lungs. Then _they_ tell me how overrated water is, and Huck goes 'look at my new tattoo!' just out of the blue. We didn't even know he got one, but it was for his dad, which I thought was sweet of him. So yeah, that pretty much explains the chaos that is my friends" she said with a laugh.

He just smiled, listening to her talk. "They sound fun, I can't wait to meet them someday. And that Huck sounds pretty bold," he chuckled. "He _definitely_ is" she nodded. "Would you ever get a tattoo?" she asked curiously. He looked at her doubtfully, and then she remembered. "Oh, right. Needles" she said. He didn't like needles much.

He nodded. "Yeah. But...I suppose if I knew exactly what I wanted and it was really important to me, I...could probably do it" he shrugged. "Yeah, I think I could too. Like you said, it would just have to be really meaningful and important," she agreed. "Like you," he said. She looked over at him and smiled. "Like _you"_ she replied. And the thing was, she wasn't kidding, and she knew he wasn't either.

She had never really considered getting a tattoo until this very moment, talking about it with him. He was everything to her. Absolutely everything, so if she were to ever permanently put something on her body, it would probably be something revolving around him. _Maybe someday,_ she thought.

They had a good time, driving and chatting with the music from his phone on in the background; the playlist that they had made together, and had only continued to add to as time went on. _Their_ playlist.

Rain started falling as the sky got darker, but it was kind of peaceful. They had driven a long ways already; she had no idea what town they were in, and he didn't really either. He just drove. And he looked damn good, too. He was just wearing jeans and a simple maroon, zip-up sweatshirt, but for some reason as the drive went on, she had a hard time keeping her eyes off him. He seemed to take notice, too.

He turned to look at her and slowly eyed her up and down, biting his lip. "Keep your eyes on the road, mister," she said with a smirk. "You first" he replied, turning to look at the road again. She fought hard not to laugh.

As they drove on the back road that he had turned onto a while ago, she saw what looked like a campsite just up ahead of them. "Hey," she said. "Hmm?" he replied. "Remember a while ago on our drive back from trivia, when we were waiting to be together but we didn't _want_ to, and you told me that you wanted to pull the car over?" she asked.

He thought for a second, and nodded slowly. "Do you remember what you said we'd do _after_ you pulled over?" she asked. His grip on the steering wheel tightened, and he nodded once more. "Pull you into the back seat...take off our clothes and...do something we shouldn't do," he answered.

"Pull over," she said.

He let out an audible breath, and then cleared his throat, turning on his right blinker immediately. "Here" she added, pointing to the campsite on their right side. "Mhm," he replied, as if he already knew that's where she wanted to go.

He turned into the campgrounds and drove across the worn grass, to a heavily wooded area, out of view from the road. She looked out the window at the dark, empty campsite. It was kind of freaky, to be honest. But she wasn't concerned with that at the moment.

He parked by a couple big trees and turned the ignition off, but kept the music playing. He got out of the car and grabbed a blanket from his trunk to spread out in the back seat, before coming to open her door. He reached his hand out to her, which she gratefully took, and immediately pulled her into his body.

"Hmm, taking charge now, are we?" she teased. He nodded and pressed his lips against hers. He clearly was very into this suggestion of hers.

The rain wasn't as strong underneath all the trees, but it still reached them, and started to soak their hair and clothes. She slammed her door behind her, before turning him around and pushing him up against the car. "Mm," he groaned. His hands began to wander immediately, grabbing her ass hard.

He inched them along the car and around the already-open back door. "Get in" he whispered against her mouth. "You get in" she shot back. They were playfully fighting for dominance, which had them both amused.

She pushed his chest forward, forcing him inside the car. He quickly reached out to grab her hands, and yanked her into his lap. She closed the door behind them and he pulled her down on top of him as he laid back. Her hands rested on either side of his face and she kissed him, hard. His hands, of course, went immediately back to her ass.

She started grinding against him, feeling him hard beneath her as he gripped her tightly. She sucked on the skin at the base of his neck, which quickened his breath. That was certainly a weak spot of his, just as much as it was for her.

His hips moved in rhythm with hers, becoming more restless with each passing second. She could tell that he was impatient, that he wanted her _now_. So, she stuck her hand in between their bodies and undid his belt and jeans with one hand. "That was impressive" he whispered. "Thanks" she whispered back with a laugh.

She scooted down his body and took his shoes and socks off so that she could slide his jeans off. Which, of course, was followed by his boxers. All of it was pretty difficult in the backseat of a car, if she had to admit. "Mm," she breathed, admiring his half-naked body in front of her. "Off" he whispered, reaching out and patting her jeans.

She kneeled above him and started the same process with herself. Clearly she was taking too long, because once she got her jeans off, he sat up and pulled her underwear down to her knees so fast she didn't even have a chance to react. She slipped them all the way off quickly and he shifted their bodies so that they were actually sitting normally in the backseat, rather than their original position of laying down.

He guided her onto him slowly, his hands firmly on her hips. She tightening her grip around his neck and bit her lip at the feeling of him. He knew she just needed a moment to adjust to him, so he rubbed her back affectionately and placed kisses all down her neck and shoulder as she began to slowly move her hips.

He groaned at her slow, wonderful movements, and then his hands became restless; on her ass, on her thighs, on her lower back, anywhere they could be to pull her as close as possible to him with each thrust. "I want this off" he breathed, nodding to her sweatshirt. "So take it off" she whispered. She lifted her arms up so he could take her hoodie off, followed by her T-shirt.

He reached around her back and unhooked her bra, sliding it off her shoulders. She didn't want him to have all the fun, so she started fully undressing him, too. After unzipping his sweatshirt, she eagerly grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head. _It was only fair,_ she thought.

So now, they sat _completely_ naked in his backseat. In a dark, wooded campsite. In the middle of nowhere. Making love to their favorite songs.

She thanked the heavens that Fitz's back windows were tinted, because if for some reason people _had_ been camping on this random spring Saturday night in the back corner of the campsite, they would be getting quite the show.

He clung to her small body for dear life as she quickened her pace, burying his face in her neck. "Oh my god, Livvie" he groaned, his voice muffled by her hair. She shifted them so they were laying down once more, her on top of him. But that didn't last long before he flipped her over and continued their fast pace. It was cramped back there, but they sure as hell made it work. And the blanket was really soft, so that was a plus.

By this point, they were both breathing hard, starting to steam up the glass. She rested her head against the inside of the car door as he thrust in and out of her, his fingers laced in hers on each side of her head. His kisses were wet and intense, on her lips and all over her neck. It was clear he felt just as good as she did. And when they finally came together, moaning and swearing, they were as loud as they wanted to be.

He laid there on top of her, resting his head on her chest. The car had gotten pretty hot from recent activites, so their bodies were warm and they were both sweating. She ran her fingers through his damp curls, smiling as she watched him breathe hard against her chest, still trying to come down.

"How you doin' there, sweetie?" she whispered, still smiling at him. "Amazing. I've...never done that...before" he breathed. "Had sex in...your backseat?" she asked. "Uh-huh. I thoroughly enjoyed it. We should...do it...more often," he said. "Just give me...like ten minutes and we can...do it again," she teased. He laughed. "I might need...twenty," he said, which made her laugh.

"That's okay, I have a pretty good view from right here. I'll just stare at your ass for twenty minutes" she shrugged. He laughed quietly against her chest. "It's a really nice ass" she added, nodding appreciatively. "Thanks, Liv," he replied. "Of course. Although, are you comfortable? You don't look comfortable" she said, noting his scrunched up legs.

"Yeah, I don't fit so well back here," he said. She shook her head and laughed. "No, you really don't. Do you want to sit up?" she asked. "No, no. I wanna stay here" he said, snuggling up to her even closer. She smiled down at him, knowing that he wanted to stay there so he could listen to her heartbeat. He really liked that.

"How are you? Are you good?" he asked, rubbing her arm affectionately. "I'm great" she replied, leaning down to kiss his curly head. He nodded and kissed her chest a couple times. She held him so close, never wanting to let go of him. Her sweet boy. Her Fitz.

She tried to look out the window across from her, but it was too fogged up. She turned slightly and reached up behind her, trying not to disturb him too much, and wrote "Olivia + Fitz". He looked up at the window, and then over at her with a smile. "Well that was probably one of the cutest things I've ever seen a person do," he said, which had her in a fit of giggles.

He reached up and started drawing, using the very tip of his finger so that it was smaller and could be more detailed. He drew an infinity sign, but on the bottom right loop, was her name, written into the design. She smiled at his drawing. "How would that look in ink?" he asked. She looked at him with a shocked smile. "Wait, really?" she asked. He nodded.

It was simple, nothing over the top, but beautiful. To her, it actually seemed... _perfect._ "Small, on the inside of my wrist. In black," he stated. She couldn't help but giggle. "Hmm, I think someone _has_ thought about this before," she said with a smile, kissing his forehead. Even in the dark car, she could see his cheeks turn red.

"Maybe. Does that...freak you out?" he asked nervously. She cocked her head to the side. "No, why would it?" she asked. "Because, you know. Tattoos are a very permanent thing, and we..." he began, seeming to search for the right words. "And...I just don't want to...freak you out" he finished.

It seemed like there was more he wanted to say, but didn't. "It doesn't freak me out" she whispered. He nodded. "It doesn't freak me out either." They both knew there was a deeper meaning to that conversation that they just weren't discussing. It was certainly about more than just tattoos, but they just left it at that for the night.

He laid his head back down on her chest, and held onto her tightly. "I really love you," he said. "I really love you too," she replied. She brushed the hair off of his forehead and ran her fingers through his curls once again, because she knew he loved that.

They laid there in the backseat after a passion-filled night. The only sounds that could be heard were their whispers filling the car, along with the soft sound of music playing, and the rain outside.

And from then on, the only place they wanted to be, was somewhere in his car.

* * *

I really liked writing this chapter. It was an important one, even if it didn't seem like it.

I can't believe this story has already hit 30 chapters! I feel like it was just yesterday that Olivia answered Professor Grant's Attorney General question correctly during the first lecture. Now look at them! Two little love birds, banging in the back seat of his car. Ha.

Thank you all for your continuous support, it's what keeps this story going! Along with my love for writing it. But it's all for you, my friends.

Like I have said before, big things planned for the near future. Hope you enjoyed their car adventure.

Stay tuned and read on!

With Love,

~T


	31. Happy Birthday, Professor Grant

Olivia happily walked to class on this beautiful Tuesday morning. But it wasn't just any old Tuesday morning, it was almost eleven o'clock on Tuesday, April seventeenth.

As she entered the lecture hall, she immediately looked up to the front of the auditorium and waited for him to meet her gaze. He finally looked up to her normal seat as she began to sit down, and she smiled at him. "Happy Birthday" she mouthed to him. "Thank you" he mouthed back.

She, of course, had called him at seven o'clock earlier that morning, singing the birthday song to him and telling him how much she loved him. Thankfully he had just been getting done with his morning workout, so she hadn't woken him up. Although, Olivia was pretty sure he wouldn't have cared even if she did.

She smiled at him all throughout class, which had him fighting not to smile back at her, she could tell. She had to hold back her laughter a few times when it appeared he lost his train of thought after sneaking glances at her. _Oh, that man,_ she thought.

None of the other students in the auditorium knew how special this certain day was, of course, but she was glad to bear that knowledge alone. She couldn't wait to spend the day with him. And even though there were a lot of obstacles to deal with, she was going to make it work.

She only had the one class today, so that helped a bit. And he did teach another class, but it was at ten in the morning, so International Politics was his last lecture of the day. Since he didn't have office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays, she had gotten excited, thinking she could take him out to lunch. Her excitement quickly vanished, though, when he had told her that he had to be in some meetings throughout the day, until early evening.

So, she just had to work with what she was given.

"Dismissed."

She smiled at his end-of-class announcement. Finally, she could go talk to him in person.

She walked up to his podium, where he was packing up his things. "Happy Birthday, Professor Grant," she said quietly. "Thank you, Ms. Pope" he replied politely. "How has your special day been going?" she asked. He smiled, coming around the podium to walk out with her. "It's going better now," he said with a smile, which made her blush.

She was sad to say goodbye to him outside the lecture hall, but she knew he had to work and she couldn't keep him from that. "I'll see you later, okay?" she said quietly. He nodded. "Okay. Bye, Livvie" he said under his breath.

* * *

Fitz sat at his desk, tired, after his second-to-last meeting of the day. One of his coworkers, Nancy, had been telling people it was his birthday, so he would constantly get birthday wishes as he passed people in the hall. He had pretty much been talking to people all day, whether in meetings, or in the hallway, so he was extremely excited to just go home and spend the night with his favorite person in the entire world. His Livvie.

He made her promise they wouldn't do anything over the top, because he truly didn't think birthdays were a huge deal, and he just wanted a nice night in. She did agree to this, however, she still seemed to think it was the most amazing day ever. He was pretty sure she had texted him "Happy Birthday" about nine times already throughout the day, on top of her morning phone call.

Not that he was complaining at all, he thought it was the most adorable thing anyone had ever done.

He was lost in thought, when he heard a knock at the door. He had pretty much had his blinds by the door closed the entire day, since he had been coming and going for a majority of it, so he couldn't see out into the hallway. "Come in," he said.

His face lit up when he saw who it was. "Professor Grant" a sweet voice rang out. He checked her out as she walked in, starting to close the door behind her. She wore a pair of skinny jeans that fit her perfectly in all the right places, and her long sleeve Yale shirt, that she looked so cute in. He got a good stare in, for sure. "Ms. Pope" he greeted back with a smile.

And then, she locked the door behind her.

"Baby, what are you doing here?" he asked, as soon as he saw the door close. She just smiled at him, going over to his outside windows. "I came to surprise my handsome birthday boy" she replied, shutting the blinds. "Oh, well that's sweet of you," he said with a smile. She walked around his desk and pushed his chair back to stand in front of him. He smiled up at his beautiful girlfriend, until she kneeled down.

"Woah, Livvie, what are you—". "Shhh," she interrupted, her little fingers beginning to undo his belt. His eyes widened. "Olivia," he said, putting his hand on top of hers. She smacked his hand away and continued. "Olivia, I have a meeting in twenty minutes," he said, watching her start to unbutton his dress pants and untuck his shirt. "I know, I got your text" she nodded. He felt himself begin to harden just watching how close she was getting.

He bit his lip, trying to stay in control. But just looking at her made that difficult. "Livvie, I really don't think—". And then she was right up next to him, reaching her arms behind him to grab the waistband of his boxers and his dress pants. His body listened to her, he did things even before his brain told him not to. So without thinking, he sat up slightly so that she could easily slide them down to his knees. _Fuck._ She smiled at him, knowing she had him in the palm of her hand.

He gripped the armrest of his office chair so hard, his knuckles began to turn white. "What were you saying? You really don't think what?" she asked, coming up to meet his eyes. She began placing wet kisses all down his face and neck, until she reached the collar of his shirt.

He tried to keep his composure, and try once more. "I don't—th-think you should..." he began. "What?" she asked, running a hand down his shirt. He couldn't concentrate on anything but her hand, and how low it was getting. The breath hitched in his throat as he felt her hand begin to touch him.

All of the reasons why this was not a good idea, vanished from his mind the _second_ she touched him that way.

"Can you keep quiet?" she asked. He let out a shaky breath, and nodded.

"Yes."

 _Fuck. Again._

She smiled and kneeled back down in front of him. His chest rose and fell deeply just watching her kiss his waistline, teasing him a little bit. It was absolutely agonzing, but then again, it always was. She liked to tease him just as he liked to tease her. But right now, she didn't spend too much time making him suffer. They had a time limit, after all.

The second he watched her take him in her mouth, he clutched the armrests of the chair harder than he thought he ever could. He fought hard not to make a sound, but it proved to be extremely difficult, especially with his girlfriend's tongue swirling around his tip like that. She _always_ paid special attention to the tip.

"Jesus Christ" he whispered. She locked eyes with him as she bobbed her head up and down, her hand beginning to touch him, too. He tilted his head back against the chair, biting his lip and trying to keep from being too loud. His hands instinctively moved to her arms, gripping them tightly.

One of her hands was busy down there, working magic along with her mouth. But she reached her other one up to him and opened her palm, inviting him to hold onto it. He gratefully intertwined his fingers with hers and gripped her hand hard.

"Feels...so good...Olivia" he moaned in a hushed whisper. And it really, really did. She knew _exactly_ what she was doing. He could see, and hear, every little thing her mouth was doing to him, so he could barely contain himself.

With each passing minute, his breathing quickened and became heavier. She always knew just what to do to make him feel incredible. He wished they weren't in his office, because at the moment, he was hit with the intense urge to rip her clothes off and make her feel incredible too. But instead, he sat there in bliss and let her do whatever the hell she wanted to do to him.

Olivia watched his whole body squirm, his hips beginning to involuntarily move in rhythm with her mouth. That, along with his quickening breath, let her know that he was getting close.

She enjoyed watching him like this; breathing hard, holding onto her so tight, feeling such pleasure at what she was doing to him. It always made her feel good, knowing that she was the reason his body responded the way it did. Knowing that nobody could ever make him feel the way she could. Knowing that if they weren't in his office right now, he'd be moaning and swearing at the top of his lungs.

She kept her eyes on him the whole time, watching him bite his lip and fight to keep quiet. Despite his restlessness, he kept his eyes on her for the most part, too, even giving her that little smile of his on occasion.

"Close—I'm...close" he whispered. She forced her lips and tongue to move faster so she could get him there. He let out an audible gasp, and his body started to shake.

"Liv—baby." She silently willed him to let go, to let the amazing high take over. He was still holding her hand, hadn't even come close to letting it go. So when his hand started to shake, hers did too. And then he finally let go, keeping his moaning and swearing to a minimum.

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand after releasing him, and looked up at him.

"Happy Birthday," she said with a smile.

He squeezed her hand affectionately and chuckled quietly. "Holy fuck, Livvie."

"I'm taking that as a compliment," she said with a laugh. "Uh, yeah" he nodded. "Sweetie, I can't feel my hand," she said, looking down at it. He released her hand from his grip and grimaced. "God, I'm sorry," he said. "It's okay, as long as you feel good, I'm happy," she said, still laughing.

He exhaled deeply. "I do, feel good. _So_ good. And...dead" he breathed, leaning his head back against the chair. "Oh no, don't die on me" she giggled, standing up and placing a kiss on his cheek. "I won't. Wait, Livvie, where are you going? Don't go" he said worriedly. She smiled. "Fitz, sweetie, you need to go soon so I need to go _now"_ she replied.

He lifted up his wrist and looked at his watch. "Oh, shit. Right. Okay," he nodded. She had to hold back a laugh, because she could tell he was a little flustered after what just occurred. "I'll see you later okay? I'll come over at six" she assured him. "Okay, sounds good" he replied. "Bye, babe. I love you" she said, giving him a quick wave. "I love you," he said back.

He sadly watched her leave his office, wishing she could come back and just sit with him. But he'd get to spend all night with her, so that cheered him up. Now all he had to do was sit through an awful, boring meeting about professors' final exam prep and pretend one of his students didn't just blow him in his office.

By the time he got himself all situated and fully clothed once again, he decided he would just head for the conference room, bringing all of his things with him so that he could leave immediately after the meeting ended.

He shut his door behind him and started walking left towards the conference room he needed to go to. "Grant!" a male's voice boomed out. Fitz froze at the sound of his last name. He turned to his right and saw Sam standing by the doorway of his office. "Get your ass in here" he yelled, and disappeared into his office.

He felt like he was about to pass out. His legs were moving, although he wasn't sure how, because he certainly couldn't feel them. His heart was beating out of his chest, he could hear each thump very clearly as he walked. Sam had always been his friend, but at the moment, he didn't seem very friendly.

He prepared himself for what was to come. Had Sam heard what had happened in his office? Fitz could have sworn he was quiet. Olivia hadn't said anything about him being too loud. But maybe they were too caught up in the moment, and just didn't realize exactly how loud he was being. _This is it_ , he thought. _We're done for._

He turned into Sam's office and looked over at him, sitting in his office chair staring at him. Fitz tried to hide his shaking hands by slinging his briefcase over his shoulder and putting his hands in his pockets. "I can't believe you," Sam said, appearing angry.

Fitz awaited what was to come. For Sam to tell him he heard everything that happened in his office. For him to tell him he knew that the girl involved was his student. For him to condemn him, and tell him he was going to do everything he could to make sure he and Olivia paid for their inappropriate relationship. He sat there and waited. And then Sam spoke again.

"You didn't tell me today was your birthday!?" he exclaimed.

Fitz stood there in shock, not quite believing what had just come out of Sam's mouth. "My...birthday. Yes—yes, it is...my birthday" Fitz stumbled. "Come on man, you gotta remind me of these things, you know I have a terrible memory," he said, shaking his head. Fitz let out a convincing laugh. "Yes, you're right. Sorry about that, Sammy. I'll make sure to remind you next year" he nodded.

Sam shot him a smile. "Thank you, I like to be informed of these things. What are you, now, thirty-two?" he asked. Fitz laughed. "Good one" Fitz replied. Sam put his arms up in defense. "Hey, bad memory! What? Thirty-three?" he asked. Fitz shook his head. "Thirty-seven" he clarified. Sam raised his eyebrows. "Gettin' old there, Grant" he chuckled. Fitz nodded. "Don't remind me," he said with a laugh.

"You know I'm just messing with you. You're still so young. Once you're as old as me, well... _then_ ya gotta start worrying" he said with a wink. Fitz laughed. "You don't look a day over fifty, Sammy," Fitz said with a smile. "Yeah, yeah, don't be a kiss-ass" Sam warned, to which Fitz smiled.

"You coming to the meeting?" Fitz asked, pointing behind him. Sam rolled his eyes. "Wouldn't miss it. Well, I would. But I don't want Cyrus to hunt me down and yell at me again like he did when I skipped it a few years ago. _That_ , I remember," Sam said, starting to get up. Fitz laughed, still trying to come to terms with the fact that he was not, indeed, screwed.

Fitz walked with Sam all the way to the meeting, and sat through its entirety, with only one thing on his mind; going home to be with Olivia.

* * *

When Olivia got back home after her little trip to Fitz's office, she did a little homework and then studied for the remainder of her afternoon, waiting for Abby to get back from a study date with David.

She had planned on going to the gym as she often did on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with only one class to attend, but she got a little carried away with the studying. It had pretty much been consuming her life lately, but she knew it would pay off in the end.

When Abby finally did come home, it was when Olivia was starting to gather her things to head to Fitz's.

"Oh, where you goin' tonight, Liv?" Abby asked. Olivia smiled. "To Fitz's. I'm gonna spend the night, remember?" Olivia asked. "Oh, _duh_ , his birthday! He's going to love his present, I just know it" Abby said with a smile. "I hope so!" Olivia replied. "Did you do anything for him this afternoon or was he busy working?" Abby asked. Olivia felt her cheeks turn red as she smirked.

"Oh he was busy working, but I still did something for him," Olivia said. "Cool, what'd you do?" Abby asked, starting to snack on some Chex mix. "I gave him head in his office" Olivia replied casually. Abby started choking on her Chex mix, coughing uncontrollably. Olivia watched the slightly amusing event unfold before her eyes. _"What?"_ Abby asked, as if not believing what she had just been told.

"Mhm," Olivia nodded. Abby's jaw just hung open. "Seriously?" Abby questioned. Olivia just nodded. "Oh my god, my girl is on _fire!_ First you fuck him in his car..." Abby began. "Yes," Olivia nodded. "And then you suck his dick in his office?" Abby exclaimed. "Yes," Olivia nodded again.

"I'll admit, it was bold. Probably wasn't my greatest idea, but it's his birthday and he was stuck in meetings _all day._ Plus, I like to make him feel good. I had him shaking, holding onto my hand so tight that I still can't fully feel it. So I'd say I was successful" she shrugged. "Oh, yeah there's nothing like seeing your guy feel that way" Abby agreed.

"Wow, such a proud best friend right now" she added. Olivia just smiled. "Thanks, Abby," she said with a laugh. Abby nodded and smiled. "I gotta go now, though. I told him I'd be there at six and I have to pick up some things on the way" Olivia explained. "Oh, okay. Well have fun, Liv! Details tomorrow" she winked. "As always" Olivia promised, giving her a little wave and bidding her goodbye.

She made sure she had his birthday gift and card, and a change of clothes for the next day before she headed out. On the way to his apartment, Olivia picked up a cake and candles, his favorite ice cream, and Ivy Wok for dinner. It was his absolute favorite place to get food, and he never seemed to tire of it, which she found a bit funny. She didn't complain, though, because she was also a fan of it.

He only wanted a simple night in with her, so she promised that's what they'd do. However, she _had_ really wanted to do something special for him, so she got him, what she thought, was a pretty awesome gift. She only hoped that he'd feel the same way.

As she drove to his apartment, she realized she hadn't ever stayed overnight at his place during the week when they had class, so she wondered how it would go. She had three classes the next day, the first one beginning at nine. He only had one lecture the next day, but it was also an early one, so they'd both be out of there fairly early.

She had a lot to carry in, but she managed to get it all in one trip. When she got to the door, she said a polite hello to Alex, who held the door for her as usual, and waved at Logan, who was busy talking with someone at the front desk. He still happily gave her a wave back.

She reached apartment 639 and walked inside, immediately smiling at the sight of him on the couch. "My birthday boy!" she exclaimed, setting everything down in the kitchen immediately. She quickly put the ice cream in the freezer and then went to go give him a big hug. She ran and jumped into his arms, placing kisses all over his face. "Mm, hi cutie," he said, giving her a big kiss.

"Hi" she smiled, rubbing her nose against his. He smiled back at her and softly kissed the tip of her nose. "I got you dinner," she said happily. "You _did?_ What'd you get me?" he asked, setting her down. "Oh, only the best for you," she said, taking his hand and leading him into the kitchen. "Kung Pao chicken..." she said, taking out the quart of it. "Fried rice, and...a side of egg roles, all for the handsome birthday boy," she said. He smiled at her. "My favorite!" He exclaimed. "Your favorite" she nodded.

"Thanks, baby. What's this?" He asked with a smile, tapping the red gift bag. She smirked and grabbed it off the counter. "It's your gift, but you can't open it yet," she said, setting it down on the coffee table in the living room. He gave her his best sad face. She shook her head and waved her finger at him. "No puppy dog eyes, you're already too cute for me to handle" she replied, which made him laugh.

"Oh, before I forget, guess who called me back on my way home today?" Fitz asked suddenly, as they moved to the bar top and began to eat. "Who?" she asked. "Dennis. We're all set for the weekend of the twenty-eighth!" he exclaimed. She smiled. "Really!?" she asked. He nodded. "Yes! Cabin getaway!" she exclaimed.

"Mhm, I thought you'd be excited. I certainly am" he said with a smile. "Oh my god, I am! I've never been to a cabin before!" she exclaimed. He looked over at her with a smile. "You'll love it" he assured her. She sat there, so happy. In fact, she couldn't remember a time in her life when she had been happier than she had been this past school year.

She drifted off in thought, but was interrupted by his voice.

"I'm so happy you're spending today with me, Liv. I couldn't ask for anything more" he said. Her heart warmed. "Well, I wish I could have spent more time with you earlier. I hope my office visit sufficed" she giggled.

He almost spit out his water. "Oh my god," he said, putting his hand over his mouth. "Yeah, maybe no more going down on me in my office, okay?" he chuckled. She laughed. "Yeah, I know, not smart. Won't happen again, but hey, come on, you loved it" she replied.

"Oh, I did. But I about had an aneurysm _afterward_ when I walked to my meeting. I thought we were fucked, Livvie" he said. Olivia froze. "Oh god, what happened?" she asked nervously.

"Well, my friend and coworker, Sam, yelled at me to come to his office as soon as I got into the hallway, and told me he 'couldn't believe me'. I thought he heard everything or something. But then he just proceeded to ask me, very seriously, why I didn't remind him that it was my birthday" Fitz said with a laugh.

Olivia looked at him nervously. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. You must have been going crazy" she said apologetically. He nodded. "Yeah, I was. But it's all good, we're good" he assured her. "Never again. _Probably"_ she teased.

He opened his mouth in shock and smiled at her. _"Probably?"_ he asked, getting off his stool and coming towards her. She nodded. "Mhm, probably," she said with a smile. He grabbed her by her waist and lifted her off the barstool, but she managed to get away from him. At least, for about four seconds.

By the time she reached the living room, his arms were wrapped tightly around her again, bringing her gently to the ground. They still hadn't even finished their food, but they didn't care.

He pinned her arms above her head, all while she tried to fight him off. She, of course, didn't stand a chance. He was much too strong.

"Ahh!" she screamed, laughing her ass off as he began to tickle her. "Fitz, okay! Okay!" she giggled. His smile was so big, looking down at her. And then he was kissing her, everything they were discussing had vanished, and he was just kissing her.

But as he pulled away to kiss her neck, his phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his back pocket and lifted up her shirt to place soft kisses along her stomach.

He put his phone up to his ear, without a care in the world, and continued what he was doing. "Hello?" he answered, dragging his tongue across her abdomen. She clutched his hand hard, biting her lip to try and keep from making a sound while he was on the phone. But then he stopped, his face growing pale.

"Dad."

Her eyes widened, and she put a hand over her mouth, making sure not to utter a single sound. She had gotten the impression that any woman besides his ex-wife, was not the right choice for his son. _Especially_ a student, she could only assume.

"Thanks. Yep, just a laid back day" Fitz said. She clung to his hand tightly, as she watched him.

"I worked all day, yes" he nodded, seeming to care less. "Alright," he said. "Yeah. Thanks for the call. Bye" he said, hanging up the phone and tossing it on the floor next to him.

"Well that wasn't a very long call?" she questioned. He rolled his eyes. "I didn't expect it to be. I haven't spoken to him since Christmas" he said, not making eye contact with her. _"Christmas?"_ she asked in awe. He nodded. "Yeah, which was just another insanely short call, that _I_ actually initiated," he said. "I'm surprised he even remembered my birthday," he added.

She instantly felt awful, that a son was _surprised_ his father had remembered his birthday. She couldn't imagine her father, or her mother, forgetting something like that. "What did you talk about?" she asked.

He shrugged. "He wished me a Happy Birthday and then asked me about my day. Whenever I mention work now, he gets short with me. Which, I'm thankful for, honestly. I'd rather have him keep his mouth shut than pick fights with me about my job," he said.

She knew he wasn't a fan of his father and that they had issues. And she also knew that it disappointed Fitz greatly that his father treated him the way he did, even if Fitz acted like he didn't care. She knew that he did.

She sat up next to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry" she whispered. He put his hands on top of her arm. "You have nothing to be sorry about, Olivia" he whispered back. She hugged him tighter. "I don't like when you're sad," she said. "I'm not sad, I'm with you" he replied, turning to look at her. She smiled and kissed him.

"I think you could use a present. Do you want to open it?" she asked. A smile spread across his face and he nodded. She got up excitedly and grabbed it from the coffee table. She set it down in front of him and told him to open the card first.

He silently read it and smiled, most likely at what she had written at the very end;

 ** _I can't wait to see what's in store for us. The places we'll go, the things we'll do, the backseats we'll put to use._**

 ** _Forever your favorite, and forever yours._**

 ** _Happy Birthday, my sweetie._**

 ** _I love you,_**

 ** _Olivia_**

"Jesus, you're gonna make me cry!" he exclaimed. She giggled and gestured towards the large gift bag. He opened it slowly and tried to take off all of the tissue paper. Once he fully got it out, he just stared at the canvas in front of him in awe. She scooted beside him and admired it with him.

It was a beautifully painted picture of one of the selfies they had taken in Central Park. He was smiling so happily at the camera, while she kissed his cheek. She had gotten it custom painted on a canvas for him, hoping he'd love it and hang it up in his apartment.

"Oh my god" he finally whispered. "Do you like it?" she asked. "This is...this is amazing, Olivia. How—where do you get something like this?" he asked, examining it closer. "An artist online. He has a whole business! You just send him the picture you want and tell him what you want it _on_ , then he'll paint it and send it back to you. It took three weeks, so I'm glad it got here on time" she said thankfully.

It was a pretty expensive gift, more than she was used to spending, but she hadn't cared a single bit. She just wanted him to have a wonderful birthday, along with a wonderful present. "Olivia, seriously, this is absolutely amazing, I always loved this picture. Where should I put it?" he asked. "Wherever you want!" she exclaimed. "Except, maybe not in your room because that's already full of pictures" she added. He laughed and nodded.

It was true, he had a framed picture on his nightstand, and a couple other unframed ones here and there.

"Maybe it should go in here, because it's where I keep our photo book" he suggested, pointing to their photo book on one of his side tables. "Yeah, that sounds good, maybe over there?" she nodded, towards the corner by the TV. He nodded and got up to see how it looked on the wall.

After playfully debating back and forth on how high up it should go, they measured the wall and found the center, and he put a nail there so he could hang it up right away. "Perfect," he said, nodding in satisfaction. She smiled behind him up at the canvas. "Thanks for the amazing present, Liv," he said, turning towards her. "Of course" she replied. He walked towards her and gave her a hug and kiss.

"You want dessert now?" she asked. She watched a smirk spread across his face and his eyes travel down her body. She smacked his chest. "Get your mind out of the gutter. I meant _actual_ food" she giggled. He sighed, and appeared deep in thought. "Okay, I guess that will have to do" he replied. "For now" he added. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Come on, you," she said, grabbing his hand.

She led him to the kitchen and pulled out his cake, and grabbed the ice cream she had stowed in the freezer. He gasped. "Ice cream!" he said. "Ice cream" she nodded. "My favorite," he said with a smile. "Mhm, cookies and cream," she said, starting to dish it out for them. "You know me so well," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "I do" she replied proudly.

She took out the candles she had boughten and stuck a few in the cake. She started singing to him as she lit the candles and watched him blush across from her. When she finally finished singing the birthday song to him for the _second_ time that day, she smiled and told him to blow out his candles.

He blew every last one out and looked over at her happily. "I love you," she said as she leaned on the counter next to him. "I love _you,"_ he replied, leaning in to give her a kiss. "The big three-seven! How do you feel about that?" she asked. He grimaced. "Old" he replied. She scoffed, but then saw an opportunity.

"Yeah, you're kind of an old man now, huh?" she teased. He opened his mouth in disbelief. "What!" he exclaimed. She burst into a fit of giggles. "I'm just kidding. Thirty-seven isn't old in the first place, not to mention you look _much_ younger." And she was not kidding, a single bit. Everything about him just made him seem younger than he was. His thick head of curly brown hair, without a strand of gray in sight. That fit body. His youthful spirit.

Of course, she just thought everything about him was perfect no matter what, but maybe she was a little biased in that regard.

"I love messing with you. You should've seen your face," she added, still laughing. "You are such a little tease, Olivia Pope," he said, shaking his head at her. She just smirked back at him.

They dished up their cake alongside their ice cream and ate it in the kitchen. She, of course, fed him more of her ice cream once he finished his. He felt "very strongly about ice cream", as he always said.

It wasn't long before they had finished all their dessert. So, they cleared their plates and cleaned up his kitchen a bit, putting all the food away.

Afterwards, as they headed back to the living room, she walked directly behind him, grabbed his hand, and yanked him to the left.

"Livvie, what in the—".

She let go of his hand and started stripping her shirt off, followed by her skinny jeans. She simply dropped her clothing in the hallway, looking straight ahead of her as she did so. She couldn't see him, but she could still feel his eyes on her.

She finally turned to look at him as she stood in the doorway of his bedroom, wearing only her bra and a skimpy little pair of underwear that he loved. "You comin', birthday boy?" she asked.

He just stood there, eyeing her up and down slowly. "God, you're hot," he said. She smirked at him, watching him slowly walk towards her as he unbuttoned his dress shirt. He left it in the hall, with her other clothes. Then his fingers moved down to his belt and he undid that too.

She couldn't remember the last time she had seen him unbuckle his own belt during a moment like this. She was usually on that like a dog with a bone, wanting to remove every article of his clothing herself. But it was hot, watching him undress himself as he walked down the hallway towards her.

She didn't let him out of bed the rest of the night, and for a good portion of the morning, too. Not that he complained about it, though.

He was late for work, and she was late to her first class, but it was worth it.

Fitz was sure it was the best birthday he had ever had.

* * *

Happy Birthday, Professor Grant! (Yes, that was a reference to 2x08, "Happy Birthday, Mr. President").

That was a bit of a risqué birthday, if I do say so myself.

Did Sam Reston have you all scared at first? Ha. Don't worry. They're safe. For now.

I hope you all enjoyed Fitz's big day. Next chapter will be Dennis's cabin, which will most likely be _long,_ like this one. Prepare yourselves for an entire cabin getaway weekend.

Stay tuned and read on!

With Love,

~T


	32. The Cabin Pt 1

"Are you almost here?" she asked impatiently. "Yes, baby, I'm almost there" he chuckled. She let out an excited squeal. "Hey, that was kind of the sound you made when I did that thing to you the other night. You know, the thing where I—". "Uh-huh, yes, babe, I remember," Olivia interrupted. "Oh, but _babe_ , Abby doesn't remember, let's enlighten her" Abby chimed in from the couch. Olivia brought her palm up to her face.

Fitz was silent on the other end for a moment. "I'm on speaker, aren't I," he asked. "Yep," Olivia and Abby answered in unison. "Nice. Hi, Abby, sorry about that" he chuckled. "Hi, pretty boy, no worries" Abby replied. "I'll see you soon," Olivia said with a laugh. "See you soon. Bye Abby!" he replied. "Bye. Take care of my girl this weekend!" Abby replied. "Always," he said back.

They bid each other goodbye and their call ended. "He's such a cutie," Abby said, said, not looking up from her book. Olivia blushed. "I know," she said happily. "And a little dirty" Abby added, which made Olivia laugh. "On occasion" she nodded.

She went and triple checked all of her belongings by the door. She knew she had everything she wanted for the weekend, but she was so excited, she needed to find some way to entertain herself. Her day of classes had gone by so incredibly slow, because all she wanted to do was leave for Candlewood Lake with Fitz. And now finally, he was almost here. "Books?" Abby asked from the living room. "Yep," Olivia nodded. "Bathing suit?" "Multiple."

"Sexy underwear?"

"Always."

"Alright, you're set. That's all that's important anyway" Abby shrugged. "My books, bathing suits, and some sexy underwear. All a girl ever needs apparently" she said, giggling to herself. "That's right," Abby said, pointing up to her, but keeping her eyes on her textbook.

Everyone was in full-on study mode this weekend. Next week was their last week of the semester, when they'd take their final exams. Obviously, that meant that classes were over. But studying definitely was not.

Her last International Politics class had been bittersweet. She would miss seeing Fitz up there, doing his thing. But also, him not being her professor anymore would make her about the happiest girl in the world.

Of course, she had no idea what the future had in store. He may never be her professor again, or he may be her professor until she graduated, there was no way to know until semester schedules came out. And when they did, there was usually no changing them without screwing up your entire schedule. They were what they were, and that was that.

She had been trying to decide how much she would be studying this weekend. It was her last weekend to study, so she knew she definitely needed to. But she also knew that it was practically all she had been doing for about the past month. She was ready, she _knew_ she was ready. But of course, she wouldn't dream of not bringing her backpack along, with all of her material in it.

She planned on studying during whatever downtime they may have, but also having some fun with her boyfriend. She knew she could use a relaxing weekend away after this past stressful month.

Her phone buzzed and she looked over at it.

 ** _Fitz: Get your cute ass out here._**

She squealed in excitement. "Time to go?" Abby asked, not looking up from her textbook. "Yes!" Olivia replied. "Fun! Drink booze, take pics, have sex. You know the drill" Abby said, waving her away. Olivia laughed. "Will do. I'll see you on Sunday, have a good weekend!" Olivia exclaimed. Abby finally looked up from her textbook. "Thanks, Liv. Love you" she said, giving her a wave. "Love you too" She replied, giving her a wave back.

She slung her backpack over her shoulders and picked up her duffel bag, and headed out the door. She practically skipped down to the lobby and out the door on this beautiful Friday afternoon.

She put her things in the back of his car and got in the passenger seat. "Hi" she greeted. "Hi, you. Are you excited?" he asked. "Yes! I've been waiting all day to leave!" she nodded, watching him pull out of her apartment parking lot. He smiled. "I know you have. While you were finishing up with your last class I did our shopping for the weekend. Just got some food and lake essentials" he informed her.

"Well that was very nice of you" she replied. "I just didn't want us to have to stop once we started driving. I know you can't wait to get there" he said, reaching his hand over to her. She intertwined their fingers and squeezed his hand. She really _was_ incredibly excited, and he knew it.

The afternoon sun shined bright into their eyes as they drove to Candlewood Lake. "Jeez, I shoulda brought my sunglasses up here with me," she said with a laugh, trying to shield her eyes with one hand. He laughed. "Here, baby, just take mine," he said, handing over his Ray-Ban aviators. "I know you love them" he added.

"No, Fitz, you are the one who needs sunglasses, you're _driving,"_ she said with a laugh. "Yeah, I know I have another pair in here somewhere," he said, looking through his center console. He pulled out a different pair of wayfarer style sunglasses and put them on. She watched him as he did so, which he took notice of.

"Put them on" he encouraged. She shot him a look. "Come on. You'll look sexy in them" he smiled. She shook her head. "Fine, but you're taking them back as soon as we get there, okay?" she said, putting them on. She really _had_ always loved them. They were Ray-Bans for god's sake, who _wouldn't_ love them. "Whatever you say, boss" he replied happily.

They listened to music while they drove, talking about what they'd do this weekend. It seemed like he had a lot he wanted to show her, which she was excited about. She wanted the full cabin experience for sure, and he was going to give it to her.

It only took a little over an hour to get there, so the drive wasn't bad at all. And before she knew it, he was pointing out the little town closest to Dennis's cabin called New Fairfield. It was a cute, small town that he said he absolutely needed to take her into this weekend at least once. She happily agreed.

And then they were on Maple Street, turning into the gravel driveway of a beautiful little cabin. Her jaw dropped at the sight.

It had gray siding and big, white-trimmed windows. It wasn't overly large, but definitely not small, either. She could see a tall, stone chimney poking through the trees, which made her happy. It reminded her of her house in Virginia, which also had a stone fireplace and chimney.

Thick trees surrounded the place, which gave it a good amount of privacy, but the neighboring cabins were still slightly visible. Overall, it seemed absolutely perfect.

"Well, what do you think?" he asked as they got out of his car. "It's beautiful, Fitz," she said, looking all around her. "I know. Just wait till you see the view of the lake at the front of the cabin" he said, extending his hand out to her. She gratefully took it, and admired the vast yard they were walking through on the side on the left side of the cabin.

And then she began to see the lake. "Holy shit," she said under her breath. "Holy shit" he nodded.

She stopped dead in her tracks, looking out at the beautiful sight. There was a long, wooden dock, surrounded by a few boat lifts. A silver fishing boat, a black and red speedboat, and a bright yellow jetski were present beside the dock, all in their respective lifts.

"Oh my god...we're gonna go on those right? Like you can drive them?" she asked hopefully. He laughed. "Of course I can, I wouldn't come up here if I didn't have a boating license. That's the best part, going out on the lake" he said with a smile. "Awesome. That is so awesome" she said excitedly. He smiled over at her.

"Come on, wanna see the inside?" he asked. She nodded and let him lead the way. The front of the cabin was also insanely beautiful. There were huge windows, which she could only assume were there so that there was a good view of the lake from the inside.

Fitz lifted up a specific big, flat stone from the garden beside the sliding-glass door, and picked up a set of keys. He led her around to the left side of the cabin once again, and unlocked the side door. "Wait so we don't need to wait for Dennis?" she asked. "No, he used to meet me here and let me in, but at this point, he knows me pretty well. He just leaves a set of keys for me. But we'll see him on Sunday before we leave, he usually comes by around late morning to chat a little bit. I already paid him, though, so he may not. We'll see," Fitz explained.

"Oh okay. I'd really like to meet him" she replied. "I'm sure you'll meet lots of people this weekend," he said. "Really?" she asked. He nodded. "Sweet," she said with a smile.

Her assumption about the view of the lake from inside had been correct. It was breath-taking. There were three bedrooms, all pretty decent sized and all with bathrooms in them. The kitchen and living room were gorgeous as well. The place was polished and nice, she could tell that Dennis definitely kept it up to par.

"This place is so amazing, Fitz," she said, admiring it all once more. He just smiled over at her, watching her look everything over. "I'm so glad you're here with me" he replied. "Me too," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a kiss. "Mm, thank you," he said, kissing her once more. "Mhm," she replied. "Wanna unload our stuff?" he asked. She nodded and followed him back out to the car.

They made a couple trips from the car to the cabin, carrying in everything they had in the car. Fitz stocked the fridge with some of the food and drinks he'd gotten, and Olivia took their bags up to the middle bedroom, as Fitz had requested.

She unpacked some of their things for the bathroom and got herself all situated. "Olivia!" Fitz yelled from downstairs.

"Yeah?"

"Come outside with me!" he yelled. She giggled. "Okay!" she replied. She walked down the stairs and skipped barefoot out to meet him by the dock. They walked on the dock together, looking out at the lake, which was buzzing with activity. People were tubing, water skiing, knee-boarding, wake-boarding, and just plain old boating around. It was the best sight Olivia had ever seen. She was already in love with the place.

"Hey, baby, where's your phone?" he asked out of the blue. "I left it inside, why?" she asked. But before he answered, she felt his hand on her waist, nudging her off the dock. And then she was waist-deep in the water, confused as to what had just happened. But she looked up at her smiley boyfriend on the dock, laughing his ass off. "What the hell!" she exclaimed.

He couldn't stop laughing, which, had her fighting not to laugh, too. That damn laugh of his was contagious, even though she was attempting to be mad at him. She was about to try and scold him one more time, but then she saw his legs push off the dock, and he splashed in beside her, fully clothed. " _Wow_ , that was colder than I expected" he exclaimed with a laugh.

"What the hell, Fitz!" she asked. He smiled. "I'm sorry, Livvie, I couldn't help myself, don't be mad" he chuckled. "I'm mad!" she yelled. She really wasn't, she was actually having a hard time not laughing, to be honest. "Is that right?" he asked, coming close to her. "Yes!" she replied. "I'm sorry, babe. Please forgive me" he said, wrapping his arms around her. "No" she stated. "No?" he asked. She shook her head. "No."

But that didn't affect him at all. That smile on his face only got wider. "Well, I'm just gonna have to kiss you then," he said, leaning in to peck her lips. Of course, she couldn't deny those lips, so she kissed him back. And then again, once more. He pulled away and smiled at her. " _Please_ will you forgive me?" he asked. She rolled her eyes. "You're too cute to stay mad at, so...I suppose" she replied. His face lit up and he took her hand. "Come on, we'll go out on the boat and I'll make it up to you."

She followed him inside, immediately stripping their clothes off as not to get anything too wet. They made their way upstairs, wearing only their undergarments. Fitz could not keep those eyes off her, she could tell. Which, was probably due to the matching lacy red underwear and bra she currently had on.

"You just gonna keep staring over there?" she asked with a laugh. "Yep," he said, unashamed. She smiled over her shoulder as she stripped completely naked, watching his eyes slowly travel up and down her bare body. He exhaled deeply, and watched her put on her peach bikini that she knew he loved. She played it up for him, of course, putting it on as slow as humanly possible and asking him to tie the laces tighter for her.

Eventually, they finished getting changed, and put their damp clothes out on the clothesline to dry. They grabbed a bag full of some things for the boat and she returned his sunglasses to him and grabbed her own. He got the keys and they headed out on the dock. She watched Fitz as he cranked the wheel on the boat lift to the left, lowering the speedboat into the water. "This boat is gorgeous," she said. "Yeah, it's pretty sharp" he agreed.

They got in and he backed the boat out, occasionally going to the side of the boat and reaching over to push off from the dock with his hands. She watched his arms flex as he pushed off, and let out a deep breath. That fricken man.

And then they were out cruising on the lake. He stripped off his T-shirt and flipped his old, gray LA Kings hat backward as they drove. She admired him, his brown curls sticking up around the edges of his hat, blowing slightly in the wind. The smile on his face. The happy eyes behind those Ray-Bans. What a sight. She snuck a quick picture of her man, so that she could _always_ admire the sight.

Apparently, a boat full of girls that drove slowly past them thought so too, because they were whooping and hollering, whistling over at him as they passed. Olivia glared at them. "Look, you have a fan club," she said. But he just turned to her. "I'd much rather look at you" he replied. And he did, constantly.

He slowed down quite a bit, until they were just moving slowly around the edge of the lake. He took out his speaker from the bag they'd packed and connected it to his phone via Bluetooth. She expected to hear their playlist come on, but instead, she heard a song she'd never heard before. "What's this?" she asked curiously. He smiled over at her, listening to the song. "This is 'Beat This Summer' by Brad Paisley" he answered.

She looked at him questioningly. "Country," he said with a smile. "Really?" she asked. He nodded. "This playlist is mostly country, I always listen to it when I'm up here. Country is just so...summery. That's all anyone ever listens to up here, you'll notice that" he explained.

She nodded, thinking that she was actually starting to like this song. She didn't dislike country by any means, it just wasn't her go-to. Abby liked country, so she would hear it playing in her room on occasion, but she certainly didn't know country artists very well.

He put the anchor down so they could relax in the spot they were at. It was absolutely beautiful, and she loved to look at all of the cabins around them. Each one was unique in its own way, which was interesting. She could see kids running around in the yards or out swimming in the water, and parents sitting on the dock or on the porch, just watching their kids. The whole place felt happy, and she loved it.

She had let her loose curls out of the ponytail they were in and stolen Fitz's hat, wearing it backwards as he had worn it. "I like this hat" she giggled. "You look damn cute in it," he said, putting his arm around her as they sat in the front of the boat. She leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes, feeling the sun on her skin and listening to the music play. Everything was so peaceful here.

They took a few pictures of the lake, and of themselves; smiling, kissing, and making a few funny faces too.

A new song began to play, that she immediately liked. "Oh, what's this one?" she asked. "Funny you ask that" he replied right away. "Why?" she asked. "Because this one reminds me of you" he answered. "It does?" she asked. He nodded. "Just listen," he said. She listened, and once it got to the chorus, she understood why.

 ** _I don't ever wanna wake up, lookin' into someone else's eyes,_**

 ** _Another voice callin' me baby, on the other end of the phone,_**

 ** _A new girl puttin' on her makeup, before dinner on Friday night,_**

 ** _No, I don't ever wanna know_**

 ** _no other shotgun rider beside me,_**

 ** _singin' to the radio."_**

"Woah," she said. That was pretty much dead on. "Mhm," he nodded. "Shotgun rider" she stated. "Shotgun Rider. That's you" he said with a smile. She smiled and leaned her head back on his shoulder, breathing in his scent while they listened to the song play. And everything was perfect.

* * *

After coming back in from the lake, they changed and decided to go into town for dinner. He knew a great place called The Cue, and apparently, it was the hit restaurant in New Fairfield.

They walked in, immediately being greeted by a hostess. "For two?" she asked. "Yes please," Fitz answered. They followed the hostess to a little corner table by the bar. It wasn't too busy, but there were a decent amount of people there, all a bit sunburnt and happily chatting amongst each other. The place _did_ have a small town feel, like Fitz said, and she already loved it.

There was also country music playing over the speakers, which made Olivia smile. Also, just as he had said.

She heard a gasp in front of her, so she looked up to see an older woman, maybe in her fifties, looking directly at their table. She wore a shirt that said "The Cue" on it, and had a pad and paper in her hand, letting Olivia know that she was a waitress. What Olivia didn't know, though, was why she had just gasped at them like that.

"Is that my sweet Fitz?" the woman asked. Fitz looked up from his menu and smiled, looking behind him at the waitress. "Kathy! I was wondering if I'd see you here tonight. How _are_ you!?" he asked, getting up to give her a hug.

She pulled him in for a big hug with a huge smile on her face. "Oh, honey, I'm doing just fine. How are you doing? How's Yale going? Everything good?" she asked, rapid-firing questions at him. "All good, all good" he chuckled. Olivia just watched the interaction, having no idea who the woman was, but fascinated by the fact that someone knew him so well here.

"And who is this?" she asked, coming over to Olivia. Fitz smiled proudly at her. "This is my girlfriend, Olivia," he said. Olivia extended her hand out to the woman and gave her a warm smile. "It's so nice to meet you" Olivia greeted. "You too, sweetie, you too" she replied happily. "Wow! You know, I've never seen him bring _anyone_ here before, let alone a woman. You must be pretty special" she said, a huge smile spreading across her face. Olivia's face lit up, and she looked over at Fitz whose face was incredibly red.

"She is," he said, smiling. Olivia felt her cheeks redden. "Such a pretty little thing, too. You did good, honey" she said quietly to Fitz, not meaning for Olivia to hear. But of course, she did. Fitz's cheeks remained red, and he nodded at her.

They all chatted together for a little while. Fitz asked how her husband and kids were doing these days, so she talked a little about them. She asked Olivia where she was from and if she'd ever been to New Fairfield before, which led into a whole new conversation about the town baseball game tonight at eight.

"They could really use you tonight, honey, they're playing Brookfield!" Kathy exclaimed. Fitz smiled and shook his head. "Oh, I don't know about this weekend, Kath. I don't want to bore Olivia" he chuckled. "Wait...they could use you? Like as a player?" Olivia asked. "Oh, yes, sweetie. Fitz here is one of the town team's best players!" Kathy said.

Olivia's jaw dropped, and she looked over at him. "What!? You never told me that!" she exclaimed. "He was probably just being modest, dear," Kathy said with a laugh. Fitz shrugged. Olivia was not letting this opportunity pass her by. She used to watch baseball with her dad, so she would actually _know_ what was going on. Plus, watching _Fitz_ play baseball? No, wait. Watching Fitz play baseball in tight baseball pants? _Um, yes, fucking please._

"You should play, you won't bore me!" she exclaimed. Kathy nodded, gesturing to Olivia. "See, your girl thinks you should play!" Kathy said. "Yeah. They could really use you. After all, they're playing..." she looked to Kathy for help. "Brookfield," Kathy said. _"Brookfield!_ They're playing _Brookfield!_ I heard they're pretty tough" Olivia said with a smile. "Oh, so tough. _Really_ tough" Kathy agreed.

Fitz shot Olivia a look, which caused her to smile even bigger. Both women looked at him, anticipating his answer. He put his arms up. "Alright, if you want me to, Liv," he nodded. Olivia's face lit up. "As long as John's got all my gear in the ball shed," Fitz said. "Oh he does, never moves it, honey. Same place every year!" Kathy exclaimed. Fitz gave a thumbs up. "I'll be there," he said. "Wonderful" Kathy replied. Olivia thought so, too.

They ordered their food, and Kathy left them to themselves again. "Wait, so who's John?" Olivia asked. "Her husband, the captain of the town team" Fitz answered. "And what's a town team?" she asked.

"It's basically just guys from town that want to play. Guys in high school, college. Guys in their thirties, forties, fifties. Lots of different ages. Some high school boys on the school team will play on the town team if they want extra minutes, if that makes sense. And then all the teams around here will play each other. It's kind of a small town thing, which is why I love it" he explained.

"So how did you start playing with them?" she asked. "I just met a lot of guys on the team whenever I'd come into town as a college kid. I'd watch the games, and sometimes they'd be short on players if the high school boys had a school game. So one day I filled in and...I guess I've played with them as much as I've been able to ever since" he explained.

"Wow, that is so cool!" Olivia said. "Yeah. I stopped coming up here after law school, obviously, and didn't start coming back again until I started teaching. So I think they were pretty happy a few years ago when I returned" he chuckled. "I bet. I guess I knew you played club baseball as a kid but I didn't know you still liked to play!" she exclaimed.

He smiled. "Mhm, I do. Plus, It's usually a good group of guys each year. It's pretty fun. I hope you don't get bored" he said worriedly. "I won't. I am actually quite excited right now" she replied. "Yeah?" he asked. "Yeah" she nodded.

Their food came and they ate every bit of it. They were pretty hungry after the long day they'd had outside, and it was absolutely delicious. They paid and said goodbye to Kathy, who assured them that she'd see them soon at the game because she always got off work early on game nights.

Fitz drove them to the ball field as it neared seven-thirty, and immediately went up to the dugout where it appeared a couple guys were already in there getting ready. After a good chat with John, he gave Fitz the keys to the ball shed so he could grab all his things.

Olivia went to sit in the bleachers with all of the other New Fairfield fans, and quickly realized that there were _so_ many of them. People really went crazy for this town baseball team, it appeared.

People had shirts, jerseys, and hats on, all sporting an "NF" logo on them, which clearly stood for New Fairfield.

She sat in the second row so she could see well, by a middle-aged woman with young children. The kids were all wearing jerseys with the number "16" and "Daddy" written on the nameplates. _How cute,_ Olivia thought.

She kept her eyes out for Fitz, but couldn't pick him out in the field because there were so many of them.

By this point, players on both teams were throwing back and forth to each other in the outfield, getting ready for the game to start. The announcer's voice boomed over the speakers, which made Olivia jump.

"Gooooood evening, ladies and gentlemen. Tonight, we welcome to the field; the Brookfield panthers!"

There were some muffled cheers from the visiting side of the bleachers.

"And, of course, our very own New Fairfield Tigers!"

 _That_ resulted in some loud cheering around her. Olivia clapped along with the fans around her.

And finally, about ten minutes later, the game began.

Brookfield was up to bat first, so she would get a glimpse of Fitz in the field. He ran out to right field, which was right by her, so she had a good view of him. His maroon hat was on tight, facing forwards, unlike his Kings hat earlier today. He sported his glove on his right hand, and his uniform looked damn good on him, _especially_ the pants. His maroon jersey read the number twenty-four on the back, so she remembered to keep her eye out for that number when he came up to bat.

Brookfield ended up scoring two runs, but Fitz caught a fly ball and saved it from being a home run, which was the third out, thank god.

Then, New Fairfield was up to bat. John, the team captain, was up first. His walk-up was accompanied by the announcer announcing his name, very excitedly, of course. She heard insane cheering from above her, and she looked up to see Kathy, going crazy. Olivia decided that she really liked Kathy already.

Unfortunately, though, John struck out. New Fairfield had _one_ decent hit after that, followed by another strikeout. So this Brookfield _was_ pretty good, it appeared.

And then, she saw Fitz come up to bat. She didn't even need to see his number to know it was him. She could tell immediately by the way he walked, followed by the announcer announcing his name, of course. She smiled at him and he gave her a little wink before he turned his back to her and dug his cleats into the dirt, getting a practice swing in.

He stepped up to the plate and held his bat high over his left shoulder, signaling to the pitcher that he was ready. He let the first pitch blow past him, it was a strike.

And so was the second one.

But the third one, he swung hard and hit it past the third baseman, getting the runner on second base home to score. And then she saw him sprint for the first time, and _damn_ , was he fast! He easily made it to second, and probably could've made it to third, but he played it safe. Cheers erupted throughout the bleachers for him, including Olivia, who was clapping like a crazy person. She admired him as he took a few steps off second base, leading off and threatening to steal third. With his speed, she had no doubt that he could do it.

As the pitcher geared up for the next pitch, she saw Fitz eyeing him carefully. She watched him clench his right hand into a fist against his thigh repeatedly, appearing as if he was debating his next move. Right then and there, she could tell he was going to go for it. She knew him. She knew his body language.

And as the pitcher looked back at Fitz, and then back at the mound, he wound up and fired it across the plate.

"Go, baby."

And man, did he freaking go. She watched him fly across the dirt, and slide into third. When the umpire signaled that he was safe, cheers spread throughout the crowd once again. Clearly, Kathy had been right. He was good.

Fitz ended up scoring a couple times throughout the game, with a good number of hits, too. But the other team was good. _Too_ good. The game had Olivia so invested, she paid attention to nothing but the score and how many innings remained in the game. She had never cared so much about a sporting event in her life!

By the bottom of the ninth, New Fairfield was down by two runs, with two outs remaining. They had two runners on base, but neither were confident enough to steal a base with an out on the line, so they remained where they were. And then the batter struck out. Only one out remaining.

Olivia was on the edge of her seat. She figured they were probably done for at this point, they would need a miracle to pull it off. But she still had some hope. And that's when Fitz walked up to the plate.

 _Oh for god's sake,_ as if she needed another reason to be nervous!

But, there he was, the Tigers' last resort. Her boyfriend.

The pitcher wound up and threw a fastball right past him, which Fitz just watched sail by him. Strike one. The crowd encouraged him, yelling and cheering for him. He readjusted himself and stepped up to the plate once more. The pitcher then threw a ball, which Fitz also let sail by him. "Good eye, buddy, good eye" a man next to her shouted, clapping his hands.

The pitcher threw two more balls, and then Fitz hit a couple foul balls. So, it was full count. And at this point, Olivia could barely watch. She was so nervous! But, she kept watching.

Fitz opened his palm to the umpire, letting him know he was going to step out. He stepped out of the batter's box and took a few more swings, and finally stepped back in. The pitcher wound up and fired one towards him. And then she saw him swing. Hard.

He ripped it so far into right field, that everyone immediately knew it was a goner. Goosebumps arose on her skin as she, along with everyone else, watched the ball sail up and out of the field. Fitz playfully tossed his bat over his shoulder as if he had done nothing out of the ordinary, and began to jog to first. The crowd _roared_ , everyone instantly jumping to their feet. And that's when he looked over at Olivia with a huge smile on his face, pointing directly at her, as if saying, "that was for you."

People jumped up and down in the stands, as the two runners in front of Fitz crossed home plate. And then the whole team was gathered, waiting for Fitz to touch home. When he did, they all jumped him, and she could no longer see him in the crowd of maroon jerseys.

Three runners had scored, meaning they had beaten Brookfield by one, because of Fitz's walk-off home run. He was certainly feeling the love from the team, and _now_ she knew why they liked it so much when he played. _Wow._

After the game, many of the fans flooded the field and went to go talk to the players they knew. So, naturally, Olivia ran onto the field too, and instantly spotted him by the dugout. They locked eyes and he smiled, opening his arms for her. She ran and jumped into a hug, as he spun her around. "Hey, baby," he said. "Hey! Oh my god! You're some kind of superstar. I'm dating a superstar! A...sweaty superstar!" she exclaimed. He chuckled, looking so adoringly at her with that cute eyeblack on his cheeks.

"Did you have fun?" he asked. "Yes! That was so amazing!" she said, kissing him. She heard whistles around them and pulled back to look. Some of the other players were smacking him on the back, as they watched their little public display of affection. "Get it, Grant" some of the boys yelled. He pulled back and shook his head with a laugh.

The team chatted for a little while, and, of course, Kathy came to congratulate Fitz on his winning home run. Olivia had a blast there with everyone, hand in hand with her favorite guy.

But eventually, everyone started leaving, and she and Fitz went back to the ball shed so he could change out of his uniform. It was extremely dirty from all the sliding he had done. He folded and put everything on a shelf in the back of the shed, and told her that John usually had everything washed for him by the next time he came back to play.

They went back to the cabin and immediately up to their bedroom after a long night. It was late, almost midnight by that point.

Olivia got ready for bed while Fitz showered. As she put on a pair of pajama shorts and a tank top in the bedroom, she could hear him start to sing to himself. She smiled, listening to his voice. It was not uncommon to hear him sing in the shower, but tonight, he was singing the song they had listened to on the boat. The one that reminded him of her. And it made her love him more, if that were even possible. She hummed along to the words he sang as she pulled back the covers.

She laid in bed, skimming her International Politics textbook and trying to get some studying in. Eventually, he got out and came into the bedroom, wearing nothing but a towel.

"Look at my studious girlfriend," he said, beaming at her. "Look at my half-naked boyfriend," she replied with a smirk. He laughed and pulled his towel off. "Oh. Okay. _Naked_ boyfriend" she clarified, admiring his gorgeous exposed body.

In the bedroom lighting, she could see he already had quite the tanline going. His chest, back, and calves were pretty dark. He noticed it too, because as he grabbed a pair of boxers to put on, she watched him run a couple fingers over the tanline, where it went from fair skin below his waist, to very tanned skin above it. "Shit," he said with a laugh. "You're getting dark, sweetie" she giggled. He nodded. "Yeah. I didn't expect to get this dark today" he said surprisedly. "You just tan easily. Come here, Cali boy" she said, waving him over.

He put on a T-shirt and some gym shorts and crawled in next to her, pulling her onto his chest. It was quite the sight, to see the student laying in the professor's arms, both looking over the textbook.

She had spent a lot of time studying International Politics, so she actually felt pretty good about it, along with her other classes. But she hadn't been studying much for biology, because it had always been her easiest class compared to all her other ones. However, a final was still a final, and it had her a bit worried. So, she switched to her biology notecards, and attempted to study them. But it didn't work so well.

"Ugh, Fitz," she said. "What?" he asked. "I don't want to study anymore. It's been a month, I want finals to be over" she replied, laying her head back on his chest. He patted her arm. "Come on, babe. You've been working so hard lately, don't let up on it" he encouraged. "I know, I know. I just hate studying while we're here" she said. "I know. Want me to help?" he asked. "How?" she asked, turning to look at him. He smiled.

"Let's play a game, I'll motivate you" he replied. "Okay. What kind of game are we talking here?" she asked. "Not a kid-friendly one, that's for sure" he chuckled. She paused. "I like it already," she said. "Give me those," he said, gesturing to her stack of notecards. She handed them over and sat up so she could turn around to face him, fighting back a smile. _This should be fun._

"For every _four_ questions you get right in a row...I'll take off an article of clothing," he said slowly "But if you get one question wrong...you take off an article of clothing," he said. "That seems unfair," she said, crossing her arms. He laughed. "You're the one studying, not me. I have to make you work for it" he replied. She pretended to think hard about it. "Hmm...okay" she agreed.

He looked down at the first question and squinted at it. "What is the phospholipid bilayer?" he asked. "Whatever the hell that means" he added with a laugh. "Oh, a thin membrane of lipid molecules" she answered. "Mhm, that's one," he said, putting the card to the side.

"Okay, what does a plasma membrane do?" he asked, flipping to the next one. "Oh, oh, it forms a flexible boundary between the living cell and its surroundings," she answered. He raised his eyebrows. "That's two. Jeez, babe, you're gonna have me naked in no time" he chuckled. "That's my goal" she giggled. And after answering the next two questions correctly, she _did_ get him half naked.

He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside, revealing his gorgeous, sculpted body once more. She was on her way to having him take off his gym shorts too, when he asked her what Pinocytosis was. She answered confidently; "a form of endocytosis where a cell engulfs solids." But then he grimaced. "Sorry, cutie. The cell engulfs liquids," he replied. "Crap, no, that's what I meant!" she exclaimed. He shook his head. "But it's not what you _said_. Come on," he said, patting her thigh. She sighed and stripped off her tank top, revealing her bare chest underneath. "Mmm," he smirked.

The game actually went on like that for quite awhile, and honestly, it helped her. She realized that she didn't know her stuff as well as she should have, because, for the life of her, she could barely get four questions correct in a row. So, she took off her clothing piece by piece, as they sat half-naked on the bed.

By this point, she was bored of studying, a little bit tired, and insanely turned on from this dreadful game, which required all work and no play. All around, not a good situation. However, they had gotten pretty close to each other by now, their hands lingering in places they hadn't planned on lingering.

But finally, _finally,_ she had gotten to the point where she only needed one more correct answer to get him naked and finish the damn game, considering she was now only wearing her underwear. "What's a lysosome?" he asked. "A vesicle that contains both destructive and digestive chemicals," she answered. "Ding, ding, ding" he replied, his fingers moving down to slide his boxers off.

She placed a finger on his chest and pushed him back on the bed, all while grabbing the notecards out of his hand and putting them on the nightstand. Her little fingers took over for him and slid his boxers all the way off. "That was a fun game," she whispered. "It was" he whispered back, reaching for her underwear.

"Can we do something else now?" she asked, touching him slowly. He exhaled deeply. "Like what?" he asked, slowly sliding her underwear off. "Hmm...I don't know. Got any ideas?" she whispered, closing the gap between them and laying on top of him. "I've got a few, yeah" he smirked, rolling them over so he was on top.

Their tongues fought for dominance as their lips continuously connected, wasting no time whatsoever, getting to Fitz's other ideas. "Oh...my god, baby...I love how you feel" he breathed, moving in rhythm with her. "I love how...you feel...too" she replied, clutching onto his curly hair and wrapping her legs tightly around his waist.

They kept up a good pace, despite how tired they were. And it was amazing, just as the first day at the cabin had been. They only hoped the next would be just as great.


	33. The Cabin Pt 2

Olivia awoke to Fitz's wandering hands. She opened her eyes ever so slightly at him.

"Morning, Livvie. Time to get up! Let's go! Lots to do!" He exclaimed, patting her stomach. She groaned. "Already?" she asked. "It's ten-thirty you sleepyhead. I've been staring at you for half an hour!" he exclaimed. She laughed. "Just staring?" she asked. "Mhm. You're a very pretty sleeper" he said with a smile. She giggled and laid her head back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling.

He placed kissed all along her stomach. "Come on, baby. Up. Up. Up," he said, all in between his wet little kisses. His lips and stubble were beginning to tickle. "Ahh! Okay, okay," she giggled, bringing his face up to hers and pecking his lips. "Let me just rinse off in the shower quick," she said. He nodded and got off of her so she could get up.

He smacked her bare ass as she got out of bed and walked into the bathroom. "Thanks for that," she said with a laugh. "Uh-huh," he replied. She put her wavy hair up into a bun so it wouldn't get wet, and rinsed off quickly in the shower.

About thirty minutes later after Fitz had also taken a quick shower, they were dressed and ready for their full day at the cabin.

They made some bagels for breakfast, and gathered all of their things to go out on the boat again. They quickly realized that it was insanely hot outside the second they stepped foot on the porch. "Damn, it's hot," she said. He nodded "Yeah. It will feed good out on the lake though, promise" he replied, taking her hand.

They walked, hand in hand, down to the boat lift once again. Fitz lowered the boat into the water and they got in, and backed out of the lift. It was around eleven-thirty, but there were already tons of boats on the water. Probably because it was such a perfect day outside; hot, sunny, and not a cloud in the sky.

They stopped in a different spot than they had the day before, and there was a slight breeze, which felt pretty good. Olivia stole Fitz's hat again, but he brought one of his other ones, so they both sported their backward hats and took a couple selfies wearing them. Again.

He turned on their same playlist again, and they sat next to each other, listening to music. It was beautiful and relaxing, and they quickly found out that time passed pretty fast out on the lake together.

Olivia stood at the front of the boat, looking at some of the cabins on the shore and smiling as the wind blew around her. But Fitz wasn't interested in looking at the cabins he had already seen a hundred times. He would much rather watch the cutie standing in front of him. He quickly got out his phone and took a picture of the beautiful sight.

Her wavy hair blowing out from underneath that backward LA Kings ball cap of his that she has recently taken a liking to. Her ripped jean shorts and her red and white Rolling Stones T-shirt. That big, beautiful smile. The little leather bracelet, which was now a bit worn, that she still wore on her left wrist for him. She was a masterpiece, an actual work of art, that he was still having a hard time believing was here with him. She was actually here. _With him._

And then she started stripping off her clothes and hat, which brought him out of his thoughts. She revealed a bright red bikini, and a skimpy little one at that. He had been in the shower when she was getting dressed this morning, so it was certainly a pleasant surprise. He swallowed hard. "Oh my good lord."

She turned and smiled at him. "You like?" she asked. He nodded. "I _love"_ he replied. "Good. Because I bought this one just for you." And with that, she dove right off the front end of the boat. "Woah!" he exclaimed. He instantly got up and went up there.

She was treading water, smiling up at him. "Come in with me, the water's nice," she said. She didn't have to convince him, he was already taking off his hat and sunglasses, getting ready to get in.

Olivia watched him dive in a few feet away from her and come up shaking his hair and wiping his eyes. "Whew!" He made his way over and started treading water next to her. "Hi!" he said. "Hi, nice of you to join me" she giggled. He smiled and came right up next to her, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

They swam around for a little while and cooled off, before climbing the ladder and getting back on the boat. They drank some of the lemonade and ate the popcorn they had brought from the cabin as they chatted on the boat. Fitz stood up and went to check something on the dash, so she got a full view of his back.

"Hey, babe, I think you should put on some sunscreen," she said. "Nah, I'll be okay" he replied. "Fitz, you're getting _really_ dark. I don't want you to get burnt" she said. He shook his head. "I rarely wear it, Livvie, I'm always fine," he said. She crossed her arms. "Fitzgerald Thomas, get your ass over here and let me put sunscreen on you," she said.

His head snapped up and he put his arms up in defense, walking over to her. "Yes, ma'am." _"Mhm,"_ she replied, grabbing the sunscreen from their bag. She rubbed it all over his back and arms, and told him to turn around so she could get his front. He smiled down at her as she smeared it all over his muscular chest and abdomen. She spent extra time on his front, of course, specifically on his abs. "Livvie, I think you finished rubbing it in five minutes ago."

She shrugged. "I'm being thorough" she replied. "Uh-huh," he smirked. She finally decided he was good, and put some on herself to protect her skin as well, and they went back to sitting on the floor of the boat. Although, she was practically on his lap at this point; they just wanted to be as close to one another as they possibly could.

She gasped at the song that started to play. "I love this song!" she exclaimed. "Me too, this is a good one" he agreed. "All Summer Long" by Kid Rock definitely seemed like a cabin song, as it quite literally discussed having fun at the lake.

"We didn't have no internet, but man I never will forget,

The way the moonlight shined upon her hair," Fitz belted out.

And then Olivia joined in.

"And we were tryin' different things,

we were smokin' funny things,

makin' love out by the lake to our favorite song,

sippin' whiskey out the bottle, not thinkin' 'bout tomorrow,

singin' Sweet Home Alabama all summer long!"

They smiled and danced along to the summery song. "I actually brought a bottle of whiskey up here if you wanna sip it out the bottle" Fitz teased. Olivia grimaced. "I'll sip wine out the bottle, the whiskey's all yours" she replied with a laugh.

He shrugged. "Sounds good to me. Are you getting hungry for real food? We can go to Rita's" he suggested. "Oh, is that the place on the lake?" she asked excitedly. "Mhm, we just drive up there and tie up the boat in their little marina," he explained. "Awesome, yes let's go!" she exclaimed. He nodded and pecked her lips, heading to put his T-shirt back on and pull the anchor up so they could go.

They had a nice late lunch at Rita's, which was much busier than The Cue had been, most likely because it seemed like the _entire_ population of Lake Candlewood was there. None of the staff said anything to Fitz, however, there were a couple guys that came up to him, talking about the town team game the prior night.

"Dude, nice walk-off homer last night!"

"You're a great player to watch, buddy"

"Good to have you back for your first game this summer. When are ya coming up next?"

"Hurry back, we'll need you!"

Fitz acted as if it was no big deal, but Olivia thought it was amazing. Here in this little town, where it seemed everybody liked having him there.

And she could tell he liked being in New Fairfield too, and so did she. Being there with him, not having to hide, was the best thing in the world.

Throughout the weekend, her mind had wandered to thoughts of actually _having_ a cabin up here. In this cute town, where everyone was so friendly. Where everyone loved to go watch the town team play every Friday night, and go out on the lake. Her mind wandered to thoughts of having a cabin up here...with _him_. She would _maybe_ have to get used to listening to country music though.

When they got back to the cabin that afternoon, she couldn't help herself. So she brought it up.

"Hey, sweetie," she said. "Yeah, babe," he replied, washing some of the dishes they'd used that morning. She grew a bit nervous. "I was just wondering. Have you ever thought about...you know...buying your own cabin up here?" she asked. He didn't waste any time replying.

"Oh god, yeah," he said, turning to look at her as she came to dry the dishes he washed. "Yeah?" she asked. "Mhm. They're always building new cabins on the west side of the lake, there's a good amount of lots for sale over there. It would be amazing to build one. I'd have a huge garden. I've _always_ wanted a garden. I can't have that at my apartment" he said.

"A garden would be beautiful," she said with a smile. He smiled over at her. "Mhm. And I'd have a nice speedboat, a white and blue one. And a porch swing. And a big fire pit for campfires at night," he said. She could see the big smile on his face as he talked about his dream cabin. "You really _have_ thought about this" she giggled. He nodded. "And in our bedroom, we'd have a big window, with a nice view of the lake. Like that one" he said, pointing to Dennis's living room window. But she had only heard, "in our bedroom".

"In our bedroom?" she asked. He froze, but then nodded slowly. "Yeah—um. Our...bedroom" he said. She couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. "I do like coming up here by myself, I do. But I'd never actually _build_ a cabin unless...I had someone to share it with" he said. At this point, he had stopped doing the dishes. He was just looking at her. "And...you're that person. You're the one" he added. She just stared at him, speechless. _She was the one_.

"You don't have to say anything, I'm sorry if I—". she interrupted him with a kiss, which surprised him. But, he kissed her right back, wet hands wrapped around her waist and all.

"Oh," he said happily. "Tell me more about our cabin" she begged, which brought a smile to his face. And so he did.

They talked more about what they'd all have there, and what it would look like; white siding, with black trimmed windows, and a cedar wood porch, that wrapped around the whole cabin. A big yard with lots of different kinds of trees, and of course, his garden.

The inside would have an open floor plan, similar to the layout of his apartment. They'd have an upstairs, where their bedroom would go, and a few other bedrooms too. Who the bedrooms were for, they didn't discuss much. Although, they both knew _exactly_ who they'd be for.

They had a good chat about it, and afterward, a good nap together out in the hammock, after Olivia studied a bit more. Their day went by fast, _too_ fast for their liking. Because soon, after a jet ski ride and a late dinner, the sky was beginning to get dark.

Olivia sat in the hammock alone, watching Fitz grab some of the firewood that Dennis had cut up by the trees lining the edge of the property. He lit a nice campfire and grabbed some drinks for them inside.

She started laughing when he came out with a bottle of whiskey and a bottle of wine, with no glasses. "Fitz!" she exclaimed. "What! You thought I was kidding earlier? I just wanna be like Kid Rock" he chuckled, handing her the opened bottle. "Drink up, baby" he teased. "You are _crazy,"_ she said, taking a sip. "But you still love me," he shrugged, taking a sip of his whiskey and grimacing as it went down his throat. "I do" she nodded.

She was glad they got to just have a nice, relaxing night around the fire, since they hadn't gotten to do that the first night. She had loved the night at the ball field, but this was great too. Even though she was getting eaten alive by mosquitoes, despite being covered in bug spray.

"Ahh! I keep getting bitten!" she exclaimed, itching her legs. "That's because you're just so sweet, they can't stay away from you," he said, gesturing for her to come over to her. She got up and went to sit on his lap. "Hi," he said, kissing her nose. "Hi" she greeted back. She took a sip of his whiskey and decided it wasn't actually all that bad. Wine was definitely better, but it wasn't terrible.

And then that sip, turned into a few more here and there, mixed in with the bottle of wine. So, she was pretty buzzed, and even Fitz was starting to feel it too. "Hey baby," she said happily. "Hey baby," he copied.

She leaned in to kiss him, tasting the whiskey on his lips. She decided it tasted much better that way, so she opened her mouth against his for more. The second she did, her tongue brushed against his, sending a warm rush through her body. He tasted so good.

Their lips moved together slowly, while their tongues playfully fought for dominance. It was amazing, making out with him there by the fire. And...hot. Literally.

"Come on, let's cool off," he said, pulling away suddenly and lifting her off his lap. "What?" she asked, as she followed him through the yard. They had been in their swimsuits all day, so when she saw him strip his shirt off and kick his sandals off, she knew exactly what he was going to do. Before she could say anything he took a running leap off the dock and held his knees, making quite the big splash. She couldn't help but giggle.

She jogged down the dock to go look at him, smiling down in the water. "Jump in baby" he encouraged. "What? No! It's gonna be cold!" she exclaimed. "It feels good I promise. Come in with me" he said. She looked at him doubtfully.

"I'll catch you," he said, reaching his arms up. She laughed. "You will, huh?" she asked. "Promise" he nodded. "Cross your heart and hope to die?" she teased. He began to nod, but then stopped. "Wait...I don't want to die" he said. "Then you better catch me" she giggled. "I will" he replied. She stripped off her clothes and shoes, and got ready to jump in. "Ready?" he asked. She reluctantly nodded.

"Okay. One..."

"Two..."

"Three!"

On three, she took a leap off the dock, preparing herself for the worst, but his strong arms grabbed a hold of her waist and caught her. He lowered her down very slowly into the water directly in front of him. "Oh shit, oh shit," she said, feeling her body being slowly submerged under the water as she held onto his shoulders. "It's cold!" she exclaimed. He nodded and laughed. "Yeah, I'm sorry, I lied. It's fucking freezing" he replied.

She scoffed, and would've normally smacked his chest, but she was too busy clinging onto him for dear life, as if that would somehow warm her up. "You are so mean!" she exclaimed. "I just wanted you with me" he replied. She, of course, would never be mad at him for that. Plus, she was starting to get used to the water, so it was okay. She decided she preferred being caught by him rather than being pushed in by him. But both were fond memories she'd hold onto, of course.

She pulled her head back from his shoulder and kissed him, bringing his bottom lip into her mouth. They picked up exactly where they left off by the campfire, their mouths reacquainting themselves. She could feel him moving them up against the boat lift, and his hands sliding inside the back of her swimsuit bottoms.

She fought the urge to untie his board shorts right then and there. He pulled away and started kissing her neck, running his tongue along the already wet skin as his hands roamed her body. And then she couldn't help it, her little fingers reaching for the strings on his shorts to untie them. They were both breathing pretty hard at this point, not at all expecting that this would happen.

"Oh my god...we're gonna fuck in...the lake" she whispered. "We're...gonna fuck...in the lake" he agreed, pulling her swimsuit bottoms down. She started giggling. "We've had way too much to drink, Fitz," she said. "Clearly," he replied, laughing quietly.

They were tucked slightly in between the dock and the boat lift, which covered them for the most part. Plus, it was dark out. But they just kept quiet and hoped for the best that nobody would see their little below-the-belt water activity.

He thrust in and out of her, gripping her with one hand and the boat lift with the other. She, too, held onto both him and the boat lift. The water was loud, and her back connected with the cold metal pretty hard with each thrust, yet she wanted more. "Harder."

And then he went harder, underneath the water. She certainly had never done anything of the sort, and doubted he had either, but she quickly learned that it felt pretty amazing. They clearly were up for trying new things in that regard.

"Are you...almost there, Livvie?" he whispered. "Yes—yes. So...close" she whispered, clutching his back tighter. He kept up his bruising pace and shortly after, she came, trying to muffle her sounds with his shoulder. He came just after she did, breathing hard, swear words coming out of his mouth.

And then they just rested there, calming their bodies and their heart rates, holding on so tight to each other. "That was fucking amazing" he whispered. "Fucking...amazing" she nodded, placing kisses down his shoulder.

He reached down and pulled her swimsuit bottoms back up in place. "There you go, babe," he said, kissing her forehead. "What a gentleman," she teased. "For you, always" he chuckled. He pulled up his own shorts again and tied them, before lifting her up to sit on the dock. He lifted himself up out of the water afterward, and they headed back to the fire, hand in hand with their clothes that they picked up on the way.

It was pretty late, so they put out the fire, grabbed their drinks, and went inside. They were still soaking wet, so they put their things down and stripped out of their swimsuits. They ran up the stairs completely naked, laughing the entire way, of course. After hanging up their suits in the bathroom, they got in the shower together, where they just proceeded to fool around even more.

It was a crazy, bold, fun-filled night. And after they had settled down and crawled under the covers, she snuggled up to him and laid her head on his chest. "I wish this was how all our weekends could be in the summer. I wish you didn't have to go," he whispered. She cuddled up closer to him. "I know. Me too" she replied. She didn't really want to think about how close she was to leaving him. In less than a week, she'd be gone.

"I'll miss you" he whispered. "I'll miss you so much," she said back. He hugged her tighter. "Someday, it won't be this way," he said. She nodded. "I know. I just hope someday comes soon" she replied. "Me too."

They were quiet for a moment, just listening to each other's light breathing. "Livvie...can I tell you something?" he asked into the darkness. "Of course, Fitz" she replied. He took a deep breath before he continued. "What I said earlier...about you being the one that I wanted to share a cabin with? That...isn't all. I want to share... _everything_...with you" he whispered.

She could feel her heart starting to beat faster. "Because...you're the one. You're it" he added. "I know that, I _have_ known that, all this time. And someday, I...wanna marry you."

The breath hitched in her throat, and butterflies went crazy in her stomach. She looked up at him, to see him looking pretty nervous, but somehow calm, at the same time. She certainly hadn't expected to hear him say that, but it made her so happy, right then and there. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean...I'm sorry—". "Would you stop apologizing, you crazy boy, I wanna marry you too!" she whispered. His face softened. "Yeah?" he asked happily. _"Yeah._ You're the love of my life, the best thing that's ever happened to me. You know that" she whispered. His smile was so big, looking down at her. "I know that" he nodded. She tilted her head upwards to give him a kiss. "I love you. A lot" she whispered. "I love you a lot, too."

And that was the last thing she remembered that night, talking to the love of her life, with marriage thoughts swirling around in her head. It was a pretty nice ending to a great day.

* * *

Olivia woke up the next morning, feeling Fitz's mouth on her neck, Placing open-mouthed kisses along her soft, caramel skin. "Mm, good morning" she moaned sleepily. "Good morning," he whispered. His hands were already on her, and traveling lower down her body. Someone was feeling it this morning.

She giggled as his lips tickled her skin. "Fitz," she said, still laughing. "Olivia," he replied. He slowly moved on top of her, kissing her neck, and all the way down the front of her tank top, before disappearing under the sheets. She felt his fingers pull on the waistband of her shorts, and then slide them off her legs.

"Mmm. I really like this whole wearing no underwear to bed thing" he said, which made her giggle. She was thinking that she was still a little sleepy, but that's when she felt his tongue down there.

That sure woke her up.

She gasped at the sudden contact, and clutched his curly hair. She felt him pull back. "You okay?" he asked, lifting up the sheet to look at her. She nodded. "Yes, good—I'm good," she replied.

He kissed her waistline and every inch of her thighs. His lips were a glorious feeling down there, moving slowly and gently. He bent her legs and opened them wider for himself, moving them to his back. She rested her feet on his shoulder blades, giving him easy access. "There you go, Livvie" he whispered. And then she felt his tongue again.

She went back and forth between holding onto his arms and his hair, while he held onto her waist. "Oh my god, oh my god" she whispered, feeling his tongue doing all sorts of things down there. Now she only buried her fingers in his curls, because it truly was her favorite place.

He kissed and licked every area he possibly could, all while plunging his tongue deep inside her. He did this until she let go, being louder than she ever thought she had before. They were in their own cabin, after all, so she didn't give a damn.

He lifted up the sheet afterward and smiled up at her. "That was a good one," he said proudly. She nodded and laid there, feeling drained before her day had even started. _Thanks, Fitz._

The rest of the day went by pretty fast, unfortunately. They ate breakfast and got one last quick boat ride in. But they started packing up their things immediately after that. She did get to meet Dennis, who came just as they were getting ready to leave. He, too, was very kind to her, and mentioned that she was the first person he'd ever seen here with "Fitzgerald". She had to hold in a laugh when he called him that, because Fitz wasn't a fan of his full name, and only allowed her to use it.

But shortly after that, they started making their way back to New Haven. It was one of the most amazing weekends of Olivia's life, that was for sure, and she was pretty confident that Fitz could say the same.

They had certainly taken lots of pictures, drank lots of booze, and had lots of sex, so Abby would be pleased. And she felt happier than ever, with where her and Fitz's relationship was at. She couldn't believe how far they had come. Back in August, when she was afraid to go up and meet him on the first day of class, to now; dating him, going on trips with him, and talking about marrying him.

She couldn't remember life without him, and certainly didn't want to imagine it going forward. This weekend had been an eye-opener for her, and a good one at that. She hoped she'd be coming up here again real soon, and hopefully, someday, coming up to a white cabin with black-trimmed windows, and a cedar wood porch. One with a big yard, a porch swing, and a garden. One with a blue and white speedboat and a fire pit, and lots of bedrooms inside.

The one she would share with her husband.

* * *

Well, there you go.

I apologize for splitting it into two parts, but it was just so damn long, that having it all in one chapter seemed a bit overwhelming. I had a lot I wanted to write for their cabin getaway weekend, apparently! Jeez!

I'm sorry if it was a bit too long for some of you, _I_ seriously didn't even count on it being quite that lengthy.

But, I hope you all enjoyed. Let me know what your favorite part of the weekend was in the reviews, I'd love to hear!

As usual, stay tuned and read on.

With Love,

~T


	34. The Letter

Olivia sat in the huge auditorium, looking over her finished International Politics exam. She skimmed each page, going over each question once again. She felt confident, actually. It had been a hard exam, but it was also the subject that she had studied for the most.

International Politics was her last exam of sophomore year. She had taken all of her other ones throughout the week, and now, it was Thursday evening. Her last night in New Haven.

While many kids were excited to be done with the school year, Olivia truly wasn't. There were perks to summer, of course, but she still didn't really want to leave. Abby was here, Quinn and the boys were here, Fitz was here. Hell, even Cyrus, whom she'd also miss, was here. She'd felt bad for missing the last trivia night when she went to Dennis's cabin with Fitz, so she did go meet up with Cyrus at his office earlier in the week to say goodbye.

As for her other friends, they had all hung out at Huck and Harrison's apartment two nights ago, like they loved to do. It had been a perfect last get-together before they all had to go.

Abby and Fitz were a different story. She had already shed some tears over the two of them, and undoubtedly would shed some more.

Olivia and Abby were spending their last night at their boyfriends' apartments, but would spend the entire next day together before they both headed out. Abby was just as sad as Olivia, because David would be staying in New Haven for the summer, as he always did.

David was from Connecticut, and his parents lived just outside of campus, so he never really strayed far. Plus, he'd be attending Yale Law School next year, so he would be right here in town for quite a while yet. That, at least, made Abby happy, because she would still get to be close to him in her remaining years of undergrad.

Olivia already had plans to go directly from the auditorium to Fitz's apartment. She had driven her car here so that she could go straight there, and not have to walk back to her apartment to get it.

He, of course, wasn't with her in the auditorium, as professors rarely were. Instead, exam proctors walked around for the entire time slot, and then collected the exams as well when students finished.

She decided to turn her exam in and head out, because she always felt worse about it if she changed too many of her answers. She found that second-guessing herself never worked out as well as just sticking with her original answers. Trusting her gut was always the way to go.

She slung her bag over her shoulder and walked down the stairs, exam in hand, to hand it to one of the proctors. She took it from her and handed her student I.D. back to her, and told her that she was free to leave.

As soon as she walked outside, she did feel a little bit relieved. All of her exams were complete. Done. No more studying.

She got in her car and headed to Pax, feeling tears fill her eyes as she drove. _Oh lord._

She parked next to Fitz's Audi, as usual, and headed for the doors. She tried to wipe her eyes before she reached the entrance, but it didn't work so well. Thankfully, Christian was the doorman today, and he was always the sweetest.

"Good evening, ma'am" he greeted. "Hi, Christian" she sniffled. "Please, don't be sad, ma'am. Whatever ails you today, will surely not ail you forever" he said politely. She couldn't help but smile, because his formal, sweet, self was actually right. "Very true. Thank you so much" she said, nodding her head to him as he opened the door. "Of course. Have a good evening" he replied. "You too."

She didn't feel like small talk with Logan today, because she wasn't the most upbeat at the moment. So, when she saw that it was not Logan at the front desk today, she was a little thankful.

As she walked down the beautiful hallway of Fitz's apartment building, she couldn't stop the tears from falling. This was the last time she'd be coming to visit him at his apartment for over three months.

She opened the door to apartment 639, trying to hide her tears, but of course, failed to do so. Fitz came around the corner from the hallway with a smile on his face, but it soon faded when he saw her. "Oh, Livvie, what's wrong?" he asked, coming over to her. She hugged him tightly and cried into his chest. "Was my exam that hard?" he asked.

That brought a little smile to her face. "Yes. But I think I did well" she sniffled. He let out a little laugh. "I knew you would. What's up, baby. Talk to me" he whispered. But she couldn't. She could only stand there, holding onto him while she cried.

"Is it because of tomorrow?" he asked softly. She nodded into his chest. "Okay. Come here" he replied, taking her hand and leading her to the living room.

He sat down on the couch and pulled her down onto his lap to face him. "Everything's going to be okay. It's only a few months. _And_ , I'll see you in July, so it's less than a few months" he said happily, trying to cheer her up. She nodded and smiled. He wiped her tears away, kissing every spot after he did so.

She could tell her mascara was running all over, because after he placed kisses all over her face, he had black marks on his nose. That, of course, made her laugh.

She tried to rub it off with her finger. "I got makeup on you," she whispered. He smiled and assured her that it was okay. "I probably look like a trainwreck right now, I'm sorry" she sniffled. "You look _beautiful"_ he whispered. "You always look _so_ beautiful" he whispered again.

Her tears had dried, but she almost started crying right there again, because of him. How kind, and sweet he was.

He leaned back further and pulled her with him. She sat sideways on his lap, stretching her legs out on the couch and wrapping her arms around his neck. She placed several kisses all over his face before laying her head on his shoulder.

And there they sat, just the two of them, watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs on TV, whispering back and forth about what they'd miss most about each other.

They had a little dinner, because Olivia and Abby had pretty much been eating everything in their apartment this week in preparation to leave. So, they basically had no food.

Fitz made them chicken Alfredo, which was actually amazing. She'd definitely miss his cooking when she left, even though her parents were both excellent cooks as well. But, there was just something about sitting on the island, watching her man cook. Teasing him about the apron he liked to wear, that she found adorable. Being his taste tester. Distracting him a little bit here and here. But then again, she'd miss everything.

They opened a bottle of red wine, and drank it in his bedroom while she put the remainder of her things that she had left at his apartment in a bag to take with her in the morning. She had been slowly taking some of her things with her the past week whenever she had been over, so there wasn't much to take tomorrow.

As she looked through his closet where he would sometimes hang up the sweatshirts she left at his apartment, her eyes landed on his T-shirts, folded on the shelf inside. She saw his black LA Hockey shirt that he loved, one that _she_ also loved to see him in. He always looked really good in black.

She grabbed it out from under a couple of other shirts and held it up to look at it. A smile spread across her face, as its scent hit her. It smelled like him. "Do you like that shirt?" he asked from behind her. She jumped at the sound. "I thought you were in the bathroom," she said with a laugh.

"I was. I didn't mean to scare you, I'm sorry" he chuckled. "It's okay" she replied with a laugh, beginning to fold the shirt back up. "The shirt," he said again. "What about it?" she asked. "You like it," he said, coming to wrap his arms around her from behind. "Yeah—well...yeah. I do" she shrugged. "Have it," he whispered. "What? No, Fitz, I'm not going to take your shirt. I already have your Yale T-shirt, _and_ your Yale sweatshirt" she replied.

"But you like it," he said. "Yes," she giggled, putting it back. "What the hell, take it back out," he said. "No!" she giggled. "Take the shirt back out, woman," he said again. "Fitz, no" she replied. "You stubborn little thing," he said, reaching around her to grab the shirt.

He walked over and put it in her bag. She shot him a look. "What?" he asked innocently. She smiled and shook her head. _"Thank you,"_ she said. "Mhm," he nodded.

They laid in bed and talked for awhile again while they drank, even though it was getting pretty late. But they had some alcohol in their system, so they had a pretty fun, light-hearted conversation, trying to avoid the sadness that loomed over them.

"Okay, okay. Tell me about when I graduate again" she said excitedly. He smiled, knowing she loved this plan they had recently come up with. "Alright, alright" he agreed.

"You're going to graduate top of your class, like the badass you are. And you're going to do absolutely amazing things. Maybe law school, you don't know yet" he said. She nodded in agreement. "Or maybe you're gonna get a kickass job right out of college" he shrugged. She giggled. "Somewhere around here" she interjected. "Hey, Hey, I'm telling it!" he exclaimed. "Sorry, baby, sorry" she whispered, covering her mouth. He smiled. _"Somewhere around here"_ he continued.

"And we'll move into a house. A _pretty one_ , as my girlfriend requested" he chuckled. "Uh-huh," she nodded. "And a little while after that, we'll build a cabin on Candlewood Lake," he said. She smiled. "It will be white, and..." he began. "You can do it" she encouraged. He laughed. "I know, I know. White with black trimmed windows. And...a cedar wood porch" he said confidently. She nodded proudly.

"Oh, and I almost forgot the most important part," he said. She waited patiently. "I'm gonna get a tattoo, with your name written in it. And I'm gonna marry the fuck out of you" he said. That made her laugh. "I love when you tell me about us," she said, repositioning herself on top of him and kissing his lips softly. "I'll tell you, any time you want to hear" he replied, kissing her once again. They whispered back and forth for awhile in the dark, just cherishing each other's presence. Until they weren't whispering anymore.

He rolled her over, kissing her hard. He sucked on her top lip, and then her bottom one, repeatedly. He paused and leaned his forehead against hers, his tongue slowly flicking across hers. "You taste like wine" he whispered. She smiled at him in the dark, and kissed him once more.

And then they seemed to communicate without any words. Their clothes started to come off, and their breathing became heavier. They knew that this would be it for awhile. This would be the last time they would love each other at night, after the lights went out.

He had her laying on her stomach, placing soft, wet kisses down her back. He sucked on the soft skin, tracing circles with his tongue. Her hand rested beside her on the pillow, with his fingers intertwined in hers. All he was doing was kissing her back, but it was agonizing for Olivia to feel his mouth _anywhere_ on her body, doing those things. He dragged his tongue up the curve of her back, making her gasp for air. And that's when he slid his hand underneath her body and got himself situated, before entering her gently from behind.

She inhaled sharply and clutched onto the bed frame, with his fingers following hers. He thrust into her slowly, setting a good pace as he rested his head beside hers. She turned her head towards him and brought his face to hers to give him a kiss, burying her fingers in his curls. "You like that?" he whispered. "I like that" she whispered back, gripping the bed frame hard. They continued on for awhile, until he pulled out and flipped her over to face him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and prepared for him again. He slid inside of her, his hips beginning to pick up speed once again. She moaned at how great he felt, circling her legs around him to get him as close as she could. Their lips continuously crashed together while their hips moved in a perfect rhythm.

Her nails dug into his back as she tilted her head back against the headboard, knowing he had almost gotten her there. "Let go, baby, let go" he whispered, his voice sounding shaky. The build-up in her abdomen overtook her body and she began to shake, moaning his name and holding onto his sweaty body as she reached her climax. He hit his just after she did, so she held onto him tightly as his body convulsed, and then afterward, while his body calmed.

"Wow," she whispered, running her fingers through his curly hair. "Yeah. Wow," he agreed, sounding out of breath. He slowly rubbed her arms as he kissed her chest before meeting her eyes. And that was always something she cherished. After making love with him, after such a raw, passionate moment, when she'd hold him close as he looked so adoringly up at her. And then he'd rest his head on her chest and just listen to her heartbeat for a while, while their bodies calmed.

It was a sleepless night, more so than any other night they'd spent together. A sleepless night where they showed just how much they'd miss each other. A sleepless night filled with love and passion, and certainly, a night they'd never forget.

* * *

She woke up the next day, not feeling his warm body next to her. She patted his side of the bed, and found it empty. "Fitz?" she asked softly. After looking around his bedroom, she came up with nothing.

She pulled back the sheets and got out of bed, only to sit right back down. Her body literally felt exhausted, and a bit sore, from the night before. She put her hand up to her mouth as she laughed. _"Oh_ my god."

After slipping on one of his T-shirts, she made her way out to the kitchen, where Fitz was just finishing up breakfast, it appeared. "Good morning, you," he said. "Morning," she replied sweetly. "I'm making your favorite," he said.

She went over and wrapped her arms around his waist, peeking around his arm at the stove. He had pancakes and eggs going, which _was_ her favorite. "Thanks, sweetie," she said. "Of course. Wanna hand me those plates?" he asked, pointing to the two plates he had stacked on the island. She reached over and handed them to him so he could serve up their breakfast.

It was a good last breakfast to have with him. She tried to eat slowly, to maximize the time she had left with him, but she knew she needed to get ready so she could head out. She still had some packing up to do before she officially left.

After breakfast, they went back to his room so she could gather everything up. She took a quick shower and took out the last remaining outfit she had at his apartment so she could put it on, but his voice caught her attention. "Oh...shit." "What..." she asked nervously. "Your back" he replied. She went and turned around to look at it in the bathroom mirror.

She really wasn't surprised to see how marked up it was. It was pretty normal for them at this point, to be marked by each other. "That's alright, that's easy to hide," she said. He just laughed. "I'm sorry about that, Liv. I should have been more careful, since you're going home to your parents and all," he said apologetically.

"No worries. It was our last night together. And I think we did our last night right because I'm sore" she said with a laugh. "Are you really?" he asked surprisedly. "Yep," she nodded, beginning to put on her clothes. "I shouldn't have gone harder, apparently" he chuckled. "Well, I asked you to," she shrugged. "Actually, you told me to," he said.

She paused for a moment. "Yeah...okay, I did," she agreed. "It was hot," he said. She laughed and smiled at him. She would miss this. The playful little chats they had. Occasionally a little dirty. The way he could make her laugh, even if she wasn't having the best day. She would miss it all.

And sadly, the time eventually came for her to go. He insisted on walking her out to her car to help her carry her things and to see her off, which she agreed to. But the walk out was fairly silent, both trying to deny the moment that was coming, when she'd have to say goodbye.

He helped her load up her car, with minimal words being exchanged. But after she put her last bag in the passenger seat, she just walked into his open arms without a word. And the tears began to fall again. She had been so good, holding them in all morning, but at that moment, she couldn't hold them in anymore. Being outside that apartment, where their relationship had truly started. Standing next to his car, in which they had gone on so many adventures together. It all made the tears fall.

They didn't talk, they only stood there in a tight embrace, while her sniffles were muffled by his shirt. And then she felt something begin to wet her shoulder, already knowing what it was before she even pulled her head back to look.

She looked up at his beautiful blue eyes full of tears, streaming down his sad face. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. She could tell he was a little embarrassed to be crying in front of her. He had been strong the past couple days, always cheering her up when she got sad about leaving. But nobody, not even Fitz, the strongest guy she'd ever known, could hold it in forever.

 _"Don't_ be sorry" she replied. She never wanted him to _apologize_ for showing emotion, even though seeing him that way was truly awful. Now she _really_ never wanted to leave him.

"I love you. I love you more than anything else," she whispered. "I love you so fucking much, Olivia" he whispered shakily.

"Don't drink too much wine without me, okay?" she said, trying to lighten the mood a little bit. His sad eyes got a little happier and his face broke into a smile. "No promises," he teased. She smiled up at him. "I'll miss you, Fitzgerald Grant," she said. "I'll miss you too, Olivia Pope" he replied.

And then they were kissing goodbye. And man, was it hard to stop.

His tears mixed with her own as they shared that last kiss. It took all the willpower she had to get in that car and leave him. But when she finally did, she bawled the whole drive back to her apartment. It was surely the hardest goodbye she'd ever experienced in her life.

* * *

The rest of that day went by pretty quickly. Packing up the little things she had left in her room, going out to lunch with Abby because they had no food left, sitting with Abby on the living room floor, talking about when they'd visit each other in the summer. It was a sad day overall.

After having their cars packed full of their belongings, they were about ready to go. Their apartment complex was one of the pre-furnished student apartment options on campus, so besides the furniture, their apartment was bare. And it made them sad, leaving after all the memories they had made this year in their first ever apartment together. But, they had already made their down payment for the fall. So they'd be back, ready to make more memories their junior year.

They handed their keys in and their apartment had to undergo an inspection before they left, which went well.

And then they were outside, hugging by Abby's car. "I'll miss you" Abby sniffled. "I'll miss you too" Olivia sniffled back. "I love you. I'm sure we'll see each other soon enough," she said quietly. "We will. We absolutely will. I love you so much," she said. They waved and bid each other goodbye before Olivia walked to her car, crying.

 _Man, this day fucking sucked._

She let her parents and Fitz know that she was on the road, and promised Fitz she'd let him know when she got home safe, at his request.

The drive, as usual, was not that great. She left around three, and the drive was a little over five hours, which didn't count stopping for gas or dinner, which she'd need. So she figured she wouldn't get home until eight-thirty or so. By the time she got home, she'd probably be ready for bed, honestly. It had been a long, sad, tiring day already.

She listened to her and Fitz's playlist on the way back. A couple times through, actually.

By six-thirty, she had already stopped for gas, which she knew would just about last her until she got home. But now, she was hungry, so she stopped at a drive-thru and got something to eat.

After that, the rest of the drive was a breeze. The two remaining hours she had left went pretty fast, and she got home exactly when she figured she would. Her parents welcomed her home with open arms, telling her how happy they were that she was now home for the summer. Of course, she was still very happy to see them, and to be home with them for awhile, even if she would miss everyone in Connecticut.

She told Fitz she had made it home safe, and her parents helped her unpack her car and take some things up to her room, and some things down to the basement, as not to crowd her bedroom too much.

They chatted for a while in the kitchen, just catching up since the last time they had all talked on the phone. And it was nice. After a day full of sadness, talking with them was nice.

But eventually, she went up to her room to go to bed. She told Fitz she'd call him tomorrow, because at the moment, she just wanted to sleep.

She changed into some comfortable clothes and got ready for bed. Her room was a bit chaotic from moving all her things home, so she had to search through a couple different bags to get everything she needed.

After she shut off all the lights, she crawled under the covers, wishing that the man she loved was laying next to her. But then an idea hit her.

She got up and looked for the bag she had brought to his apartment yesterday. Her face lit up when she saw it tucked away in the corner, surrounded by her suitcase and duffel bag.

She dug through it and her face lit up when she saw the black LA Hockey shirt. As she pulled it out, she heard what sounded like paper crinkling in the bag. She rummaged through the bag until she pulled out what felt like an envelope. She brought both the shirt and the envelope over to her bed and turned on the lamp to get a better look.

She about started crying again right then and there, when she read the front of the envelope. It read;

 **My Livvie**

With her boyfriend's best attempt at a heart, drawn after her name. She eagerly opened it, wanting to see what was inside. She pulled out a piece of paper, covered in his adorable handwriting. It was, from what she could tell, a letter. It read;

 **My dear Olivia,**

 **You're probably reading this in your room, laughing at my "adorable handwriting", as you call it. As for me, I'm probably sitting in bed, wishing you were here with me. I decided to write you this letter, because I can't count the number of times I should've told you exactly what was on my mind, but didn't. So, here goes.**

 **I had never once been nervous to talk to a student before, until you. And as I got to know you, that nervousness didn't really go away. I started to think there was something wrong with me. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't sleep. I could barely function. You sure got me thinking, Olivia.**

 **And that's when I realized that there was nothing wrong. The reason behind all of it, was you. You are different. You aren't like the rest. You are the kindest, most intelligent woman I have ever met. You are absolutely beautiful in every way imaginable. And to me, you are everything. I can't breathe, without you. I can't sleep, without you. I am nothing, without you. You are my world, Olivia.**

 **Sometimes I sit and think about the little things you do that drive me wild. The way you jump up and down when you get excited about something. The way you smack my chest when you scold me. The way you use my first and middle name, like my mother always used to. The way your eyes light up when you see lemonade, red wine, or popcorn. The way you laugh when I tickle you. The way you dance like nobody's watching. The way you sing like nobody can hear you. The way you call me "sweetie". The way you're obsessed with every hat I own. The way you ask me a million questions when we watch hockey together. The way you bite your lip when you're focusing on something. The way you hold onto me. The way you run your fingers through my hair. And the way you look at me. The list could truly go on forever.**

 **These past nine months have been the absolute best months of my life,** **and I can't wait to spend the rest of my months with you. Our future house, our future cabin, our future tattoos, all of it. I can't wait for our forever.**

 **I hope you have an amazing summer back home, even though I'll miss you like crazy. July can't come soon enough, be ready to tear it up on the dance floor with me! And maybe we'll see each other before then, you never know.**

 **All I do know, is that you** **still make me nervous. You still make me feel twitchy inside. You still make my heart beat fast. I still get butterflies when I'm with you. I still get goosebumps when I kiss you. And** **I am absolutely crazy about you. You are my everything. My world. My forever. My baby. My Livvie. And someday, my wife.**

 **I love you, Olivia Carolyn Pope. You will forever be my favorite.**

 **Yours always,**

 **Fitz**

By the end of the letter, she was crying, holding his T-shirt closely to her chest. She grabbed her phone and called him right away, even though she hadn't planned on it that night. He answered within a few rings. "Livvie?"

"I...read your letter" she cried. He was silent on the other end for a few moments. "Did you like it?" he finally asked softly. "Yes," she said, the tears continuing to stream down her cheeks. "I didn't think I even had any more tears to cry after this awful day. But somehow you managed to get more out of me," she sniffled. She heard him laugh quietly on the other end. "But they are happy tears, Livvie," he said softly. "Yes," she sniffled. "I'm glad you liked it. I snuck it in your bag when you were in the shower," he said.

She smiled. "I loved it. I love you," she whispered. "I love you too. So much" he whispered back. "I hated having to leave you today," she said, wiping her tears away. "Me too. I can't wait until you come home to me" he replied.

And _just_ as her tears had dried for the third time that day, they started rolling down her cheeks yet again. He had said "home". And for the first time in her college years, that sounded right. Connecticut was home. But not because it's where she went to school. Not even because it's where she spent nine months out of the year. But because he was there. _He_ felt like home.

"I can't wait to come home to you too."

* * *

Grab your tissues! :(

Hope you all made it through this chapter in one piece.

Don't be too sad, because you know they'll be reunited in time. Hope you enjoyed!

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	35. Cute Cali Boy & Loopy Liv

Olivia woke up to about a thousand texts from Sandra and Stephen. She groggily looked over at their group message, and read through everything she had missed.

 _ **LIV!**_

 _ **PARTY TONIGHT AT AUSTIN'S AT 8!**_

 _ **LIV!**_

 _ **OLIVIA!**_

 _ **Olivia, seriously, you can't pass up free booze.**_

 _ **Olivia, don't make me come and throw tennis balls at your window again.**_

 _ **WAKE UP!**_

She laughed and replied, telling them it sounded fun and that she'd be there. She could use something fun at the moment. It was Sunday, and the past couple days had been pretty sad for her. She'd been missing everyone from school already, only two days into summer break. _And_ she had to get her wisdom teeth out in just two more days. So, overall, she thought she deserved to have a little fun tonight.

Then, she looked at the much _calmer_ , much _sweeter_ wake-up text from her boyfriend.

 _ **Good morning, Livvie. Hope you slept better last night. Miss you.**_

She smiled and sent a reply back.

 _ **Morning, sweetie. I slept alright. How about you? Miss you too.**_

She pulled on Fitz's Yale sweatshirt, and went down to eat breakfast with her parents.

"Good morning, honey," Maya said. "Hey, mom" she replied. She gave her father a little wave as well. "So I was thinking after breakfast, why don't we go shopping together! It will cheer you up!" she exclaimed happily, handing her plate of food to her. Olivia smiled. "Sounds great" she replied.

Her mother, in particular, had noticed Olivia's extreme sadness the past couple days. It probably didn't help that her eyes were constantly puffy from crying. Her parents, of course, only thought it was because she missed her friends. Which was very true. They just didn't know the other reason she was sad about. Or rather, _whom,_ she was sad about.

After breakfast, Olivia got ready and went to the outlet mall with her mom. And honestly, it was a great day. Olivia felt pretty spoiled when her mom bought her some new clothes, despite her many attempts to purchase things herself. Even after all this time, her mother still loved to help her shop.

They got some lunch together at a place near the outlet mall, and had a good long chat about school and what she was thinking about doing in the future. She wished she could just spill everything to her mother right then and there. To tell her that she had huge plans for the future, that included a certain someone. But she couldn't. In time, of course. Just not quite yet.

"I was maybe going to spend the night at Sandra's tonight. Is that okay?" she asked her mother as they drove back home. "Sure. She can still take you to your appointment on Tuesday, right?" Maya asked. "Yep, all set with that, I reminded her yesterday" Olivia nodded.

"Okay. And when are you going back to work?" Maya asked. "Probably next week, I still have to call them. I just want to recover enough before I go back, like you said," Olivia replied. "Yep, that's kind of why I scheduled it for you so soon, so you wouldn't miss too much work" Maya nodded. It was silent in the car for a little while, until her mother spoke up again.

"Are you happy to be home, baby?" she asked with a smile. "Yes, mom. Of course. I always miss you and dad when I'm gone" Olivia replied happily. "That makes me so happy. We miss you when you're gone too. I don't think we have accepted being empty-nesters quite yet" her mom said with a laugh. That made Olivia smile. Her parents were so sweet. Being home with them for three months wouldn't be all that bad. Hopefully.

* * *

She spent the rest of the day picking up her room and the storage room in the basement a little bit, just trying to organize everything for the summer. Her dad grilled them steak for dinner and they talked for awhile, mostly about her parents' work. She was always in the know about the companies they worked for and the people they worked with, because it was often a subject they talked about at dinner.

Afterward, she hung out in her room until she decided she would go.

"I'm going to Sandra's!" she yelled, coming down the stairs. "Alright. Have fun, be safe" her father replied. "I will," she said. "Bye, Livvie" her mother yelled. "See you, mom."

She let out a sigh of relief as soon as she shut the front door. She always got away with the "going to Sandra's" lie, but each and every time, it still made her nervous. Lying to her parents was something she really did not like. And funny enough, she seemed to be doing quite a bit of it lately.

She got to the party, and was immediately overwhelmed. It was by far one of the craziest house parties she'd ever been to. She had never been to Austin's house before. She knew him from high school, and they were friendly, but this is the first time she'd been over. Clearly, his parents were gone for the weekend, because there is no way they'd accept the way it looked right now.

Music blared loudly throughout the large house, and people were dancing, drinking, and making out freaking everywhere. Her eyes lit up when she saw Sandra and Stephen in the corner of the kitchen, both with red solo cups in hand.

They spotted her as she walked in and smiled. "Liv!" they exclaimed in unison. "Hey!" she exclaimed back, going to hug the both of them.

"Olivia, hey! What's goin' on?" Austin greeted from behind. She turned around and smiled at him. "Hi, Austin. This is a nice party you got going on here," she said, looking around. "Yeah, thanks. Parents are in the Bahamas until Thursday, so I knew I had to take advantage of that. Glad you could make it," he replied. "Yeah, glad I could come. First party of the summer is always fun" she nodded. "You got it. I'll see you around, have fun tonight" he said, raising his glass to her. "You too," she said with a laugh.

She eagerly turned her attention back to her two best friends and chatted up a storm with them. She hadn't seen Sandra since spring break, and Stephen since winter break, so it was great to catch up with them.

They had a great time together, drinking and talking. But things did get pretty wild. Olivia and Sandra took a couple shots of a couple different things, which made them feel awesome. Stephen didn't drink as much as the two girls, but he still had a good amount in him.

As Olivia took a shot of fireball, she heard a voice behind her. "Careful. Last time I saw you take shots of that we ended up doing it in a coat closet."

She froze and turned around to see her ex-boyfriend standing there, with his hands in his pockets, looking at her with a smile. "Edison" she greeted. "Liv" he greeted back. She turned back to see Sandra and Stephen looking at each other, and then back at Olivia, with wide eyes.

He came and sat near her. Not too close, but close enough to make small talk here and there throughout the night. Which, he did. They weren't on the best of terms after what he had done to her, but she remained polite with him, nonetheless.

A little while later, her phone buzzed and she looked down to see a message from Fitz.

 _ **Okay. Have fun and please be safe. Love you babe.**_

She smiled at his sweet reply to her original message, that told him she was going to a party and would call him the next morning.

 _ **I will. Love you too!**_

She locked her phone and set it down next to her. But the motion of laying it down must have caused the screen to light up again, because soon, she got a comment from Edison. "So that hand must belong to the guy that's making you so smiley over there," Edison said. She looked over at him and saw that he was glancing at her lock screen. The lock screen of her and Fitz holding hands in the car.

"What's it to you?" she asked, grabbing her phone and putting it in her pocket, far away from him. He put his hands up in defense. "Just an observation," he said with a laugh. "I thought once you went black, you could never go back. That's what they always say, anyway" he chuckled. _"Excuse_ me?" she said. "Not the case for you, though, I see. Is he givin' it to you just right? Better than I did?" he asked. Olivia scoffed at his words. "You're fucking disgusting," Olivia said. "Aw, honey, you didn't used to think so, did you?" he asked with a smile.

She just about snapped right then and there. The anger brewing inside of her was indescribable. This conversation had only strengthened her hatred for Edison. Clearly, remaining polite with him had gotten her nowhere.

She got up out of the chair, having no plan in mind as to what she was going to do. All she knew was that she was so incredibly angry at him. But then she felt an arm grab her and pull her out of that room so fast, she didn't have the chance to see who it was until they were by the stairs, starting to walk up them.

She glanced up at Stephen, who was holding onto her arm gently, walking her up the stairs. He led her into a loft area, with a couch, a chair, a TV, and a futon all set up. There were a few people passed out in the corner of the room on the futon, but besides them, it was empty.

She stood there with him awkwardly, not really knowing what to say at first. "Thanks," she finally said quietly. He only shook his head and laughed. "You're welcome. Although, I'm really not sure why you took what he said to heart. You know how Edison is. He was born an asshole" Stephen said. "Yeah, I know," she nodded.

"But you still let him bother you?" he asked. "No, I don't give a damn about him. I don't know, I...I just got so angry. He was saying things about..." she began. Stephen smiled. "Your boyfriend," he said, finishing her sentence for her. She nodded slowly, wondering how much of the conversation he had heard. "...Yeah."

They just stared at each other. She was trying to find the right words to say, to give him some sort of explanation, but she couldn't come up with a thing. "I won't ask, it's none of my business," he chuckled. "As long as he treats you right," he said with a smile. Olivia had to smile at that. "He does. He really does," she nodded, thinking about her sweet boy. Oh, what she would give to see him. It had only been a few days, and she already missed him like crazy.

"Good. Don't worry about your douchebag ex then, he's not worth it," Stephen said, sitting down on the floor. Olivia nodded, sitting down next to him.

"So where'd Sandra go? She was just sitting next to us like ten minutes ago?" she questioned. "She went to get another drink with Bailey I think. I'll let her know where we are" he replied, getting out his phone. Olivia was also on her phone, in the process of changing her lock screen to prevent any other instances. She hadn't ever changed it because it had never caused issues. _And_ it hurt her to do it. But, she decided it was for the best.

They talked for awhile, until they decided to go to sleep. Stephen insisted that Olivia take the couch, and he'd sleep next to her on the floor. He also promised he'd be on the lookout for "douchebag", just in case he decided to show up again. Which, Olivia was thankful for.

She was thankful for a friend like Stephen, who always had her back.

* * *

The next morning, Olivia woke up with a bit of a headache and an upset stomach, unfortunately. She laughed when she saw Sandra sprawled out near Stephen on the floor. Clearly, she had gotten Stephen's text and had made it up here at some point last night.

She got up quietly and made her way down the stairs. Some people were up, it seemed, but many people were still passed out all throughout the house. She had to hold in a laugh as she saw a sleeping, half-naked couple underneath the piano. _Nice._

And then she saw Edison, laying with some random girl on the couch. Both of them, appearing to be naked under the blanket. She rolled her eyes. Why she had ever dated that pig was a mystery to her, but thank god she had escaped that.

She sent a text in the group chat, telling her friends she had slipped out before they woke up, and that they'd make plans to all hang out after she recovered a bit from her wisdom teeth removal. And of course, she added how happy she was that the three musketeers were back together.

She got in the car and drove home to get a nice meal in, and call Fitz.

Since it was Monday, her parents were already at work. So, she had the house to herself, which was pretty nice. She could talk to her boyfriend in peace, and not have to worry about her parents being nearby.

When she dialed his number, she answered after a few rings. "Morning, babe," he greeted. "Morning," she said sweetly. "How are you doing today?" he asked. "I'm alright. I'm glad to be home, though" she said with a sigh. "So I take it the party wasn't so great?" he asked. "It was...interesting" she replied. "How so?" he asked.

"Well, it was all fun until Edison showed up," she said. "Your ex? What did he do?" he asked. "Yeah. Let's just say he said some things, and Stephen kind of had to...restrain me" she said with a little laugh. "What do you mean? What did he say?" he asked. She paused. "Just...things," she said uneasily. "Like?" he questioned. She sighed, wondering how he would react.

"Things about you" she replied. "What? How does he—how would he know about me?" he asked worriedly. "Well he doesn't know who you are or anything. He just saw my lock screen and...yeah," she said. "Just tell me what he said, Livvie" he replied. "What he said isn't important, Fitz," she said. "Just tell me" he replied. She sighed again. "He just said certain things about my...taste in guys and...stuff. And about who was better...in bed" she said, very, very uncomfortably.

"What the fuck?" he said. "Yeah, I know. He's an asshole. We were making small talk before that for awhile, and it was...okay. He just sees an opportunity to be smug and rude and he takes it. It's how he is" she sighed. "So...you just sat and talked to your ex all night at a party...while drunk?" he asked. "What? No, no. It wasn't like that, Fitz. And after he said those things, Stephen took me upstairs and got me out of there. I stayed with him the rest of the night after that, and everything was fine," she assured him. He paused.

"So...then Stephen _took you upstairs,_ where you spent the night with him," Fitz stated. "No—no. Well...yeah—but...no. That...came out wrong. I didn't mean—no. He helped the situation, is what I'm saying" Olivia replied. Fitz sat there in silence. "Stephen was happy for me, about you. He was happy that you're a nice guy, that you treat me well, unlike Edison," she said, hoping that would help. "Hm," was all he said. She started to get worried.

"Fitz, he's...just a friend. I mean...you know that, right?" she asked. "Yeah. He sounds like a good friend" Fitz replied. "You're mad" she stated. Somehow this conversation had taken a bit of a wrong turn. This is not quite how she imagined her chat with him going this morning.

"I'm not mad. I just think it's odd you spent your night at a party with your asshole ex and then another guy" he said. "It wasn't like that Fitz. It wasn't. I was with Sandra and Stephen practically the whole night. Stephen has been one of my best friends for _years_ , you know that. And Edison just showed up," she replied. "Alright, Olivia," he said. Although he sounded unconvincing.

"You know, it sounds like you don't trust me," she said. "I trust you, Olivia" he replied. "So why make a big deal about all of this then?" she asked. "I didn't. All I said was that it was an odd choice" he said. "And I told you that it wasn't what it sounded like" she replied. "Mhm," he replied.

She sighed. "I'm not in the mood to argue with you right now, Fitz. I haven't even been gone a week and this is what's happening?" she asked. "Nothing is happening, Olivia. I jumped to conclusions, and I'm sorry about that. We discussed it, and now we're fine" he said simply. "And you're okay with Stephen?" she asked. "Yes," he replied. "Are you—I mean, are you sure? I just feel like you're maybe not okay...with it" she said. "I'm okay with it. The last thing I want is to keep you from your friends. I won't _ever_ do that. I just love you and miss you, and I was being too protective. I'm sorry," he said.

She sighed and nodded. "You don't...need to be sorry about anything. I love you and miss you too. Probably even more than you do" she said, trying to lighten the conversation. "Not possible" he replied. "Definitely possible," she said back. "Nope," he said. "Fitzgerald Thomas" she warned. "Don't full name me" he replied back. "I just did, though, deal with it," she said back. She finally heard a little chuckle on the other end. "You are gonna be the death of me, you sassy girl." She smiled and exhaled deeply. Everything was fine.

"Don't die. Then you won't get to hear about my loopy experience tomorrow" she exclaimed. He laughed. "True. I can't wait for that. I had an interesting experience when I got mine out" he said. "Let me hear!" she replied.

"Well, my dad took me to get mine out. And apparently, I begged him for a milkshake afterward. So, we went through a drive-thru and he got me one. You can't drink through straws after the surgery, so my dad got me a spoon and everything. It was certainly an ordeal. But after all the work he claims he went through, I then proceeded to throw it out the window _while_ we were driving. He was pissed," he said.

Olivia burst into laughter. "You and your damn ice cream, Fitz," she said, shaking her head. "Yeah, that's what I don't get? I love ice cream, why would I have thrown it out the window? Man, I wasted a perfectly good milkshake" he chuckled. "How old were you?" she asked. "Seventeen, I think" he replied. "Ugh. I wish I would've gotten mine out sooner. I'm really nervous" she said.

"Don't be nervous, you'll be alright. You better call me when you're cooped up in the house recovering" he said. "Oh, I definitely will. Although, I suppose you don't want to sit and talk to me every day for like a week" she giggled. "All I ever want to do is talk to you," he said. Her body warmed at that. "Plus, I have two weeks off now so...I won't be doing much. Working out a lot, probably" he added.

"Yummy," she said with a smile. "No, not yummy. Sweaty" he chuckled. "Mmm. _Yummy"_ she said again. He just laughed. "You have any plans to go to Dennis's cabin?" she asked. "Yeah, I'm thinking maybe the weekend of the twenty-sixth. He has a lot of weekends booked already so I have to pick and choose" he replied. "Ugh, jealous. Send me pics when you go. Oh, and you better not hit another god damn home run when I'm not there to see it" she said. He laughed.

"I won't. You were my good luck charm" he said. She smiled. "Don't be so modest. I saw how much everyone loved you, and wanted you to come back ASAP. You're good" she said. "And so freaking fast, by the way. Like, where the hell did that come from?" she added. "I don't...know. I like to run, I guess. I don't know" he chuckled. "Well...keep running" she replied. "Anything for you" he teased.

They talked for a little while longer before they hung up, promising they'd talk later, and Olivia did some cleaning and organizing. She cleaned up the kitchen and did some other things around the house for her parents.

A little while later, she ran on the elliptical and lifted a little bit in their workout room downstairs, since she didn't know how much she'd be up for working out after tomorrow.

Then she showered and even got a little nap in, just before her parents got home. It was a nice day, just doing as she pleased.

* * *

Later that night, she FaceTimed Fitz before she went to bed. In the middle of their chat, her mother called her down to talk about her appointment the next day. She told Fitz she'd be right back, and opened her door to go downstairs. Although, in the process, she stubbed her toe on the dresser.

"Son of a fucking _bitch!"_ she yelled, holding her foot as the pain radiated through her toe. And, of course, her door being wide open, her parents heard her yell loud and clear. "Olivia Carolyn!" her mother yelled back. Olivia put her hand up to her mouth. _Oops_. "Sorry, mom" she yelled. She heard Fitz quietly laughing his ass off on the phone. "Oh, shut up" she yelled in a hushed whisper. Of course, that only made him laugh more.

When she came back from talking to her mother, she saw Fitz sitting there on the screen, still smiling. "I'm back" she greeted quietly, shutting her door. "Hi" he replied. "What are you smiling at?" she asked. "Mostly your outburst of profanities a few minutes ago" he chuckled, which made her laugh too. "Yeah, I kind of forgot I was home and couldn't say whatever I wanted" she giggled.

"How can such dirty words come out of such a pretty mouth?" he asked with a smile. "Says dirty things, _does_ dirty things," she shrugged. He raised an eyebrow and smirked at her. "Having flashbacks there, sweetie?" she giggled. "Maybe" he replied. She laughed and smiled at him. "I miss you," she said. "Because you miss doing dirty things to me?" he asked. "No—well. Okay...yeah. But no, I just mean I miss _you"_ she giggled. He smiled. "I miss you too."

They talked for a little while longer, before they hung up and went to bed. Olivia had to be up bright and early, after all, for her appointment. Yay.

* * *

Olivia's procedure the next day went pretty well. She remembered being picked up by Sandra, and sitting in the waiting room, terrified. She remembered Sandra telling her she'd be just fine. But that was it. Once she'd been given anesthesia, she remembered nothing.

She woke up with gauze packed in her mouth, feeling as if no time had passed whatsoever. She felt really, really groggy, that was for sure. She moaned, kind of annoyed with all the gauze in her mouth. "Hi there, Olivia" a nurse greeted with a smile. "Hi," Olivia said, as best she could. "What time is it?" she asked, wondering if the nurse could understand her.

"It's about eleven. We're just going to keep you here a little while longer while the bleeding stops a little bit, okay, honey?" she asked. "Okay. Where is Sandra, I miss her" she told the nurse. She smiled. "She's in the waiting room. I'll have another nurse go tell her you'll be good to go in a little bit. How's that sound?" she asked. "That sounds super fantastic" Olivia replied happily. The nurse laughed. "Try to rest a little more, okay?" she said, putting her hand on her arm. "Yeah, okay" Olivia nodded.

But, of course, she didn't. She sat and admired all the objects in the room she was in. There was always at least one nurse in there with her at all times, watching over her. So, she told whoever was with her how pretty the artwork was on the walls, and that she wanted to have the same artwork in her own room. They found her pretty amusing, and made her laugh and smile a lot. And Olivia was feeling _pretty_ good.

When she was free to go, Sandra picked her up right by the back door, so she didn't have to travel too far. The nurses offered to wheel her out in a wheelchair if she was feeling dizzy, but she assured them she could "do it herself". They still walked with her the brief distance, anyway. "Bye! I'll miss you!" she said to the nurses. They giggled and waved goodbye, telling her she was an amazing patient.

"Sandra! I love you!" she greeted as she got in the car. Sandra burst into laughter immediately. "I love you too, Liv. How're you doing?" she asked. "I feel like a million bucks!" she said, through the thick gauze in her mouth. "Of course you do. Let's get you home" Sandra replied. "Yeah. Home!" Olivia yelled.

"Put your seatbelt on, Liv," she said. She obeyed Sandra, even though it took her a couple tries. "My fingers don't even work! What, did they do surgery on my fingers too?" she asked, giggling uncontrollably. Sandra laughed. "Do I need to help you?" she asked. Olivia scoffed. "No, I am an independent woman" she replied. Sandra put her hands up in defense. "Okay, okay, just checking" she replied.

As they drove back to Olivia's house, she saw a man with curly brown hair, walking on the sidewalk. So naturally, she thought of Fitz. "I miss my boy," she said, frowning. Sandra turned towards her. "Your cute Cali boy?" she asked. Olivia giggled. "Mmm, yeah. He's so cute," she said happily. Sandra laughed. "I'm sure he is, Liv" she nodded.

"I'm gonna call him" Olivia informed her, looking for her phone that she had left in Sandra's center console. "Really?" she asked. "Yes! I want to call him. Right now, I'm going to call him" she nodded. "Okay," Sandra replied with a laugh. Olivia excitedly dialed his number and waited for him to pick up.

"Well hi, Livvie," he greeted, as Olivia put him on speaker. "Hi, sweetie. I miss you!" she exclaimed. "I miss you too, baby" he chuckled, most likely at how funny she sounded with all the gauze in her mouth. "How did everything go?" he asked. "It went ultra perfect, the nurses said I was an amazing patient. Can you believe that? I was amazing!" she exclaimed. "I _can_ believe that. You're very amazing" he chuckled. She smiled.

"Thanks! Oh, hey, I was just telling Sandra how cute you were. Come on, tell her how cute you are" she said into the phone. "Uhhh" he replied. Sandra laughed. "Hi, Liv's cute boyfriend. It's nice to...kind of...meet you," she said. He chuckled on the other end. "Hi, Sandra, likewise. I've heard a lot about you. Thanks for taking such good care of Olivia," he said. "Of course. She did the same for me" Sandra replied. Olivia giggled. "Yeah, I did. I was a good caretaker" she said. "You really were" Sandra nodded.

"Why don't you go and have some fun with Sandra, okay, Livvie? You can call me later today, how's that sound?" he asked. Olivia smiled. "Yeah, okay. I'll do that. Go run a lot today. And get all sweaty" she giggled. "I will, just for you" he chuckled. "Okay. I love you. I love you a lot. Like...so, so much," she said happily. "I love you very much too. Have fun, eat some ice cream" he said. "I will. Bye!" she exclaimed. "Bye, Olivia, bye Sandra!" he said. "Bye!" Sandra exclaimed.

Olivia sighed happily, holding her phone to her chest. "Isn't he great? He is so great" Olivia said. "He's very great. He sounds so mature" Sandra replied surprisedly. He is older than me. He is...a lot older than me" Olivia replied, feeling good enough to tell Sandra some more details about him. "I kind of thought so. That's okay, though. Age doesn't matter" Sandra replied. Olivia smiled. "Yes, you are so right. It's just a letter!" Olivia exclaimed. "Wait...no. I meant a number!" she added. Sandra laughed pretty hard at that.

"So what does he do? Is he out of college?" Sandra finally asked. Olivia giggled. "He's out of college, but he's still in the college," she said. Sandra raised an eyebrow and laughed. "You are _so_ high," she said, shaking her head. "I am serious! _And_ he is a lawyer" Olivia said proudly. "Well that's hot" Sandra replied. Olivia giggled. "Mmm, yeah. He's hot. In every way. And so sweet," Olivia replied.

"Yeah, I can tell he's sweet on you. I'm happy about that, after douchebag. You deserve someone like cute Cali boy" Sandra said with a laugh. "Yeah. Edison basically trash talked him at Austin's party, though" she said, frowning. "Yeah, Stephen told me about that. I'm sorry I wasn't there to back you up," she said apologetically. "It's okay. I shouldn't have let him bother me, anyway. My boyfriend's whiteness and his skills in bed are none of Edison's business!"

"Woah, woah, say what now?" Sandra asked. "My boyfriend is white," Olivia said cheerfully. Sandra laughed. "No, Olivia, I meant the other part" she replied. "Oh! His skills in bed. Yeah. Edison was all, 'is he givin' it to you just right? Better than I did?' What a pig. You know, I should've said, 'um, yeah, assclown, he lasts longer than two minutes and actually knows how to get me off', but I didn't want to be petty," Olivia said casually. Sandra was laughing her ass off, at this point.

"So I take it cute Cali boy _is_ givin' it to you just right, then," Sandra questioned. Olivie just smiled. "Yes...yeah. He's...wow," Olivia replied. "Wanna see what he did to my back?" she added, knowing that the marks hadn't fully faded yet. Sandra raised an eyebrow. "What on earth could he have done to your back?" she asked.

Olivia giggled, turning to her right while lifting up the back of her shirt. Sandra took a quick glance, as not to take her eyes off the road for too long. "What the!" she exclaimed. "Isn't he talented?" she asked, smiling at her. Sandra burst into laughter. Again. "Oh my good god" she giggled. "Yeah. I think we only slept like three hours that night. And man, I was really sore the next day," Olivia replied. Sandra's mouth only continued to hang open.

Olivia sat there smiling, with thoughts of his body swirling around in her head. Yeah, anesthesia was fucking awesome.

"Um, okay, I think I really like high Olivia" Sandra giggled. "Excuse me, I prefer to be called loopy Liv, okay?" she said, which of course, made Sandra laugh even harder.

When they got to Olivia's house, they went to Olivia's bedroom and stacked up her pillows so that her head would be propped up, which was advice from the nurses today. The effects of the anesthesia were slowly beginning to wear off, and Olivia was starting to feel the pain in her mouth. Which, sucked. But she didn't let it get her down.

Sandra got her some ice packs to put on her cheeks, too, and sat with her on her bed for awhile.

Olivia told Sandra more about what she had done this past semester with her boyfriend. Sandra listened very intently and was very glad to hear that Olivia was so happy. Olivia kneeled down and grabbed her "Fitz box" from behind a couple of things underneath her bed, and opened it for Sandra to see. She pulled out a bunch of pictures she'd developed. Pictures in New York, out in the snow, in his apartment, at Dennis's cabin, _everywhere._

The first picture Olivia pulled out was a picture of them kissing in New York. Sandra smiled. "Oh my god," she said with a smile, grabbing it from her and looking over it. It was a view of them from the side, and his eyes were closed, so Sandra couldn't see much of what he really looked like. So, Olivia dug through her pictures and found a regular selfie they had taken. Sandra's eyes widened. "Woah," she said. _"That's_ cute Cali boy?" she asked. "Yes," Olivia nodded. "Oh _my_ lord," she said.

Olivia dug out a couple more of her favorites, including the one she'd taken on the boat. Shirtless, backwards hat, his curly hair showing a little bit, sunglasses. Sandra's jaw dropped. "Please don't get mad at me...but...your boyfriend is the hottest guy I've ever seen," she said. Olivia laughed. "Yeah, that's what Abby thinks too. She actually only refers to him as 'pretty boy' now. She doesn't even use his name," she said with a laugh. Sandra smiled.

"Wait...what _is_ his name?" she asked. "Didn't I tell you?" Olivia asked, confused. "No," she said with a laugh. "Oh. It's Fitz" she said. "Fitz? Like...that shirt 'fits'?" she asked. Olivia laughed. "Yes. But with a 'z'" she replied. Sandra shrugged. "Hm, cool name" she nodded.

"What's this?" Sandra asked, pulling out the letter. "He...wrote that for me," Olivia said. Sandra's jaw dropped. "He wrote you a _letter?"_ she asked. Olivia nodded, watching Sandra put it back, probably knowing that it was private. "Wow. Is there anything wrong with him!? You two are couple goals. Seriously, wow. You guys are perfect" Sandra said. "Well...not everything is perfect" she replied. "How so?" Sandra asked.

"Well...we have quite the age gap, for one," Olivia said. Sandra shook her head. "So? What is he, even, like thirty?" Sandra said. "No...uh, older than that" Olivia replied. "How old?" she asked. "Thirty...seven" Olivia said. Sandra raised an eyebrow. _"Oh_. Okay. Well...he doesn't look that old. Still, what does that matter? He loves you and you love him. That's all that matters" Sandra shrugged. Olivia smiled at how sweet Sandra was being.

"I know. But...it's still...a little more complicated than that" Olivia said. "Try me" Sandra replied. Olivia bit her lip. "Well...let's just say that people wouldn't approve of our relationship. Because we're not really...supposed to be...romantically involved" she said. Sandra cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I kind of said it before. When I was a little loopier than I am now. Although, I still feel good. I think I should have ice cream now, do you think I can have some? I think I should" Olivia said, getting distracted. Sandra snapped her fingers. "Olivia. _Fitz,"_ Sandra interrupted. "Oh, yes, yes. About him being...still in the college" she added. Sandra looked confused.

"He... _works_ there" Olivia clarified. "So...he's a counselor or like a...board member or something?" Sandra asked. Olivia grimaced. "Not quite" she replied. Sandra sat there in thought, and then her eyes widened. "Oh god," she said, putting her hand over her mouth. "Is he...no. Wait...is he your..." she began. "Professor," Olivia said. "Olivia!" Sandra exclaimed. Olivia winced. "Yeah..." she nodded. "You're fucking your professor" Sandra stated. "Regularly, yes," Olivia said. "Particularly in lakes and in cars" she added.

"Wait a second, I thought you said he was a lawyer!" Sandra said, ignoring her dirty little comment. "He is! Well...he's a lot of things" Olivia replied. "What does that mean?" Sandra asked. Olivia sighed. And then, proceeded to tell Sandra about what he did before he came back to get his masters and start teaching. She filled her in on absolutely everything, from start to finish. And she was awestruck.

"Holy shit, Liv" she finally said. "You're dating a former governor. And your former professor, who could still be your professor in the future. Who is also almost twenty years older than you. _And_ the hottest guy I've ever seen" she said. Olivia paused and nodded. "Uh, yeah—that's...yeah," she replied. "Wow. You could write a book!" Sandra said with a laugh, which made Olivia laugh too. "Wait a second...your parents..." she said. "Yeah. They don't know," Olivia replied. "Olivia...somehow I really don't think they'd be into this" Sandra said worriedly.

"Yeah. They won't like it...I have no idea when I'm going to tell them. I seriously don't know. I mean, I'll have to tell them eventually, obviously. I'm just a little worried as to how that conversation will go" she said. "Yeah...maybe you should hide this box better? What if they find it?" she asked. "They barely come in here. Plus, I'm used to hiding everything about him. I have to do it at school too. Only four people know about us, including yourself," Olivia replied.

"Wow. Well, I'm honored, Liv. Thank you for telling me about him, it means a lot," Sandra said gratefully. "Of course. I'm glad you know now too. Stephen doesn't know much about him, he only knows _of_ him. So maybe for now...we can keep it that way?" Olivia inquired. "Of course, absolutely. I wouldn't want to do anything to mess this up for you" she nodded. "Thanks. I would definitely trust him with it. I just don't really want to go around telling everyone quite yet" Olivia said with a little laugh.

"Yeah, I totally get that" Sandra nodded. "And _now_ I understand why you didn't want your parents with you when you were all loopy," she added. Olivia giggled. "Yeah. I kind of went crazy over him earlier, didn't I?" she asked. "Yes, you did. I think you would've been screwed if your parents were with you," Sandra said with a laugh. "Yeah...thank god I thought ahead" she grimaced. Sandra nodded.

"So, by the way, over spring break...when you told me your relationship wasn't that serious..." Sandra questioned. "Yeah...that was complete bullshit. I'm sorry, I got too nervous to tell you" Olivia replied. Sandra laughed. "No worries, I totally understand. So it _is_...serious then?" she asked. Olivia paused for a moment, and then smiled. "I'm gonna marry him, Sandra."

Sandra's face broke into a smile and she started fanning herself. "I'm gonna cry, oh my god, I'm gonna cry," she said. Olivia laughed and put her arm around her. That was the happiest she had been since she'd come back to Virginia for the summer, sitting with Sandra and filling her in on her life at school, and the man she loved. It felt good, not having to hide him from at least _one_ person back home, a close friend whom she trusted with her life.

So, there they sat, chatting back and forth all afternoon. Even with the anesthesia beginning to wear off, and the pain beginning to surface. _And_ all the awful, bloody gauze in her mouth. The moment still felt beautiful; telling one of her best friends about the future she hoped to have. Maybe the summer wouldn't be too bad, after all.

* * *

Whew! This was certainly an interesting one to write. I wanted to give you a nice, long chapter of her first couple days at home. Olivia has already been a little busy, huh?

But of course, still makes time to talk to her guy. Even if it's not _always_ the happiest of conversations.

Have patience, friends.

Hope you enjoyed the start of her summer.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	36. Friends Weekend

The entire week that Olivia recovered, she FaceTimed Fitz every day. Since her parents were at work every day, she had the whole house to herself. And as Fitz would say, it was "fricken awesome". She could talk to him as much as she pleased without worrying about if they could hear her. She didn't have to be quiet in her room, or go down into her basement just to talk normally to him. She didn't have to flinch every time she heard a step outside her door. Again, fricken awesome.

Of course, that week ended, and then she was back to work at the Center for American Progress, doing her duties as press intern. In many ways, she loved being back at work. The people there were pretty nice, the D.C. location was cool, the hours weren't bad, and she didn't have to work Fridays. Plus, she certainly enjoyed earning money again, and a good amount, at that.

However, at the end of the day, it was still work. And sometimes it did get to be a bit of a drag with all the stress she was put under. But, that's what hanging out with her friends and family, and talking to Fitz were for. To de-stress.

Her first day back at work had been almost three weeks ago, and it was now the end of May. And she was pretty excited, because not only was it getting closer to July, but tomorrow, Abby was coming to visit her for the weekend. Luckily, Abby had gotten this Friday off, so she planned on making the drive to Virginia during the day to stay for a couple days. And since Olivia had Fridays off, to begin with, it was perfect.

Olivia was insanely excited, after not seeing Abby for almost a month. She deep cleaned everything, especially the basement, where they'd stay together for the weekend. Abby usually took the guest bedroom and Olivia slept on the couch in the family room, just so they were in close proximity to each other. Plus, the basement had started to become Olivia's favorite hangout spot in her house, because it was much easier to talk normally to Fitz down there without worrying about her parents hearing her, since her bedroom was near theirs. She had even spent the night down there a couple times here and there, falling asleep with him on the other end.

And from the looks of it, tonight would be another one of those nights.

* * *

Fitz sat shirtless in his bed, looking at his sleepy girlfriend on his phone screen. He had told her many times that it was alright if she wanted to go to sleep. But, of course, she refused, saying she wanted to keep talking to him and "see his handsome face".

"Hey baby" he whispered. "Hmm?" she replied. "I'm gonna go brush my teeth and grab some water okay?" he asked. "Yeah, baby, okay" she nodded sleepily. "You gonna be asleep when I get back?" he asked with a laugh. "No, no. Absolutely not" she said, shaking her head. "Oookay" he chuckled, giving her a little wave.

He went to brush his teeth, smiling down at her cute purple toothbrush next to his in his drawer. There were some things she had left there; a toothbrush, her soap in the shower, one necklace that it seemed she had forgotten, and one of her T-shirts he'd found in his laundry.

The T-shirt, of course, was folded and put away in his top drawer so that he saw it every day. He had washed it once on accident, but it still faintly smelled like her, so on occasion, he'd take it out.

She had such an effect on him, it was insane. Seeing something of hers, smelling something of hers, it all made his heart ache even more. Part of him didn't even want to wait until July to see her. It was agonizing, after nine straight months, to be away from her. She was everything. She had his heart. And man, it was kind of annoying sometimes! _Everything_ was her. He couldn't escape her, ever. Which made it tough when he couldn't actually see her.

Maybe there was a way he could see her before July. Just maybe.

He grabbed some water and went back to his room, shutting off the lights as he entered. He looked at the screen and saw the dim lighting of her basement, illuminating her face just enough. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing lightly. And she looked absolutely beautiful. No makeup on, hair pulled up in a bun, sprawled out on the couch with her phone propped up against what he assumed was the armrest. Absolutely perfect.

"Livvie?" he asked softly. No response. "Babe" he whispered. She didn't even flinch. He chuckled quietly to himself. So much for "absolutely not" falling asleep.

He smiled at her, feeling goosebumps arise on his skin as he just simply looked at her.

"It drives me crazy, being away from you" he whispered. "I miss my girl" he whispered again. He was talking to himself, of course, but she had heard him say those things a million times, anyway. She knew how much he missed her, and he knew she was in the same boat.

He had felt a little lonely the past month. His favorite person in the world lived five hours away with her parents. Cyrus was here on occasion, also teaching night classes along with him, but he often went to his beach house with James on the weekends, leaving little time to meet up with him. And he wasn't very close to anyone else that remained here in the summer.

So, besides the occasional drink with Logan, Fitz was feeling pretty lonely. Although, that was how it had always been before he had met Olivia. He had come back to Connecticut, not really knowing anybody. He lived for his work, and only his work. And he loved his job, so it wasn't like he had been unhappy. He hadn't been. But teaching was all he had, besides Cyrus.

And then he met Olivia. And now, he lived for her. He _existed_ for her. So when she was gone, it brought him back to the days where he'd work extra late, just to avoid going home to his empty apartment. The days when he'd drink all night, as if that would somehow help him. The days where he would sleep four hours a night, at best. And he felt all of that again just because he missed a certain twenty-year-old girl who drove him crazy. And made him feel like nobody else ever had before. And looked at him like nobody else ever had before. It was all her.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of her tossing and turning on the couch. He directed his attention at her little sleeping body on his screen, and smiled. "Goodnight, Livvie."

He turned off his lamp and laid his phone down next to him. He took one last glance at the picture of them on his nightstand, and then at her on his screen. And when he fell asleep, images of her filled his mind, and the sounds of her light breathing filled his ears. It wasn't as good as having her there with him, but considering their situation, it was still a pretty good way to fall asleep.

* * *

Olivia woke up, confused. The basement light was still on, although it was dimmed pretty low. And her phone screen was black in front of her. She clicked on the home button, but it did nothing. It was dead, of course, because she'd fallen asleep on Fitz on FaceTime. Yet again.

She shook her head at herself, grabbing her phone to go upstairs and charge it.

She grew excited as she made herself breakfast, knowing that Abby would be here in a few hours or so. Man, she missed that crazy red-headed girl. She decided this summer, that she'd introduce Abby to Sandra, for sure, and maybe even Stephen. She hadn't introduced them last summer because Olivia had just wanted to spend time with Abby, and Abby alone. But she had a feeling that Abby and Sandra, in particular, would get along great. They were pretty similar, so this summer she thought it would be fun to all hang out together one night.

She grabbed her phone, seeing that it was charged enough to unlock it, and that she had a text from Abby an hour ago, saying she had left. Perfect.

She sent a quick text to Fitz, while she was on her phone.

 ** _Olivia: Morning, baby! Sorry I fell asleep. Again._**

He must have been on his phone, because she could see that he was already typing back to her.

 ** _Fitz: Good morning, sleepy girl. No worries, you had a long week at work. Excited for Abby to come today?_**

She smiled.

 ** _Olivia: Yes, so excited! I have no idea what to do with myself, I can't wait until she gets here!_**

 ** _Fitz: Call me? :)_**

A smile spread across her face once again. She would never turn that offer down.

She called him and he answered right away.

"Hey, you" he greeted. "Hi!" she exclaimed. "Guess what I just did?" he said. "What?" she asked. "Went for a run" he replied. She gasped. "Oh my god, let me see you" she demanded. "What?" he chuckled. "You heard me, send me a picture of your cute sweaty self" she replied. "Seriously, Liv?" he asked. "Seriously" she nodded. "You are crazy" he chuckled. "That isn't new information, sweetie, send me a picture" she replied. "Calm down, woman, I will, I will," he said. She smiled. "Good."

A few moments later, her phone buzzed against her ear. She put him on speaker and went into her messages, and opened the picture he had just sent. She squealed at what she saw.

There he was, standing in his bathroom, taking a picture of himself in the mirror. He was shirtless, in a pair of running shorts, with the waistband of his Nike compressions sticking up above his shorts. His hair was extra curly, as it always got when it was hot and humid. And of course, sweat glistened all over his chest and his face. The expression on his face was also quite priceless; seeming to say "my girlfriend made me take this".

"That body is a masterpiece," she said. "Says my girl, the _definition_ of hottie with a body" he chuckled. "No, I think that would be _you,_ " she replied. "Don't argue with me, Livvie, I'll win" he replied. "You definitely will not win" she giggled.

"You know, if I were there right now, I would've ended this by now," he said. "Oh yeah and how would you have done that?" she asked. "You know exactly how" he replied. "You wouldn't" she stated. "Oh, baby, we both know I would," he said. She smiled. "Hmm. I hate being tickled, maybe I don't miss you that much" she teased. He gasped. "How dare you!" he replied. She started giggling. "I'm just kidding, you know I miss you very much, crazy boy. Ticking and all" she said. "You better" he chuckled.

She sighed. "Yeah. Long distance is hard," she said. "It is. I don't feel like myself when we're apart" he replied. "Me neither. Although, it's only been about a month. Maybe we shouldn't be complaining, there are couples who have it a lot worse than us" she said with a laugh. "Very true. But then again, a lot of other couples don't have to sneak around and pretend in front of other people," he replied. "Also true. Well...next month, sweetie. Next month" she said happily.

"Mhm. Except I'm thinking I can't even wait that long to see your cute ass" he said. "Specifically my ass or just me in general?" she giggled. "Specifically your ass," he said, sounding very serious. "Oh yeah?" she asked. He laughed. "I'm just kidding. Although, I mean..." he began. "Seeing my ass wouldn't be all that bad either?" she asked. "Uh-huh," he chuckled.

"Well that makes two of us" she giggled. He laughed. "You and your love for my ass" he replied. "What, you have a nice one" she shrugged. "Babe, there's nothing special about it," he said. She gasped. "Don't ever disrespect your ass like that again!" she exclaimed, which made him laugh one more. "How many times do you think we've said the word 'ass' in the past minute?" he asked. "Quite a few. I like that word" she said. "Uh, Livvie, you love every swear word in the book" he replied. "Yeah, that's fair" she nodded.

They'd had countless playful conversations like that since they'd been apart, even more so than they already did. Of course, physically being with each other and talking was a lot better than only being able to talk through a phone or computer screen. But they didn't exactly have a choice, so they had to make do.

Olivia waited patiently until Abby _finally_ arrived. The two were extremely happy to be reunited, already filling each other in on the beginning of their summers.

Abby was also extremely excited to meet Sandra, whom she'd heard a lot about over the past couple years. So, later that night, after a nice dinner all together with Olivia's parents, Sandra came over.

* * *

"Wait, wait. So your boyfriend is going to law school!?" Sandra exclaimed as they all laid on the floor in the basement. Abby nodded proudly. "My David. He's so amazing" she said happily, taking a sip of the bottle of whiskey Sandra had snuck in her purse.

"Well jeez! You two and your lawyer boyfriends. Maybe I need to transfer to Yale!" Sandra exclaimed, which made Olivia and Abby crack up. "How have you been doing, being away from him?" Olivia asked. Abby's face sunk. "It's hard. I mean, don't get me wrong, I've had fun at home. But...I miss him" she replied, handing her the bottle of whiskey. Olivia took a sip and grimaced. Ugh, whiskey was still not her favorite.

"Yeah, I feel you on that," Olivia nodded. "How's pretty boy been doing?" Abby asked. Olivia shrugged. "He's keeping busy. He's got night classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, and he's gone to one conference in Rhode Island. Otherwise, he's enjoying his time off. He went to Dennis's cabin last weekend" Olivia replied, handing the bottle to Sandra.

"I bet he's missin' you" Abby smirked. "He is," Olivia smiled. "Sandra, I'm telling you. These two are so whipped on each other it's insane" Abby giggled. "Oh, you shush. As if you and David are any different!" Olivia exclaimed, pointing at her. Abby just shrugged and laughed. "Maybe so. I think you two just show it more" Abby said.

"What do you mean, we show it more!? We can't show anything to anyone!" Olivia exclaimed with a laugh. "Oh, bullshit. I once walked in on you two half-naked, making out on a stool in our kitchen" Abby said. Olivia's face grew red and Sandra burst into laughter. "You weren't supposed to come home so early!" Olivia giggled. "Wait, wait. He was in your apartment? Isn't that kinda risky?" Sandra asked.

"Usually it would be, yeah, but it was over winter break, so there weren't really any students there" Olivia explained. "Mhm, he just _had_ to come. That was when he expressed his love for her" Abby giggled. Olivia laughed and nudged Abby's arm. "Not true" Olivia she said with a laugh. Sandra sat there confused. "Is that when he first made his move or something?" she asked.

"Oh god no, that was when they broke their little pact of friendship and _only_ friendship" Abby teased. Olivia laughed. "True" she nodded. "Spill, Liv!" Sandra exclaimed. "Didn't I tell you everything when I was high?" she giggled. "Not about how you two started!" Sandra replied. "Oh, well you gotta tell her _that_ , Liv," Abby said. "Yeah! Who _did_ make the first move?" Sandra asked.

"He did. He held my hand under the table at a restaurant. _While_ sitting across from the head of the Political Science department" Olivia replied. Sandra's mouth hung open. " _Wow_. Man's got balls" she giggled. "Mhm. He knows now, though. The head of the department" Olivia said. "Oh yeah...I think you told me that. Cyrus or something?" Sandra asked. "Yeah, he and his husband, James, both know" Olivia nodded.

"Gotcha. Okay, hand holding. Then...your first kiss?" Sandra asked with a smile. "It was a little while after that. At his apartment" Olivia said, her cheeks starting to turn red. "Aw, look, she's getting all nervous!" Abby exclaimed, putting her arm around her. Sandra giggled. " _And_ , how was it?" she asked. "Wonderful. And it escalated very quickly" she said with a laugh.

Sandra's eyes widened, while Abby sat there and smirked. "Really?" Sandra asked. "Yeah. That night was...our first time" she replied. "Seriously?" Sandra asked. "Mhm," Olivia nodded. "Wow. So was that...awkward, since it all happened in the same night?" she asked.

"No, not at all. It was actually...really perfect. He...you know, asked me if it was okay and was a perfect gentleman. I think we were both kind of thinking 'is this really happening?'. But it also had been almost four months at that point, and we hadn't told each other how we felt until that night. So...I think it all kind of hit us at once and we just...went for it" Olivia said.

"Yeah and then she comes home the next day with hickeys all over, telling me she fucked up," Abby said with a laugh. Sandra's mouth hung open. "What the hell, she showed me her back covered with them a few weeks ago too! That man really needs to watch what he does with his mouth!" Sandra exclaimed. "That's exactly what I told him!" Abby said, pointing at her. Olivia sat there, laughing and shaking her head.

"So what happened after that? Did you start dating?" Sandra asked, getting back on track with the story. "Well, after we slept together, we didn't really know what to do. He, especially, was very nervous. So then we decided to wait to be together until he wasn't my professor anymore," she explained. Sandra burst into laughter. "Well that clearly didn't happen," she said, which made Abby crack up too. "No, Sandra, it certainly did not," Abby said, shaking her head.

Olivia smiled. "Yeah...we ended up crossing some lines after getting hammered at his house one night. And then...he came to my apartment the night after that and told me he didn't want to wait. I was hesitant, but I really didn't want to either. So...we didn't. The next morning is when Abby walked in on us" Olivia said with a laugh.

"Mhm. And I was ecstatic" Abby nodded. "She was. And she was even more ecstatic when he asked me to be his girlfriend" Olivia giggled. "True. That was a great day. My faves became official" Abby said happily. "Wow. Seriously Liv, I wasn't kidding when I said you could write a book!" she exclaimed. "Oh my god! You could! I'd buy it, Liv" Abby nodded. "Me too" Sandra agreed.

"I don't think I will be writing a book in the future, guys. Sorry to disappoint" she giggled. "Hey, once upon a time you told me you wouldn't bang the hot professor. Look what happened, now you bang him all the time and he's the love of your life" Abby pointed out. "Oh, she's got you there" Sandra nodded. Olivia rolled her eyes. "I think you two have had too much to drink," she replied, which, only made them want to drink more.

"Wait, what the..." Abby said quietly, looking at her phone. "What?" the other girls said in unison. Abby looked up at them, in surprise. "Oh, uh...nothing. It's nothing" she said casually. "She probably got another dick pic from David or something" Olivia giggled. Sandra laughed. "Nice, Abby," she said. Abby just laughed. "Ha, yeah. Uh-huh" she nodded. Olivia took the opportunity to check her phone as well, seeing a text from Fitz.

 ** _Goodnight, baby. Have fun with Sandra and Abby. I love you._**

She smiled down at her phone. "Aw."

"Fitz?" Sandra asked. "Mhm," Olivia nodded, showing her the screen. Sandra silently read it to herself, smiling the whole time. "Awww. He's so cute. I love how he calls you baby" she said. Olivia nodded. "Yeah, we have quite a few names for each other. So did Abby. What were all your names for Fitz again, Abby?" Olivia asked. "What?" Abby asked, looking up from her phone.

"All your names. For Fitz" Olivia repeated. "Oh, right, yeah. Uh, let's see there was 'professor dreamy', the 'hot professor', 'Fitzy boy', and 'pretty boy'" Abby listed off, before immediately returning back to her phone. "Right, yes. Apparently, she chose to go with pretty boy permanently," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Yeah. Hey, Liv. What's your address again? I just know how to get here by memory so I don't have it saved anywhere" Abby said out of the blue. "What do you need to know my address for?" Olivia asked. "Well...for letters and stuff" Abby shrugged. "Abigail Whelan, you have never once written me a letter" Olivia giggled. "Hey, there's a first time for everything!" she replied. "I suppose that's true" Olivia shrugged.

She thought it was a little strange, but she gave her address to her, nonetheless. "When can I expect your first letter?" Olivia teased. "Next week," Abby said confidently. "Alright, I'm holding you to that" Olivia said. "Please do," Abby said with a smile.

Overall, Olivia had a great weekend with her friends. On that Friday night, they had a fun little sleepover, all three of them passing out on the floor in the basement together. Then on Saturday, they all went out to breakfast, where Stephen met up with them so that he and Abby could meet.

And then Olivia spent that night with just Abby, after doing a little shopping together at the outlet mall. It was all perfect. She got to spend the weekend with all of her best friends, and she'd get to see her favorite guy next month. Life was good.

* * *

Friends weekend!

Hope you enjoyed Abby's visit, and Olivia & Fitz's phone chats.

I just want to say another thank you, to all of you who have stuck with me on this forbidden journey. I have recently gotten reviews saying that my writing has driven you to tears and that is one of the best compliments I think I could ever get. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. This story is all for you.

Again, have patience, friends :)

Stay tuned and read on!

With Love,

~T


	37. Sixteen Again

Olivia awoke to her alarm sounding next to her on her nightstand. "Ugh, shut up" she groaned, smacking the snooze button. _Just ten more minutes_ , she thought.

And somehow, the ten extra minutes felt like _one_ minute. Lame.

She dragged herself out of bed to shower, and put on a gray pantsuit, with a white blouse and some heels. Even though she had gotten back into her work routine, getting up and getting ready at six-thirty in the morning was always difficult. But, she liked to be in by eight so that she didn't have to stay too late. She always liked to be home fairly early so she could eat dinner with her parents, or go spend time with her friends.

She moved slowly, doing her hair and makeup to make sure she looked as perfect as she liked to at work. She brushed her teeth and grabbed a granola bar and a hot cup of tea for the road.

She was always getting ready around the same time that her parents were too, so they usually had good chats in the mornings, even though they actually left a little later than she did.

She was out the door by seven-thirty, half-unwrapped granola bar in her mouth with a steaming mug of tea in one hand and her purse and keys in the other.

She usually didn't send Fitz a text until a little later in the morning when she got a break at work, simply because he wasn't up at the early hour she was in the summer. Plus, he had been having issues sleeping again lately, so she didn't want to disturb him. Not every night was bad, but some still were. He assured her that he just went through bad spells occasionally and would be fine. That didn't really stop her from worrying about him, though, of course.

Her day at work was uneventful, which, some days, she was thankful for. She wasn't swamped with work, or problems on top of problems that she had to fix. Although, there were times that she also really liked to have a lot to do.

Last summer, she had only just gotten done with her freshman year of college, so she wasn't really qualified to do much. As a young intern, she truly did do a lot of getting coffee for people and taking notes for people in meetings.

Olivia had only wanted to get any experience possible, even though being in press and PR wasn't exactly in the realm of what she was studying. But she quickly learned that that didn't really matter, and that the things she was learning at her internship applied to pretty much any other job out there. Having people skills, being able to communicate efficiently, knowing how to solve problems quickly.

Plus, having that internship, especially given its D.C. location, helped her make connections and network with people in her field of study. She already had many contacts around D.C. at the young age of twenty, and even if she didn't want to find a job out of college in D.C., it sure as hell didn't hurt to have those connections.

So, when they started to see her potential near the end of last summer and asked for her back this summer, she certainly didn't turn it down.

She got to leave the office fairly early that day and was happy to go home and relax. It was Wednesday, so she only had one more day of work this week, thankfully.

She had a nice dinner with her parents and they all talked about their days at work. She helped them clean up the kitchen and then went up to her room to grab her laptop and some paperwork from the office before heading downstairs to her basement.

She listened to music and worked a little while, just trying to get ahead on some things for the next day. But after a little bit, she FaceTimed Fitz when he was done with his class and talked to him for a while too.

"So your day was good?" he asked. "Yeah, it was pretty good. How was your class?" she asked. "Alright. I'm glad I'm done for the week though. This week has gone so slow for me" he said. "Really?" she asked. "Mhm. I've been waiting patiently for it to be done" he replied. "How come?" she asked. "No reason. Just like weekends better, is all" he said.

"I feel you on that one. I can't wait to relax this weekend" she agreed. "Yeah, I'm glad you don't have anything going on. I bet you'll have a fun weekend" he said. "You think so, huh?" she asked with a laugh. "I do think so" he replied with a smile. "And why's that?" she asked. "I just do. I'm psychic" he said.

"Oh, you are? Okay, what am I thinking about right now?" she asked, laughing. "Hmm…okay, I'm getting something. Alright…yep, you're thinking about my ass" he said. She burst into laughter. "Good guess, but wrong. I was thinking about ice cream" she giggled. "Ice cream?" he asked. "Ice cream" she nodded. "...I love ice cream" he said. She giggled. "I know you do" she nodded. "Now I want it. Thanks, Liv" he chuckled. "No problem," she said sweetly.

They were silent for a few moments, just smiling at each other on their screens. "What song are you listening to?" he asked, breaking the silence. "It's Khalid, I think" she guessed, reaching for her computer next to her to check what was playing. "Love Lies" she informed him. "Mmm," he replied.

She looked at him on her phone screen, seeing him smirking at her. "What?" she asked. "It just kind of sounds like a song I should rip your clothes off to," he said, smiling. Her eyes widened. "Naughty," she said with a smile. He shrugged. "It's the song, not me. Listen" he said.

She listened closer to the song's lyrics and its chorus. "Hmm…okay, yeah. It does sort of give off a 'fuck me' vibe" she agreed. "Mhm," he nodded. "You're thinking about it now, aren't you?" she asked. "Yep," he replied. "Thanks for the honesty, sweetie" she giggled. "You bet," he said with a smile.

She looked at that sweet smile of his and almost grew a little sad. "God, I miss you" she sighed. "I miss you too" he replied. "A lot" he added. She nodded. "You just have to tell yourself that we'll see each other next month. That's what I always do" she said. "Mhm. Next month" he replied.

"Are you excited for the wedding?" he asked. "Are you kidding? Of course I am! I get to see my guy all dressed up _and_ I get to dance to wedding songs with him" she said happily. "Yeah, you better bring your A game on the dance floor, baby. I'm not holding back" he said with a smile. "You better not" she giggled.

It was a good night, talking to him as usual. She made sure to get up to bed and get her phone on the charger so that it had a full battery for her next day at work.

And that next day at work was not nearly as uneventful as the previous day. She even had to work a little later than normal, but even then, it wasn't so bad. She still got home around six and had another nice meal with her parents.

She hadn't been responding to Fitz much throughout the day due to her insane schedule, but it seemed that he was just as busy, because he hadn't responded to the last message she had sent shortly before she left work. However, she did finally get a text from him around eight, telling her he'd FaceTime her soon.

So, she went down into the basement in preparation and watched TV until she heard her phone ring.

"Hi, sweetie" she greeted. "Hi. How's your night been?" he asked quietly on the other end. "Pretty good. You didn't text back for a while there, is everything alright?" she asked. "Everything is absolutely perfect, I just got a little busy. You in your basement right now, I assume?" he asked in a whisper.

"Yes, you don't need to whisper. And I thought we were going to FaceTime?" she asked confusedly. "We could. Except I'm..." he began. She heard a light tapping on her sliding glass door, which made her jump a little bit. She got up from the couch and slowly walked over to it, pulling the edge of the curtain back to reveal what was outside. Or rather, _who_.

"Here," he whispered, with a huge smile on his face.

She put her hand up to her mouth in awe. "Fitz?" she said, not quite believing her eyes. "Hi, baby" he whispered, that cute smile only growing bigger.

She reached for the door handle, but remembered how loud and squeaky that door was. She knew she was on an entirely different level than her parents, and that they were asleep, but she was certainly not going to take any chances.

"Just a second," she said anxiously. She wanted to hug him. To kiss him. So she sat there and thought for a second. And then an idea hit her. "Fitz, go to the last window on your left," she said. He looked a little confused, but he nodded and disappeared from her sight.

She closed the curtains again and ran through the living room, into the back hallway on the right side of her basement, where the guest bedroom was.

On the very few occasions where she had snuck out of this house, it had been through the guest bedroom window, because there was no screen. Its attachment had broken years ago, and her father had never repaired it, _even_ when she had gotten caught sneaking out a few years ago because of Stephen being loud. She hadn't been inclined to sneak out since then, since she didn't really feel the need to anymore. But the window could still be useful for other purposes.

She saw him standing outside the window, waiting for her to come over to him. She turned on the light and ran to the window, opening it as fast as her little fingers could. She shoved the window upward, still making sure to be quiet, and threw her phone behind her, not at all caring where it landed.

She leaned in and kissed him so fast, he wasn't even expecting it. "Mm," he groaned, his lips capturing hers in an eager kiss. His tongue had already slipped its way into her mouth, brushing against hers.

She rested her hands on the windowsill, and he immediately laced his fingers in hers as their hands gripped the ledge.

She pecked his lips over and over again, and smiled at him, still not quite believing that he was actually here. "What the hell are you doing here!?" she exclaimed in a hushed whisper, after they'd gotten their fair share of kissing in.

"I couldn't wait until next month" he whispered. She started laughing and leaned her forehead down against his. "What are we, sixteen?" she giggled. "Hey! My girlfriend lives with her parents, and I wanted to surprise her. I didn't have much of a choice here!" he chuckled. She smiled and kissed his lips again. "I love this. I am so happy right now," she said with a smile.

"I'm glad. I'm sorry I came so late. You had such a long day at work and you stayed later, so all day I was trying to gauge when I should leave. I thought about having you meet me somewhere but I figured you had a long week and would just wanna stay in tonight" he explained. "You don't need to apologize for anything, sweetie. This is absolutely amazing," she whispered, holding the sides of his face with her hands.

He clutched onto her forearms and smiled at her. "You'll have to thank Abby, she helped," he said. Olivia sat and thought for a second. "Ohhh...so _that's_ why she asked for my address!" she exclaimed. "Mhm. It's on your student profile online, but I can't get into it during the summer since you're not my student right now. So...I had to send a friend request to Abby on Facebook and then message her" he chuckled. Olivia laughed. "Oh my god, that explains why she got all weird on her phone last weekend," she said.

And him being here explained a lot of other things, too. Why Fitz was so eager for the week to be over, why he stopped texting for hours during his drive down here, and why he was whispering on the phone earlier. It all made sense. She no longer cared about the "relaxing weekend" she had in mind, she only cared about spending it with him.

"Mhm. She's a pretty good wing woman, Liv. She was so happy to help" he said with a smile. "I will definitely have to thank her. This is amazing. I seriously still can't believe you're here" she said happily. "Me neither. You should've seen me, Liv. I parked my car way down the street, just to be safe. And then I started walking, and I called you as soon as I got to your house. My hands wouldn't stop shaking," he said. "Aw, baby" she whispered, kissing his forehead again.

"God I'm so happy you're here. You just made my whole summer" she said. He smiled. "I'm so happy I'm here too" he whispered. "Where are you staying?" she asked. "I don't know yet, I'll probably just check into a hotel in D.C. tonight" he replied. Her face sunk. "I don't want you to go," she said sadly. "I know, baby, I know" he nodded.

She sat there in thought. "What if you stayed here?" she asked. His eyes widened. "I don't think so, Livvie" he replied. "Why not?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Because I'd prefer that the both of us actually live through the night," he said. She had to laugh at that. "They'll never know. We can stay down here, I do it all the time. They never come down here in the mornings," she said.

He looked at her doubtfully. "Please? I don't want you to leave" she said. He bit his lip and nodded slowly. "Okay," he agreed. She smiled and hugged him tighter. "Thank you, thank you!" she exclaimed. He smiled and kissed her lips. "I'm gonna go get my bag. I'll be back in ten minutes" he whispered. She nodded and let go of him so he could leave.

While he was gone, she quickly and quietly went upstairs to get ready for bed. She brushed her teeth, took off her makeup, and changed. When she went back down, she gently shut the basement door behind her and went back into the guest room to wait for him.

Not long after, he showed back up with a duffel bag, that he handed over to her through the window. "Okay, come in" she whispered. He nodded and put both palms on the windowsill, pushing himself upwards. He ducked his head underneath the window and inched himself in, swinging one leg, and then the other inside.

"Thirty-seven and still climbing through my girlfriend's window" he chuckled. "Sorry, the door is loud! And like I said, apparently we're sixteen" she giggled. He smiled and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her in for a proper hug. "Hi," he whispered. "Hi," she whispered back. They stood there in a tight embrace for a few minutes.

When they finally pulled back, he smiled at her and placed a soft kiss on her nose. "I missed you, pretty girl," he said. "I missed you too" she replied with a smile. "Here, I'll show you around," she said, grabbing onto his hand.

She led him around her basement, showing him the family room, their little bar area, the exercise room, and the bathroom next to the bedroom, all while talking quietly back and forth to each other.

Then he got ready for bed, and Olivia turned off the family room TV, and shut off all the lights. They were happy to finally crawl in bed together, after Olivia locked the guest room door just in case.

It was early for them to go to sleep. Which is why they didn't.

They whispered back and forth to each other for a long time, but eventually, they stopped.

He lifted the bed sheet over his shoulder and then over their heads, sucking on her bottom lip as he did so. She cherished the feeling again. His lips on hers. His tongue in her mouth. His body on top of hers. His hands holding on so tightly to her.

He slid down her body and his fingers found the bottom of her tank top, starting to inch it upwards as he placed wet kisses downward along her stomach. She couldn't take it anymore, so she just stripped it off, revealing her bare chest. She heard him exhale deeply in response. His hands moved to her breasts, starting to massage them gently while he continued placing kisses down her stomach. She buried her fingers in his hair, leaning her head against the headboard as she let him do what he wanted to do.

They fooled around a little under the sheets, not doing anything that could end up being too loud. Although, they still ended up mostly naked, he in his boxers and she in her underwear. And when they did finally go to sleep, she fell asleep snuggled up as close to him as possible, so incredibly happy to finally be with him again.

* * *

Olivia woke up to the sounds of her parents moving around upstairs, getting ready for work. She felt his arms wrap tighter around her as soon as she moved in the bed. "You awake?" she whispered. "Yeah" he whispered back. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand, seeing that it was just after eight.

That was about as late as she could "sleep in" on her days off, since she was so used to getting up almost two hours earlier than that. She turned around in his arms and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "How did you sleep?" she whispered. "Pretty good, despite fearing for both our lives" he whispered back. She smiled and moved as close to him as she possibly could.

"They'll leave soon" she assured him. He nodded and rubbed her arms affectionately, placing kisses on her bare shoulder. But then he stopped. He felt her left wrist, and looked at her in wonder. "Your bracelet," he said. Her face sunk. "I know, baby, I had to take it off. I'm just trying to be careful" she whispered. He nodded. "Good call" he replied, although she could tell he was a little sad about it. But soon enough, she'd be back at school where she could wear it 24/7.

She checked her phone next to her, seeing a text from Abby.

 _ **So, did you get your letter? :)**_

She smiled to herself and looked at her sweet boyfriend lying next to her.

 _ **I sure did, in the form of a cute, curly-headed boy. Thanks so much for helping him out, Abby. I'm still having a hard time believing he is actually here. Catch you up on details later:) Love you so much.**_

She set her phone down and turned back to him, so happy that he was there with her.

They whispered for a while in the bedroom as the sun shined into the window, until she heard the mudroom door close, and only one set of footsteps walking around. "Okay, that was probably my dad. My mom will be gone soon too" she whispered. And eventually, she heard the mudroom door close once again, and no footsteps walking around. The house was completely silent, save for the couple talking quietly in the basement, who had become experts at hiding.

They waited about fifteen minutes, just to make sure nobody came back after possibly forgetting something. "I think we're good," she said. "Okay," he nodded. "Come on," she said with a smile, pulling him out of bed.

She put on the shirt he was wearing the day before, and they ventured upstairs, she in his oversized shirt and underwear, and he in just his boxers.

"Wow, your house is beautiful," he said, tagging along behind her as she led him around. "Thanks, sweetie. Here, I'll give you the official tour" she replied.

She showed him the first level, including the embarrassing childhood pictures on the fireplace mantle. "Look at cute little Livvie," he said with a smile on his face. "Ugh, what were my parents thinking, dressing me in that?" she giggled. "Those are your parents, right?" he asked, grabbing one of the pictures they'd taken on a recent trip. "Yep. Eli and Maya" she replied.

"They look very nice. And a little intimidating" he chuckled. "My mom actually looks scarier than she is. My dad…well…yeah, he's intimidating, I'm not going to lie to you. And very protective of me" she admitted. "It's alright. I'd want him to be protective of you, as any father should be of his daughter. Especially his only child" he nodded. "Mhm. Well, he certainly is" she replied.

"Who are they?" he asked, pointing to a larger family photo of her extended family. "Well, this was a couple Christmases ago. Those are my dad's parents, and my dad's older brother Theo and his wife Talia. And that's my mom's mom, and then my mom's sister, Faye, and her husband Jack. And those are their kids, Macy and Dillon. They're twins" she explained.

"Wow. So those are your only cousins?" he asked. "No, Theo and Talia also have two kids, that are much older than me. Donovan lives in Wisconsin and Claire lives in Indiana. I don't see them much" she replied.

"Well cool. I hope to meet them all someday" he said with a smile. "You will, of course. And they'll all love you" she replied, wrapping her arms around him. "I hope so, because I sure love their Olivia very much," he said, kissing her forehead. "I love _you_ very much," she said happily.

"You want something to eat?" she asked. "Mmm, is my girl gonna cook me something in her own kitchen?" he asked with a smirk. "She is, what shall she cook for you?" she asked, leading him out of the living room. "Cereal" he replied. "Come on, sweetie, I can do better than that" she giggled. He stood there in thought. "Cereal and _toast,"_ he said. She shook her head. "How about eggs and toast?" she asked. "Even better," he said.

So, she made them both eggs and toast, as she watched his eyes wander down her half-covered while she cooked.

Afterward, she led him upstairs to show him the third level. The third level wasn't much, it only contained a small sitting area; similar to a loft, her bedroom, her bathroom, and her parents' bedroom at the end of the hallway.

They walked into her bedroom together and she watched him look around. It had all her swimming trophies and medals that she'd brought back from school, it had some posters, and some pictures of her and her friends on the wall. It hadn't really changed much since her high school days, but she liked it the way it was. And he seemed to also.

"I can't believe I'm seeing this bedroom in person. I'm so used to seeing it on my phone screen" he chuckled. "If you're talking to me in here, you usually sit there," he said, pointing to the corner of her bed against the wall. "And sometimes you lay there," he said, pointing to her rug on the floor next to her bed. "Very good" she giggled.

"You want to see something?" she asked. He nodded. She pulled out her favorite box from underneath her bed, and they sat down together. She opened the lid, and immediately watched his face light up. "This is what I call my 'Fitz box'" she said. "Damn, Livvie," he replied, looking through it.

He pulled out her Playbill from Phantom of the Opera, and her leather bracelet. "Wow, this really _is_ a Fitz box" he chuckled. "Mhm. And here's the letter you wrote for me. And here's your Valentine's Day card. And…hundreds of pictures" she giggled. "This is really sweet, Olivia," he said with a smile.

"I'm glad you think so. I just need to have it concealed in one place so this is what I came up with. Plus, it's very portable. See, I just bring this box with me to school again, because, there, I can actually display things...mostly" she said with a laugh. "I can display anything I want, whenever I want" he bragged. "Yeah, yeah, I know. You're lucky" she replied.

"Am I though? You have taken over my apartment" he teased. She scoffed and smacked his chest. "You love it and you know it," she said. He smiled. "I do love it. Very much. I love _you"_ he said, pecking her lips. "And I love you" she nodded.

He leaned in and kissed her lips again, only this time, for much longer. She turned slightly towards him and moved the box off her lap. That wasn't good enough for him, apparently, because he just moved the box off the bed entirely.

He grabbed her lower back and pulled her closer to him, only to then lay her back on the bed as he continued to kiss her. He put his palms on either side of her head, and when one of his hands slid underneath her pillow, he stopped kissing her.

Curious, he pulled out a bunched up T-shirt from underneath her pillow. A black LA Hockey one.

"Hmm, what do we have here?" he asked with a smile. She looked up at him and smiled, feeling her cheeks start to turn red. "Aw, baby, you're getting all nervous and cute" he chuckled. "I sleep with it every night. It used to smell like you, but...it doesn't anymore" she said, giving him her best frown.

"Tell you what, I'll leave another T-shirt with you before I go. One that smells better than this one did," he said with a smile. "You will, huh?" she giggled. "Anything for my beautiful girl," he said, leaning back in to kiss her. She happily kissed him back, their lips continuously connecting and their tongues playfully fighting for dominance.

Their slow, passionate kisses were eager after such a long time. They hadn't kissed each other like that in a while, and it felt good. Good enough to start undressing each other.

He reached under the T-shirt she had on and pulled her underwear down off her legs, throwing them to the floor. She took off his T-shirt that she was wearing, while he kneeled above her and slid his boxers off. She looked up at his naked body and admired it, and suddenly couldn't believe that this was actually happening. That her boyfriend was here, in her bedroom at home, naked, on top of her.

He slowly dragged his fingers up her exposed body, lingering in places that drove her crazy. "Where's your phone?" he asked. She closed her eyes and bit her lip. "Nightstand" she replied.

He looked over and saw it, grabbing it so that he could hand it to her. "Play that song. The one you were playing a couple nights ago" he whispered, leaning down and sucking gently on the skin at the base of her neck. She opened her phone and went to look for it. "Why?" she whispered. "Because" he whispered back, his finger sliding down towards her clit.

"What kind of vibe did you say it gave off?" he asked, continuing to kiss down her body. "A…'fuck me'…vibe" she whispered, holding on tightly to his shoulder. His finger was now moving in slow circles against her clit, while his other entered her. "Mmhmm" he replied.

As if using a phone while being fingered wasn't hard enough on its own, she was trying to do it one-handed. It was practically impossible, but she finally found the song she was looking for.

His lips had returned to hers, but his fingers had stayed exactly where they were, doing things that made her feel absolutely incredible. "You're so wet, Livvie," he said. She knew he was right, because she could feel it. She could feel how easy his fingers were now sliding in and out of her. She started moving her hips against his fingers, making them go deeper and deeper inside of her. It was like she couldn't get enough of him, and he took notice of her desire.

"Tell me what you want" he whispered. It felt like she couldn't even form the words, because all she was focused on were his fingers and what they were doing. She moaned and held onto him tighter. "What do you want, baby, tell me."

"I want…" she moaned. "Tell me what to do" he whispered again. She held onto him so tight, grinding her hips against his hand before stopping to whisper, "fuck me."

He pulled his fingers out and got situated, lining himself up. He pushed in slowly, making sure not to hurt her. And then he began to pick up his pace, but only slightly.

She dug her nails into his back and bit her lip. "Feel good?" he whispered. "Yes. You…feel good" she whispered, wrapping her legs around his waist. "You feel...incredible," he whispered back. She leaned her head back against the headboard, exposing her neck to him, which he gratefully took advantage of. He continued his earlier assault on her neck, and then on her chest. "No…marks," she said. "I know" he nodded.

They took it slow, wanting to make this wonderful experience last as long as they possibly could. The song echoed throughout her bedroom, along with their moans and breathing. It even repeated a couple times before they finished, climaxing together.

And then they laid there, sweaty and exhausted. "God, that was amazing" he whispered, breathing hard against her chest. "Very. Missed you" she panted. "Missed you too" he nodded. He swallowed hard. "At least...I don't have to feel bad about not running today. Because...that was a good workout" he chuckled.

A thought hit her and gasped. "No, oh my god, let's go!" she exclaimed. "Huh?" he asked, looking up at her. "There are paths in the woods behind my house. Running paths" she said. "Really?" he asked. "Yes. I never run outside, I just use my elliptical downstairs but we could go, if you want to," she said. He smiled. "Hell yeah, let's go" he nodded.

So, she turned off her "fuck me" song, they cleaned themselves up, and got ready for their day. She put on some leggings and a tank top, and he put on a pair of shorts and left the shirt off. "Well no wonder you're so tan, you run shirtless every day" she giggled. "Yeah, otherwise I get too hot" he shrugged. "You're already hot," she said, leading him over to the sliding glass door. "Thanks, baby, right back at ya" he chuckled behind her.

She opened the squeaky door and looked to her left and right, to make sure the coast was clear. Her neighbors would still be at work at this time of the day, so she figured they'd be fine. But she certainly didn't want them somehow seeing her walk out of the house with a man they'd never seen, and then tell her parents or some damn thing. What a nightmare that would be. So, she checked it out pretty thoroughly, and decided they were good.

"Okay, come on," she said. They ventured out into her backyard, and ran along the edge of the woods, before she ducked her head under the branch of an old oak tree and told him to follow.

To start off with, the paths were mostly matted down grass and weeds, but eventually, it turned into the old dirt paths that she remembered as a kid, when she'd adventure into the woods with her friends.

There was a pretty large park on the other side of her neighborhood past the woods, with a playground and a small campground, which is why the paths were there in the first place. And it was fun, running with him, chatting a little bit while they had a nice view of the park through the woods.

They had kept up a pretty steady pace, but she could tell he was probably used to going faster. "Babe, you can run ahead of me if you want" she panted. "No way" he replied. "Why not?" she asked. "Because I wanna stay with you. Also, if I'm in front of you, I can't look over and see you in those sexy clothes you got going there" he chuckled.

"These are not sexy, Fitz," she said with a laugh, looking down at her running clothes. "I beg to differ" he replied, smiling over at her. She smiled back and pushed on his arm, nudging him to his left. So, he nudged her back. She giggled and then pushed him again, only harder.

"So you wanna play?" he asked. She laughed and forced her legs to go faster, trying to get away from him. But, as she had already learned, he was way too fast, and he caught up to her in seconds.

"You think you can run from me, huh?" he asked. She was laughing uncontrollably as she tried her best to run faster. "Yes, I'll race you back!" she exclaimed. "You're on" he replied.

She already knew she'd lose, but it was fun anyway. They were on their fifth lap around the big loop, and practically almost back to her house, so they didn't have much further to go. She tried her absolute hardest to catch up to him, but he was long gone before she could even try. When that man was faced with an opportunity to sprint, he sure as hell took it.

When she reached the clearing just outside her backyard a couple minutes later, she saw him standing there, wiping his face and running a hand through his hair. When he saw her round the last corner, he smiled and opened his arms to her. So she jumped into his open arms as she reached the clearing.

"I won, what's my prize?" he asked with a smile. "Take me inside and you'll find out" she whispered in his ear. "Mmm, intrigue" he replied. She smiled and gave him a kiss, before he set her gently on the ground.

She made sure the coast was clear again, before she grabbed his hand and ran across her backyard to the door. As soon as she got inside, she started stripping off her tank top. "Hm. Okay. I like this" he said, walking behind her. She smiled and turned around, taking off her sports bra too, and leaving it on the floor. He just stared. "Keep going," he said.

She reached down and slid off her leggings, leaving her in just a skimpy little thong, that drove him crazy. She grabbed his hand and they walked up the stairs together, kissing the entire way.

Once they made it up the second flight of stairs, his clothes started coming off too. They rounded the corner into her bathroom, turning the water on as fast as she could while he completely undressed himself.

He grabbed her and pulled her towards him, pinning her up against the wall. His lips connected with hers once again, while his tongue slid inside her mouth eagerly. "I like this prize" he whispered after pulling away. She smiled and pulled him into the shower with her.

The water felt good on her skin, as did his hands. But soon, she had him up against the wall, kneeled down in front of him. She took him in her mouth, and he inhaled sharply at the feeling. She swirled her tongue around his tip and watched him lean his head back against the shower wall, while his hands twitched against his thighs.

The hot water splashed down on her back as she pleasured him, his sounds being muffled by the shower. But she didn't need to hear his sounds to know he was feeling good. He had grabbed onto her hair for support, and had his eyes closed as he leaned his head back.

And after a while, his body started to shake harder, which was the all too familiar sign that he was almost there.

She knew him like the back of her hand. She knew his taste. She knew what he liked. What he loved. What made him shake. What made him hold onto her. What made him come. She knew everything.

Her tongue moved in circles around his tip while she made her lips go faster. "So—close" he moaned. And that combination _was_ his undoing, because then he came, groaning her name and shaking hard.

She placed kisses along his waistline, all the way up his chest, until she was standing up next to him. "Oh my god" he breathed, leaning his head back against the wall again. She kissed his neck and his cheek, before pulling back to look at him. " _My_ turn" he whispered.

She soon felt his hands on her waist, guiding her down to the corner of the bathtub. It was his turn to kneel down now, as she watched him lower his head towards her core while the water splashed down on him.

The second she felt his tongue along her clit, she gasped, and had to readjust herself on the corner where she sat. He took notice of her struggling, because he made it easier for her. He spread her legs out on each edge of the tub, giving himself easy access. "Hold onto me," he said.

She obeyed and grabbed onto his strong arms, and then he went in again.

The combination of the hot water on her skin and his tongue down there was incredible. "Feels good, yeah?" he asked. "Yeah" she breathed, gripping his arms tighter.

She watched him as he pleasured her. His hair was soaking wet, and water kept getting into his eyes so he had to pause and wipe them every so often. It certainly wasn't an ideal spot or position, but man, did it feel great.

His hands held firmly onto her hips, while his tongue continued to make her feel amazing. And it didn't take long for her legs to start shaking.

He licked and kissed every inch of her, until she came too, letting out loud moans and holding onto him so tight, she was sure he'd have bruises.

She sat there, exhausted, after that hot, wet experience. He let out a little laugh. "How you doin' baby?" he asked. "I think I'm dead," she said, breathing hard. He put his finger up to his chin in thought. "Cause of death; being eaten out in the shower," he said, very seriously.

The straight face he kept actually made Olivia burst into laughter. "We have to be a little less specific on the death certificate. You know, for my parents' sake" she said. "Hmm, _okay_. Cause of death; amazing orgasm" he said, also very seriously. She giggled and shook her head. "Amazing, huh?" she teased. He nodded. "Absolutely."

"And how do you know it was amazing?" she asked as he helped her up. "Because if it wasn't you wouldn't have died in the first place" he replied. "Ahh, very witty" she giggled, which made him smile.

They actually did wash themselves in the shower after all that playtime. And it was actually quite amusing.

"Ah, yes. Lavender. My favorite thing to smell like" he said casually, pouring some of it in his hand. She giggled. "You're going to smell so sweet," she said with a smile, taking the body wash that he handed to her.

"Damn right. Oh, and let's see..." he began, grabbing her bottle of shampoo that he had recently used. "Fights humidity and frizz for forty-eight hours. You'll be left with beautifully sleek and hydrated hair that's touchably soft" he said with a smile. She was giggling uncontrollably at this point. "Lovely," he said with a smile, noticing how he had made her laugh.

She smiled at him, his soapy, white hair, and his body covered in remnants of her body wash. Moments like this were ones that people took for granted. Even something as simple as laughing and joking with him in the shower, was a memory she'd always cherish.

When they finished with their shower, they picked up all their clothes they'd taken off just outside the bathroom door, and went to get dressed in Olivia's room. Olivia went to grab Fitz's bag from the basement, all while grabbing her other clothes she'd taken off down there. She was being careful not to leave any remnants of their activities, so that her parents wouldn't suspect a thing when they came home.

She made her way back upstairs, turning the corner to her room to see Fitz drying his hair with his towel. "Here you go, sweetie," she said, setting his bag on the bed, and going over to kiss his cheek. "Thanks, babe" he replied, smiling as he leaned his face down so she could reach better.

Being that close to him, she caught a whiff of his scent and smiled. "You hair smells like Pantene" she giggled. He smiled as he reached into his bag to grab some clean clothes. "Well, I guess it's payback for when you had to smell like Old Spice every time you showered at my apartment" he teased. "Mhm," she replied with a smile, watching him start to get dressed. And then she started to get dressed too, while they chatted about what they should do the rest of the day.

And that's when they heard the big garage door open, and a car pulling in.

Olivia's heart started beating faster as she looked over at Fitz, whose eyes widened. He had his shorts on, and was starting to button his shirt, and Olivia had just put on her shorts. So she quickly put on a bra and pulled on the closest T-shirt she could find, all while telling Fitz to be quiet.

A million things raced through her mind. First of all, why on earth was someone home before noon? Second, there were things she had to do yet; clean up the bathroom, clean up the guest room. They all still had evidence of Fitz being here, but she decided the most important thing was to get Fitz out. So that's what she focused on.

She quickly grabbed his hand to head out of her bedroom. But just as they stepped out, she heard the mudroom door open.

"Hi, Olivia" a deep voice rang out. Her dad.

She grimaced and looked at Fitz, who mouthed the words, "holy shit" to her. She put her hand up, assuring him she'd find a way. That everything would be fine. Except...she wasn't really sure.

"Hey, dad!" she replied, trying to sound as happy as possible. She listened to his footsteps downstairs, waiting for their opportunity. "Do you know if the mail came yet? I'm waiting for a package" he yelled. "Um...I'm not sure, actually" she replied innocently. "Okay," he said. And then she heard him walking around again, followed by the mudroom door opening and closing. "Quick" she whispered, pulling him along behind her.

They flew down one flight of stairs and then the next, until they got into the basement. She led him to the guest room window again, just to be sure that the annoying door wouldn't somehow blow their cover, since her dad was outside at the moment and she wasn't sure if it could be heard from the front yard.

Fitz had his phone and his wallet with him in his pocket, and his shoes were already down there, but he hadn't had time to pack up his bag in her room and bring it with, so he was pretty much empty-handed. It was still quite the sight, though. His shirt was unbuttoned, and his wet, curly hair was everywhere, considering he hadn't had time to do anything with it.

"I'll bring your bag to you tonight. Just tell me where you're staying okay? I'll make it work," she whispered, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Okay, yeah," he nodded, opening the window and swinging his legs out of it so that he could hop the short distance to the ground.

"Okay. Just wait, until I know he's back inside" she said quietly. He nodded and stood there, both patiently waiting until the coast was clear. And then she heard his footsteps again upstairs. "Go" she nodded, and he disappeared out of sight. She stood there, not quite believing that had actually just happened.

But then Fitz showed up again. "I forgot something," he said. He leaned in, grabbing her face in his hands, and kissed her. "I love you," he said, before he took off running again. "I love you too" she giggled.

She shut the window and locked it, before making the bed as quickly as she could. She heard her dad still walking around upstairs, and knew she should get up there to make sure everything looked normal.

She went and locked the sliding door from earlier, and gave the rest of the basement a quick glance, before deciding it was good.

She went upstairs and said a proper hello to her father, just so she wouldn't seem like she was sneaking around.

"So did your package come?" she asked. "It sure did. Look, do you think she'll like it? It's for our anniversary" he said happily, opening the lid of a small box. She looked at the beautiful diamond necklace in his hands. "Wow, dad. That is absolutely gorgeous, mom will love that" she replied with a smile. "I hope so" he nodded, putting it back in the box.

"How come you're home so early?" she asked casually. "Well, my last meeting of the day was with a client here in Arlington, so I figured I'd work from home the rest of the day. Why not, right. It's Friday" he said cheerfully. "Oh, well cool. That's a great idea" she nodded.

"I certainly thought so. I'll make us lunch too in a little bit, if you haven't eaten yet" he said, pulling out his computer. "I haven't actually, so that sounds good" she replied. He smiled. "Alright, well I'll let you know. I'm just going to work a little first" he said, gesturing to his computer as he sat at the kitchen table. "Yep, no problem. Oh, and before I forget, is it alright if I spend the weekend with Sandra? I haven't seen her in so long, work's been so busy lately" she lied.

"Fine with me, just ask your mother" he replied. "Alright, I will. Thanks, dad" she said, turning to go upstairs.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she reached the upper level, wondering how the hell she and Fitz had just survived that near disaster.

She quickly picked up her bathroom and her bedroom, completely removing all remnants of him.

Then, she texted her mom:

 _ **Hey mom. Just wondering if you're okay with me spending the weekend with Sandra? Already told dad.**_

Thankfully, her mom answered a few minutes later, telling her that it was fine and to have fun.

She grabbed one of her duffel bags and put all of his things inside it, and then scrunched up his bag and put it in there as well, just so her parents wouldn't ask about the dark blue Nike bag that was not hers.

Then she grabbed an old backpack and stuffed some of her own things inside it, so that she had a bag of her own for the weekend.

She got a text from Fitz, telling her the hotel he had checked into, so she sent him one back.

 _ **Olivia: Okay, be there a little later. I'm gonna eat lunch with my dad first. I have all your things packed up. We're good. Everything's fine.**_

 _ **Fitz: Thank god. We almost didn't survive! I'll see you then. Room 219.**_

She breathed out yet another sigh of relief, that everything was okay. That had been a close call, probably _the closest_ of calls. But at the same time, she couldn't remember the last time she had had that much fun.

Overall, the entire experience was great, having Fitz there with her, sleeping next to him again, showing him her house. Even if they almost got caught, and probably, afterwards, murdered, the memory of the past day was one she would cherish.

Climbing through windows, sneaking around parents, spending the day doing things you shouldn't be doing, being so in love with someone you could barely breathe. It all felt a little bit high school. And the thing was, she didn't even mind it, and he didn't either. They had more fun than they'd had in a while.

Because that weekend, they felt sixteen again.

* * *

Wow! Long freaking chapter alert.

As most of you predicted, Abby did help Fitz come surprise his Livvie.

And I hoped you all enjoyed their little adventure, nervewracking parts and all.

No matter how old you are; twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, _any age,_ sometimes you just gotta rediscover your youth!

Stay tuned and read on!

With Love,

~T


	38. Virginia Is For Lovers

When Olivia got to the hotel later in the afternoon, she went right to room 219 and gave Fitz a big hug when he answered the door. They were so thankful that they somehow hadn't been caught by her father, but at the same time, they couldn't help but laugh as they stood there in a tight embrace.

"I knew staying there wasn't a good idea" he chuckled. "Oh, I knew it too" she giggled. "Mhm, and yet, 'please, Fitz. Stay here with me in my house, where my protective parents are sleeping just above us. They'll never know, Fitz,'" he mocked, holding back a smile.

"And they didn't know! We got out alive" she shrugged. He shook his head and laughed. "Come on, you can't tell me that wasn't fun," she said with a smile. He paused and sighed. "Okay, fine. It was fun, I'm not ashamed to admit it" he nodded. "Damn right it was" she agreed.

"It wouldn't have been fun if he came home thirty minutes earlier, though," he said. She thought back to their loud, careless, but amazing activities in the shower.

Yeah. That would have been a nightmare.

"Oh man, I didn't even think about that. We would've been dead" she shuddered. " _I_ would've been dead" he replied. "You think so?" she teased. "I had you spread out on the edge of the bathtub, Olivia," he said. She nodded. "What a wonderful experience," she said with a smile. He shot her a look. "Okay, yeah. You would've been dead" she agreed.

"Did you bring my bag?" he asked curiously. "Yep," she said, handing him her bright pink duffel bag. He raised his eyebrows. "It's inside. Had to hide your bag from my dad. Navy blue isn't my style" she teased. "Well hot pink is mine so I may have to steal this" he teased, setting it on the floor next to his bed. She giggled and set her backpack down next to it.

He sat on the bed and laid all the way back, grabbing her hand and pulling her with him. She smiled as she climbed on top of him. "What do you wanna do?" he asked with a smile. "Kiss you," she said, leaning down to touch her nose to his. "Yeah, do that" he nodded. "You gotta say it first" she giggled. He smiled up at her as he intertwined their fingers together. "Kiss me," he said.

And so she did.

* * *

They laid in bed later that night, looking at his computer screen together after a nice meal at the hotel bar and restaurant.

She smiled to herself as they laid there, because he still smelled like lavender and Pantene, which was hilarious yet adorable. Yeah, he'd probably prefer a less girly shower in the morning.

"Oh, let's go there!" she exclaimed suddenly, looking at the screen. "Baby, there are about twenty places listed on the screen, can you point?" he chuckled. "Oh! Sorry, sorry. Here" she said, pointing to The town called Colonial Beach.

He read the description underneath and nodded. "Sure, babe, we can go there," he said. "Did you bring a swimsuit?" she asked. "Of course I did, I always come prepared," he said with a smile. "Which one?" she asked very seriously. "The one you like, of course" he replied. She turned towards him and eyed him suspiciously. "Black with the—". "White stripe, mhm. Now more importantly, did you bring one?" he asked with a smile. She smirked. "Of course I did, I always come prepared" she mocked. "And..." he began. "The red one," she said. He smiled and turned back to his computer screen.

"Fantastic."

Besides Colonial Beach, they decided on a couple of other places they wanted to go the next day, while he was here with her. He'd been to D.C. countless times, and she practically lived there, so they wanted to stray a little further than that. She also had a surprise for him in the morning that she didn't tell him about, but knew he'd absolutely love.

She'd also texted Sandra, telling her that she'd used her as a cover this weekend for her parents, just in case they ever asked her. Sandra, of course, was happy to cover for her if need be, and was ecstatic when she learned Fitz had surprised her. They made plans to meet up somewhere on Sunday, just so that she and Fitz could meet in person before he left to go back to Connecticut.

They fell asleep that night, cuddled up close to each other in bed, and a little less paranoid than they had been the previous night. No parents to catch them, no windows to climb through. Just the two of them in their hotel room.

* * *

Fitz awoke to the sun shining into the room. He blinked an eye open and looked over at Olivia, who was still sleeping soundly. He was surprised he had woken up before she had, considering he usually slept a little later than her in the summer, but he figured he was just excited.

He had been looking forward to spending time with her all week, and now the time had finally come. And they had a very full day planned together, which made butterflies arise in his stomach. But seeing that it was only about eight, he let her sleep for a little longer.

This was when, in his opinion, she looked the most beautiful. No makeup on, her hair all pulled up, looking so peaceful.

She always looked beautiful, no matter what. But that was his favorite Olivia.

He admired her while she slept for a while, thinking to himself what he always thought; that she was a very pretty sleeper.

But after about twenty minutes passed, she began to stir in his arms. She opened her eyes and a smile spread across her face. He didn't say anything, he just smiled back at her and moved his face closer to hers. "Hi," she said. "Hi," he replied back. She closed the small distance between them and lightly kissed his lips.

She lifted a hand and raked her fingers through his hair, which immediately made him lean his head into her chest to be closer to her. He loved when she did that.

He began placing soft kisses along her neck and chest while she played with his hair. "What are we gonna do with all this curly hair, huh?" she giggled quietly. "I'm thinking of cutting it" he replied in between his kisses. Her fingers stopped.

"You will do no such thing," she said. He stopped kissing her and looked up. "Why?" he asked. "Because, look at all these curls! No way are you cutting them" she said seriously. He smirked at her mischievously.

"Fitzgerald Thomas, no cutting your beautiful hair" she warned. He sighed. "Yeah, yeah, okay" he nodded. She smiled. "Now what are we waiting for? Don't we have a fun day ahead of us? Let's go!" she exclaimed. He scoffed. "I've been _waiting_ for _you_ to get up!" he exclaimed. "And now I'm up, come on," she teased, getting out of bed.

He rolled his eyes. "You drive me crazy, woman" he chuckled. "Not new information, baby," she said over her shoulder with a smile. He watched her go into the bathroom, wearing only his shirt and her underwear. And it made him smile. That beautiful girl was something else.

* * *

They got ready for their day, and had breakfast at the hotel. After that, they were off.

She was his navigator in the front seat, and she took it very seriously. His car had navigation built into it, but for some reason, she insisted on giving him all the directions herself from her phone. Not like he gave a damn, that just meant he got to hear her sweet voice more often. Fine by him.

"Okay, turn right here" she instructed. He raised an eyebrow. "Baby, are you sure this is leading us out of D.C.? This doesn't seem right" he questioned. "It's right" she replied. "Okay, take a left" she added. He did as he was told, but then was _positive_ that it wasn't right.

And that's when he looked up and saw Capital One Arena, shining red and bright in front of him. "Wait..." he said. "No, don't _wait,_ go faster!" she teased. "Where are you taking me to?" he asked. "Oh, I don't know, just keep going straight towards that big arena and then park in the parking lot next to it," she shrugged. "Seriously?" he asked. "Mhmm" she nodded. He smiled and did as he was told yet again.

As soon as they got out of the car, he looked up at the beautiful arena, where the Washington Wizards played, as well as the Washington Capitals. But he knew she had brought him here because of the Capitals, the hockey team.

There were big, long decals on the windows of basketball players and hockey players, most of them the teams' star players. "Alex Ovechkin, right?" she asked, pointing to the player in the center of the window. He smiled. "Exactly right" he nodded. "He's one of the players you like, right? One of the best players in hockey?" she asked. He looked over at her and smiled. "Also right" he replied.

He had told her about some of the greatest players in the league. Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Patrick Kane, Henrik Lundqvist, and of course, Alex Ovechkin, of the Washington Capitals, which coincidentally, was her home hockey team.

How she could've possibly remembered anything he told her was beyond him, but clearly, she remembered that.

"What are we doing here, baby?" he asked as they walked up to the main entrance. "What, my man can surprise me all the time but I can't surprise him?" she asked.

He smiled and knew this was the reason she wanted to give him the directions herself, so that it would be a surprise.

"Well thank you, Livvie. This is very cool, I've never been here before!" he said. "I know you haven't" she replied with a smile. She reached over and grabbed his hand, and they walked in together.

As soon as they walked inside, he couldn't help but stare at his surroundings. They couldn't get into the actual arena seating, they could only see what was just inside the entrance, nothing beyond that. But it was still amazing to be in there, at an arena that wasn't his own team's.

She pulled on his hand and led him to their left, into the big store that was filled with both Wizards and Capitals merchandise. It appeared as though it had just opened, because there weren't many people in there. Which, was fine by him.

"Oh, this is cool, babe!" she exclaimed, leading him over to an Alex Ovechkin shirt. He laughed. "That _is_ cool" he nodded. "Or what about this one?" she asked, pulling him along to the clothes rack a few feet away, and pointing to a gray shirt with the Capitals eagle logo on it. "I like that one a lot," he nodded again. "Sweet. I'll get it for you. You're a large, right?" she asked, looking through the rack.

"What? No, Liv, you don't have to get me anything" he said. "But I want to" she replied. "You really don't need to" he assured her again. "Fitzgerald Thomas, you have no say in this. Now, tell me if you're a large or not" she said. "I'm a large," he replied. "Perfect, they have your size. Okay, come on" she said, grabbing his hand again. He shook his head and laughed, knowing there was absolutely no way he could change that girl's mind.

They walked around the entire store, looking at all of the Capitals things. And when they got to the giant wall of hats, she just stopped and stared for a second, which made him smile.

Right away, the first thing she grabbed was a dark gray Adidas hat with the basic eagle logo on it, as well as the number eight on the side of it in red. Alex Ovechkin was number eight.

She brought it over to him and showed him. "This hat is very Fitz," she said. He smiled, because she was actually right. If he were to pick out a hat from that wall, it probably would've been that one.

"You think so?" he asked. "I know so. You like it?" she asked. "I love it," he said with a smile. She nodded and held onto it, and then went to look at the wall again. She then picked out the same style, except in white. "We're gonna be twins," she said happily.

"You're going to wear a hockey hat around? I must be doing a good job rubbing off on you" he chuckled, wrapping his arm around her waist. She just smiled. "It will remind me of you," she shrugged. He nodded. "Yeah, usually I wouldn't be caught wearing anything but Kings stuff, because that's my home team. But…this is _your_ home team, so it's allowed" he said with a smile.

She bought the shirt and the two hats, and as soon as they got in the car, she ripped the stickers off their hats and put hers on and handed his to him. He put it on and leaned over to kiss her. "Thanks, Livvie," he said. "Of course" she nodded.

And that was just the start of their fun-filled day.

After that, she continued to be his navigator, refusing to give up her very important job to his car's navigation system.

After her little surprise at Capital One Arena, they drove out to Williamsburg, a pretty historic city in Virginia. It took a little less than three hours, but it went by fairly quickly with how much fun they had in the car, talking and laughing together. He was so happy, just being with her again.

* * *

They walked around Colonial Williamsburg for a while, which was actually very cool. She had been there a couple times, but he had never been, so they thought it would be fun to go.

Colonial Williamsburg takes you back in time and gives you an opportunity to immerse yourself in an eighteenth-century city. Employees work, dress, and speak like people did in the era, so it was interesting to see more of the country's history being presented in modern day.

They even took a horse-drawn carriage ride through the streets on a little tour, just the two of them.

Afterward, they went to a little outlet mall nearby to get some lunch because they were starving by that point. But naturally, being Olivia and Fitz, they got distracted there after they ate.

As they walked through the mall, glancing at all the stores, Olivia felt Fitz tug on her hand. She looked over at him questioningly, and then he pulled her straight to their right, into Victoria's Secret.

"What the hell?" she giggled. "What?" he asked innocently. "What are we doing in here?" she asked with a laugh. "Shopping" he replied with a shrug. "For…what exactly?" she asked, looking through a table with particularly cute pairs of underwear on it. "You," he said, coming to look next to her.

"Oh, these are cute," she said, getting distracted. "What about those?" he said, pointing to the pair next to them. "You like those?" she asked, looking at the white lacy pair he had indicated. "I like those" he nodded.

She picked them out in her size, and shrugged. They were nice, but she didn't really need any new pairs, so she put them back down. "What, don't put them down!" he said. "Baby, I don't need any" she replied. _"Baby,_ I don't care, I'm getting them for you" he replied. "What? Why?" she asked. "Can't I treat my girl?" he asked. "You always treat me!" she exclaimed. He smiled. "Well then I'm doing something right," he said.

He pointed at the pair he liked again, and gave her that smile he knew she couldn't resist, but she didn't budge. "Livvie, if you don't pick them back up, I'm going to embarrass the both of us in this store," he said. She crossed her arms and smiled at him, thinking his somewhat shy, nervous, self would do no such thing.

"I can't wait to rip those off with my teeth tonight," he said loudly.

She put a hand up to her mouth in disbelief and felt her cheeks blushing a deep, deep red. She could see they were receiving a good number of stares from customers around them. He didn't seem to care a single bit, because he just cocked his head to the side and gave her a smile.

"You are evil!" she giggled, shaking her head and picking them back up. She actually thought it was pretty funny, but she was still too embarrassed to admit it.

"You gotta do what you gotta do" he shrugged. She smacked his arm and laughed. The amount of fun they had doing the stupidest things never failed to amaze her, even if he embarrassed the hell out of both of them.

She picked out five pairs that _they both_ liked, all lacy and very sexy, of course. She thought she would've felt weird about walking around in there with him, when normally she would shop at that kind of store _alone_. But there were actually a good amount of other couples in the store besides them, although none of the other boyfriends deliberately _embarrassed_ their girlfriends. When she told him that, he just burst into laughter and said that those boyfriends weren't as fun as him, which made her giggle. Yeah, probably true.

After their little Victoria's Secret adventure, they headed back to the car, and started driving to Colonial Beach, which was about a little more than half the distance back to D.C. On the way, they stopped and got some things for the beach that they didn't have with them; towels, some snacks, and beverages.

By the time they got there, the sun was shining high in the sky, and it was pretty hot out. A perfect afternoon for the beach. They grabbed the bag they'd packed with their suits inside, and put everything they'd gotten at the store inside the bag too.

The beach was absolutely beautiful. Olivia had walked around the cute little beach town before, but she'd never actually been to the beach there, so it would be a first for her, as well. It was fairly busy, given that it was Saturday and perfect outside, but they still found a pretty good place to lay their towels after they'd changed into their suits in the bathrooms.

They laid there on their stomachs, side by side, eating popcorn and talking together. He opened his mouth and waited for her to put a piece in his mouth. She did, and then kissed his lips afterward, which made him smile.

"You're looking pretty cute in that hat of yours," he said. "As are you," she said with a smile, admiring his new hat that he, of course, was wearing backwards.

They both had their hands in the sand ahead of them, playing around with it while they laid there silently for a little while. But then she decided to break the silence, and tell him what had been on her mind since he'd gotten there.

"I'm going to have a hard time saying goodbye to you tomorrow," she said quietly. He nodded. "I know. Me too."

"I feel pathetic saying that because we were only apart for a month, and we'll only be apart for one more month before I see you again. It's just…you're everything. And…it's hard when my everything is…five hours away" she said.

He looked over at her with a smile. "Don't feel pathetic for saying that, Olivia. You just can't live without me, plain and simple" he teased. She laughed and punched his arm. "Don't ruin the moment," she said.

He smiled and intertwined their fingers together in the sand. "Livvie, I feel the same exact way as you do. It's hard, but we make it work, right?" he asked. "Yes. Yes, we do" she nodded. He nodded back at her and looked back down at the sand.

"Abby says we're so whipped on each other it's insane," she said with a laugh. He turned to her and shook his head. "What is it with that damn expression? Can't I just love my girl in peace without people saying that?" he asked. "Who else said it?" she asked. "Cyrus" he replied. She raised an eyebrow. _"Cyrus_ told you that?" she asked. "Yeah! He even told me what it meant and everything!" he exclaimed.

"Wait, sweetie, you didn't know what it meant?" she asked. "Uh…not really—no." she giggled at him and put her head on her hands. "God I love you," she said. His face lit up and he leaned in to kiss her. "I love you too."

The rest of their afternoon at the beach was amazing. They took lots of pictures, messed around in the water, and laid on their towels together, holding hands and talking about how much they'd miss each other.

But eventually, they made the rest of the trip back to their D.C. hotel, and by the time they did, it was well into the evening.

They decided to order a little room service for dinner and shower quick, because they were pretty beat and knew they wouldn't be going anywhere else that night. By the time they had both showered and changed, their room service came.

They ate their late dinner together on the bed and reminisced about the last time they had done that; in New York City back in February. What a fun trip that had been. And since then, they'd gone to Dennis's cabin, adventured around Virginia, and in about a month, they'd take on Pennsylvania together. It wasn't much, but she knew she'd always remember these little trips, even if they paled in comparison to the trips they'd maybe take in the future.

And unfortunately, this trip was coming to an end.

* * *

She laid on top of his chest, her arms wrapped tightly around him and his wrapped tightly around her. She sucked on the skin at the base of his neck while he leaned his head back in pleasure. And then she continued down his chest.

The lights were off, and they were completely ready for bed. He only wore boxers, and she only wore his T-shirt and her underwear. Her new lacy, _white_ underwear.

And it was _late._ They were tired after such a long, packed day. But she was making it clear that their wonderful day was still not over.

"You want to?" he asked. "Yes," she nodded shyly. "I'm still waiting for you to do what you said you were going to do in Victoria's Secret today" she giggled. He smiled, and flipped them over, starting to kiss his way down her shirt, or rather, _his_ shirt, before reaching her waist.

He placed soft kisses on top of the lacy fabric of her underwear, all while holding onto her tightly. She could feel the warmth of his lips, even through the fabric, and it made her ache for him even more.

"You know…" he began. "I'm not sure why they call it Victoria's Secret…" he continued, pressing soft kisses on the inside of her thighs. "Because I can see…everything" he whispered, dragging a single finger down the front of her underwear. And he was right. They were fairly see-through, fortunately for him.

The breath hitched in her throat and she clutched onto his arms. "It isn't really a… _secret…_ anymore. Is it?" he whispered, hooking two fingers inside the top and starting to slide them down. But he didn't slide them down far, before he grabbed onto the waistband with his teeth instead.

She watched him so intently, as he slowly and gently, slid them down her body with his mouth. It was quite possibly the hottest thing she'd ever seen in her entire life. Jesus Christ.

"A man never goes back on his word" he whispered, making his way back up to see her eye-to-eye. She smiled and pulled him down for a kiss, when his fingers began to lift up the bottom of her shirt. They pulled away and she sat up so that he could take it off of her. And there she sat, completely naked and incredibly turned on in front of him.

He was turned on too, that much she knew, because she could see it through his boxers. So she leaned forward and slid them down for him so that he could take them all the way off.

She laid back down on the bed at his request, while he kneeled over her and lined himself up. He pushed in slowly, intertwining his fingers with hers against the pillows. She leaned her head back against the headboard and moaned.

He started to move his hips, while he kissed her exposed neck. He felt so good, but then again, he _always_ did.

She let go of his hands and clutched his hair, while she wrapped her legs around his waist to pull him as close as possible. Their breathing quickened and so did their pace. She decided to roll him onto his back and finish what he had started.

He seemed more than happy with her decision because he gripped her ass and let her ride him. His face showed nothing but pleasure as she moved on top of him. "Olivia" he groaned, biting his lip. It was rare to hear him call her by her actual name these days, so she knew he was feeling good.

She rested her hands on his strong abdomen and continued to grind her hips, until she was so close that she had to kiss him in order to keep herself somewhat quiet in the hotel room. He followed suit shortly after her, coming inside of her and muffling his sounds with her shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her back and held her tired body there, while they both came down.

She breathed hard against his chest, listening to the sounds of his heavy breathing as well as her own. And then she looked up at him and smiled. He smiled back and kissed her nose, before gently rolling her over and pulling out of her.

He got up and went to the bathroom, coming back with a warm washcloth that he gently pressed between her thighs to clean her up. "Thank you" she whispered with a smile, running her fingers through his hair. He nodded and gave her a soft kiss, before laying his head down on her chest. His favorite thing to do.

She smiled down at the curly brown hair and tapped the top of his head repeatedly. He turned up to look at her, but she didn't say anything. And he didn't either, he just looked up at her with that sweet look he always gave her.

How someone could look so adoringly at her the way he did, she had no idea. All she did know was that she loved it. And she loved him.

* * *

The next day went by in a blur for Olivia. She and Fitz had to get ready for the day and pack up their things fairly early because he had to check out that later that morning.

They met Sandra at a little breakfast place near their hotel, so that Fitz and her could meet. It was very important to Olivia that one of her best friends meet the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She could barely tell anyone about him as it was, so having them meet meant the world to her.

But after breakfast, they headed back to the hotel so that Olivia could get her car.

And just like that, their weekend together was over. They stood in the parking lot, hugging by their cars, just as they had done a month ago outside his apartment.

"Thank you for coming here. It meant everything to me" she whispered. "Of course. Thanks for the adventures" he said with a smile. She smiled back, although she still couldn't stop the tears that began to slide down her cheeks. "Hey," he said softly, wiping her tears away. "Don't cry, pretty girl."

But no matter how hard she tried not to, the tears still fell. She was so attached to him, and it hurt so bad to see him go. "I love you," she whispered. "I love _you,"_ he said, giving her a kiss goodbye. "I'll see you in a month, okay?" he asked. She nodded and pulled him in for one more tight embrace.

And then he was gone.

She went back home and made small talk with her parents, and told them that her weekend with Sandra was very good. At least that wasn't a complete lie. Her weekend _was_ very good, and she did spend _some_ of it with Sandra. So that was a plus.

But after talking with them, she went quietly back up to her room. When she got there, she immediately shut the door and turned on some music, determined to lift her spirits a little bit.

She unpacked her bags, and smiled at the shirt Fitz had promised he'd leave with her. He had worn his new Washington Capitals shirt home, so he was able to leave a clean one with her that smelled just like him. It was a simple white T-shirt he liked to wear, and she loved it. She unfolded it, preparing to put it in her bed along with his other one. But a little piece of paper fluttered out.

She laid the shirt on the bed and looked down at the floor in confusion, picking up the paper that had fallen to the ground. She smiled immediately. It was a note, written on the hotel paper pad, in his adorable handwriting.

 ** _My dear Olivia,_**

 ** _Thanks for the fun weekend, even though at first I thought we were going to get murdered. That was a close one!_**

 ** _I hope you had as much fun as I did. Enjoy your T-shirt that I promised you. Like I said last night, a man never goes back on his word._**

 ** _Can't wait to see you in a month, baby._**

 ** _All my love,_**

 ** _Fitz_**

 ** _P.S. That bed of yours is pretty comfortable ;)_**

 ** _P.P.S. I wrote this when you were in the shower this morning. Really surprised you didn't see that one coming, Livvie? Ha! Love you._**

She smiled as she read the entire thing, and laughed at the comment about her bed. Yeah, this bed was sacred ground now, that was for sure.

She found that her boyfriend's sweet note put her in a much better mood. But now she already couldn't wait to see him again.

One more month.

* * *

Well, there you go. I originally didn't plan on writing the rest of their weekend together, but then I thought, why the hell not. I figured you'd all like that.

I hope I was right!

Virginia is for lovers, indeed.

Stay tuned and read on!

With Love,

~T


	39. Reminiscing

Olivia laid on her bed, talking to Abby on the phone, with Sandra laying next to her. She was telling the girls all about Fitz's surprise, which Abby helped orchestrate. So naturally, she wanted to know every detail. And so did Sandra, so it was perfect.

Her parents were out on a little date night for their anniversary at the moment, so she had the house to herself, which was nice for a change.

"Wait a second, so he slept _here_ the first night?" Sandra asked. Olivia nodded. "We slept in the guest room downstairs," she said. "Look at you living dangerously over there in Virginia. I'm missing all the fun! West Virginia freaking sucks" Abby chimed in, which made the other girls laugh.

"And...then we almost got caught on Friday. My dad came home out of nowhere" Olivia said with a laugh. "What!" Abby and Sandra exclaimed in unison. "Yep. We were practically half-naked up here when we heard the garage door. You should've seen us fly down the stairs when my dad went to get the mail. It was quite an event" she giggled. "Holy fucking shit, Olivia," Sandra said, with her hand up to her mouth. "Liv. I have never been more proud" Abby said triumphantly. Olivia laughed. "Thanks, Abby" she replied.

"What were you two doing half-naked up here..." Sandra asked suddenly. "We had just gotten out of the shower" Olivia explained. "Yeah, _sure,"_ Abby said. "No, seriously!" Olivia exclaimed. "Sandra, let's just be honest here, they were fucking," Abby said with a laugh. "No we weren't! We did that way before the whole shower ordeal. Although, we did both go down on each other in the shower. But that's beside the point" Olivia shrugged.

"Great. I'm probably sitting right where you fucked him" Sandra grimaced, looking down at the side of the bed she was on. Olivia sat there in thought. "Yeah, it was about right there" she nodded. Abby burst into laughter. "I feel you, Sandra. Been in that situation" she said.

"Yeah, except this time we did it to a song. Never done that before, that's for sure. But no complaints here" Olivia said with a laugh. "Which song?" Sandra asked. "Love Lies" Olivia replied. "By Khalid?" Abby asked. Olivia nodded. "Remind me to never listen to that song again!" Sandra exclaimed. "Aw, why not, Sandra, you don't want images of them fucking in your head when you listen to it?" Abby teased. "That would not be my preference, no" Sandra said with a laugh. Olivia just shrugged.

"I've been listening to it on repeat ever since" she smirked.

Sandra shook her head and laughed. "You're crazy. I still can't believe you snuck him in here for an entire night, _screwed_ him in your childhood bedroom, had your dad _come home_ , and still didn't get caught. _Wow"_ Sandra said. Olivia nodded. "Mhm. Oh, and have you two ever seen a thirty-seven-year-old man climb through a window just to see his girlfriend? Because I sure have. Also quite an event" she added, which made the girls laugh.

"You have grown ass men climbing through windows for you. What the hell am I doing wrong?" Sandra asked. "Sandra, let's be honest here, if you were in my situation, your parents wouldn't give a damn. Your thirty-seven-year-old boyfriend wouldn't have to climb through any windows, he could walk right through the front door and they'd welcome him with open arms" Olivia said. Sandra nodded. "Yeah, that's actually true."

Sandra's parents were not like Olivia's parents in that way. They were extremely lenient on everything, and Sandra was the youngest of four kids, so she could get away with everything, to begin with. She was the baby of the family.

For example, right now, her parents probably didn't have the slightest clue where she was, or what time she'd be home. And they just didn't care, they were fine with it.

Olivia's parents, not so much.

They were protective as it was, and being an only child probably only added fuel to that fire. Now, that wasn't to say that they were strict about everything. They weren't.

For example, Olivia didn't ever expect them to say _no_ to when she asked to spend a weekend with her friends, or visit Abby, or whatever the hell else she wanted to do when at home. Truly, she only asked them out of courtesy, and knew that she didn't _really_ need their permission. They just liked to know that they were all on the same page about where she was going to be, what time she'd be home, if they should plan on her being there for dinner, etcetera.

She figured it was still their house and still their rules, no matter what, and she wanted to respect that. And they were helping her out a lot; living at home in the summer gave her an opportunity to save a lot of money, and she never wanted to take that for granted.

Either way, they wouldn't ever say no to her going out and doing things, she was twenty years old, after all. However, there were things that age just didn't seem to impact, in their minds. Boys had _always_ been an iffy topic with her parents. Specifically, with her father, and _especially_ after Edison, whom he hadn't really been a fan of to begin with, or at least, that's how it always seemed.

She knew her dad always thought of her as his little girl, even if she wasn't so little anymore. It was natural for a father, in particular, to be protective of his daughter, especially his only child. And she loved her dad dearly for that, because it showed how much he cared. But if he knew about the things she did. The things she did with a _thirty-seven-year-old_. Oh _god._

School was also a very serious topic with them, as it should be for any family. But _a lot_ of her parents' concerns revolved around her schooling. Education was important, and they only wanted the best of the best for her. Not a day went by that they didn't know her grades in a class, thanks to her online student profile. Although, she'd always had amazing grades, so it wasn't as if they had anything to be concerned about. But, being them, they still thought so, apparently.

Her parents could be a little strict, but she wouldn't trade them for the world. Although, it'd be nice if she was certain they'd accept Fitz being her boyfriend, even if he was her professor. But she knew that they wouldn't. Not now, at least, that was for sure. Hopefully, after they were for sure in the clear at school, introducing him to them wouldn't be so bad.

She had hopes that after they got over the initial shock of his age and his job, that they'd see how good of a man he was. How kind, honest, loyal, passionate, and loving he was.

But in the back of her mind, she still had that fear. The fear that the only label they'd care about was 'her professor'. That the only thing they'd see was a man they thought was too old for her. That they wouldn't see the positives, but only the negatives.

She knew that she didn't need her parents' permission to date someone anymore, but she also knew that this situation was different. He wasn't just a guy she feared they wouldn't like. He had been, and still could be, her _professor_. They had done something against the policy of her university, and that was something she knew they wouldn't take lightly.

On top of that, she was extremely close with her parents, and she feared what could happen to that relationship once they found out. Right now though, it was pointless to worry about all of that. She already had enough on her plate as it was, so she might as well just enjoy how well everything had been going. All she could do was wait and hope for the best.

She told Abby and Sandra about the rest of her weekend with Fitz, all the way up until she got to Sunday, when Sandra had met him herself.

"I really liked him, Liv. He's so sweet on you and such a gentleman" Sandra nodded. Olivia blushed. "Yeah, he is," she replied with a smile. "And he's gorgeous, isn't he," Abby said over the phone. Sandra giggled. "So gorgeous. Sorry, Liv" Sandra said with a laugh, which also made Olivia laugh. "No worries, you two are allowed to say that. He's a looker, I know," she nodded happily.

"Oh, I'm sure you _do_ know, getting to hit that whenever you want," Abby said. "And _wherever_ you want" Sandra grimaced, looking down at her spot on the bed. Olivia just laughed.

"Ah, and I see part of him didn't leave this bed" Sandra added, pulling out his black T-shirt that was half-sticking out from under her pillow. But when she pulled that one, along came the white T-shirt, and the Yale one, both ones she had recently added. Only his sweatshirt was absent from her bed, because she actually wore that around the house on occasion.

"Well what in the hell? This is like something out of freaking Mary Poppins" Sandra said. "What else you got in here?" she added, lifting up the pillow. Olivia snatched the shirts away from her with a laugh, while her cheeks turned red. "I just miss him, okay!" she said, a little embarrassed.

"Man, I wish I could witness this right now. Like I said before, West Virginia sucks!" Abby exclaimed on the phone. "Okay, but you get to witness her scrambling around to remove all remnants of him in her room when people come over. That's probably quite a sight" Sandra giggled. "Oh, true. That's kind of funny, you're right" Abby replied with a laugh.

"Ha ha, _very funny_. You two find joy in my struggling" Olivia said. "Only a little" Sandra shrugged. "Just a smidge" Abby piped in. Olivia rolled her eyes, but couldn't hold in her laughter. "And only 'cause we love you dearly" Abby added, to which Sandra nodded at in agreement. Olivia smiled. "I love you guys too."

* * *

The next night, Fitz sat at his desk in his office, propped up by his elbow and chin in his palm. He had come in a little before his night class started to do a little work as usual. He didn't really have many things to do in the summer because he only had two classes and they were both a lot smaller than the ones he normally taught during the school year. But even still, he only had on TA per class, so he helped them out a little bit, because it's not like he was really all that busy.

He enjoyed his time off, though. It was relaxing, and something most working adults didn't get, so he was grateful.

He checked his watch and saw that he should start walking to the lecture hall for his class. Summer classes were nice, because even at prestigious Yale University, professors were allowed to dress a little more casual.

Although, being Fitz, he always defied the rules a little bit. Most male professors during the school year wore dress pants, dress shoes, a dress shirt, and a tie. On some occasions, they would even wear a suit jacket. But Fitz, on the other hand, _nope._

He'd wear dress pants and dress shoes, but sometimes he'd skip the tie and have his shirt unbuttoned at the top. He also usually wore patterned dress socks of some sort, not just a boring black or brown. And he _always_ wore his sleeves rolled up, which immediately made the look a lot more casual. Olivia claimed it was his way of "defying authority", which was probably true after all the miserable years he spent under his father's authority. His girl knew him well.

Tonight he wore a slim pair of khakis, and a casual light blue dress shirt, which was unbuttoned at the top. And, of course, his sleeves were rolled to his elbows. He wished that Olivia were here, because he knew that this was her favorite style of his. Although she also had a thing for gym shorts and no shirt, it seemed.

He laughed to himself just at the thought of his crazy girl. How someone so and small and cute could have such a large effect on him, he had no idea. But she certainly did.

Only a little less than a month until he got to see her again. He was so happy that he'd asked her to come to this wedding with him, because otherwise, he wasn't sure if he'd be this excited for it. It would be fun to see Brett again, along with a few of his other high school buddies. But the wedding, itself, wasn't really on his mind. The only thing on his mind was her. The only thing that was _ever_ on his mind was her.

But then again, seeing her _at_ a wedding? _Shit_. He already knew how beautiful she'd look, and he didn't even know what the hell she was wearing, besides the fact that it was a light gray color. He'd asked, just so he could coordinate his tie with her dress. Nothing too matchy or cheesy, just something that made them look like a polished couple. And she'd loved the idea too, so she was happy to send him a picture of the color.

He opened the door to the lecture hall after his short walk there from his office, and headed to the auditorium he taught in most often. Coincidentally, it was actually the one he had met Olivia in. As he looked ahead of him at the podium and the blackboard, he could almost picture the two of them standing there, talking for the very first time.

Back when he was just her mentor, her _teacher_. And when she was just the pretty girl that caught his eye on that first day, coming down the stairs. The pretty _student_ , that was younger than the rest, but undoubtedly _smarter_ than the rest.

And now, he was wrapped around her finger. _Everything_ in his life revolved around her. She was the one, the center of his entire world. He'd fallen so hard for that beautiful, sweet girl, and there was nothing that could ever change that. His heart belonged to her.

As he approached the podium, he smiled to himself. He started thinking about all of those mornings when she'd come up to him after class, backpack slung over her shoulders, and a Starbucks cup in her hand, but _only_ on Thursdays. And, of course, it wasn't coffee in that cup, but hot tea. She _hated_ coffee.

And she'd call him 'Professor Grant', with that flirty smile on her face and that 'come get me' look in her eye. And then they'd walk out together, before having to part ways outside. But every once in awhile, they wouldn't part ways, and she'd come with him to eat lunch in his office. And they'd work together, faking another "appointment" that she made with him.

It all made him smile. And apparently, it also made him get lost in thought.

"Professor Grant...?"

"Professor Grant, hello?"

 _"Professor Grant!"_

Fitz snapped out of it and directed his attention at the small line of students that had formed in front of him. "Should we turn in our projects now?" a young woman asked. "Uh...yeah. Um, yeah. Sorry guys. Just stack them up here" he nodded, pointing to the corner of the table in front of his podium. They gave him a bit of a weird look and began stacking their folders up. _Great_ , they caught him daydreaming about his girlfriend. _How nice._

As more students filed into the room, they all stacked them up, one by one. And then it was time for him to start class.

Teaching was one of those things for him that always flew by quickly because he had fun doing it. And it was also a little easier without Olivia sitting in the crowd of students, watching him so intently. He could put his attraction to her aside when he was at work, he wasn't fourteen. But at the same time, he was still human, and would get distracted by her on occasion. How could he _not_ , with a girlfriend that looked like that. Whew.

By the time he was done teaching, he was ready to be done and go home. That was his last class of the week, but he'd put in a good amount of work this week for a summer schedule, and he was actually...tired. Oddly enough. But he still took a detour on the way home.

He drove past Oak Haven, smiling at the old, lit up sign as he drove. And shortly after he passed it, he turned right, into the parking lot of a park. But it wasn't just any old Park. It was a very special park.

There were still a few families there, because it wasn't fully dark yet, but that didn't matter. He walked to the left of the playground and up the steep, grassy hill. And when he got to the top, he sat down against the old tree and looked out at the long, open field of grass.

He remembered the night he had first taken Olivia here, when he'd thrown her over his shoulder and carried her so that she wouldn't ruin her shoes as they walked up the snowy hill. When they'd looked out at the open field of beautiful, white snow, instead of the green grass he saw now. When he'd finally gotten up the courage to tell her that he loved her for the first time. That he had been _so_ in love with her for months. And when she had told him that she loved him too.

 _This_ was their place. They had a few places; Oak Haven, a place that had truly brought them together. The thick bushes on the side of her apartment, a place where they'd share little stolen moments and talk for hours, no matter the temperature outside. The little bench in central campus, where they sometimes walked to at night. The same little bench he'd spent his college years studying at.

And this park, where he'd also spent some time at in college with his buddies, doing less studious things than studying.

But this park, in his opinion, took the cake. He couldn't count the number of times he and Olivia would come sit here at night after he'd first brought her here. Cuddling up together and talking about their future, when they could finally be out in the open. Talking about the tattoos they wanted to get. Talking about the diamond he wanted to put on that little left ring finger, and the day he would vow to her at an altar, to be hers, and only hers, forever.

He took out his phone and sent her a picture of the big, open field, and said;

 ** _Missing you like crazy tonight, and wishing you were here with me. Hope you're having a good night._**

And a few minutes later, he got a reply.

 ** _Our place! Missing you too. Snuggled up to all your shirts right now. I love you so much_**

He smiled and sent her a message back.

 ** _I love you more than you know._**

He leaned his head back against the tree and wrapped his arms loosely around his knees.

And there he sat, for over an hour, reminiscing about all the good times they had when she had still been here. When he could see her any time he wanted. When she hadn't left him yet.

* * *

When he went back home later that night, he was immediately called up to the front desk by Logan. "Hey man, I'm off in ten. You wanna go blow off some steam?" he asked. "I don't know about tonight, man, I'm kinda tired" Fitz replied apologetically.

"Oh, _come on_ , Grant. I'm off tomorrow, and I _know_ you're off tomorrow. Let's go! Have some fun" Logan said. Fitz just looked at him doubtfully. "We haven't gone out in weeks, man! Come on, you can't be sad over your girl leaving forever!" he said. Fitz looked at him in confusion.

Out of all the times they'd gotten drinks together this summer, they'd never once talked about the fact that Olivia wasn't here right now. She'd come up in conversation, sure, but Fitz didn't talk about her much with Logan, for fear of him finding out she was gone for the _summer_ , because she was a student. As far as he knew, Logan was fairly clueless about that.

"How do you know she's gone?" Fitz asked. "Because I haven't seen her in a while. I thought, there's no way you two broke up. That's about the only girl I've ever seen you bring here. She's gotta be a keeper" he shrugged. "She is" Fitz nodded. "Well, there you go! She on a trip or something?" he asked. "Yeah. Something like that" Fitz chuckled.

"Alright well quit missing her for a second and go upstairs. Change out of those damn preppy clothes you always be wearin' and let's go. You don't have a choice, we're going" Logan said. Fitz laughed and nodded. "Yeah, yeah alright. I'll be back in a few" he replied. "Yeeaahh. That's what I'm talking about! LB and FTG Three off for the night, baby!" he exclaimed. Fitz shook his head and smiled as he walked to the elevator to go up to his room.

He had always really liked Logan. This particular apartment complex was always so formal, and so were all of the employees. _Except_ for Logan. And he was pretty sure Logan was all of the residents' favorite, mostly because he didn't really feel like an employee. He felt like a friend. He was always polite, and looking out for everyone, as an employee should. But he was so personable and fun. _And_ downright hilarious.

And he had befriended Fitz the very week he had moved in. So at this point, he considered Logan a pretty good friend.

He went up to his apartment to change out of his "preppy clothes" and into something a little more casual. He had no idea where the hell they were going to go this time, but he honestly could use a night out, so he didn't really care where they went.

He put on some jeans, a T-shirt, and some casual shoes, and decided he was good to go. He sent Olivia a text that he was going out with Logan, and would text her when he got home. And then he headed back downstairs.

They split an Uber into downtown New Haven, where Logan said he had an idea of where they should go. As they walked down the sidewalk towards a particular club, Fitz began to recognize it. A club called BAR.

"Hey, I remember this place! I used to come here sometimes in college" he said. "Seriously?" Logan asked. "Yeah. It's one of the few good eighteen plus clubs. All the rest were either shit, or twenty-one plus, and we didn't have fakes" Fitz chuckled. "I'm not surprised your ass didn't have a fake. You're too vanilla for that shit, man" Logan said. "So now I'm preppy _and_ vanilla, huh?" Fitz asked with a laugh. "They go hand-in-hand, brother" Logan chuckled. "Well good to know, I guess," Fitz said with a laugh.

They were I.D.'d at the door, just because it was a club rule. So they showed them their I.D.s, got their wrists stamped, and they were good to go.

There were all different age groups in the main room, but he could clearly see that they were grouped into little cliques. A lot of the younger adults were dancing, and older adults were by the bar. Classic.

This particular club had many different rooms, though, and he remembered them very vividly. There were closed off little nooks, away from all the chaos, but music still blasted loudly into the rooms from the speakers. And often times, it's where you'd find a couple who had slipped off together to be alone. And he was ashamed to admit that he had done that a few times in his college years.

But now, he went up to the bar with Logan and ordered a gin and tonic. He liked the atmosphere there. It was a good club for all ages, played good music, and had good drinks for a good price. Turns out it was a good idea to come blow off some steam with Logan after all.

He smiled down at his drink as he mixed it a little bit, before taking a sip. "Whatcha smiling at over there?" Logan asked. He felt his cheeks flush a little bit as he realized he had been caught daydreaming about Olivia for the second time that day.

"Nothing. It's just...gin and tonic reminds me of my girlfriend. It's kind of one of our things," he said."Ahhh, I see, I see. Will you get to see her soon?" Logan asked, taking a sip of his drink. "Yeah, actually. Next month, for my buddy Brett's wedding" Fitz nodded. "Brett! He's the genius who came up with FTG Three!" he exclaimed. Fitz laughed. "Yep, that'd be him" he nodded.

"Man, can I be your plus one, just so I can go thank him for coming up with that?" he chuckled. Fitz smiled. "I don't know how Olivia would feel about that, she's pretty excited to go," Fitz said with a laugh. "She'll understand, me and her are bros. We go way back" Logan nodded.

"You and my girlfriend go 'way back'?" Fitz asked. Logan sat there and thought for a second. "Yeah, okay, that came out wrong. I take it back, I don't need an ass-kicking from you tonight," he chuckled. "Smart man," Fitz said with a laugh, taking another sip of his drink.

"Oh, who am I kidding. Your scrawny, preppy ass couldn't do that!" Logan said. Fitz turned to him and looked Logan up and down, raising his eyebrows. "You don't think so?" Fitz asked. Logan shook his head in response. "Oh, I think I could" Fitz chuckled. "If you weren't a friend, I'd have you prove it, tough guy" Logan said with a laugh.

Fitz smiled at him and took another sip of his drink, before feeling a tap on his shoulder. "You wanna dance, handsome?" a woman, who looked roughly his own age, asked. "Uh, no thanks," he replied politely. "Oh, come on, why not?" she asked with a smile. "I'm not sure my girlfriend would be a fan of that" he replied.

"Oh, well look at you being all loyal," she said, crossing her arms. "You say that like it's an accomplishment" Fitz questioned. "These days, it is" she nodded. "Well, not for me. Sorry, I'm just not interested" he said, politely, yet again. She smiled at him and nodded, giving him a little wave. "Can't blame a girl for trying."

 _"Shit,_ man. I was gonna help you out there but you didn't need any" Logan chuckled. "Help me turn down a woman?" Fitz asked with a laugh. "Yeah! I was gonna tell her you got a pretty lady at home. A very, very, _very_ pretty—". "Watch it," Fitz said, pointing at him. "Hey, I'm just saying!" Logan chuckled, putting his hands up in defense. "It's okay. I won't kick your ass" Fitz chuckled, patting him on the back. "Uh-huh," Logan said with a laugh, shaking his head as he took another sip of his drink.

There were a few more women that came up to Fitz, and a few that came up to Logan as well. Obviously, Fitz _eagerly_ turned them down, but Logan did dance with one woman in particular that he had taken a liking to. Otherwise, the two guys mostly stayed at the bar together, drinking and having a good time.

And it was fun. He still missed Olivia like crazy, but it was at least something fun to get his mind off of how much he missed her. Especially, when all he had done all day was reminisce about her and all the fun times they'd had together.

The only thing that kept him going was the thought that he'd see her soon. Less than a month.

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed this little filler chapter.

Regarding the person(s) reviews about Olivia and her relationship with her parents, I hope it is now clear why I write her the way that I do when she is at home. Her asking her parents is not meant to be infantile, it is only meant to be respectful, and a way of checking in with them. And if they prefer her to ask, then that's what she'll do. As for her using Sandra as a cover; she didn't really have a choice. She wants to keep Fitz under wraps, so having a cover is merely part of covering her tracks if need be, as is hiding all her photos when she's at school, taking off her bracelet, changing her phone's lock screen, etc. Just all things she chooses to do in order to keep things quiet.

I understand if you're not a fan of it, and I know that my writing is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. And that's totally okay! But just know that this _is_ how I write her. Olivia is a young adult, no doubt. But also remember, that she isn't a thirty-something-year-old woman, who knows exactly what she's doing and has nobody to answer to. She is twenty. She doesn't support herself, she still looks up to her parents, and still has a lot to figure out. I hope this helps a bit.

I've also recently gotten a review, and have gotten them in the past, about pregnancy scares. I am never usually one to tell readers about what will happen in my stories, but I did want to take this opportunity to assure you that you don't have to worry about that. Olivia is and has been on birth control, I just choose not to write her taking her daily pill into the chapters, as I feel like that would be a little repetitive.

One last thing, I also got a very nice guest review, asking if I had thought about writing other stories. And the answer is, _yes!_ I have ideas swirling around in my head like crazy, but if I do end up writing others, I think I'd want to finish this one first.

Thanks for the kind words, I love to read all of your reviews. Most of them are so heartwarming, and they really mean the world to me.

Hope you all enjoyed.

Stay tuned and read on!

With Love,

~T


	40. The Wedding

Days slowly passed by, and then weeks slowly passed by. Olivia and Fitz went to work, hung around their friends, went to sleep, and repeated. And that was pretty much it.

They truly weren't _that_ pathetic when they were away from each other.

 _Only a little._

But mostly, the days and weeks passed so slowly because they were just so damn excited for this wedding that they'd planned for since the spring.

They'd already gone over the details multiple times.

Fitz was flying down on Friday, and Olivia planned to leave at about noon, which would get here there around four, just a little after Fitz.

That Friday night was the grooms dinner, so that's where most of the wedding party members would be, meaning Olivia and Fitz were free to do as they pleased for the evening.

On Saturday, they had the morning open, before the actual ceremony started in the mid-afternoon. The ceremony was going to be absolutely huge, from what Fitz had said, and he had been invited, so they were going to go.

After the ceremony at the church, the reception would start about an hour and a half later at the hotel that many of the bride and groom's friends and family were staying at, called the Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel. They had reserved a large number of rooms, so luckily, Fitz and Olivia were able to get a room there.

And then on Sunday. They'd head their separate ways yet again, and see each other for, likely, the last time during the summer. She was already dreading the goodbye, but absolutely couldn't wait for the hello the next day. Because today was Thursday, and tomorrow, she'd be off.

For most of the night, she stayed downstairs with her parents and talked with them, wanting to spend some time with them before she left for the weekend. They told her to have fun and be safe at "Abby's", and she assured them that she absolutely would.

And later that night when she went up to her room, she went through all of her belongings for the weekend again, just to make sure that she had everything.

She had a fully-packed duffel bag, along with her dress hanging up on the outside of her closet door that she was going to hang in the backseat tomorrow. She had it in a garment bag, only to make Fitz suffer. He was _very_ curious as to what she was going to wear, she could tell, and she wanted to surprise him. So when she got there the next day, all he'd see was a garment bag, and he'd still have no idea what she'd be wearing. Ha.

After triple checking her bags and getting ready for bed, she crawled into bed, ready to go to sleep. But first, she called Fitz.

"Hey, you" he answered. "Hi, sweetie" she replied quietly. "You in bed?" he asked. "Yeah. I just wanted to hear your voice before I went to sleep" she whispered. "That's understandable, my voice is pretty sexy," he said casually. She started giggling. "You are a piece of work, do you know that?" she asked. "Well yeah but I'm _your_ piece of work" he replied.

"Mhm. _Alllll_ mine" she said. "You don't wanna share me?" he teased. "No way. Just 'cause everybody wants what I got doesn't mean they get any" she said with a smirk. He was silent for a moment. "Well that was fucking hot" he replied. "You're fucking hot," she said. "How hot?" he asked mischievously.

"Not hot enough to send you a picture of my dress, Fitz" she replied. "Why _not!_ Please, I'm begging you, I wanna see it!" he replied. "Oh, Fitzgerald, quit whining at me" she giggled.

"Come on, baby, it's not like I'm asking you to send me a naked picture or something," he said. She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I'm sure you'd love that" she replied. "Well...of course I would, your body is the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen. But...that's beside the point. Come on. One tiny little picture" he begged.

"Hmmm" she replied, pretending to think hard about it. Of course, she wasn't. No way in hell he was seeing it until Saturday.

"Nope. No can do" she replied. He groaned in disappointment. "Fine. Then how about—". "No naked pictures either," she said, cutting him off. "You didn't even know what I was going to say!" he exclaimed. "Probably something very witty and Fitz-like, and I saved us the time by shutting you down," she said with a laugh.

"Not even...your left boob?" he teased. She giggled underneath her covers. "Nope" she replied. "Your right one?" he asked. "Not a chance," she said. He chuckled on the other end. "I'm just kidding. Plus, I'll see your dress and your gorgeous naked body this weekend so it's still a win-win here" he said.

"And what makes you think you'll see my gorgeous naked body?" she asked. "It's you and me. In a hotel room. For an entire weekend," he replied. "And?" she asked. "Don't give me that. I can have you begging in a matter of seconds and you know it" he said. She smiled to herself. "Oh, well look at that confidence!" she said. "Not even confidence, just facts. And deep down in that big heart of yours, you know I'm right," he replied. "We'll see about that" she giggled. "We will" he chuckled back.

She smiled, thinking about when they could playfully debate like this in person.

"I can't wait to see you tomorrow, Fitz" she whispered. "Me too, baby. It's been too long" he agreed. "Four weeks too long," she said. "Are we pathetic?" he asked. She laughed. "I'm going to be honest, yes" she replied.

"I thought so. Why don't I give a fuck, though?" he asked very seriously. She couldn't hold in her laughter. "Because you're my sweetie and you don't give a fuck about things like that. And, neither do I, for the record" she replied. "I know you don't," he said softly.

She smiled and started to yawn. "Hey, why don't you get some sleep, okay? I'll see you tomorrow" he said happily. "You _will_ see me tomorrow. I can't wait" she replied. "Me neither, beautiful. Sleep tight. I love you" he said.

"I love you too."

* * *

Olivia woke up and immediately smiled. Today she'd get to see him.

She ripped the covers off her and got out of bed, feeling like a giddy child. And she didn't care.

She wasn't even going to leave until noon, but that didn't stop her from getting ready as soon as she got up.

She put on a pair of skinny jeans that Fitz liked, and rolled them up just past her ankles. And then she put on a cute red blouse, and her favorite little flats, and decided her outfit was perfect. Now onto the hair and makeup.

She'd already straightened out her hair in preparation for the weekend, because she planned on wearing it in loose curls for the wedding. But today, she decided to just keep it straight. She didn't wear it straight much, mostly because she preferred some curl. And so did Fitz. He actually preferred her natural hair above all else, which she admired about him. _Hey, less work for her_ , she thought.

She made sure her makeup looked perfect as well, before she went downstairs to get something to eat.

Throughout the morning, she texted Fitz until he boarded the plane to leave. And that's when she started getting ready to leave, herself.

She cleaned up the kitchen so that her parents had a clean house to come home to, and left a nice note for them, telling them she loved them and would see them on Sunday.

And then she packed up her car, and she was off.

She made sure to have a nice, long playlist playing, because it was just over a four-hour drive, not including stops for gas. Lots of songs that reminded her of Fitz played, and she wasn't ashamed to blast them as she drove down the interstate. And with each passing minute, she only grew more excited.

About three hours in, she finally had to stop for gas. She ran into the gas station quick to go to the bathroom, and grab a bottle of water. And then she was off yet again.

The last leg of her trip went by fairly fast. And as soon as she got into Pittsburgh, she was amazed. She had never been there before, and it was beautiful.

But as soon as she pulled up to the Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel, she was even more amazed. It was absolutely huge. And even from the outside, she could tell the inside would be beautiful.

She quickly got out her phone and texted Fitz that she was there, because she knew he, himself, had just gotten there a little bit ago. Her hands shook as she did it, already anticipating seeing him again.

She turned off her car, got out, and opened the backseat to get everything situated. But as she was grabbing her bags, she heard a man's voice yell out to her.

"Those skinny jeans are gonna be the death of me."

She pulled her head out of the backseat and saw him standing there by the entrance, with that big smile plastered across his face.

"Fitz!" she exclaimed, starting to run toward him. "Olivia!" he exclaimed in her same excited tone.

She had left her car door open and everything, but she didn't care. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her.

He opened his arms wide for her and she jumped into them, immediately wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He wrapped his arms tightly around her back and chuckled into her shoulder.

"Hi, baby," he said, his voice muffled by her shirt. "Hi, baby," she said back, moving her hands up to the back of his hair, burying her fingers in the soft curls. She pulled back and planted a big kiss on his lips, and then a few more. His lips were soft and warm, and she loved the feeling of them pressed against hers again.

He pulled back ever so slightly and rubbed his nose against hers, before placing a soft kiss on the tip of her nose. "You look beautiful," he said with a smile. "So do you," she said, kissing _his_ nose now.

She tightened her grip around him once more and leaned her head on his shoulder. So naturally, his grip tightened, too, and they continued to stand there in a tight embrace, him still holding her in his arms.

There were people passing by, probably getting a good stare in. But she didn't give a damn. They didn't know how hard their situation was. They didn't know how good it felt to be able to show affection in a public place. They didn't know how much she had missed him, and how attached to him she was. They didn't know a thing.

She didn't want to let go. She just clung to him, breathing in his wonderful scent.

But, eventually, she had to let go. They walked to her car so she could grab her things, and he helped her with her bags. And as soon as he saw the garment bag, he shot her a look. "Seriously?" he asked. "Seriously" she giggled. "You're really making me wait for this, aren't you?" he asked. "You bet your ass I am" she nodded. He shook his head with a laugh and grabbed her hand, walking into the hotel together.

She had been right about the inside of the hotel. It was absolutely beautiful, a perfect hotel for a nice wedding reception. The lobby was gorgeous, and the hotel bar and restaurant looked pretty nice too, from what she could see. She couldn't wait to explore the place with Fitz later.

But for now, they went up to the third level, where a better half of the rooms were reserved for the bride and grooms' friends and family.

Fitz said he hadn't seen any of his buddies yet, but they'd see them all at some point tonight, no doubt. She walked into their room and admired it. It was beautiful and fairly large, too.

The first thing she did was hang up her garment bag in the wardrobe next to the suit Fitz had already hung in there, and put her bag up on the dresser so she could start unpacking her things a little bit.

Fitz watched her from the bed intently as she did so, resting his hands behind his head. "Your hair is different today" he noted. She smiled as she unpacked the last of her things. "It is. Good different or…bad different?" she asked. "Good different. It always looks beautiful to me, Livvie" he replied with a smile. She turned around and smiled at him, starting to walk over there.

She laid down next to him and rested her head on his chest, while their arms wrapped tightly around each other.

And there they laid, for about an hour. Not talking much, not doing anything. Just laying there. Holding each other and cherishing each other's presence once again.

* * *

That evening, they dressed up a bit and adventured around Pittsburgh for a while, before having dinner at a nice restaurant called Eleven. Shortly before they left, Fitz got a text from Brett in a group chat, letting him know that they were on their way back from the groom's dinner, and that they should meet up before the night's end.

And Olivia was happy and excited to meet him, so they started heading out too. They walked through the city of Pittsburgh, hand in hand, back to their hotel. It was a beautiful walk, and it was cool to see a good amount of it because she wasn't sure they'd get to any other time this weekend.

When they got back to the hotel, they waited in the comfy chairs of the lobby for some of his buddies. She immediately knew when they had arrived, by the way Fitz's face lit up as he turned towards the hotel's entrance.

"Fitz!" Brett greeted happily, shaking his hand and pulling him in for a hug. "So good to see you, buddy. It's been too long" Fitz said, patting him on the back. "It has, man, it has," he said. Fitz then took the opportunity to introduce Olivia, before he greeted everyone else. "Brett, this is my girlfriend, Olivia. Olivia, this is Brett" he said, gesturing to her with a smile.

"It's so nice to meet you. I suppose congratulations are in order!" Olivia said, shaking his hand. "Very nice to meet you as well, and thank you!" Brett replied.

Fitz greeted the bride-to-be, Lauren, with a hug, and then Brett's family members, while Brett introduced Olivia to Lauren and his family as well. And that's when a little girl pushed through a couple of the adults' legs and looked up with a gasp at Fitz.

"Fizz!"

Fitz had been talking with Brett's parents, and hadn't even noticed the young girl. But Olivia watched him immediately direct his attention lower towards the ground at her. He gasped and his face lit up. "Oh my goodness, look at you!" Fitz said, squatting down to meet her eye level and opening his arms to her.

She smiled and she threw her arms around his neck. "She's been talking about seeing you all night" Brett chuckled. Fitz smiled at her and lifted her up in his arms, giving her a little kiss on the cheek.

"I missed you! How old are you now?" he asked. "I'm five! I'm big now!" the little girl exclaimed, holding up her open palm to show five fingers.

"That _is_ big! I love this dress, by the way. So beautiful" he said, poking her belly. She smiled and put her hands up to her face, clearly very flattered. "Tell Fitz thank you, Mia," Brett said. "Thank you, Fizz," she said. "You're very, very welcome. Hey, you want to meet someone very special?" he asked. She nodded eagerly at him.

He turned to look at Olivia. "Mia, this is my friend Olivia," Fitz said. "Hi there. It's very nice to meet you, Mia!" Olivia said, giving her a little wave. "Nice to meet you," she said shyly, giving her a wave back. Olivia couldn't help but smile at the cute little exchange, and her clear admiration for Fitz.

"Daddy, where does Fizz and Livia stay?" Mia asked. Olivia smiled at the nickname she'd immediately received. "They're staying here with us, honey" Brett answered. Mia turned to Fitz and then Olivia with a big smile. "You stay by us!" she said. "Mhm. We'll be like neighbors!" Fitz exclaimed, which made Mia's face light up again.

As they all continued to chat, Olivia stood slightly behind Fitz, and noticed that Mia was looking over Fitz's shoulder at her very intently. "I like your pretty dress," Mia said shyly. Olivia smiled at her. "Well thank you. I like your pretty dress too!" she replied. "Thank you," she said, blushing.

Olivia and Mia continued to chat back and forth about funny little things, including how Mia wished this particular hotel had a pool, how she had the very important job of being the flower girl for her dad's wedding, and how amusing Fitz's curly hair was to her. She giggled and poked at the strands that curled up behind his ears, which had Olivia laughing too. "Are you girls laughing at my curly hair!?" Fitz asked, to which Mia replied "yes" in a fit of giggles.

And then they all decided to head up to their rooms. So, Fitz let Mia down, and she immediately went to walk by Olivia to chat more. Clearly, she had taken a liking to _her_ as well.

"Goodnight, Livia. Goodnight Fizz" she said giving them both waves as soon as she reached their room. "Goodnight, Mia" Fitz said, giving her a wave and blowing her a kiss. "We'll see you tomorrow!" Olivia said. Mia nodded and disappeared into the room with a shy smile. They bid a goodnight to the rest of Fitz's friends and then were on their way to their own room a little ways down the hall.

"Well she is just the cutest little thing!" Olivia said as they reached their door. "Isn't she?" Fitz asked with a smile. "So that's Brett and Lauren's daughter?" Olivia asked as soon as they were inside. "No, he had Mia with his ex-wife. But Mia really likes Lauren, from what I've heard" Fitz nodded.

 _"Ohhh,_ okay. Well she's adorable. And she certainly likes you, Fizz!" Olivia exclaimed. Fitz smiled and started unbuttoning his dress shirt. "I know, we have a little bond. I haven't seen her for over a year, I'm surprised she remembered me so well. I wasn't sure if she'd be here yet tonight or if her mom would drop her off tomorrow. She seemed to take a liking to you too, Livia!" Fitz replied with a laugh, which made Olivia giggle too.

She smiled as she started to change into something comfier, thinking about how good he had been with Mia. Butterflies arose in her stomach as she thought about what had already popped into her mind a few times, but they had never truly discussed; kids. With him.

They'd alluded to it once, when they had talked about their dream cabin together. The dream cabin that would have lots of bedrooms. Whom the bedrooms were _for_ didn't come up in conversation, but they certainly didn't plan on having lots of bedrooms for _guests_. They both knew who they'd be for.

They got ready for bed and crawled underneath the covers together, even though it wasn't super late. They'd all gone upstairs fairly early, just because they knew tomorrow would be a very late night. But even still, Olivia and Fitz weren't tired.

They laid on top of the covers on their backs, watching TV in the dark. Olivia was itching to make a move on her already half-naked boyfriend, but she refrained, because of their conversation the prior night. She didn't want him to "win". So she made zero moves. And he was perfectly content to lay there and watch TV. She kept glancing over at him, and when he'd look, she'd look away. She could feel him smiling at her.

He knew she wanted to, and was seemingly enjoying watching her struggle.

"Hey," she said. "Hi, Olivia," he said, continuing to watch TV. "This is a good show" she stated.

She honestly had no idea what had been playing for the past half hour.

"It's a very good show" he nodded. "It'd be a real shame to miss it" she replied. "A real shame," he said, turning to her with a smile. She fought hard not to smile back at his cute face. But it was hard, so she turned to look upward at the ceiling. He chuckled quietly to himself. "What are you laughing at?" she asked. "Oh, nothing" he shrugged.

She shot him a look, and couldn't help it as her eyes traveled down his body. He only wore a pair of boxers, and it made the entire situation worse. And when she looked back up at his face after a nice long time of ogling, he was grinning at her.

"What?" she asked. "You really are a stubborn little thing, aren't you?" he asked. "I am _not!"_ she exclaimed. "Just ask me, baby, I know you want to," he said. "Want to what?" she asked. He smirked at her. "You have that look in your eyes. I know what the look means" he said.

"I have no look in my eyes" she replied. "You do. It's your 'let's fool around' look" he said, scooting closer to her. "Is not," she said. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Like I said, stubborn" he shrugged.

She scoffed and crossed her arms. "Do you want to?" she asked, trying her best to sound nonchalant. "Hmmm...that's not the demeanor I would expect from someone who wants to get in my pants," he said with a little smile. She turned to look at him, still fighting back a smile. "And what do you expect their demeanor to be?" He laid there in thought for a second, before shifting his body.

"Well..." he began, laying on his side directly next to her.

"First, I would expect them to not use their sassy voice," he said. She started laughing at that. _Yeah, probably true_.

"And it would help if they...looked at me...when they talked to me," he said quietly, dragging a finger down her arm. She looked over at him.

"Sometimes it also helps if...they look down at my lips. So I know that...they want me to kiss them" he whispered, leaning in even closer to her. Her eyes flickered back and forth between his eyes and his lips.

"What else?" she whispered.

His hand had made its way lower and lower down her body, and was teasing with the idea of slipping inside her underwear. He began placing soft kisses on her neck, fully kneeling over her at this point.

"They should hold onto me" he whispered against her skin. She wrapped her arms around him and let him continue his passionate assault on her neck. "Tight" he added. So, she tightened her grip.

"Now what?" she whispered into the dark room.

"Touch me," he said, slipping his fingers under the fabric of her underwear.

She gasped at the feeling and immediately opened her legs wider for him. And then she slipped her own hand into his boxers, and wrapped it around his hardening length, starting to stroke him. He exhaled at the contact, and kept doing what he was doing.

He gradually slipped a finger inside her, pleased at the wetness he was met with. He bit his lip as he watched her face comfort in pleasure. "And—then what" she whispered, continuing to stroke him.

"Tell me what you want" he whispered, kissing her neck again. She threw her head back even further in pleasure as he slipped another finger inside of her. "Fitz" she moaned. "I need to hear you," he said. "You—already know...what I want" she pleaded. He lowered his head, and touched his lips to her ear.

"Beg."

And she really couldn't take it anymore after that. "Please, Fitz—please. I want you" she begged.

He won.

He slid his fingers out of her and pulled his shirt over his head, giving her time to strip her own shirt off as well. He then pulled his boxers down, so she took the opportunity to slide her underwear off too.

He eyed her naked body up and down and gave her a smile. "Gorgeous" he whispered. She smiled up at him. "I guess you were right about this" she whispered back. "Don't worry, I won't rub it in" he whispered, chuckling quietly at her. She giggled and pulled him closer.

He got himself situated and entered her slowly, giving her time to adjust to his size. She released a loud moan and buried her fingers in his curls. He captured her lips in a kiss as he continued to thrust in and out of her, starting to pick up the pace as his tongue reaching every crevice of her mouth.

It had been a while since their last time, certainly longer than they were used to going. And he knew it, so he was gentle. He was... _perfect._

"Keep—going, Fitz," she said, opening her legs even wider. He buried his head in her shoulder and kept pushing in and out of her, both of them knowing that they were nearing their end.

Her legs began to shake and she knew she was close, and she knew he was too, so she started moving her hips against his. He gasped and clutched onto the bed frame, his face showing nothing but pleasure.

He leaned down and began kissing her neck, followed by her breasts. She exhaled deeply at the contact, at his tongue swirling around her nipple. She leaned her head back against the wooden headboard, waiting for the rush to take over. "Come for me, Livvie. Let go" he said against her skin. And that was her undoing.

A string of profanities came out of her mouth as she rode her orgasm, followed by his own. He buried his head in her shoulder again, trying to muffle his sounds as his body jerked and shook on top of her. She held him through it, running her fingers through his hair to calm him.

And then he pulled his head back from her shoulder and laid it on her chest, breathing hard. And she didn't let him go, she just held him there.

Her fingers continued to run through the damp, sweaty curls, while they came down.

This was, and always had been, one of her favorite things about him. When he'd lay there, listening to her heart. The one he had stolen.

And when he'd look up at her, with such adoration in his eyes.

All after a passionate moment like they'd just shared. It was her favorite.

He got a washcloth and cleaned them up, but after, he immediately returned to his previous position of laying on her chest.

So far, this weekend was turning out pretty great.

* * *

Olivia woke up to find no warm body next to her. Instead, he was already up and on his iPad in the chair across from her. She smiled at him and he looked up from it. "Good morning, baby" he greeted. "Morning," she said with a smile. "How'd you sleep?" he asked. "Really well. How about you?"

"Amazing, actually" he nodded. A smile spread across her face. "Oh, good. I'm so glad" she replied gratefully. She hated when he had trouble sleeping.

"Why don't you come back to bed, I miss you," she said, patting the spot next to her. He chuckled and put his iPad down, and climbed into bed next to her again. "You missed me, huh?" he asked, pecking her lips. "Mhm. Very much" she nodded.

And then a little knock interrupted their morning greetings. Fitz raised an eyebrow at Olivia and pulled the covers back to get out of bed. He pulled on a T-shirt and put some gym shorts over his boxers, and opened the door.

"Fizz!"

Olivia about started laughing right then and there. "Well, hi you!" she heard Fitz say. "Hey, man. You ready for the big day?" Fitz asked. "Yeah, we're getting ready for our pictures now, but she wanted to come say hi this morning" a deep voice she immediately recognized as Brett, replied.

"Well, that's very sweet of you. You look very pretty today. Is this your flower girl dress?" Fitz asked. "Ye-es!" Mia exclaimed. "She's had it on since eight o'clock" Brett chuckled.

"Is Livia here?" Mia asked. Olivia chuckled from the bed. "She _is_ in here, do you wanna say hi?" Fitz asked. "Yes! Yes!" Mia exclaimed. "Really quick, honey, we don't want to disturb them," Brett said gently.

"Oh no, man, don't worry about it. She can stay here if you need to finish getting ready" Fitz offered. "Yeah! I stay with Fizz!" Mia exclaimed. Brett laughed. "You wanna stay with Fitz?" he asked. "Yes!" she replied.

"You sure that's alright, man?" Brett asked. "Yes, of course. Go! Go get ready, it's your day, buddy" Fitz replied. "Thanks. I'll come get her when I'm done. It shouldn't be too long. I'll see you in a little bit okay, sweetie?" Brett asked. "Okay. Bye, daddy" she replied.

She heard the door shut and then saw cute little pigtails appear. "Livia!" she exclaimed. "Mia!" Olivia exclaimed in her same excited tone. "Look at you today. You look so beautiful!" Olivia added. "Thank you" Mia nodded.

"You wanna come up here with me?" Olivia asked, patting the bed. She nodded. Fitz came up from behind her, lifted her from underneath her arms, and set her next to Olivia, before walking around the bed to sit next to them.

"You just wake up?" Mia asked. Olivia laughed. "I did. I was so tired!" she replied. "You're a sleepyhead" Mia giggled. "That's exactly what I tell her!" Fitz chimed in, giving them both a smile.

"This is Fizz's shirt?" she questioned, tugging on the oversized sleeve. Olivia smiled. Such a bright little one.

"It _is_ his shirt. What do you think, does it look good on me?" Olivia asked with a little pose. Mia laughed and nodded. "What will you wear for when my daddy and Low-ren get married?" she asked. Olivia smiled. "Would you like to see?" she asked. "Ye-es!" Mia exclaimed.

Fitz's jaw dropped. "You've got to be kidding me!" he exclaimed.

Olivia smiled and explained to Mia that she wanted her dress to be a surprise to Fitz. Mia nodded and Olivia got out of the bed to help her down. "Fizz's shirt looks like a dress!" she giggled, pointing at how far down Fitz's shirt fell on Olivia's legs. "I know, he is so much taller than me" Olivia nodded, grabbing her hand. "He's really tall" Mia agreed, which had Fitz smiling behind them.

"Okay, Fitz, close your eyes," Olivia said. "Yeah, Fizz. No peeking" Mia said. "Alright," Fitz said, putting his hands over his eyes. Olivia smiled at her cute boyfriend and then opened the wardrobe to unzip the garment bag and show Mia, all while making sure Fitz wasn't "peeking".

"Wow!" Mia exclaimed. "What do you think?" Olivia asked her with a smile. "So pretty!" She exclaimed. "Well thank you! My goal is to be as pretty as you!" Olivia replied, zipping the garment bag back up. That made Mia put her hands up to her face as she blushed.

They had a fun time, just the three of them in their hotel room. Until Brett came back about forty-five minutes later to pick Mia back up. Mia was sad, but was reminded that they had to go take lots of "pretty pictures", get some lunch, and go to the church to make sure everything looked perfect. Mia was content with that, and said goodbye to "Fizz" and "Livia". They assured her that they'd see her later.

After she was gone, they got ready, putting on some casual clothes so they could go out to lunch before the rest of the festivities started.

They had lunch at another new place that they walked to, so they could see more of the city. But they didn't want to stay too long, because they wanted to have plenty of time to get ready together.

When they got back to the hotel, they could already see the employees working to set up the ballroom for the reception later, rolling in carts of chairs and tables, and bringing in dishes of all sorts. It immediately made Olivia grow excited. Weddings receptions were so much fun, and she'd always loved them.

Fitz let Olivia shower first, knowing she was going to take a lot longer than him to get ready. She turned on her curler and put her hair up so it wouldn't get wet, and then took a quick shower.

It was quite the process for Olivia to get ready. She walked around in a bra and a skimpy little thong for a while, mostly because she wanted to do her hair and makeup before she slipped her dress on. Fitz certainly didn't mind, he just watched her walk around with a smile on his face, until he got in the shower too.

So, they got ready together in the hotel bathroom. It was small and a little cramped, but she had to admit that she loved it.

She did her makeup while he did his hair, which was also always quite a process. He had to blow dry it just a bit, but not too much, or it'd get frizzy. Then he had to put in just a bit of product, but not too much, or it would get crunchy. That man and his hair.

He walked around in his dress pants, and his belt undone, with his shirt untucked. And it was so sexy. How, she didn't know, but it really was. So once he was completely ready, she couldn't imagine how good he'd look.

Eventually, he came back to stand by her in the bathroom, grabbing her bare ass as he passed her. She smirked at him in the mirror behind her and shook her head at him. He just smirked back and looked directly back down at her ass. Naughty.

He flipped up his collar so that he could tie his tie, which caught her attention. "Oh, I like that tie, baby, is it new?" she asked, glancing over at it while she put on her mascara. "Mhm. Brooks Brothers" he replied. "Very nice, very nice" she nodded. It had a gray, red, and black diagonal stripe pattern, the gray perfectly matching her dress.

He tucked in his shirt and fastened his pants and his belt. Then, he went to grab one of his nice Fossil watches to put on, and, of course, his suit jacket. When he was fully dressed and ready, he ran a hand through his hair and looked at himself in the mirror. But all Olivia could do was stare. Holy fuck.

"You look incredible," she said, staring at him in the mirror. He smiled over at her. "Well thank you, Livvie," he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. She reluctantly tore her eyes away from him in an attempt to finish up her now curled hair. But it was hard to keep her eyes off of him. Seriously. Holy fuck.

Finally, she was ready to put on her dress.

She went to grab the garment bag from the wardrobe, and brought it into the bathroom. Fitz gasped as he sat on his phone in the chair across from the bed. "Finally!" he exclaimed. "Mhm, you, _stay"_ she giggled, gesturing for him to stay where he was. He put his hands up in defense and nodded.

She went into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. She unzipped the zipper on the side of her dress and stepped into it, before pulling it up over her body. It was one of her favorite nicer dresses. It clung to her torso, and flared out just a little bit past her waist. It went down to about the middle of her thighs, which was the perfect length, in her opinion. Its "V" neckline cut a little lower than most other dresses she owned, and showed off a good amount, but certainly not _too_ much, either.

She smoothed out the front of her dress, thinking she looked pretty good. She turned off her curler and put all her makeup away, before walking slowly out of the bathroom to look at Fitz.

He turned towards her and his eyes widened.

"Oh my god."

She smiled and shrugged. "Oh my god...good?" she asked hopefully. He slowly got up and walked over to her, holding out his hand for her to take. "You look like a princess," he said, spinning her around. She blushed and put a hand on his chest. "So that makes you my prince," she said with a smile.

He grinned and leaned in to kiss her lips. "I am so lucky" he whispered, pecking her lips once more. He glanced down at her yet again. "Just stunning" he whispered. "You're making me blush" she giggled. "Good," he said with a smile. "You ready to go?" he asked. She nodded, telling him she just needed to do a few more things.

She put on her favorite black heels, and some nice diamond studs, with a matching bracelet. She put some extra makeup, her phone, some money and her I.D. in her clutch, and told him she was good to go.

And then, they were off in an Uber to the church.

It was really a beautiful church, and fairly close to the hotel, too, which was convenient. The inside of it was huge, so she could tell that there would be many, many guests. They were seated in one of the middle pews, waiting for it to start.

They waited for a while, until the organs began to play, and everyone started to take their places. Little Mia did perfectly as the flower girl, and took her job very seriously. She smiled all the way down the aisle, and then stood up at the front, waiting for her dad.

All of the bridesmaids and groomsmen looked very good too, and when she saw Brett walk down the aisle with his mother, she already saw tears in his eyes, which warmed her heart.

And when Lauren began to walk down the aisle towards Brett, she could see him fighting back the tears even more. It all made her think about the day she'd walk down the aisle towards the love of her life, getting ready to vow to be his forever. And that man was sitting right next to her, looking over at her with a smile.

The ceremony was beautiful, and even barely knowing Brett and Lauren, she could tell how in love they were, and how devoted to each other they were. Every part of it was just beautiful.

Afterward, they all had a little social just outside the church entrance, congratulating the happy couple. Olivia saw the party bus waiting just down the street, and she knew that it was likely for the wedding party's way of transportation back to the hotel for the reception. There was an hour and a half in between, and many times, wedding parties made good use of that allotted time.

Fitz and Olivia finally got up to Brett and Lauren, and congratulated them with hugs. And of course, Mia, as well. "What are your guys' plans in between?" Brett asked. Fitz shrugged. "Well probably just hang out in the room, or maybe the bar, until the reception" Fitz replied.

"If you're interested, you should come on the bus with us. We have plenty of room and it's all paid for. It'd be a shame if we didn't fill it up" Brett said. Fitz looked at Olivia in question. "Are you sure? We don't want to intrude" Olivia said. "Absolutely. You're not intruding whatsoever. Come on with us, it will be fun!" Lauren nodded. Olivia shrugged and nodded at Fitz. "Sure, okay. Thanks so much!" Fitz said with a smile.

They waited around for a little while until the wedding party, along with a few of Brett's other friends he'd invited last minute, finally made their way over to the bus across the street. Mia was a little disappointed that she had to stay with Brett's parents while all of the other adults she knew were going on the bus. But she was happy knowing she'd see them real soon at the reception.

The bus was awesome. Olivia had been on one for prom before, but this was a lot cooler than that one had been. There were three poles throughout the bus, and colorful lights flashing everywhere. And also; it was already full of the alcohol they must have stocked beforehand.

All they were doing for the hour they had left, would be drinking on the bus, stopping at bars, and...drinking more. Sounded like a good time to her.

The bus was rocking, driving downtown to the first bar they wanted to stop at. She had a flavored, carbonated drink in her hand, while she visited with the people next to her and rested her hand on Fitz's thigh. He had his arm around her waist, talking to one of his buddies next to him. It was fricken awesome, as Fitz would say.

The first and second bar were fun, but it didn't start getting crazy until their drive to the third bar. Girls had started dancing on the poles, _or_ on their dates. Brett and Lauren were definitely the stars of the show, as they _should've_ been, dancing together on the center pole.

Olivia and Fitz laughed together as they watched the amusing sights. "FTG Three, let's see it! Come on, get that ass up and dance with your girl!" Brett yelled. "Yep, and here comes the nickname" Fitz chuckled. He got up and extended his hand to Olivia, who gratefully took it. And then they danced.

Olivia was a little shy, to begin with, but definitely got into it, and so did Fitz.

Five minutes later, every single couple on the bus was up and dancing, and Olivia was grinding on Fitz. He gripped her hips firmly as she rubbed up against him, a little surprised that his sweet little Livvie was actually grinding on him. He certainly didn't have a problem with it, though.

When they got to their third and last bar, there was lots of talk about body shots, and how nobody had done any yet. So, body shots it was.

They were all dressed up pretty nice and nobody wanted to ruin their outfits before the reception began, but they were definitely able to do the less messy type of body shot.

Olivia watched Lauren put a light shot glass full of tequila in between her breasts, her dress also holding up the glass a little bit. Then Brett licked two different spots on her chest, so that he could put salt there and it would stick to her skin, and she put a lime in her mouth.

Brett slowly licked the salt off her chest, lifted the shot glass of tequila from between her breasts, and tilted his head back, never touching the glass with his hands. He finished by eating the lime out of her mouth, and giving her a big kiss, which resulted in much cheering from everyone around the bar. Wedding parties always got quite the applause at bars.

Olivia was obviously able to get _into_ each bar, but when they were actually up at the bar, she refrained from getting too involved with everything. And she hid it well, because there was no way in hell she wanted any of these people knowing she couldn't even _drink_ yet.

At most, she'd have a few sips of whatever Fitz was drinking. But she kept her alcohol consumption _inside_ the party bus, where she knew she'd be safe. Not being legally allowed to drink was kind of raining on her parade at the moment, but that didn't stop her from participating in a body shot with Fitz and a few other couples.

"I've never done this before!" Olivia giggled, putting the freshly poured shot glass of tequila in between her breasts. "There you go. Okay, Fitz, get her wet" Brett chuckled. Fitz smiled at that little innuendo and shook his head at his friend.

He slowly licked two different spots on Olivia's chest, and gave her a smile as he put salt on her skin. Olivia put the lime in her mouth and watched as Fitz licked every inch of salt off her body, before grabbing the shot glass of tequila with his mouth.

She had seen the man do many sexy things in her almost-year of knowing him. But, shit, that had to be near the top of the list.

The tequila slid down his throat with ease, and then he leaned in and grabbed the lime from her mouth, grazing her lips with his as he did so. He bit into it, and then gave her a big, open-mouthed kiss, which turned into a small makeout session as the people around them cheered loudly.

She could taste the tequila and the lime on his lips with her tongue, and she savored the taste. His tongue briefly entered her mouth, dueling with hers, before they finally pulled away with huge smiles on their faces.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Fitz's friend, Matt said, slapping him on the back. "Olivia, darling. You're a natural" Brett said with a smile, which made her laugh. "We know who's slipping off to their room early tonight," Fitz's other friend said, giving the two of them a smirk.

Olivia blushed and looked at Fitz, who just smiled that Fitz smile of his and kissed her cheek. "That was fun," he said. "That _was_ fun. Good job, sweetie" she giggled. "Oh, you definitely deserve all the credit," he said, wrapping his arm around her. "You are just full of surprises tonight" he added, leaning his face down towards hers. "You don't think I know how to party?" she asked. "You definitely do," he said, kissing her cheek again.

They made their way back to the bus, and drove to the hotel, each and every one of them chugging an entire beer before they got there.

Save for the few shots people had at the bars, they hadn't had too much hard alcohol, so they were all just fine. They made sure to take it fairly easy on the bus, because truly, they'd only continue to drink all night.

It was a while before the dinners started to be served, first to the wedding party, and then starting from the front of the room to the back.

Olivia and Fitz were seated on an end table in the middle of the room with some of Fitz and Brett's friends, and some of Lauren's. So, they got their food a little ways into the reception. They had both chosen the grilled chicken for their meal, and to their delight, it was really good.

Near the end of the dinner, the speeches started coming. The best man and the maid of honor both gave beautiful speeches, along with one of the groomsmen, and Lauren's father. They made the huge crowd laugh, and towards the end, Brett and Lauren were both crying again.

After dinner, Brett and Lauren had their first dance, as well as Brett and his mother, and Lauren and her father. They had all picked absolutely gorgeous songs for the first dances. And afterward, it didn't take long for people to get out on the dance floor and start dancing. The DJ had a list of his own, but also took requests, so she was sure she'd hear a lot of classics throughout the evening.

"Fizz, Livia!" a little voice exclaimed from behind them. Olivia watched Fitz smile at the voice and turn around to her. "Hi, you!" he said. "Hi!" Olivia said. She gave them both waves. "What's up?" Fitz asked her, sticking out his hand for her to give him a low-five. She smacked her little hand against his and smiled. "Nothing!" She shrugged, moving her little hips to the song that was currently playing; Sweet Caroline.

"Do you like this song?" Fitz asked her. She nodded. "Do you wanna dance with me?" he asked her. She started blushing, and nodded shyly. "Okay, _Livia_ , we're going to go dance" Fitz informed her. "Have fun!" Olivia giggled, waving at Mia.

Fitz got up and held his hand out for Mia to take, and he led her onto the dance floor, where there were already tons of people dancing. It warmed her heart to watch him and Mia together.

While she watched them dance, she also made some conversation with some of the people at her table. Among them were Matt and his wife, Emma, and she had liked them from the beginning. As she would've expected, what she "did" came up in the conversation, so she said exactly what she and Fitz had come up with for when people asked that question.

She was still going to school, and worked part-time in press and PR at a company that originated in D.C. Which, in all reality, wasn't a lie. It just wasn't the full truth either. She avoided specific details and tried to direct the conversation more towards whoever she was talking to, and it all worked out just fine, thank god.

She just made sure that the only thing anyone would ever be able to figure out if they really tried, was that there was a distinguishable age gap between her and Fitz. Which, she didn't really give a damn about. Plus, it was already clear that she was younger than him, so that wasn't really some huge secret.

She turned her attention back to the dance floor, and saw Mia and Fitz standing up by the DJ's table as Fitz wrote something down. They walked back to Olivia, and sat down next to her. "You two are great dancers!" Olivia exclaimed, giving them both a smile. Fitz smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek, which Olivia happily accepted.

Mia watched the two of them in enjoyment and looked up at Fitz. "Will you and Livia get married?" Mia asked curiously. Olivia's cheeks blushed red, and she looked over at Fitz, who was smiling. "Wow, leave it to the five-year-old to ask the big question!" Matt exclaimed with a chuckle.

Mia just looked back and forth between Olivia and Fitz, patiently awaiting an answer. "You know, that's my plan, Mia. Don't you think she'll be such a beautiful bride?" Fitz asked her, glancing over at Olivia with a smile.

"Ye-es! Livia will wear a white dress like Low-ren!" she exclaimed. Olivia laughed at Mia's clear admiration for dresses. "She will!" Fitz nodded. Olivia smiled and put her hand on top of Fitz's.

"Mia bear, come here. You wanna dance with daddy? I've been waiting!" Brett said, extending out his hand to her. Her face lit up and she went running to her dad to dance with him. She was so adorable.

Olivia and Fitz chatted with his friends for a little bit, until a familiar song began to play, and Fitz perked up. Olivia listened to it and instantly turned to Fitz and gasped. The song they'd sang to many times. At Dennis's cabin, in the shower, laying in bed, when he'd sing it for her at her request. The song he always said was about her.

"I was waiting for that" Fitz said with a smile. "Wow, a little Tim McGraw. I like it" Matt nodded. Fitz stood up and held his hand out to Olivia. "Will you dance with me?" he asked, grinning at her. She happily nodded and accepted his hand, knowing that this had been the song he had requested from the DJ.

They walked out to the dance floor, with Fitz's buddies whooping and hollering at them in encouragement from behind them.

She was a little surprised to see a few more couples flood onto the dance floor. Based on what had been playing so far, she wasn't sure this was a big country crowd. But from the looks of it, maybe.

He smiled at her as he twirled her around, singing the lyrics quietly, before Olivia joined in, singing them under her breath.

 ** _I don't ever wanna wake up, lookin' into someone else's eyes,_**

 ** _Another voice callin' me baby, on the other end of the phone,_**

 ** _A new girl puttin' on her makeup,_**

 ** _before dinner on Friday night,_**

 ** _No I don't ever wanna know,_**

 ** _No other shotgun rider beside me,_**

 ** _Singin' to the radio_**

"My little shotgun rider" he whispered, twirling her around again and leaning in to give her a kiss. "That's me" she giggled.

They danced to that song, and many, many more after that. By that point, he'd taken off his suit jacket, loosened his tie, and rolled up his sleeves. And man, he looked fucking great.

And finally, a nice song came on that they could slow dance to. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he wrapped his around her waist. It was a beautiful song, and lots of couples were beside them on the dance floor, enjoying the DJ's choice of music.

"I can't wait to marry you" he whispered as he leaned his head against hers. She smiled up at him as the butterflies went crazy in her stomach. "I can't wait to marry you, too" she whispered back, giving him a kiss.

They danced, they partied, and they drank. And it was the most fun they'd had in a long time.

The reception had an open bar, so it was easy for Fitz to get drinks for him and Olivia. On about his fifth trip to the bar, he ran into none other than the groom himself. "What're you and your girl drinking tonight?" Brett asked. "Couple different things. Right now I'm going with gin and tonics" Fitz answered, before telling the bartender exactly that.

"I think she's a keeper, buddy," Brett said, patting him on the shoulder as he looked out at the dance floor. Fitz looked out and saw Olivia and Mia dancing to Footloose, laughing and having fun. He smiled at the adorable sight. "I've known that for a long time, Brett" Fitz answered.

"Yeah?" Brett asked, taking a sip of his drink. "Yeah. I'm a fool for her, man," Fitz said, shaking his head. Brett smiled. "I expect an invitation to the wedding," he said with a smirk. Fitz chuckled. "You'll get one, don't worry" he replied.

They left the bar, and went back to dancing and talking to people. And all those drinks led to a _lot_ of talking. At one point, Olivia and Fitz ended up chatting with some people by the dance floor near the end of the reception.

Many of the guests had gone, and it was just the close friends and family left for the most part.

"I see you in the morning, Daddy," Mia said sleepily, giving her dad a little wave. "Yes you will, honey. Thanks for being such a good girl today. I love you lots" Brett said, picking her up and kissing her cheek. "Love you too," she said.

"Have fun with grandma and grandpa okay? Be a good girl for them" Brett said. She nodded. "Thanks, mom," Brett said, setting Mia down and kissing his mother's cheek. Mia would be staying with Brett's parents that night, and they were all ready to go to bed. So, off they went, after Mia said a nice goodnight to Lauren, and then to Olivia and Fitz as well.

"She loves you two" Brett chuckled to Olivia and Fitz. "Well, we love her too. She's adorable" Olivia replied, hanging on Fitz's arm. Fitz nodded and smiled in agreement. "I don't know how you two danced with her and all those other kids all night. You'll be great parents" Brett said with a laugh, lifting his glass up to them.

Olivia felt herself blush at the mention of being a parent with Fitz. She looked over at him, and he had a huge grin on his face. "Jesus, and they'll make beautiful fucking babies" Matt added, which only worsened Olivia's blushing. "Yeah, you guys will, oh my god" Matt's wife, Emma, nodded.

"As long as they look like her," Fitz said with a smile, wrapping his arm around Olivia. She smiled up at him, thinking of how their children would look. Beautiful light brown skin, hair as curly as can be, brown or blue eyes.

At least that's what she pictured in her mind. And someday, she hoped it'd be their reality.

When Olivia and Fitz finally decided they should be getting up to bed, Fitz let his buddies know and grabbed Olivia's hand. His friends, of course, thought they were slipping off to be alone, when in reality, they had had too much to drink and were a little tired.

Or at least, that's what Olivia and Fitz told themselves.

As they walked upstairs, Fitz kept sneaking glances over at her. "What?" she asked. "You're so fucking sexy" he replied, looking her up and down. She laughed. "I think my boyfriend is a little drunk," she said with a smile.

And as she said it, she about ate it right there in the hotel hallway. He tried to hold in his laughter. "Um...says my girl, who almost tripped on the carpet pattern?" he chuckled. "Shhh," she giggled. "You're drunk, baby," he said. She smiled and nodded. "Yeah" she giggled. "Me too" he nodded. "I know," she said, as sassily as she could. He rolled his eyes and smacked her ass, before getting the hotel key from his pocket.

She grabbed onto his strong arms and leaned her head on his shoulder as he tried to open the door. It took a couple tries, because of the amount of alcohol he'd consumed, and the kisses that Olivia was placing on his neck.

He reached behind him and put his hand on her ass, pulling her closer from behind. And when he finally got the door open, he pulled her inside, and let the door slam behind them.

As soon as it shut, she jumped into his arms and kissed him as if she hadn't kissed him in months. His hands cupped her ass, and he carried her a short distance, before turning and pinning her to the wall. She gasped in surprise when her back made contact with the hard wall, and when she felt his erection pressed up against her body.

Clearly, they hadn't come upstairs to sleep quite yet.

"You looked so beautiful today. I've wanted to get you alone since this afternoon" he whispered, pulling away to start kissing her neck. She listened to his words and leaned her head back to give him better access to her neck. She gripped his muscular back as he dipped his head and sucked on the sensitive skin.

"This dress was worth the wait" he whispered. She smiled and kissed the side of his face and his neck, grinding her hips against him a few times.

He slowly backed away, letting her down to the floor. She kicked her heels off and he reached for his belt. Her heartbeat quickened just watching him undo it, before pulling his hardened length out of his pants.

She pulled him back to her, closing the gap between them, and tugged her dress up her thighs. He lifted her once more and pinned her to the wall, getting her at the angle he needed. He reached his hands up underneath her dress and pulled her underwear to the side. It was evident that he didn't want to waste precious time taking more clothes off than they needed, because, for the most part, they were still fully clothed.

He grabbed onto her waist and pushed in slowly, burying his head in her neck. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, letting him thrust in and out of her.

The fact that he'd decided to take her up against the wall, when she was currently staring directly at the bed, turned her on immensely.

"Right there" she moaned, leaning her head down on his shoulder.

He bit his lip and smiled at her request, and put a palm against the wall, before thrusting into her a little harder, right where she wanted him. "Fitz, Fitz" she moaned, slamming a hand against the wall too. "Talk to me" he whispered.

"Faster."

So, faster, he went.

They were being loud, no question. They just had to hope that everyone around them was either still down in the ballroom, or had gone to sleep.

"Hold on, baby, hold on" he whispered. And she did, until they came together, swearing as they let their highs take over.

But that didn't stop them from going again.

They loved each other in the dark until the early hours of the morning, knowing that it was the last time they'd see each other that summer. And what a fantastic way to end yet another one of their great adventures together.

When the weekend was all said and done with, their goodbye was sad, yet happy. It was always sad to bid each other goodbye, but also, the summer was nearing its end. Next month, she'd be back in the college town where it all began. Back in the college town that had already changed her life forever.

That had changed her life for the better.

* * *

Wow. Congratulations, you just read a small novel. LOL!

I clearly had a lot planned for that weekend!

40th chapter, _wow_. Many thanks to you all for sticking with me.

Hope you enjoyed, and let me know your favorite parts!

STAY TUNED, and read on!

With Love,

~T


	41. It's Happening

Olivia awoke to the sound of her annoying alarm on Monday morning. She always hated that damn alarm, but she hated it, even more, today, because she was still so tired from her fun weekend with Fitz.

But, she didn't even hit snooze. She dragged herself out of bed and forced herself to start getting ready for work, knowing it would take her longer than normal.

It was back to reality for her now. Nothing more to look forward to this summer, besides the end of it.

She had had a great summer so far, and she loved being home with her parents. She really, truly did. But...she was ready to go back to school now. It was time.

Her best friends were there, her boy was there, and school was there, all things she thoroughly enjoyed. Plus, even though her situation with Fitz was ten times riskier there, it was, oddly enough, still a lot easier to live her life with him there. She didn't need any covers for her parents, she didn't need to sneak down to her basement to feel more comfortable talking to him on the phone, and she could be with him, no questions asked, at his apartment.

But she still had a few weeks to go before she was back in that wonderful place.

She got dressed and did her hair and makeup, having flashbacks of the prior weekend, when she and Fitz shared that tiny hotel bathroom.

She could still see him doing his hair, tucking in his shirt, and tying his tie next to her.

She could still see that complete, polished look; perfectly tailored black suit, hair as curly as could be, that silver belt buckle hanging off his hips.

She could still see those sleeves rolled up, that loosened tie, those gorgeous blue eyes looking at her like she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, those hands of his on her waist or spinning her around on the dance floor.

She'd remember that weekend for the rest of her life. That, she knew for sure.

Another thing she knew for sure, was that it made her even more excited for her own wedding. She had never really been one of those girls who dreamed of their wedding ever since they were young.

Olivia dreamed of becoming successful, of becoming someone her parents would be proud of. And that wasn't to say that other young girls didn't dream of that too. Everyone wanted to be successful. But it was just that none of the success she'd always dreamed about had an _emphasis_ on a relationship.

She'd always known she wanted to get married. She'd always known she wanted to have children. But it had never really been that emphasized in her mind until this year.

And now it was.

He was everything. Absolutely everything. And she couldn't imagine what would happen if she lost him.

* * *

Her day at work went by fairly fast, and from the looks of it, she'd get home pretty early that night.

Unless she kept getting distracted by Fitz's texts, because at the moment, she really was.

 _ **Fitz: I'm in love with this picture Brett just sent me.**_

She opened the image and smiled so hard at it. It was a picture Brett must have taken himself, of Olivia, Fitz, and Mia. They were all dancing together, with the biggest smiles on their faces. It instantly made Olivia's day, and she didn't hesitate to save it to her camera roll.

 _ **Olivia: Oh my god, I'm in love with it too. Such a great picture. I think moments like that are what made Brett think we'd be great parents ;)**_

 ** _Fitz: We would be kickass parents, babe. You and me? The ultimate team right there._**

She sat there and smiled at his sweet message, and was about to reply, until she got another one.

 ** _Fitz: Sorry, I meant we *will* be kickass parents :)_**

Her heart skipped a beat.

 ** _Olivia: I love that you just said that. I know we will be. Like you said, we're the ultimate team!_**

 ** _Fitz: We are. Even if they're sassy like their mother, we can do it ;) lol!_**

She giggled to herself at her desk.

 ** _Olivia: Hey now!_**

 ** _Fitz: I mean that in the best way possible. I want sweet, beautiful ones just like you. Sassiness, stubbornness and all._**

She could feel herself blushing.

 ** _Olivia: You are the sweetest. They'll be so lucky to have you. We'll ALL be so lucky to have you._**

 ** _Fitz: I love you._**

 ** _Olivia: I love you too._**

She put her phone down and didn't let it distract her the rest of the day. Although, that didn't stop the conversation she'd had with him from distracting her. Man, she was lucky.

To her delight, she was able to go leave by three-thirty that day, and get home by four. Her parents still weren't home, but she and her friends had talked about going out for dinner that night at five anyway, so it didn't matter much.

Since she got home so early, though, she took the opportunity to start doing her laundry from the weekend, and relax a little bit. She also took her garment bag from her car inside, since she hadn't wanted her parents to see her bringing it in the day before.

As she sat on her bed, she couldn't help but pull out her Fitz box, and look through their pictures together. It was something she did when she missed him, and having just seen him for the last time this summer, she already missed him dearly.

But she was still so tired from the weekend, that she fell peacefully asleep with the box next to her, cuddled up to all of his shirts in her bed.

Which, led to a glorious hour-long nap, that she was abruptly wakened up from when she heard her mom yell her name from downstairs.

She sat up quickly and looked at her phone, seeing that it was past five, and that she had texts from her group chat with Sandra and Stephen, asking where she was. "Oh, shit," she said.

She was still so tired, she could barely think straight. But, she groggily got up, nonetheless, grabbed her wallet and keys, and was out of her room in a matter of seconds. She ran down the stairs and said a quick hello to her dad, who was sorting through the mail on the counter. "You off to dinner, kiddo?" he asked. "Yep. I gotta go, I'm a little late" she said. "Well have fun. See you later" he nodded. "Will do, see you," she said giving her dad a wave.

As she started heading to the front door, she ran into her mother, coming the other direction through the hallway. "Oh, there you are, Livvie," she said. "Hey, mom. Sorry, I actually have to go, I'm already late" Olivia replied.

"Oh right, right, dinner. Oh, before you leave, are there any clothes of yours in the washer that can't be dried? I was just about to put a load in, so I'll switch yours over" she said. "Oh no, everything can be dried. Thanks. Sorry about that, I totally forgot" Olivia said.

"No worries. Now, go, have some good food" Maya said, shooing her off. "Right, yes. See you later" she replied over her shoulder. "Sounds good," her mother said.

She went out to a breakfast place in D.C. with Sandra and Stephen. It had always been one of their favorite spots to go, because it was open twenty-four hours, and was one of the most popular high school hangouts. She remembered the days where they'd all go to parties, or spend the night at Sandra's house, and then go there for a little late night breakfast. So, when she ate there, it brought back some good memories.

They stayed there for quite a while, ordering breakfast, and even pie, for dessert. And when Stephen went to the bathroom, Olivia took advantage of the opportunity and filled Sandra in on as many details from the weekend that she could.

"So was the hotel nice?" Sandra asked. "Yes, it was amazing. And the reception was awesome" Olivia replied. "I hope you drank a lot for me" Sandra giggled. "I did. The reception had an open bar, plus we drank on the party bus beforehand. That, also, was awesome" she nodded.

"Party bus?" Sandra asked. "Mhm, we got invited to go last minute," Olivia said. "That sounds so fun!" Sandra exclaimed. "It was. There was some dirty dancing involved. And...maybe...some body shots" Olivia said with a laugh.

Sandra started laughing too. "Good, it sounds like you two did wedding weekend right" she nodded. "We did. And I think Abby will be happy. We took pictures, drank lots, and had sex. Usually those are her requirements for me" Olivia said casually, which also made Sandra laugh. "I fucking love Abby," she said, shaking her head. Olivia smiled. "Me too" she nodded.

Stephen came back shortly after that, but at Sandra's request, Olivia assured her that she'd fill her in on the rest later.

* * *

A couple hours later when she drove home, she was as happy as could be. Everything in her life was going absolutely perfect, and she couldn't have asked for anything else.

She wasn't ashamed to blast her favorite playlist, the one that she and Fitz always listened to, with the windows down, singing the entire way.

People probably looked at her like she was crazy at every red light, but she didn't give a damn. She was in such a great mood.

When she got home, she pulled into her spot on the driveway and parked her car, turning off the music. She grabbed her wallet and her phone, and gradually made her way up the sidewalk and to the front door, humming the melody to the last song she'd been listening to in the car.

When she shut the front door behind her, she slipped off her shoes and happily swung her keys around her finger, still humming away.

And that's when she was interrupted with a yell.

"Olivia, get your ass up here!" her dad's deep voice boomed out from upstairs.

She stopped dead in her tracks in the downstairs hallway. Her heart started pounding just at her dad's tone of voice. That did not sound good.

She slowly made her way to the staircase, hearing the thump of her heart with every step she took. She swore she could feel the beads of sweat beginning to form on her skin, just because of her nerves.

She made her way up the stairs, praying to god that everything was fine.

But when she got upstairs and saw that both of her parents were standing in her room, she knew that everything was not fine.

"What...in the hell...is this?" her dad asked, gesturing downward at her bed.

And there on her bed, beside the basket of laundry that her mother had clearly brought up for her, was her box.

The opened box, that she'd left there, with all evidence of the man she loved sitting there for them to see.

Her father had multiple pieces of paper in his hands, and she instantly knew that they were the note and the letter that Fitz had written. Both with evidence of a lot of things.

Her heart dropped, and the happy mood that she'd been in only moments before, had completely vanished.

She couldn't breathe. She couldn't speak.

All she could do was stand there, mortified, thinking;

It's happening.

* * *

Yep.

You all were waiting for the other shoe to drop. And there it was.

Stay tuned and read on, friends.

With Love,

~T


	42. Goodbye

Her father stood there, impatiently awaiting an answer. Her mother stood beside him, looking angry, but not nearly as angry as her father.

"Olivia. I asked you a question. What in the hell is this?" he asked again.

She tried to calm herself and slow down her breathing a little bit. But she found that it was pretty hard with the way her father was looking at her. She tried to answer as best she could, anyway.

"It's, um...it's..." she began.

His eyes narrowed at her as she stumbled.

"Answer your father, Olivia," her mother said sternly.

"It's private," she choked out.

"Not anymore it's not" he replied.

Her heart was still beating out of her chest, and she could barely look her parents in the eyes.

"Who is this?" he asked.

Her phone and her wallet in her hands shook like crazy, and she couldn't stop them. A few hours ago, she said goodbye to her smiling dad calling her kiddo. And now, that version of him was long gone. She forced herself to look him in the eye like an adult, but she couldn't deny that the way he looked down at her and the look on his face, made her feel like a scared child.

"His name is Fitz" she answered shakily. "I can see what his goddamn name is, Olivia. I'm asking you, who he is" her father stated sternly.

She stood there, unable to form words.

"I had never once been nervous to talk to a _student_ before..." he read, directly off the letter.

She gulped and eyed her father nervously. "Is he your professor?" he asked, the anger prominent in his eyes.

Olivia was aware that he already knew the answer to that question. He didn't need her confirmation. He knew.

"IS HE!?" he repeated.

"Yes," she answered nervously.

Her shaking hands tightened around her phone and her wallet, and she snuck a glance at her mother, hoping to see kind eyes. But instead, she saw cold eyes, looking at her as if she had killed someone.

"You've been lying, and keeping things from us for over..." he began, looking at the letter again to read it. " _Nine_ months?" he finished.

"Yes, but...but only because—"

"Has he been here?" he interrupted.

Olivia's heart kicked into overdrive. She thought back, trying to remember what Fitz had written in that note to give her father a reason to ask that question.

And then she remembered.

 ** _P.S. That bed of yours is pretty comfortable ;)_**

 _Fuck._

"Yes," she nodded.

She could see him getting angrier by the minute, learning these things for the first time. Things that Olivia had skillfully kept from them, until now. So it wasn't a surprise when he figured something else out too.

"So, I'm going to take a wild guess that you weren't where you said you were this weekend."

 _Well this couldn't get any worse._

"Because you told _us_ you were at Abby's. But _this_ says he'll see you in July" Eli said, looking down at the letter. "So, were you where you said you were this weekend?" he asked.

Olivia swallowed hard, and her heart sunk.

"No."

"Were you with him?" Eli asked.

"Yes."

He crumpled up the notes and threw them to the ground.

"End it now," he said.

She looked up at him in disbelief. "What?" she asked. "You heard me. End it now. I mean it, Olivia. This..." he said, pointing to all of the things on her bed.

"Is over" he finished.

"No. No, dad, no. I can't" she pleaded, feeling the tears begin to fill her eyes.

"Oh, you _can_ , and you _will_. Or I will go to the ends of the earth to make sure he never teaches again. End it right now" he said.

"Please, dad. No —"

"This isn't up for discussion, Olivia," he said angrily, starting to walk out of her room.

"I love him!" she cried.

"Olivia" he warned.

"Please, don't do this. Don't make me do this" she pleaded, starting to sob.

"Eli—" Maya began.

"No, I don't want to hear it. We're done" he said, walking out of the room.

Her mother followed quickly behind him, seeming to want to talk to him about what he had said. And then she heard their bedroom door slam.

But she couldn't focus on any of that. All she could do was break down and cry.

She fell to the floor in tears, wanting nothing but to go back in time before she'd gone to dinner and clean everything up. Or go back in time and save her laundry for a different day, because she knew her mother bringing it upstairs was the sole reason they saw everything in the first place. She wished she could do anything.

But she couldn't. Nothing could be redone.

She clutched the carpet as the sobs wracked her body.

Her father's words replayed over and over in her head.

"I will go to the ends of the earth to make sure he never teaches again."

It was her biggest fear. That she would impact his job. It always had been her fear, from the beginning.

It had been the sole reason why it took them five months to start dating, because she didn't want to jeopardize his job. And then he begged her to put that out of her mind, telling her he didn't care about her jeopardizing his job. And she agreed.

But how was she supposed to live with herself, knowing that if she didn't end it, she would ruin the one thing that saved Fitz all those years ago from his awful father, from a political life he didn't want, from a political _marriage_ he didn't want. His job as a professor.

How could she live with herself if she ruined that. He loved it. And she put it in jeopardy when she got involved with him.

And now, it was time to decide what he was going to lose; her, or his ability to teach, and likely, his entire reputation.

She unlocked her phone, not quite believing what she was thinking of doing.

But all she kept hearing were her father's words.

"I will go to the ends of the earth to make sure he never teaches again."

She called his number and waited for him to answer, as she tried to quiet her crying. She managed to for the most part, before he answered.

"Hey, baby. I was waiting for a call from you tonight!" he exclaimed.

And that happy greeting almost made her burst into tears once again.

"Fitz, um..." she began shakily, putting her hand over her mouth. "Livvie...what's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"I just...I need to talk to you" she sniffled. "Okay...what's up?" he answered.

She pulled her head away from the phone and pulled her shirt up to wipe her tear-soaked face, and gather herself for what she was about to do.

She put the phone back to her ear and continued. "I just, um. I think..." she began, trying not to break down.

"Liv...you're scaring me," he said.

Her lip quivered and she covered her eyes with her hands. "I know. I just was thinking and...I'm not sure that... I just don't know if this is what I want any more" she sniffled. She started crying again right then, at the awful words that had just come out of her mouth.

"What?" he asked. She exhaled deeply and forced herself to try again. "I just am not sure about...us...anymore. You're...better off without me" she said.

"Baby, if this is some kind of joke...it's really not a good one" he replied.

"It's...not. It's not a joke" she cried.

He was silent for a long time on the other end. "I don't...I don't understand, we were...just fine earlier. We've...always been just fine" he said, more of a statement than a question.

"I just can't do this" she replied, covering her mouth up to hide her cries.

"Okay...okay, we can...we can figure this out. Let's just talk it out—". "No, that won't do any good" she sniffled.

"Olivia, _what_ is going on? What happened? Is it your parents? Did someone find out?" he asked. "You're not listening to me, Fitz. I can't do this anymore," she sniffled.

"But...I love you?" he questioned. "You love me?" he questioned again. "I do. That's why I'm doing this...I...I need to let you go" she whimpered.

"Bull _shit_ , Olivia," he said, his tone becoming a little angry. "You're just...better off without me. We—we don't work. Our...our age difference—". "Don't you dare" he warned. "Everything about us is hard" she cried, knowing that everything she was saying wasn't true.

He sighed heavily on the other end of the phone. "You know what, Olivia. If you're gonna break my heart, just break it" he said quietly. "But don't bullshit me on top of it" he added.

A new wave of tears started falling down her cheeks. "Please, Fitz. Please don't make this any harder than it already is" she cried.

"You're gonna sit there saying this is hard for you? Are you kidding me?" he asked.

She knew this was awful. That he was so blindsided by this. But she didn't know what else to do. She couldn't very well tell him what had truly happened. He'd give everything up for her the minute she told him, and she couldn't let him do that.

"I'm sorry. I'm...so sorry. I will always love you" she whispered. "No. Don't...don't do this, Olivia. Don't" he pleaded. "It's already done," she said quietly.

"Olivia—". "Goodbye, Fitz," she said softly, before ending the call. She threw her phone against the wall and heard the screen shatter. But she didn't care.

She let the tears fall again as she kneeled on her bedroom floor. Her whole world was falling apart, and it felt like there was nothing she could do to fix it.

She was overcome with a sense of anger at her parents. Specifically, at her father, who had barely given her a chance to speak.

She knew they were probably in their bedroom, discussing everything. She needed to know what was being said. What was going on in there.

So she got up and slowly made her way to her bathroom, which was right next door to their room. She kneeled down by the vent and tried her best to listen to the conversation they were having, as she had done many times as a young child.

Only as a child, she had heard her parents discussing the extended family members they weren't fans of, what they were getting her for Christmas, them praising her behind closed doors about her grades.

But this time, it was much worse.

"All I'm saying is that this isn't the way to go, Eli," Maya said. "And please tell me what the way to go is in this situation. Please tell me that. Are you an expert in the _our daughter's dating her thirty-seven-year-old professor_ area? That son of a bitch is lucky I haven't contacted him. No, _actually_ , he's lucky I haven't hopped on a plane to destroy him" Eli shot back.

"You know doing anything like that will _only_ make things worse, Eli. You're not careful, and we're gonna lose her. I'm not gonna lose my baby because you're letting anger cloud your judgment" she said sternly.

"I am _not_ letting anger cloud my judgment, Maya. You see what's on this screen just as well as I do. He's her thirty-seven-year-old _professor!_ I mean if that isn't a reason to be angry, I don't know what the hell is—". "I'm not saying it isn't a reason to be angry. It is. What I'm saying is that you need to get your head on straight and you need to think about this" she replied.

Olivia heard a silence in their room, and got confused. Surely there's no way her father would let her mother have the last word right now. Not with how angry he was.

"Do you know who was elected governor of California ten years ago?" he asked.

Olivia's heart dropped. She didn't expect something like that to be a secret for long, but she imagined that would only make things worse.

"Why on earth would I know something like that?" Maya asked. "Him, Maya. It was him" he answered.

It was silent for a few moments in the bedroom, Olivia assuming because her mother was taken aback by that fact.

"Look, I've got it pulled up right here. One term governor ten years ago, was married and everything, before essentially dropping off the face of the earth. And now it's clear why, so he can screw the student of the month in peace!" "Eli—". "Son of _Fitzgerald Thomas Grant II_ , some republican overlord governor and senator. It's no wonder he can get away with shit like this. He's smart, he's white, daddy's rich. The boy's got it down, I'll give him that. Pick the beautiful young black girl, and he can get away with anything—". "Elijah!" she interjected again, this time, successfully.

Olivia shook with anger, listening to her father talk about Fitz. Bringing up race, as if it had anything at all to do with this.

"You don't think I'm pissed? I'm _enraged_. Absolutely livid. But no matter who he is, where he comes from, or what he's done, this is not the right way to go about this. She doesn't need to listen to you, you know. And then what? What happens to _Olivia_ if you out him?" she asked.

"I wouldn't bring her into it, Maya. I would never do that to her. _He's_ the one abusing his power, _he's_ responsible. Rest assured, Olivia wouldn't suffer—". "Okay, but even so! How do you know she's not going to pack up and run off with him then? How do you know? You saw those things in there. You read those letters. That boy is in love with her, Eli" she said.

" _Please_. The letter template he probably got off the internet? No. What that _boy_ is, is disgusting. He's practically twice her age, and he defied a university policy just to get some. He _defiled_ our daughter in our own house. Under _our_ roof, Maya, and we've been too stupid to see it. He loves the _idea_ of her. He loves that she's young, that she'll give him what he wants, no questions asked. This is a game to him, Maya" he said.

And that just pissed Olivia right off.

"You've got to be kidding me? He talked about marrying her! He talked about their future. _She's_ got a bed full of his _clothes_ for God's sake!" Maya exclaimed. "And that's exactly why I know she'll end it with him. In fact, she's probably already done it. She won't let him give everything up for her. You know she won't. She's got a big heart" Eli said. "Too big for her own damn good" he added quietly.

"I can't believe you. You're risking losing her because you can't take it. It makes you _so_ mad that a man you don't approve of, a man you've never even _met_ , is stealing her away. Well, guess what, have you ever thought that doing this is going to cost us our daughter anyway?" she asked angrily.

"Maya, I am doing exactly what I think is best for our daughter. For our baby girl. We send her to one of the best universities in the _world,_ and what happens? This. This is what happens. I think I am being more than fair here. I could've told her I'm done paying for school, but I didn't. I could've brought up transferring, but I didn't. I could've gotten his ass fired by now, but I didn't. I could've done a lot of things that I didn't do the second you called me up to her bedroom to show me those things," Eli said.

"And that's what you're still failing to understand! You _did_ see those things in there. She's in love with him! She's attached to him! I don't even have to know him to see that! She's gonna take a hell of a blow from this, and you're encouraging that—".

"Maya, you've got to be kidding me. She can't continue to be involved with this man!? She's an adult. She's more mature than half of my colleagues, for God's sake. But you know what? At the same time, she's still a kid! She doesn't know what she's doing. Nobody at that age knows exactly what they're doing yet. She has a lot to figure out, and getting distracted by pretty thirty-something men that just want to get in her pants certainly isn't going to help" he said.

"It really doesn't seem to matter to you that you're talking about two people that love each other. Two people that will be greatly affected by this" Maya said. "And it really doesn't seem to matter to you that he's closer in age to us than he is to Olivia" he replied.

"Of course it matters to me, Eli. I don't like it. At all. But who are we to tell her who she can and can't love? This is Olivia's life. Are we helping her along? Yes. Are we trying to guide her in the right direction? Absolutely. We will _always_ do that. Right now, you're right, she can't be with him. She can't be involved with him and be his student at the same time. It's wrong, it's unethical, it's not fair to other students, I get that. I understand where you're coming from with that, and clearly, Olivia understands that too, or she wouldn't have kept it from us. But after she graduates, or is no longer his student anymore, she should be free to do what she wants, with whomever she wants, without your threats of destroying this man's career looming over her head" Maya said.

"I am only looking out for Olivia, Maya. That is all I'm ever trying to do. She's my greatest achievement. She's my everything. Can't you see that I'm trying here? I am trying to protect her. I don't know what to do, okay? I mean, seriously, how on earth are we supposed to know what to do in this situation? She needs to grow, and learn on her own, absolutely. I am all for that. She's twenty years old, she's not a teenager, she's not a young child. But this isn't right, Maya. We can't stand by and do nothing, here. I'm trying my best to make sure she doesn't get involved with the wrong people. I'm just...I'm trying here" he said, sounding defeated.

"I know you are. I know. You're angry right now. We both are. But—" Maya replied.

But that's all Olivia could listen to anymore.

She made her way back to her bedroom and scrambled all her things together in a duffel bag. The tears started falling again as she did it, she could barely see what she was doing. She was livid with her father, and all she wanted to do was reach out to Fitz. To tell him everything. But she couldn't. And it killed her that her father knew she wouldn't do it. He knew her weakness.

She grabbed her shattered phone from beside the wall, grabbed some things from the bathroom, and flew down the stairs. And after grabbing her keys, she slammed that front door and didn't look back.

She backed out of her driveway so fast, and drove through her neighborhood to find a spot to call someone. She just couldn't be at that house anymore. No way.

Through all the cracks in her screen, she saw a handful of texts from Fitz, and even two missed calls, but she couldn't bring herself to read the texts right now. All she could do was call Abby.

She answered as happily as Fitz had, but her peppy mood quickly vanished as Olivia told her what had happened through her sobs.

"Olivia, okay. Just calm down, okay? Just calm down" Abby said. "No! I'm not calm. This was not supposed to happen, Abby! I was supposed to introduce him, myself, and I know they would've taken time to accept it. But then they were supposed to love him. They weren't supposed to find out like this. None of this is going like it was supposed to go!" she cried.

"I know, Liv, I know. Just take a few deep breaths for me, okay? Just…do you have somewhere to stay?" Abby asked. "I'm…I'm gonna go to Sandra's. Her parents won't care, so…maybe I can—I can stay there" Olivia nodded. "Okay, that sounds like a great idea," Abby said calmly. "Have you talked to him?" she added.

"I told him…I told him that everything about us is hard, and he's better off without me" she cried. "Aww, Liv, how come you don't just tell him the truth?" she asked in a sad voice. "I can't, Abby, I can't. It's just better if he hates me and…and stays away. My dad...he's serious about this, Abby. He's fucking pissed," Olivia sniffled.

"I know, okay, I get that. But…Olivia. You're everything to him. Don't you think he deserves to know the truth? I mean...maybe he'd come down and talk to your parents" Abby said.

Olivia could tell Abby was trying to be as nice as she possibly could in this situation, and she loved her for that, but she just didn't get it.

"Yeah, he would, Abby. If he knew, he would come here and be his Fitz self, and try to fix things with them and it would only make everything worse! I don't need to poke the bear right now, if my dad saw him, he'd kill him. He _literally_ wants to kill him, Abby. I'm surprised he hasn't done it already. I listened to the way my dad talked about him, he made him out to be some disgusting fuckboy. And if Fitz knows the truth, he'll let my dad do whatever the hell he wants to do. He'll…he'll throw everything he's worked for away. He'll do that for me. And there's _no way_ I'm letting him do that" she cried.

"But the reason you got together in the first place is because he made it clear that _you_ were his priority" Abby replied. "But this is exactly why it took so long for us to start, because this was my fear. And it was a good fear to have, because look what fucking happened! I should have never said yes, Abby. I should've just…turned him down" she sniffled.

"How can you say that? He's the best thing that's ever happened to you. Those are your words" Abby replied. "Yeah, and now this is the worst thing that's ever happened to me. Less damage would've been done to both of us if I just…turned him down" Olivia said, starting to sob again.

"Olivia, I know this is a tough time for you and I'm trying to be a supportive friend here. But you know what? I'm your best fucking friend, and best friends tell it to their friends straight. Do you know what he's probably doing right now? He's probably sitting in his apartment, going over all of the things he could've done to make you want to end things. He is in the dark right now. He has no idea what's going on, and you're just letting him wonder what he did wrong" Abby said, as nicely as she could.

"You don't understand, Abby! He doesn't need to work! He has more money than he knows what to do with! But you know why he does? Because he loves it! He loves it _so much!_ It's his favorite thing, to be up there teaching. It has _helped_ him through life—". "He loves you too! You have helped him through life too!—".

"Don't you get it, Abby, I couldn't live with myself if I fucking took it away from him!" Olivia screamed. "I couldn't live with myself!" she repeated. "I love him too much for that," she said, much quieter this time.

"He can't have both. Not anymore" she whispered. There was a pause on the other end.

"Okay. I understand, I get it. I'm sorry" Abby replied. There was a long silence before she spoke again.

"I know it's not my place, and you're right. I don't understand at all how you're feeling right now and the decisions you're trying to make. Just...keep me updated on everything, okay? I'm gonna worry about you like crazy" Abby said. "I'll keep you updated. Don't worry about anything. I'm…I'm fine" she replied.

But she wasn't. She was the farthest from fine that she could be, actually.

"Can I call you later to check in on you?" Abby asked. "Yes. I would like that" Olivia nodded. "Okay. Hang in there. Just know that I am always, always here for you. I love you, Olivia" Abby said. Olivia nodded, knowing that there really wasn't a better friend in the world than Abby. "I know. I love you so much" she sniffled.

They bid each other goodbye, and Olivia drove to Sandra's house.

As soon as she got there, she walked to the backyard and knocked on her backdoor. Sandra slept in the basement, and if she was home, that's usually where she was. She opened and looked surprised to see her for the second time that night, but her face quickly dropped when she realized that Olivia had been crying.

"Oh no…what happened, Liv?" she asked.

But after explaining everything to Abby, she couldn't bring herself to explain it right then and there again. So she just leaned forward and collapsed into Sandra's arms, crying into her shirt.

And eventually, she was able to explain everything to her. It just took some time, and some courage.

* * *

Fitz sat in his bed, looking down at his comforter that he was holding onto. He hadn't said a single word out loud since her call. He had only sat there, in shock. He kept checking his phone to see if she had replied to his texts. But each time he checked, he was overwhelmed with an enormous amount of sadness, because she hadn't.

It didn't really feel real. It felt like a dream. A very, very awful dream, that he was dying to wake up from.

But he couldn't wake up, because it wasn't a dream. It was happening.

He didn't even want to talk to anyone about it. He could call Cyrus, sure. He could call Logan, sure. Hell, he could even call Brett, or Matt, if he really wanted to. And only Cyrus, of all of his friends, knew the full truth. But even still, he didn't want to talk to anyone.

He just wanted to sit there.

And while he sat, he couldn't help but wonder what he had done. He replayed the day's events over in his head. They had had a great day. They had talked about the _children_ they planned to have for god's sake. And he knew that that hadn't somehow scared her off. She was just as happy as he was to talk about that.

Then he thought back to the prior weekend. She'd had the time of her life at that wedding. He knew she did. He knew her. He knew her better than anyone else did.

And that's why he was so confused.

He knew this wasn't what she wanted. It couldn't be what she wanted. She loved him.

Right?

How could she do this? How could she end things and barely give him a reason as to why?

In the back of his mind, was the thought that someone found out. Someone found out, and she was doing what she thought was best. Only this wasn't what was best, for either of them. This was unreal. This couldn't be happening.

But it was.

He put his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes, trying to make sense of anything at all in his head. But he failed. He was as confused as ever.

But that confusion turned into anger. He grabbed the picture frame off his nightstand. The one he loved. And he whipped it as hard as he could across the room. It dented the wall, and he heard the glass crack, but he didn't care.

And soon, that anger turned into sadness. He got up and went to retrieve the picture frame that he'd thrown, and returned it to its spot on his nightstand. It was a little tougher to see the two of them in the photo, kissing in the snow, because the glass was shattered.

Just like his heart.

* * *

Olivia laid next to a sleeping Sandra in her bed. It was late. Much too late for her to be awake, given that she had work the next day. Luckily, she'd packed an outfit to wear to work tomorrow, and Sandra had to work too, so they'd both be up early, anyway. It was her last week of work, so she only had to struggle for three more days.

She scrolled through the messages from her parents. Her dad's; telling her to come home. That she couldn't run from her problems. That he was sorry for the way he had talked to her, but that this was the way things needed to be.

Her mom's; asking that she please let her know where she was, at least, and that she understood why she had left the house. That she was sorry for the way that things had gone down, and that things would be okay, even if she couldn't see that now. That she was still very angry, and that they all needed to have a better discussion about things.

She sent the same message to the both of them;

 ** _At Sandra's. Be home tomorrow._**

And that was not at all like her. She was never one to leave the house unannounced, or set her own plan without even checking in with them. They didn't like that. At all. But right now, she didn't care about what they didn't like.

The only thing she cared about right now was him.

She brought herself to finally open up Fitz's messages, the ones he had sent throughout the night, that she'd been too afraid to read.

 ** _Olivia, please call me back._**

 ** _Liv, please. Don't do this._**

 ** _Can you please tell me what happened? Can you tell me why you had a change of heart?_**

 ** _I am just so confused, Olivia. I don't understand._**

 ** _This doesn't make any sense to me._**

 ** _I love you, Olivia._**

 ** _Please don't leave me._**

The tears began streaming down her cheeks once again at all of his messages. She could feel the heartache through the phone. She could literally feel it. Because her heart was aching just the same.

She decided to send him a text, that was as close to the truth as she wanted to get.

 ** _I love you, Fitz. I will always love you. You will forever be the love of my life, and the best thing that ever happened to me. But it's time for us to move on. I can't be with you anymore. This is what is best for us, and deep down, I think you know that I'm right. I'll never forget what we had, and I'll certainly never forget you._**

After that god awful text, she laid there and sobbed, trying to be as quiet as she could next to Sandra. And eventually, she cried herself to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Olivia awoke to the sound of Sandra moving around her room. She glanced at the clock, seeing that she should probably get up and get ready for work.

"Hey, Liv. How are you feeling today?" Sandra asked. She shrugged. "Like shit" she answered. Sandra nodded. "Understandable. Any news on the Fitz front?" she asked. Olivia grabbed her phone and saw no new messages from him, but one single message from her mother, telling her that they'd all talk more tonight.

And then she saw the voicemail notification, and panic flashed across her face. "What is it?" Sandra asked.

"There's a voicemail from him" Olivia replied. She saw that he had left it at four in the morning, and knew that she had probably single-handedly destroyed his sleep schedule for who knows how long. He had serious issues with that sometimes, and she knew this would be bad for him for a while now.

"I'll give you some privacy," Sandra said quietly, before leaving her room.

Olivia opened the voicemail, and stared at the cracked screen for a good minute, before finally getting up the courage to press the play button.

"Hey. It's me. I got your message. I don't accept it. At all. And I definitely don't understand it. All I know, is that you ended things for a reason, and I'm supposed to trust your judgment. I'm supposed to trust that you made the right decision because you had a good reason. And it's hard for me to do that right now, Olivia. It's really hard.

I don't believe that this is over. I'll _never_ believe that this is over. And I'll never give up hope that you'll come back to me. This is what you're saying is best. And I don't agree with you. I want you to know that I absolutely do not agree with you at all. _I know_ what's best, and this isn't it. I'm really, really trying to trust you here. Because I do, trust you. But you're making a mistake. You are. And you won't even let me fight for you before you shut me down.

You always say that I'm the love of your life. That I'm the best thing that ever happened to you. And I know that you mean that.

Well, you're the love of my life too. You're the best thing that ever happened to me too. And if all I get with you is eleven months, then...well, I guess that's what I get. That doesn't change any of that. You are, and always will be, the one.

You don't have to love me. You don't have to be mine. Just...please be happy. Do great things. Be the woman I know you're meant to be.

My times gotta be running low now so…I'm gonna end this here.

I'm still yours, no matter what. Even if you don't want me anymore. I belong to you.

I love you. I always will.

Goodbye, Olivia."

* * *

Alright, how's everyone holding up?

I tried to update this for you all as fast as I could. But this chapter was one I had a difficult time writing. It was so hard for me to write and edit it just the same as it was for you all to read it, I'm sure.

I know there will be readers who do not like the direction I headed, but I went with what really felt true to me. And, I hate to say it, but this has been the plan since the first chapter. I wanted to really develop their friendship, and then their romantic relationship, to make you all fall in love with the bond that they developed. And I truly did want it to be smooth sailing for a while, with only minor complications to stand in their way. But it cannot always be as such, as real life is never always smooth sailing.

Sometimes things get worse before they get better. There's no need to worry, friends. I can promise you that.

Hang in there!

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	43. A Little Hope

The week went by slow. Painfully slow.

Olivia's last days at work were nice. Not a huge amount to do, just saying her goodbyes until she came back the next summer.

And at work, she could hide pretty much anything. No doubt, she was less cheerful. Less peppy. Less…Olivia. But given everything, she still hid it fairly well.

At home, not so much.

Ever since she'd had the second conversation with her parents on Tuesday night about Fitz, she hadn't been happy, and she didn't feel the need to hide it, either. She wanted them to know that she wasn't happy with them.

But that second conversation had definitely gone better than the first, when her dad had yelled at her, and barely given her a chance to speak. That hadn't been much of a conversation, really.

But on Tuesday night, it was a real conversation. At the dinner table and everything.

And even though she really didn't want to, she told them pretty much everything. How they had met last year. About how even _she_ hadn't known he had been a governor for many months, because that period of his life was not one he liked to talk about much. How it took them quite a while to _actually_ be romantically involved. How they had gone on trips together. And her parents listened. They really did.

She could tell that they were not exactly _fans_ of it. But somehow, it still seemed to help. They liked that she was being honest with them, at least. And she was.

But she still held back. There was a lot more she wished she could tell. Not quite like the things she would tell her friends. Talking about the songs they had sex to, or the last odd place they had sex _in_ , wouldn't go over so well with her parents, she didn't think.

But she wished to tell them _more_ about Fitz. She told them that he wasn't awful, like they thought he was. That he wasn't some disgusting older guy who only wanted her for sex. That he was the most caring, honest, kind, loyal man she'd ever met. That he was unlike anyone she'd ever known, particularly any _man_ she'd ever known.

And it was great to tell them those things. To make sure that they listened. And she wondered how this entire situation would go if she wasn't an only child, and if her parents were less protective. Maybe then, it could be a more normal conversation, like she wished it would be.

She wished she could tell them about the cute things he did, or his hobbies, or his little quirks. But she didn't, mostly because she was certain they didn't want to hear it.

Her mother hadn't been quite as bad as her father had been throughout the entire process. Olivia could tell that she had a bit of sympathy for her, and had ever since she found the box of Fitz's things. She was still angry, but not quite like her father.

However, despite their anger, their conversation was as decent as she would have expected it to be, and her father had cooled down a lot. They told Olivia that they expected her to be done with him. That it wasn't right what she and Fitz had done, and that it should have never happened in the first place.

And Olivia, of course, knew that they were right. No matter how much it pained her to admit to them that she shouldn't have ever gotten involved with him, she still knew that they were right. But what she should've done, and what she had wanted to do, were two different things.

They told her that they hadn't discussed transferring in any capacity, because while they were paying for much of her schooling, and guiding her along, it was ultimately still obviously her choice where she wanted to go, and they wouldn't get in the way of that. And they did say that they wished for her to continue studying there, anyway, if she wanted to, because it was an amazing school. However, if she didn't want to go there anymore after everything, that they would support her choice to transfer.

She didn't even give that a second thought. Being that near to someone that she loved more than anything, but not being able to be with them, would kill her. But she couldn't imagine going anywhere else. Her friends were still there, and she loved everything about the school. And it was _Yale_. So, she hoped it would still be a decent junior and senior year. Although, she had a feeling that it wouldn't be quite as good anymore.

They also apologized for the way they had treated her when they first found out. That they were just so angry about the whole situation, and needed some time to cool down, particularly her father. Even after living under the same roof with the man for twenty years, she still had never known him to have such a fiery temper. It had been unlike anything she'd ever seen, and she certainly didn't want to see it again.

But while she was still _beyond_ pissed about everything, she understood their reason to be upset. She just hadn't been prepared for _that_ level of outrage.

She also still got the sense that her mother was at odds with her father about the whole situation. After eavesdropping, she had heard her mother basically scold her father, and give him her own opinion on the situation. She had been angry, but she had also been much more in control of her emotions. Clearly.

But now, it was Friday night. In a few short weeks, she'd go back to Connecticut, where, last week, she would have been excited to go back to. But now, it didn't make her nearly as excited. She'd see Abby, yes, and all of her other friends. But she wouldn't see him. Or maybe she would, and she just didn't know it yet.

She found out on Saturday, who all of her professors would be. Saturday at midnight, to be exact. So technically, Sunday.

And to say she was nervous, would be an understatement.

On one hand, seeing him every other day teaching would be awful. Last year, it had been fun, in a way. Seeing him walk around up there, hands in his pockets, sleeves rolled up, his adorable lefty hand-writing on the chalkboard.

The way he'd sneak glances, winks, or waves at her, probably smiling about some dirty thing she'd done to him the night before or some flirty thing she'd said to him before class. The way he'd get so excited, talking about whatever the hell he was talking about. The way he'd make his students laugh.

Having that constant reminder every other day of the week, would be torture. Having that constant reminder that things weren't what they used to be, and perhaps, never would be again. Because of her.

But on the other hand, it might just save her. While seeing him that often would be difficult, she couldn't help but think it would keep her a little sane. Seeing that handsome face. That body that she usually failed to keep her hands off of. Hearing that beautiful voice, amplified by the mic that clipped onto his dress shirt. The dress shirt, he _rarely_ accessorized with a tie. Such a rebel he was.

So, she wasn't really sure what she wanted yet. Either way, it would suck. It would suck to see him, it would suck not to see him. Figures.

Her parents called her down for dinner, and she went down there without a word, wearing Fitz's Yale sweatshirt. She wasn't sure they knew it was his, but even if they did, she didn't care.

She'd hidden all of his things in the back of her closet the second she returned to her house three nights ago, for fear that if her parents ever saw them again, they'd get rid of them or some damn thing.

But there was still one shirt in her bed, inside her pillowcase, just so it would be harder to find. His black LA Hockey one. His favorite one, that he'd let her keep. That one meant everything to her, and she knew it would definitely be making the trip with her to Connecticut, as well as all of his other things, most likely. It hurt her to look through that box now, but also, she couldn't leave it behind. She just couldn't, so it would likely resume its original position under her bed at school again.

Throughout dinner, they made normal small talk. Olivia spoke only when she was asked a question, and that was it. Her parents seemed like their normal selves again for the most part. Talking about work, talking about what episode of Goliath they were on, asking Olivia if she had big plans for he twenty-first birthday that was coming up soon.

She, of course, didn't. She had always been the oldest of all of her friends, so none of them would be able to truly celebrate with her if she did go out. Sandra didn't turn twenty-one until the fall, and Stephen not until the winter.

And when she got back to school, she and Abby couldn't really go out either, because Abby was almost a year younger than Olivia, having only turned twenty a month and a half ago. She was pretty happy to not be nineteen anymore, saying that "being two decades old is badass", which had made Olivia laugh.

And now, she smiled at the thought of her best friend, and the funny, crazy things she said. And then she thought that that was the first time she had smiled all week. Which, made her smile fade away.

Man, life sucked.

* * *

Fitz sat at up at his bar, eating dinner alone. He'd ordered Ivy Wok for the second time this week. He didn't really feel bad for having takeout again, mostly because all he'd been doing with his time lately was running. Just running. It was the only thing that could calm him.

And it wasn't like he had anything else to do. His summer classes would be done next week, and he'd already written the final exams. So until he had to help his TAs grade those, he had nothing do, but think. About her. Hence the need for calming.

Today he'd ran five miles in the morning like he always did. Then this afternoon, he ran two more. And he was pretty sure that after he finished eating, he could do another two if he really wanted to. He'd been pushing his body to the limit this week, and he was hurting everywhere. But it wasn't just his body that hurt.

It was also his heart.

He had felt so many different emotions this week, it was insane. Confusion, anger, sadness. It was a cycle.

Right now, he was feeling sad. Not just because he was eating alone. But because he was eating _Ivy Wok_ alone. The number of times they'd gone there together was crazy.

If he didn't feel like cooking, it was usually their go-to. Or when she came over to his house on weeknights and surprised him with food, it would normally be Ivy Wok. And he knew the only reason he could still eat it was because he had loved it even before he met her.

But everything else that reminded him of her, _no_ fucking _way_. He stayed clear, because it only broke him more. And it was pretty hard, because there were a ton of things that made him think of her.

It had only been four days, and he'd already learned that there were _so many_ things he had to avoid.

Red wine was a huge no, along with gin and tonic, lemonade and popcorn. Those were her favorites, so that was a given. But he also found that there were things he'd just have to live with, that he couldn't stay away from.

The hallway in his apartment that led to his bedroom, for instance. It seemed that every time he walked down it, all he pictured was the night of their first time, when he'd carried her from the living room, through the hallway, and to his bedroom. Or her stripping off her clothes and smiling at him over her shoulder on his birthday. Or her little bare feet dancing down the hallway on a Saturday night, laughing and singing with him. Or her walking down it on a Sunday morning, wearing nothing but his T-shirt, with her hair all a mess.

Then there was the lecture hall he most often taught in. The one where he'd met her. All he could see was her beautiful face in the crowd, or her little hand raised in the air, wanting to answer a question he'd asked. Or her walking down the stairs towards him at the end of class with a smile on her face, wanting to talk to him.

His car, in which they'd gone on so many adventures together. Driving hundreds of miles to many different places, while they sang loudly, without a care in the world. The way she'd look at him when he drove, and how tightly she held onto his hand. Sneaking glances at him when he wore his Ray-Ban aviators that he knew she loved.

And lastly, his office. His office was bad. It had the box she'd given him. It had the Playbill from Phantom of the Opera on the shelf. It held memories that he'd never forget. The first time she ever came to ask for help on a paper, when he'd ordered them Ivy Wok and they'd talked all night. The times they'd eat lunch together, and joke around about how he knew absolutely nothing about natural sciences, like geology. And even on his birthday, when she'd given him _quite_ the birthday present as he sat in his office chair, twenty minutes before a meeting started.

And he'd realized all of these things in a mere four days. So he could only imagine the things he'd be avoiding a month from now. At the rate he was going, he'd be avoiding the damn dry cleaners just because she picked up his clothes from there once or something.

Everything was her.

But he also knew, that everything hurt so bad because it was so fresh. And he only hoped that time would heal him. Or, time would bring her back to him. He preferred the latter, because right now, he wasn't happy. He felt empty and sad, and the only thing holding him together was the fact that real classes started soon. He at least had the job he loved, and his friends. And that was about it. Otherwise, he had nothing.

* * *

Later that night, he ran out to get some groceries, figuring he should at least make an attempt to have things to cook in his apartment. Maybe that way he'd stay away from takeout. Maybe.

He took backroads to get there, wanting to avoid passing by Oak Haven and the little park that he and Olivia were so fond of. Their place.

And on the way back, on the little backroad he took, he was hit with flashbacks. Flashbacks of skipping trivia night with Olivia, and driving on back roads that led them to god knows where, while it rained hard against the windshield. Ending up at some random campsite in the middle of nowhere.

He gripped the steering wheel hard, and tried to keep it together. He tried hard.

But all he could see was her little hand pushing him into the backseat. Climbing on top of him, and shutting the door.

He put on his right blinker so he could pull over to the side of the road. He stopped the car and sat there, still trying to calm himself.

He rested his elbow against the inside of the car door, and rubbed his eyes, trying to get the images out of his head.

Her lips on his. Her fingers pulling his shirt over his head, followed by the rest of his clothes.

He felt the tears begin to fill his eyes as it all came rushing back to him. As _she_ came rushing back to him.

Breathing hard, steaming up the windows. Her fingers tracing his bare back, and pulling him closer to her body.

His wet eyelashes rubbed against his fingers, and he inhaled deeply, trying to quit thinking. But he couldn't.

He was pressed against her in the backseat. The backseat that he barely even fit in. Laying his head on her chest to listen to her heartbeat.

And then the tears began to fall harder

She had drawn their names on the window. The window that was all fogged up. He could still see it clear as day, her little finger writing on the glass.

 **Olivia + Fitz**

And they had talked about their tattoos. The tattoos that symbolized their love, and their forever.

He dropped his hand away from his face, and let the tears stream freely down his face. He just let go.

He hadn't cried yet. In fact, he rarely _did_ cry. Before Olivia, he couldn't remember the last time he did. It had been years. And now, it had been twice in one summer. Both times, because of her. When she had left him to go home, and now. But now, it wasn't crying. It was sobbing. It was a complete breakdown, that he'd been holding in for days.

It was absolutely awful.

* * *

Olivia laid in bed on her tear-soaked pillow. She didn't even bother changing her pillowcase, because she knew it would only be a matter of time before she started crying again. She'd been dreadful for days, so she could only imagine how Fitz was doing. She desperately wanted to talk to him. To tell him she was so sorry for everything.

She hated herself. She was stuck in such a hard place. She didn't know if she had done the right thing or if she hadn't. And it slowly ate away at her. But as the days passed, she had begun to feel regretful. At the time, she had been rushed; her dad telling her to end it right then. And in that moment, she thought she was making the best decision to protect him. But now, it just seemed awful. And she didn't know what to do.

She clutched onto his T-shirt, and wiped the tears away with it. She breathed in the scent of the fabric, only catching a tiny bit of his scent. But for the most part, it was gone. It was gone from all of his shirts now. Soon, she figured that she would forget his natural scent. His body wash. His shampoo. His cologne. All of it would soon be gone, just like he was.

She glanced at the clock, seeing that she only had a few more minutes until midnight. It was Saturday night, so naturally, she'd been waiting all day for this. To see who her professors would be.

She forced herself to get up from the curled ball position she'd been in for who knows how long, and open up her laptop.

And for the remaining minutes, she refreshed the page over and over again, waiting desperately for the system to display the names of her professors.

She waited and waited, until finally, she saw that it had updated. She dragged her finger down her list of classes until she found The Supreme Court In American Politics, one of the three classes Fitz taught.

She dragged her finger to the right, until she saw the name of the professor that she had. And when she saw the name, the breath hitched in her throat.

 **Reston, Samuel**

And right then and there, she knew what she had wanted to see on that screen. She had wanted to see Fitz's name. Oddly enough, she really had.

Her heart sunk, and she began to cry again. That was the one time she could bank on seeing him, and now that opportunity was gone. If she didn't see him in class, she wasn't sure when she'd ever see him. Nothing was going right anymore. Absolutely nothing.

* * *

When Olivia awoke the next morning, she noticed that her eyes were still fairly red and puffy. They had been that way for days, and she assumed crying herself to sleep didn't help.

She smelled breakfast being made, so she got up and went downstairs, just so that she could come back up to her room to be alone faster.

Her mother greeted her, and Olivia gave her a half-wave. Her father said a causal "morning", to which she replied the same thing.

And when breakfast was done, it was eaten silently, save for the few questions her mother asked about packing for school, and when she had to move in by.

And after the quiet, awkward meal with her parents, her dad went outside to mow the lawn, and Olivia took the opportunity to go back upstairs and get away from them. Or at least, that's what she wanted to do.

"Livvie, wait—".

She paused on the landing of the stairs, and looked over her shoulder at her mother.

"Will you just...come down here with me for a little bit?" she asked. Olivia just stared. "Why" she stated. "Because I want to talk" her mother shrugged. Olivia hesitated, but eventually turned and walked back down the stairs. She joined her mom at the table, and sat there awkwardly. "So..." Olivia began, waiting for her mom to scold her, or yell, or do whatever the hell she wanted to do. But she did none of those things.

"How are you?"

Olivia looked at her mother, seeing the kindness in her eyes that she always used to see. And it almost made her break down right there, but she held her ground.

"I'm not good, mom."

Her mother nodded slowly, and looked sad. "I'm so sorry, baby," she said. Olivia nodded and looked down at the table, unable to meet her mom's eyes anymore.

"I can see that you're hurting. And your father sees it too" she said.

Olivia sat there, fidgeting with her hands. She didn't really know what to say back. Damn right she was hurting? What else did she expect?

"It will be okay, Olivia. Always remember that" she said softly. "Well, that's pretty easy for you to say, mom" Olivia replied. Maya nodded and folded her hands on the table.

It was silent for a few minutes. And all Olivia wanted was to go back upstairs. Away from her mom, away from everyone. To be alone.

But then her mom spoke up again.

"Tell me about him."

Olivia looked up at her, not quite sure if she had heard her right. "Uh...what?" she asked.

"Tell me about him, Livvie."

Olivia looked at her in confusion, and shook her head slightly. "I told you about him on Tuesday. And you and dad definitely didn't want to hear it, so I'm not sure why you want to now" Olivia said annoyedly.

"Yes, you told us that he was a great man. You told us that he was unlike anyone you'd ever met. And I believe you, Olivia. I do" she nodded. "But dad doesn't" Olivia replied. Maya winced. "Just give him time, Olivia. Because just like you, he is hurting" she said. Olivia wanted to scoff at that, mostly because she was still so pissed at her dad. But in the back of her mind, she knew her mom was right. She had lied to them for almost a year. Kept things from them. Made them feel foolish. Naturally, they were hurt by that. And the fact that she was their only child, and that they all had such a close bond, hurt them more.

"We both are" Maya added. "Yeah, I know mom. I've already told you both how sorry I am" Olivia said. "I know you have. And I don't want you to tell me that anymore. I want you to tell me about _him"_ her mother said again.

Olivia shrugged. "I already did," she said. _"Oh please_ , you barely scratched the surface on Tuesday. He's a great man, he's unlike anyone you'd ever met, sure, but I want to know what he likes. I want to know what he does for fun. Come on, Olivia! Tell me about _him_. Tell me about Fitzgerald" she said with a smile, patting Olivia's hand.

Olivia had to fight back a smile at that. "Well for starters, he hates being called Fitzgerald," Olivia said with a laugh. Her mother smiled. "Okay, Okay. _Fitz_ then" she replied. "Right. Except...I could get away with calling him Fitzgerald. And sometimes, I would use his first and middle name if I scolded him. I think he kind of grew to love that" Olivia said, looking down at the table with a smile.

She looked up nervously at her mother to see if she looked angry. But she found kind eyes and a warm smile. So, she continued to tell her about him. Awkwardly, but she still did it.

"He really likes hockey. The Los Angeles Kings are his favorite team. He tried to teach me the rules. I think I get them for the most part, but it's still a little confusing to me" Olivia admitted, which made her mother smile.

"And...he's obsessed with this Asian food place called Ivy Wok. It's his favorite" she said with a laugh. "And...he really loves ice cream. Mostly cookies and cream, but he could eat any flavor and be happy" she said.

"Well, it sounds like he's got good taste in food and dessert! Come on, that can't be all you got. What else?" she asked.

"He, um...he's really good at baseball. I watched him once. He hit a home run to win a town team game at...that cabin I told you about. It was amazing. And he was so fast. He loves to run. He could run forever and not get tired or bored. Which, I could not relate to," she giggled.

"Me neither," her mother said, shaking her head with a laugh.

"We loved to listen to music. All kinds of music. Old school rock and roll, old pop, new pop, even country. I know, _country"_ Olivia said, shaking her head.

"That _is_ a little surprising" her mother nodded.

"I know. There's one song. One song that was sort of... _our_ country song. And he would sing it to me. He has a really, really nice voice. And he denied it every time I told him. But he really does" Olivia nodded, starting to get sad.

"That's funny because you have a very nice voice too," she said.

Olivia smiled. "That's what he always told me too. We liked to sing together. Especially in the car. And sometimes we wouldn't know all of the words, and we'd make up our own, or just laugh at each other as we failed miserably" she said with a laugh, which made her mother smile.

But now, Olivia was going on and on, without looking up at her mother. She wanted her to know him. To really know him. And she rambled.

"He's a confident guy. But there are times where...he just gets so nervous. When he asked me to be his girlfriend, he stuttered and stumbled as he asked" Olivia giggled. "I thought it was the most adorable thing I'd ever witnessed. I...made him nervous. And...twitchy, as he always used to say" Olivia said softly.

"He has...he has the curliest hair. And when it's hot and humid outside, it gets all frizzy and even more curly. I...always used to tease him about it. But he knew it was all in good fun because I loved his hair. He knew I did" Olivia said with a smile.

Her mother had been silent for a little bit now, so Olivia finally looked up, only to see the same smile, still on her face. And then an idea hit her.

"Would you...um, maybe..." Olivia began. Her mother looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "You know what, nevermind," Olivia said, shaking her head.

"No, what?" Maya asked.

Olivia bit her lip. "Well, it's just...I have a lot of saved voicemails of his. I was going to see if...you wanted to hear them. To hear his voice. To hear him...talk to me. But that's probably the last thing you want to hear, I know. That was dumb" she said.

"I don't think it's dumb. Play some for me" she nodded.

"Really...?" Olivia asked.

"Really" Maya nodded.

Olivia nodded back and pulled out her phone from her sweatshirt pocket to open up her voicemail box. She scrolled right past the most recent voicemail he had left, the one that broke her heart to listen to, and scrolled down pretty far. And then she hit play, having no idea at all what she and her mother were about to listen to. But they listened. And the second she heard his voice, a smile spread across her face.

"Hey, Liv. Okay, sooooo I'm at the store, and I know Minute Maid lemonade is your favorite, but there's this cool, fancy brand right in front of me and...well, I wanted to see if I should buy it or if I should just stick with Minute Maid. I know you take your lemonade very seriously (chuckles). Okay, you know what, I'm buying both. Okay, yeah, both. Sorry I bothered you, don't laugh too much at this ridiculous voicemail. I'll see you tonight! With two different types of lemonade! Your pick! Okay, seriously I'm hanging up now, sorry, bye."

Olivia was giggling uncontrollably at that adorable voicemail, and her mother was having a good laugh herself. That had been a pretty long time ago, but it was still funny. And then she played more.

"Hi, Livvie. I just wanted to see what you wanted for dinner tonight! I think you're still with Abby, so no worries. Just text me when you get a minute! I miss you! I'll see you tonight, bye!"

"And I'm guessing he chose that Asian place he liked for dinner," Maya said. "Wouldn't surprise me" Olivia giggled, before pressing play on another one that was a little more recent.

"Hey, so really important question. Why do you like tea? I was driving back from the conference, and I saw a Starbucks sign. I was really missing you, so I took the exit and I stopped there, thinking I was going to try some hot tea, like the tea you drink.

Yeah, that was a big mistake. Livvie, baby, I love you, but it's _so bad_. It didn't taste like the chamomile tea you gave me. It tasted like...leaf water brewed from the depths of hell!

Anyway, I drank the entire thing because I miss you so much, and I knew if you saw me waste it all, you'd probably smack my chest and pull the 'Fitzgerald Thomas!' on me, and we wouldn't want that. I hope you're proud. This is probably going to cut me off soon, so I'll stop bashing your Starbucks tea now. But seriously, Liv, it's so bad.

Okay, I'm actually done now. I really, really miss you. Call me back tonight when you're free so I can hear your sweet voice. I love you. Bye."

"He's funny" Maya nodded with a laugh. "I know" Olivia giggled. She thought she'd just do one more, and then be done. So, she pressed play on a very recent one.

"Hey, baby. I know you're driving back right now, so I just wanted to leave you a message to listen to when you got home. I'm sitting at the airport, wanting nothing more than to be with you again. I had an amazing weekend with you, and I can't believe it's already over. This weekend only made me more excited for _our_ day. The day I see you in a beautiful white dress, walking down the aisle towards me.

I can't wait for that day, and I can't wait for you to come home to me. August fourteenth can't come soon enough. I love you so much, Olivia Carolyn Pope. Thanks for the great weekend. Talk to you soon, bye."

The tears streamed down Olivia's cheeks, listening to the voicemail that had been left just a week ago. A week ago, when things had still been okay. When her world hadn't crashed down yet. When she didn't cry herself to sleep every night, hating herself for what she had done to her sweet boy.

She felt her mother's fingers gently wipe the tears away, and then hold onto her hand. "He loves you" Maya whispered. Olivia nodded through her tears. "And you love him," she said. "I love him" Olivia nodded, sniffling. "More than anything else" she added. Her mother nodded and held tightly onto her hand.

"I knew he was in love with you the minute I read the way he addresses you when he writes to you," her mother said with a smile. And then Olivia smiled through her tears, knowing exactly what her mother was talking about.

"My dear Olivia," she said. "My dear Olivia," Maya nodded. Olivia giggled and wiped her tears away yet again. He was such a sweetie. Her sweetie. Only...he wasn't hers anymore.

"Your father knows too. He knows how you feel about each other" Maya said quietly. "You sure about that?" Olivia asked, unconvincingly. "Oh, I've never been more sure about anything. Just give him some time. That's all he needs. I promise" Maya said encouragingly. Olivia felt her heart flutter in her chest. And that was all _she_ needed. A little hope.

A little hope that everything really would be okay. A little hope that she could be with him again someday, without having to worry.

A little hope that she could marry the love of her life, and start a family with him, like they'd planned. Tattoos, pretty houses, cabins, and all.

* * *

 _Wow._

I had an overwhelming amount of reviews last chapter, and they were all over the place! It was really interesting to read your guys' reactions. Pretty much every single person that reviewed was heartbroken, telling me that they were emotionally drained and devastated. And many of you were driven to tears. I'm sorry about the heartache I caused, but that is still one of the greatest compliments I can get from you guys, and I am so glad that you are so invested. It means a lot to me, because this _story_ means a lot to me, and I am invested in telling it.

I even got a review saying that they wished for them to move on now, because they were so upset with the way things were handled and wanted them both to be done with each other. Wow, I wasn't expecting that one!

I also got many angry ones that told me lots of different things. This is just a kind reminder, that if you only ever leave negative reviews, then this story probably isn't for you! By all means, stop reading it. Nobody here is forcing you to read it, that is your choice. So if you don't like it, then I would advise not reading it. I am only here to tell a story. Some like it, some don't. Totally okay! But unkind words will not stop me from continuing the story that I want to tell.

And if you are now done reading my story, thanks for sticking with me until now! But like I said last chapter, not everything can be sunshine and rainbows all the time. And if that's what you expected throughout the entire story, I'm sorry!

Now, I know this chapter wasn't very light-hearted either, but I hope it helped at least a little tiny bit after the last dreadful one. I know many of you are angry with Olivia, as you should be! She is trying to figure out what it's like to be in an adult relationship that doesn't always go smoothly. Because for the most part, that's what she's used to. She's growing, she's learning. Not everyone is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. _This_ was one of Olivia's, and she's starting to come to that realization. So, yes, everyone, I understand your anger towards her. I wrote it to be as such.

As for Fitz, I know many of you really feel for him, as do I. If you know me in any capacity, you know that Fitz is my baby, and I would do just about anything for that fictional beauty of a man. So, it hurts me just the same, that he was completely blindsided and treated unfairly.

However, like I said last chapter, there's no need to worry!

I will continue to try and update fairly quickly for you guys, but the semester is actually starting for me now just like it will be soon for Olivia! So, it may not be quite as often as I am able to in the summer. But don't worry, I don't like to leave you guys hanging for too long, especially considering what's going on in the story.

Thank you all for the continuous support. I can't say it enough.

Hang in there!

As always, read on!

With Love,

~T

P.S. The guest review telling me that they wanted to punch Eli "right in the dick" gave me a good old chuckle. Thank you for that, it certainly lightened up my mood.


	44. Tell Him

Fitz awoke to the birds happily chirping outside, and rolled over to look at his clock. 12:47 pm. "Holy shit," he said, rubbing his eyes.

He hadn't slept in that late in a long time. But then again, he had gone to bed at five. But, at least he had slept.

Usually he fell asleep in the early hours of the morning, and woke up around eight or nine. It was awful, and he couldn't seem to shake this particular bad spell.

He got up and looked at himself in the mirror. His long, curly hair was everywhere, and there were bags underneath his eyes from lack of sleep. He looked awful. And man, he needed a damn haircut.

He went out into the kitchen to get something to eat, passing by all of his empty glasses on the counter that kept adding up each night. Each one had been filled with the only thing he could drink that didn't remind him of her. Scotch.

He'd always been a scotch guy, but when he met Olivia, he kind of stopped drinking it, merely because they tended to drink the same things together. Wine, gin, tequila on occasion.

But it only seemed fitting to start drinking it again, now that she was gone. It brought him back to the days when he'd come back to his lonely apartment after work, have a couple glasses of scotch sometimes, and wait to go to sleep so that he could do it all again the next day. Except now, he was unhappy.

Even back then, he hadn't been unhappy. He had been content to do his thing. But not anymore. Now he was never content. He was never happy.

And today would be brutal. Because today was August eighth.

Her birthday.

He knew he wouldn't have been able to spend her birthday with her anyway, but he had had a ton of things planned. Because she loved birthdays. She thought they were the best thing ever. So, he had wanted to make it special for her.

When she got back, he had planned to cook her a nice dinner, and take her out for a milkshake. The same place they'd gone after he picked her up from the airport after Thanksgiving break. And then take her to their place. Their park.

He had planned to get about five cards that he would've hidden all over. A few in his apartment, one in his car, and the last one, that he'd give to her once they got to the park. They wouldn't have been anything over the top. He had just planned to write something sweet in each one, because she loved it when he wrote to her.

He had also ordered her present a long time ago. A pair of Ray-Ban aviators, like the ones he had. The ones she loved so much.

And now they sat in the box, in his nightstand drawer. Unwrapped, and unworn.

And they wouldn't get to celebrate together. Not late, not ever.

He thought about what she was doing today. He figured tonight she'd go out to some bar and get blasted. That's what he'd done on his twenty-first birthday.

He felt sick to his stomach, thinking about the guys that would be all over her. Putting their hands on her. Buying her drinks. Kissing her. He didn't know. All he knew was that it made him feel physically ill.

And it also made him want to start drinking. Right now. At one in the afternoon.

Either way, he hoped she had a great birthday, and wondered if he should call her. Or text her, at least. He wondered if she'd even respond if he did.

She probably wouldn't be able to, because she'd be busy. Busy doing whatever twenty-one-year-old girls do on their birthdays.

As he grabbed a box of cereal, he noticed his notepad on the end of the bar. The one he had used to write her the letter. And he decided since he never got the five different cards, and he couldn't tell her what he wanted to tell her in person, or likely over the phone, that he'd write it down in on his notepad.

He'd always loved to write. He found it much more satisfying than sending a text or an email, but he never really put it to use until he realized how much Olivia loved it when he did.

So, he grabbed the notepad and began to write, not really sure what he planned to do with it once he finished. He just wanted to write.

So he did.

* * *

Olivia laid on her bed, staring blankly at the wall.

 _Was this really what twenty-one-year-old girls did on their birthdays?_

Her parents made her a nice breakfast, and got her a new phone, since she was eligible for an upgrade anyway, and her old one was shattered beyond repair. So that was cool. Kind of.

Her mother had only noticed the screen a few days ago, and when she'd asked why it was shattered, Olivia told her exactly what had happened. That she'd thrown it against the wall in rage. Her mother replied, "oh…okay then," with wide eyes. That was at least slightly amusing.

Mostly, Olivia didn't want to do anything. Well, she wanted to drink. That was it. Nothing else.

Sandra had given her a good amount of money to go and buy whatever she wanted for the two of them at the liquor store tonight. So, since she could now officially do that, that's how she planned to spend her night. Stephen was out of town, so it would just be a girl's night with some booze. Maybe that would be fun. Who knows.

All she ever did now was go for drives, sit in her room alone, or spend the night at Sandra's. She rarely hung around her parents, like she always used to do. She didn't want to anymore. She found that she mostly liked to be alone, or with Sandra and Stephen.

Work was over, and she had done a lot of her packing already. So it wasn't like she had all that much to do. It was awful. Everything was awful.

She was desperate to talk to Fitz. To hear his voice. To tell him the truth. She'd been going back and forth in her head, deciding what to do.

But all she did was look at pictures of them, and re-read the things he'd written for her over and over again. Pathetic.

The day passed by, feeling like any other day. Not feeling like her birthday.

And when she finally left to go to Sandra's, she bid her parents a weak goodbye, and headed to the nearest liquor store.

When she got there, she felt a little bit like a fish out of water. Everyone inside looked to be about fifty years old, and she felt like she was receiving questioning stares from them.

She roamed the aisles, wondering what she should get. Everything reminded her of him, and made her not want to buy it, which also made her feel pathetic.

She grabbed a nice bottle of red wine, anyway, and some gross brand of whiskey that Sandra liked, and went up to pay.

"I.D. please?" the cashier said. Olivia nodded and showed him her driver's license. "Ahh, today's the day, huh?" he asked, starting to ring up her items. "It sure is," Olivia said, plastering a fake smile across her face. He nodded politely and finished ringing her up. "Have a good night, and be safe," he said. "Will do, thanks" Olivia replied, turning to walk away.

She drove to Sandra's house, and walked to the back, where she knew Sandra would be.

She was happy to see her, and greeted her with a hug, and a cute birthday card.

They ordered pizza and drank together in the basement. All night. It felt kind of lame, but she didn't really want to do much else. And once the alcohol started kicking in, Olivia started to feel a little more like she was twenty-one.

"Let me try, you've almost finished the whole bottle!" Sandra exclaimed, reaching for the bottle of red wine. "That was my plan, dumbass!" Olivia giggled, taking another sip, and handing it to her. Sandra took a swig, and almost choked.

"Oh god, that's disgusting!" she exclaimed. Olivia scoffed. "Says you, what the hell is that shit!?" Olivia asked, pointing at the bottle of whiskey in Sandra's hands. "It's heaven in a bottle is what it is!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, give it to me," Olivia said, grabbing the bottle. She took a long drink, wincing as she did it. "God that's awful" she giggled. "But it feels good, huh?" she asked. Olivia nodded. "Yeah. It feels good" she agreed. And it did. It felt good to drown out the pain, even though she knew it wasn't a good way to deal with problems, and that she'd be a wreck in the morning. Oh well.

* * *

Cyrus looked over at Fitz with sympathetic eyes, after he had told him the entire story about Olivia. Which, wasn't really much of a story, considering he, himself, barely knew what had happened. All he knew, was that he'd ended up without a girlfriend out of nowhere. And that was pretty much it.

"So…just like that, she's gone?" Cyrus asked. "Yep," Fitz said. Cyrus shook his head. "I don't understand, so the reason was the age gap, or…?" he questioned. "I don't know, she said that was part of it. I'm so confused" Fitz replied.

Cyrus raised his eyebrows. "Something doesn't seem right here, buddy," he said. "I know. I think there's more to it, I just…don't know what exactly. And...a small part of me doesn't want there to be more to it because...that means she lied to me. And she won't tell me a thing. I'm…so angry at her, Cyrus. I have never been this angry with her, ever. And…I'm so…upset. All the time. And I'm just so confused. I don't know what I did. Or if I even did anything. God, I don't know" Fitz said, shaking his head.

Cyrus looked him over and nodded. "You know, this all _really_ explains why you look like shit."

Fitz couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, noted" he replied.

"Well. Welcome to breakups" Cyrus said sadly. "No, Cyrus. This doesn't just feel like some average…breakup. I've broken up with girlfriends before. This is different. Liv is…different" Fitz said quietly.

"Well...even if it's Liv, time heals everything. You're a strong guy, you always have been. You'll get through it. And like they always say, what doesn't kill you makes you _stronger"_ Cyrus said encouragingly.

Fitz could tell he was trying to help. But he just shook his head. "You know what, who said that? Seriously who started saying that? It's just bullshit" Fitz said angrily. "I don't think it's bullshit, Fitz" Cyrus replied. "No, it is. Whoever said that time heals, and…and what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and everything will be okay…hasn't met Olivia" Fitz said. "Olivia is different. Olivia is…Olivia. Nobody is her. Nobody _can_ be her" Fitz added.

"Can I say something?" Cyrus asked. Fitz nodded.

"I've always said she's a lovely girl. And she is. I still believe that, I want you to hear me when I say that. But…she ended things and barely gave you a reason as to why. She's always been very mature. I forget she's even a college student sometimes. But not right now. Right now, she's slipping up. Right now, she's acting her own age. And maybe…maybe it's time to let go, buddy" Cyrus suggested.

Fitz's muscles tensed up and he looked down at the table. "She's young. And no matter how mature she may be, she's still got growing up to do. Everyone does at that age. She's twenty years old, Fitz" Cyrus said. "Twenty-one" Fitz stated. "What?" Cyrus asked. "She's not twenty. She's twenty-one. Today is her birthday" Fitz said. Cyrus sighed.

"Okay. She's twenty-one. But you're thirty-seven, nonetheless" he said. "And?" Fitz asked. "And, I'm saying…maybe it's time to find someone you can be seen in public with. Someone you can have a real adult relationship with" Cyrus said. Fitz looked at him angrily. "We have a real adult relationship, Cyrus" he replied. "Not anymore you don't," he said.

Fitz swallowed hard and looked back down at the table. "The two of you used to sneak around like teenagers, Fitz. I'm just looking out for you. Your life could be a lot easier with someone that…isn't Olivia" Cyrus said.

Fitz shook his head. "Who was it telling me that they understood how it felt for people not to approve of who you're dating, huh? Wasn't that you?" Fitz asked. "I do understand that, Fitz, firsthand. And I approve of Olivia, I already told you that. All I'm saying is that maybe this happened for a reason. And…that reason is that she isn't the one" he said kindly.

Fitz sat back in his chair and studied Cyrus. "How did you know that James was the one for you?" he asked. Cyrus sat in thought for a moment. "I just knew" he replied. "Exactly. And I just _know_ too, Cy. I'm pissed at her, but that doesn't change the fact that…she's it" he said.

"And, by the way, who gives a shit about easy? Our relationship was hard. We _did_ sneak around like teenagers. We _couldn't_ be seen in public together around here. But what we had was real. And…not everyone gets what we had" Fitz added.

He was getting a little annoyed at the way Cyrus was talking about Olivia. Like she was just an average girl you could find anywhere. He had good points, no doubt. Fitz wasn't oblivious to that. But that didn't change the fact that she was it. Nothing could ever change that.

"I'm not trying to upset you, buddy. I'm not. I'm just trying to…to help, I guess, I don't know. I don't like seeing you this way, is all. Maybe you just have to put yourself out there for a little bit. I'm not saying forget about her. I'm not. I'm just saying…put her out of your mind for a little bit, and go have some _fun"_ he said. Fitz cringed at him.

"You mean a hookup?" he asked.

"You could say that I suppose" Cyrus replied. Fitz shook his head. _"No, Cy,"_ he said.

"Hey, okay, okay. It was just a suggestion. I thought…I thought that's what men do when they get their hearts broken" Cyrus shrugged. "Did you ever?" Fitz asked. "Well… _closeted_ me dated women until I was in my late twenties. Needless to say, breaking up with them didn't really…break _my_ heart. And when I met James, we never separated. We've been together ever since. So…" he said. "So you've never had a reason to do that" Fitz answered. "Right" Cyrus nodded.

"Well…some men do. I have before, when I was younger. But…I just don't understand it anymore. I can't just take a woman home and act like it's nothing. Like hooking up with them, no strings attached, will somehow tape me back together" he said.

"It's not supposed to. I think it's supposed to…I don't know. Make you forget. Make you feel good" Cyrus shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. But…I don't think it would feel good. I think it would feel…wrong" he replied. "Yeah, I could understand that" Cyrus nodded.

"You're a good man, Fitz. A really good man. I know that you love her. I just hate to see you hurting, that's all" he said. "Yeah. Well. At least I have you, Cy" he said, giving him a small smile and a pat on the back. "You do" Cyrus nodded. "And scotch" Fitz added, downing the rest of his drink.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Later that night, Fitz sat on his couch, nursing his third drink since he'd gotten home from the bar with Cyrus. And he'd had plenty to drink at the bar, so, needless to say, he was drunk.

He tried to focus on the TV, but his mind kept wandering. And his eyes.

His eyes landed on the canvas that was hung up on the wall in his living room. The canvas of him and Olivia in New York City.

He smiled at her pretty face, and pulled out his phone. He had a feeling he would regret this later. But right now, it sounded like a great idea, and he couldn't stop himself.

* * *

Olivia laid on the living room floor, taking the occasional sip of Sandra's whiskey. Her wine was long gone, so it was her only alcoholic option. She'd made sure to continue to drink water throughout the night, at least.

Sandra was completely passed out a few feet away from her, looking dead to the world. Olivia had rolled her onto her side, just to make sure that if she threw up, she'd be safe from choking on it. And she'd put water by her side for when she woke up. She always did get called the mom of the group, even if she, herself, was hammered.

And man, she really was.

Sandra let out a funny sounding snore, that had Olivia in a fit of uncontrollable giggles for who knew how long.

But eventually, she found herself scrolling through her photos of her and Fitz. She was so glad that everything had synced from her last phone, because she wasn't sure what she would have done if she lost everything.

That's part of the reason she liked to keep hard copies of photos, on top of the digital versions on her phone. But that wasn't what she hadn't wanted to lose. She hadn't wanted to lose the endless texts and voicemails from him, because there would be no way to get those back.

But she didn't lose them. She still had them. And while she was reading a particular funny chain of texts between them, she was interrupted with a call.

From him.

Her heart leapt. She didn't know what to do. She wasn't sure. But being in the state she was in, she didn't think much. She just answered.

"Hello?"

"Olivia?" his soft voice answered. "Fitz" she replied, not even hiding the thankfulness in her voice at the sound of him.

"Happy Birthday," he said softly. "Thank you" she replied. "I...I was looking at the canvas in my living room. It made me call you. I...shouldn't have. But I...I couldn't stop myself. It's...it's the canvas' fault" he stumbled.

"Are you drunk?" she asked.

"No" he answered confidently.

"Yes," he answered again.

"I've had so much to drink" he added. "Me too," she said. I...need to stop—stop drinking, but...it's your fault" he said. "I thought it was the canvas' fault?" she asked. "You gave me the canvas—so...overall it's your fault. And...you—you broke me." She looked downward at the carpet sadly. "I know" she whispered.

"Why did you do that? That was just...so—fucked up. This is all just...fucked up" he said, his words slurring. "I know," she said again. "See, you know. And...and you did it anyway. I thought...you loved me. You told me you...loved me more—than anything" he said.

"Fitz, I do. I do. So...much" she said sadly.

"It doesn't feel like you do...anymore," he said.

"Fitz, I love you. I love you—more...than anyone. And anything. You are…everything. I did what I did because I love you. I...did it for you" she replied.

"That's bullshit. Everything that—that comes out of your mouth is bullshit" he said.

"Fitz, I know...I know this isn't fair—". "Fair! _Fair?_ Don't tell me about fair. It's already...not fair. It's not fair that you're—you're the love of my life and my student. That—isn't fair. And it's not fair that we're sixteen years apart, and...and people don't approve of that. None of that is—is fair! And then, and _then_ , you go and...and end things because it's what's best...for me? For you? For...for both of us? It's all just—just bullshit. Heaven help the fool who falls in love, right? Yeah—yeah. All of it just...isn't fair, Olivia."

She was crying now, listening to her drunken boyfriend. Or...ex-boyfriend. Speaking everything that was on his mind, not holding back. And she knew she deserved it. But it hurt to hear him that way.

"We just need time...okay. That's—that's it" she said. "Time for what? Time for...for you not to be my student anymore? Well—we already tried that. It—it didn't work. I need you. And...and you're not my student anymore anyway. I—I looked. I went through the list four times. You're not on it" he replied.

"I saw that too" she replied. "When I found out, I...only wanted to…talk to you. I always only want to—talk to you. But you aren't here anymore. You—you left me. You…broke me" he said again.

"I didn't want to, baby, I didn't. It's…it's a long story" she cried. "Don't sit there and—and call me baby. You don't get to anymore. You…said we didn't work. I shouldn't have…have even called you. But I did because…because I just fucking miss you" he said, his voice cracking a bit. "I miss you too" she sniffled. "Come back to me" he pleaded.

Her heart broke at the desperation in his voice. The same desperation she'd heard last winter, when he'd begged her to let him in. To let him be the one, to be the guy. To let him love her. Only this time, the answer would be different.

She put her hand up to her face and let the tears fall down her cheeks. This was all way too much for them to handle right now in their current states, and she knew it.

"I can't. Just…just not yet. I can't" she cried. He sighed deeply on the phone. "I…shouldn't have even called you. I should go" he said. "No, Fitz. Just wait—".

But he had hung up.

She tossed her phone aside in defeat and grabbed the bottle of whiskey again to take a long drink.

She chugged an entire bottle of water before she finally passed out next to Sandra; drunk, guilty, and heartbroken. Happy fucking birthday to her.

* * *

"Ah, fucking shit!"

Olivia awoke with a start to that string of profanities. She lifted her head up from the uncomfortable carpet to see Sandra hopping around on one leg, holding her foot in pain.

"Sandra?" Olivia asked. "Oh, shit. Sorry, Liv. I didn't mean to wake you up" she said, at a normal voice level. But to Olivia, it was shouting. "Jesus, stop yelling at me" Olivia exclaimed, covering her ears. "I didn't, you dumbass. You're hungover. And, for the record, so am I. No more booze for a long time" she said, shaking her head.

"Shouldn't have had so much to drink, _dumbass"_ Olivia mocked. Sandra shot her a look, and then smiled. "How do you feel?" she asked. "Like a train wreck," Olivia said, rubbing her eyes. "How about you?" she asked back. "Like a trainwreck times two" Sandra answered.

Olivia nodded and sighed, and then glanced at her phone. And then she was reminded of something. "Sandra," she said. "Yeah" she replied. "I talked to Fitz last night, I think," she said. Sandra's eyes widened. "You did?" she asked.

Olivia opened her phone to check her call log, just to make sure. And there it was, a three and a half minute phone call.

"Yep."

"Do you remember all of it?" Sandra asked. Olivia thought hard, to try and remember all of the details. "He was... _so_ gone, I remember that much" Olivia said. "Drunk dial?" Sandra winced. Olivia nodded. "Yeah, but I was just as gone as him, so…" she replied.

"What else?" She asked. "God, I don't remember much. He was upset. Something about a canvas. I…broke him. That this is…fucked up. I don't...remember everything" Olivia said softly. Sandra looked at her sadly. "Man, I'm sorry, Liv," she said. Olivia shrugged. She didn't feel sorry for herself, only for him.

"Well…how about a nice breakfast? Something greasy. That helps everything, right?" she suggested. "Yeah. Yeah, sure" Olivia nodded. They got ready, slowly, and steadily, and Sandra drove them to get what sounded the greasiest; McDonald's.

And they couldn't even wait to eat it, so they sat and ate in the parking lot in Sandra's car. And it tasted great, and seemed to help. A hangover breakfast, as Fitz would say.

And as they sat there, Olivia's drunken call with Fitz swirling around in her head, trying to remember everything that had been said. She couldn't help it.

"Sandra?"

"Yeah, Liv."

"Did I...do the right thing?" she asked.

There was a long pause, as Olivia awaited Sandra's response.

"Honestly...I don't know" she said. Olivia sat there, continuing to think about all the damage she'd probably done.

"I know why you did what you did. I know that all you want is to protect him. I know that you probably had no idea what to do when your dad told you to end it right then, and you did what you thought you needed to, and what was best" Sandra said. "But...I think...if you were given more time, you would have come up with something better. Because...I don't know him very well, but if I had to take a guess, based on everything I _do_ know about you and him, and his drunk dial last night...I'd say that he's really not doing well right now."

Olivia nodded, and fought the urge to cry.

She had hurt him. She had hurt him _bad_ , and she knew it.

"I know," she said shakily. "What do you want?" Sandra asked. "What do you mean?" Olivia asked. "I mean, given all the same circumstances, what would be your preferred outcome?" she asked.

Olivia sat and thought. "Well, for starters, I want to be with him. No matter how long I would have to wait. I just want to be with him" she began. "Okay. What else?" Sandra asked. "I want my dad to stop being an annoying, protective, douchebag, asshole," she answered. Sandra laughed a little at that. "Okay. Okay, very descriptive. Good. What else?" she asked again.

"I don't want Fitz to lose his job, or give it up for me. I want him to keep it. I really want him to keep it" she said. "Alright. Anything else?" she asked. "I want...I just...I want him. That's it, Sandra. I just want him" she said sadly.

"That's an achievable list. Your mom even said that your dad just needs time. So...just tell Fitz that. Tell him the truth, Liv. Tell him," Sandra nodded. "But what if he...resigns or some damn thing. What if he gives everything up? That's what I didn't want from the beginning. That's why I didn't tell him the truth" Olivia said.

"Do you think he'd really do that if he knew you guys just needed time? I think he'd respect your parents' wishes. I mean, they're your parents for god's sake. I think he already has reason enough to want to be on good terms with them. Worse case scenario, you wait until you're sure he won't be your professor anymore. That's two years _at most"_ Sandra said.

 _"Two years!?"_ Olivia exclaimed.

"At most! You said you didn't care how long you'd have to wait! You have to tell him, so that you know if _he_ would wait. And surely your dad will be done being stupid in that amount of time. Plus, what's the better option? Fitz continuing to be left in the dark?" Sandra asked. "No. I don't know—I don't...know. I can't think straight. I haven't been able to for weeks. I don't know, Sandra" Olivia replied.

"Well, _I_ know, Liv. How else are you gonna get everything you want? This could give you that _in time_. Depending on your dad and when he decides to stop being an...annoying, protective, douchebag, asshole," she said.

Olivia smiled at her friend. "Yeah" she nodded. "Because, eventually, even if he doesn't want to, he'll be forced to move on. And if he never knows the truth, he will. But if he knows you two just need to wait and he agrees to that, he won't. You don't want him turning to another woman, do you?" she asked. "God no. Oh...god. No" Olivia replied, shaking her head at the disgusting thought.

Another woman holding his hand. Kissing him. In bed with him. Waking up to him. Calling him her own little nicknames. Oh god. The unwanted thought had definitely crossed her mind, and it usually made her feel ill, so she tried not to think about it. But Sandra was right. About everything.

"I want to talk to him in person, but…I feel like it isn't fair for me to make him wait another week" she said, shaking her head. "Yeah, you can't do that to him, Liv. I would call him today. It's shitty, but he needs to know now. You can talk to him again in person too. But call him as soon as you can" she replied. Olivia nodded.

"So...I should really do this?" she asked. Sandra nodded. Olivia looked down at her hands and sighed. "He's going to hate me," she said softly.

Sandra looked over at her in the car. "Liv...I think he kind of has a reason to."

Olivia nodded. "I know. I...fucked up. Bad" she admitted.

"Yes. You done fucked up, girl" Sandra said.

Olivia shot her a look. "Hey, your words!" Sandra exclaimed. Olivia smiled and shook her head. But her smile faded very quickly.

"I think I need another drink" she joked. Sandra laughed. "Yeah, that would temporarily help my head that's currently pounding" Sandra nodded. "Tell me about it" Olivia replied, taking a huge sip of water.

They drove back and Olivia got her things from Sandra's and thanked her for spending her wild birthday with her. And while she was getting her things, she got a text from Fitz.

 ** _I apologize for last night. That was uncalled for and out of line. It won't happen again._**

Since she was just about to leave anyway, she didn't answer him. She bid goodbye to Sandra, and promised her she'd let her know how it went. She went out to her car, where she drove the short distance to her house. Her parents were at work, so she had the whole house to herself, which would be nice. Especially for the call she was about to make.

She sat on the couch, and her hands shook as she called him. After a few rings, he answered.

"Hello?" he answered. "Hi" she replied. "Hi," he said. "I got your text," she said. "Yeah, I'm...sorry. That was unlike me" he replied. "It's alright, really" she assured him. He was silent on the other end for a little bit.

"Do you...remember it much?" she asked. "Not much. I just remember of it" he answered. "Right, me too, yeah. Okay," she nodded. There was an awkward silence between them, until he spoke up again.

"You're...calling me," he said, almost sounding a little hopeful. "Yes, I um..." she began. She could already feel the tears threatening to spill out. She wondered how she even had any tears left after this awful ordeal. But clearly, she still did.

"Liv..." he questioned. "Yeah, I'm here. I'm...here" she replied. "What's up?" he asked. She took a deep breath and prepared herself.

"I...made a mistake. I...I fucked up" she admitted. There was a silence on the other end.

"I...I didn't tell you everything. I...lied to you" she said. "What are you talking about?" he asked. She took another deep breath. "I thought I was...protecting you. I thought I was. I thought...it was the right thing" she said shakily.

" _What_ are you talking about, Olivia?" he asked again. "My parents. They found out. It was all my fault. I...I left some of your things out in my room and they found them. They were...so angry, Fitz. My dad, he—he threatened your job" she cried.

 _"What?"_ he asked. "He made me end it, or else he would ruin your career. I couldn't let him, Fitz, I couldn't. I'm so sorry" she sobbed. "You kept me in the dark for weeks?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, Fitz. I made a mistake. I know I did. I just—". "I thought I did something. I was so confused, Olivia. I thought I did something wrong" he said. "I know. I know" she replied.

"Why would you do that? Something happens, no matter what, I should be someone you tell. Not someone you lie to" he said. "I was looking out for you. I was trying to—to protect you!" she cried. "Funny way of showing it, don't you think? You broke my fucking heart, Olivia. You broke me, and let me wonder why for weeks. And you know what, I did wonder if something like this happened. But I kept dismissing it, because I didn't think you'd actually do this. I guess I don't know you as well as I thought I did" he said.

"You know me, Fitz. You know me. I'm sorry, I'm _so_ sorry. I can't say it enough" she pleaded. He sighed heavily on the other end. "I don't understand, Olivia. I thought we told each other everything. I…trusted you" he said.

"I'm trying to tell you why I did what I did. I had a reason. And…and my parents are cooled down now. My dad just...he just needs time, that's all. My mom, she...she has been understanding. We...we just need some time" she said, hoping that would help.

"Well, you can add some more time onto that because I'm going to need it anyway," he said. "What? What do you mean?" she asked. "You lied to me, Olivia? You broke my heart. I was already... _so_ angry at you. And now..." he began, before cutting himself off.

"You made me think it was me, when it wasn't? And no matter the reason you did it, you didn't need to do it. We could have...talked about it. I should have been in the conversation, no matter what. We aren't some couple who's been dating for a month. We've talked about our future? We've talked about…our family? I just thought I would have meant enough to you to tell me the truth. I…trusted you to do that" he replied.

"Fitz, I made a mistake, and I know that now. I know that" she cried. He sighed again, and was silent for a moment.

"I'm going to go."

She sniffled and nodded, even though he couldn't see her. She had expected this, and knew he had every right to be upset. But it still hurt, nonetheless.

"I just need some time."

"I understand" she sniffled. "I'll see you when you get back, maybe. I don't know" he said. "Okay," she said. "Bye."

"Bye."

* * *

Man, they're having a tough go at this. :(

But, that was the first step. Now he knows. And as expected, he was hurt.

Lots of time factors swirling around now.

You'll just have to see how it plays out!

She'll be back at school next chapter, which will be...interesting.

Hang in there!

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	45. Progress

Olivia gathered the last of her things in her bedroom, and gave it one last look-over. The beginning of her summer had been amazing. The _majority_ of it had been amazing, actually.

Work was good, she made great money this summer. She saw Abby once, at least, and hung around her friends at home all the time.

She'd seen Fitz twice, back when they were still going strong.

And she'd gotten along with her parents great.

Until the last few weeks, of course.

Since then, she'd wanted to get the hell out of Virginia. But not because she was so incredibly excited to be back in Connecticut, like she used to be.

But just because she needed to get out.

So when she gave her room one last look-over, she wasn't the least bit sad to be leaving.

What was sad, though, was leaving her friends. She'd gotten together with both Stephen and Sandra the prior night for a little send-off for Olivia. Sandra had a few more days back at home, and Stephen had about two weeks left back at home, so Olivia was the first to go.

And, Olivia had finally told Stephen everything about Fitz, and her activities the past year. In all honesty, he wasn't that surprised. He figured there was a reason that she was hesitant to share details about him, he just wasn't quite sure what the reason _was._

What he was surprised about, however, was Olivia's father's rage over the entire ordeal. To her friends, and even towards Olivia, Eli Pope had never seemed all that scary. He could be intimidating, sure. And it was clear he was protective of Olivia. But Olivia's account of her father's rage definitely surprised Stephen, and he thought it was, as he put it, "kind of fricken stupid". Yeah, she agreed.

Sandra assured Stephen that Fitz was a good man, and that he had her full best-friend approval. But, naturally, Stephen still requested to meet him someday, wanting to make sure he was good enough for his best friend. Olivia had laughed and nodded at that, saying that if they ever got through this, and she believed they would, that she would make sure to introduce the two men.

Fitz had always been very open to meeting her friends. He had always trusted her judgment on whether she should tell one of her friends about him or not, and she was very thankful for the few friends of hers that he had met. So, if one day, he could meet Stephen, that would mean the world to her.

Her goodbye with her parents was awkward. She gave them both a hug, and promised she'd text them when she got there safely. But, it was not the same close-knit, loving, happy relationship she'd always had with them. That had been ruined, it seemed.

With her mother, it was more normal. But she was still at odds with her father, even if they weren't openly quarreling anymore. It was all just…awkward.

And then began the long drive to New Haven, Connecticut.

She listened to the radio, hoping to avoid songs that reminded her of him. She hadn't played their playlist in weeks because it hurt too much.

But then on the radio, a song came on that she hadn't heard in forever. A song that really reminded her of him. "Heart's Content".

She was brought back to the front seat of his car, leaning back and looking at the stars through the moonroof.

Stealing each other's milkshakes, holding hands on the center console. Feeling so nervous at the strong feelings she had begun to develop for someone she shouldn't feel anything for. The strong feelings that she had never felt in her life.

She could picture him on that night, so easily in her mind. His hair was just starting to get longer. A single curl rested on his forehead, a pesky curl that failed to cooperate. His smile, as he looked up at the sky, asking her if he was seeing the Big or Little Dipper. The blue eyes that were so beautiful, looking happily over at her.

And even though this song reminded her of him, she didn't change the station. She continued to listen, even turning it up a little bit. It was one of the best memories she had of the two of them; the beginning of their relationship.

He had been so cute and nervous around her. A particular night flooded back to her as she thought back to the early memories of them. The night when she had left her wallet in his car by accident, and he had driven to her house to give it to her after midnight.

And he had called her cute. On accident, of course, as it had slipped out. She had looked up at him, only to see red cheeks and a shy smile on his face after his slip-up. What a cutie.

She had been so scared back then. So scared at what she felt.

She felt that she had grown a lot as a person since then. And she credited that to Fitz. Being with him made her a better person. With him, she was better. And she hoped he felt the same way about her, even if he could barely stand to look at her right now. Which, she could understand.

He hadn't contacted her since their phone call, when she had told him the truth. And she had expected that. But after she got her things settled back at her apartment, she planned to reach out to him. She was desperate to see him, and talk to him, even if he was pissed at her. She felt it was the right thing to do. And if he didn't want to, then he didn't want to. But she wanted to at least try.

The drive, overall, wasn't so bad. She snacked on some popcorn and listened to the radio, and stopped to use the bathroom and get gas once.

And before she knew it, she was turning into the parking lot of her apartment complex. The one she'd already lived in for a year with her best friend, and the one she couldn't wait to live in again.

And then she saw Abby's blue car, and grew excited. It felt like it had been forever since she'd seen that crazy, red-headed girl. She parked and took her backpack and her suitcase inside to start with.

She rode the elevator up to the fourth floor, and walked down the hallway to apartment 4025. When she opened the door, she smiled, because Abby had already started decorating their living room with the same decor they'd had last year.

"Liv!?" she heard from the bedrooms.

"Yes, it is I, Liv" Olivia replied happily.

"Aghhhh!"

And soon, a tall, skinny red-head was running at her at full speed.

Olivia laughed as she pulled her into an embrace. "Hey, best friend," she said. "Hey! I'm so glad you're here. I've been here for an hour already you slacker!" Abby giggled. "Ah, man I'm sorry. How's the unpacking going?" she asked. "Pretty good. Oh, I got your key, too. It's on the counter" Abby said, pointing to the kitchen. "Oh okay, thanks!" Olivia nodded, looking around.

She sighed deeply. "It feels good to be back," she said. "Yeah, tell me about it" Abby nodded. "Have you seen him yet?" Olivia asked with a smile. Abby's face lit up. "Not yet, he gets off work soon, so I'm just unpacking all of my clothes and then I'll go meet him" she replied with a smile.

Olivia smiled, and felt genuinely happy for Abby. She had only seen David once all summer, so she knew she was dying to see him. She only wished she was in the same boat as her best friend, about to see her boyfriend. But, she definitely didn't want to get Abby down, and wouldn't dare bring it up. But, Abby knew her well, and didn't need Olivia to bring it up to acknowledge it.

"Are… _you_ going to see him?"

Olivia nodded. "I think so. Today. We need to talk in person."

Abby nodded in agreement. "I think so too. I'm glad you told him, Liv" she said. Olivia smiled a weak smile. "Yeah, I am too. I feel better about it. He hates me, but…I feel better. He deserved to know. He…didn't deserve what I did to him" Olivia said quietly.

Abby nodded and reached out to hold her hand. "But you're trying to fix it. That's all that matters now," Abby replied. Olivia nodded.

"And pretty boy could never hate you, Liv. Come on. You're the center of his whole world."

"Well…it's definitely an intense dislike. I…broke his trust" she said. "Maybe. But he's a smart guy. If he decides to use his brain at all, which is still in question because he's male, then he'll at least try to understand why you did what you did" Abby shrugged.

Olivia laughed at the male comment, which made Abby smile. "Hopefully so. He has a right to be upset. We'll see how everything goes" Olivia said nervously.

Olivia made the last few trips to her car to get everything that remained, and then she and Abby started unpacking their things together. They blasted music loudly, without a care in the world, and it was actually...fun.

The first things Olivia got situated were Fitz's things. She stacked up some of her storage totes underneath her bed like last year, and put her Fitz box way behind all of them. Then, she hung up his Yale sweatshirt in the closet, before all of her own clothes.

The rest of his T-shirts went underneath her pillow once she got her sheets on. She didn't have to worry about anyone seeing them in her bed anymore. And frankly, she didn't care. That's where they would stay, because right now, those were the only part of him she had left.

She hung her Washington Capitals hat, which had become her favorite hat ever since she'd gotten it, on the top of her bedpost.

When Abby left, very excitedly, to go see David, Olivia took a break to text Fitz.

 ** _Hi. I'm back in New Haven. I know you need time, but just wondering if I can stop by today so we can talk?_**

She thought that sounded good enough, and sent it.

And she waited, and waited, but received no response.

She figured he was busy, so she let it be, not wanting to bother him if he was doing something. But after two hours passed, she started to think something was wrong. So, she called him.

But, got no answer.

It was four in the afternoon, so it certainly wasn't a weird time of day to call someone.

She made a decision, and grabbed her keys and her bag.

And then she got in her car and drove the familiar route to his apartment. The route that she hadn't driven since early May.

Alex smiled at her, and opened the door for her as she walked in. "Nice to see you, ma'am!" he exclaimed happily. "Nice to see you too, Alex, thank you" she nodded, plastering a fake smile on her face.

She was slightly sad that it wasn't Christian, but Alex was also one of her favorite doormen. She mostly was just nervous about Fitz.

Alex nodded politely and gave her a smile.

Logan wasn't at the front desk, which Olivia was thankful for. She hadn't seen him in over three months. Plus, he and Fitz were friends, and she wasn't sure how much knew about everything, so she figured it may have been a little awkward if he had been there and had wanted to talk.

She rode the elevator up to the sixth floor, and walked down the beautiful hallway to apartment 639. And then she knocked.

She listened as best she could, but heard nothing. So, she knocked again, only this time, a lot harder.

She listened, and then heard some movement inside.

"Oh thank god," she said under her breath. He was fine, at least.

"Coming" his voice boomed out.

Her heart leapt at the sound of his voice in person. He was there. He was mere feet away from her.

The door swung open, and Fitz appeared before her. Except…it wasn't quite the Fitz she dated. It wasn't… _her_ Fitz.

He was shirtless, in a pair of gym shorts that hung loosely around his hips. He had clearly just gotten up, because he sleepily rubbed his eyes with his hands, which had slight bags underneath them.

And his hair.

What the hell had he done to his beautiful hair?

It wasn't buzzed by any means, but it was much, much shorter. And it almost looked…straight. She could still see a slight wave, but only because she knew to look for it. Overall, he looked...different.

He looked up at her as he rubbed his eyes, and he about stopped dead in his tracks. "Oh—Olivia. Um…hi…" he said awkwardly.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to bother you. I just texted and called. You didn't answer, I got worried. Sorry—I'm sorry" she said apologetically. "No, it's fine. I should be up now anyway, I was just...taking a nap. Um...do you…want to come in?" he asked. "Yeah, could I?" she asked. He nodded and opened the door for her to come in.

She passed by, and was thankful that he was at least extending her kindness, even though she knew he was pissed at her. It felt a little awkward between them, but at least things were civil.

She walked in and smelled the familiar scent of his apartment, which made her smile. "Can I get you something to drink?" he asked. "No, no I'm okay. Thank you" she nodded.

He nodded back and stood there awkwardly for a moment. "Um. Let me just…I'll be right back" he said. Olivia nodded and set her bag down on the counter. He came back only moments later, pulling a shirt over his head and down over his muscular chest.

As if he needed to cover himself in front of her. As if she hadn't seen every inch of his body before. As if he was embarrassed to be half-clothed in front of her. Man, things were different.

"How are you?" she asked. He nodded and shrugged. "I'm doing fine. How are you?" he asked back. "I'm…alright. Yeah, just got settled in at the apartment with Abby. It's…good to be back" she nodded. He nodded back and looked down at the floor.

"You cut your hair," she said.

He looked up at her and nodded. "Yeah. Thought I needed a change. It was getting a little long," he replied. "It looks nice," she said. "Thank you," he said back.

And then it was silent again for a little bit.

"What brings you here?" he asked, breaking the silence. She took a deep breath. "Well, I just thought…we should talk. In person. I know you need time, and probably don't want to…see me right now. I understand that. And if you want me to go, I will. I just…I think we should talk" she said. "Yeah. We should" he agreed.

She nodded and stood there, not exactly sure how to proceed. But, he spoke up.

"I think…this was inevitable."

She looked up at him, confused. "What?" she asked. "Someone else finding out about us" he replied. She stood there in thought, processing what he had said. "I never thought it was inevitable when we were together. I worried about it, but…I couldn't picture it happening. And I think I was a little too naive. We were careful. But at the same time, we were…risky" he said.

"We were careful. You were careful. But...I wasn't careful enough. We got caught because of me. It was my fault" she replied. He stood there in silence, and nodded slightly. "It's alright," he said. "No, it isn't," she said, shaking her head.

"Olivia, I don't care that your parents know. Was it a bad way for them to find out? Yep. You're right, that was your fault. That's on you. But I don't care that they know. What I care about, was you not telling me that it happened" he said.

"I know that, Fitz. I tried to explain to you why I did what I did. My dad…you wouldn't have been able to listen to the things he was threatening. The things he was saying. It was awful. I was…just trying to protect you" she said.

He cocked his head to the side. "The things he was saying...about me? I'm sure they were bad. But guess what, welcome to life as a governor, Olivia. People shit-talk you. People don't like you. It happens" he said.

"These are my parents, Fitz. I just…I was rushed. I didn't think everything through. I did what I thought was best at the time. I didn't want you to give up your job, so I didn't tell you. I didn't want my dad to ruin your career, so I didn't tell you. I…I didn't want you to be upset with my parents either, because it was _my_ fault" she replied. He chuckled.

"You think I'm upset with your parents? It's what I would have expected from them. You told me they were strict. You told me they were intimidating. You told me your dad was protective of you. I got plenty of warnings, and if it were my college-aged daughter dating someone in their upper thirties, I'd be angry too. I'm not upset with them. I'm upset with you."

"I know" she nodded.

"I could have gone to Virginia, Olivia? I could have gone to talk to them" he said. "You think I wanted you anywhere near there, Fitz? You honestly think that would have helped? You weren't there. My dad wanted to _kill_ you. It wouldn't have ended well. You may not trust me anymore, but you can trust me on that one" she replied.

"You didn't want me there, fine. But I should have at least been in the conversation with you. We could have talked about it. Talked about what was best. But you didn't give me that option, because I didn't know a fucking thing" he said.

"I didn't want you to know because I wanted you to keep your job! I made the wrong decision. I made a mistake, Fitz. I'll say it as many times as you want me to say it, I'm not ashamed to admit that I was wrong. And it _was_ wrong. But can you at least acknowledge the fact that you understand why I did it? That I wasn't trying to hurt you? That I didn't _want_ to keep you in the dark?" she asked.

"I don't think you'd ever try to hurt me, Olivia. Not on purpose. But you did. You really did. And it took me getting wasted and calling you like the goddamn fool I am, for you to finally tell me the truth" he said.

"No, that isn't true. I had been going back and forth in my head for weeks, deciding if I should tell you or not, it wasn't the call that made me do it. It was long overdue" she replied.

"Oh, well that makes me feel loads better. You thought about telling me, but you _decided_ to keep me in the dark for weeks anyway" he said.

"Don't get smart" she shot back.

"Well, it's true. I just think you could have told me sooner" he said.

"Yeah, I could have. And I should have. But I didn't. What's done is done, and I can't change anything. At this point, all I can do is try to mend things the best that I can. Try to fix my mistakes. And I'm trying to do that right now, with you, Fitz. Because you are everything to me. My heart beats for _you._ Everything that I do, I do for you. Even if it ends up being the wrong fucking thing. I still did it for you. You may not be able to forgive me, I don't know. You may never trust me again. You may decide you never want to see my face again. I hope none of that is the case. Because I love you. And I'll wait, for as ever long as it takes. For however long it takes my dad to stop being an asshole. I'll wait till there's no chance of you being my professor anymore. I'll want till I graduate. I'll wait however long it takes for you to forgive me, if you can. I will wait for you."

He looked at her, almost surprisedly, at that long statement. And he stood there in thought for a while, before he nodded. He didn't say anything. He just nodded, indicating that he understood. That he was aware of what she said.

"That's what I...wanted you to know. I understand everything you've said, and I understand why you're upset. You didn't deserve what I did to you. You are the sweetest man I have ever known, and I feel awful knowing that I hurt you, and I can't tell how you sorry I am. But I'm glad that...we talked about it" she said.

She stood there, looking at the beautiful man with sad eyes and a broken heart. But he was still beautiful. So, so beautiful. And she wanted to stay. She wanted to stay with him, but she also knew that the feeling was probably not mutual, and she wanted to respect his wishes for time.

"I'll, um...I'll go now."

She grabbed her bag, starting to walk towards the door past him. But he grabbed her arm gently, and stopped her.

She looked up at him as they stood side by side, closer than they'd been in a long time. He looked down at her, not smiling. But not frowning either. He just looked content.

And then he was pulling her toward him slowly. She didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around him, as he did the same. It was an awkward hug. But, it was still a hug, and it felt good to be in his arms again, even if they weren't in the best place. It still felt good.

He rested his chin on top of her head, and then tightened his grip on her.

"I understand."

She pulled away and looked up at him. "I understand why you did it. I'm still upset. I still wish you would have told me what happened, and...I'm angry. But…I understand" he said.

She felt her spirits lift a little bit at that. She inhaled deeply and nodded, looking into those gorgeous blue eyes that she had missed so much.

And then their grip on each other loosened, and they pulled away. "So...I'll see you around?" she said. "Yeah. I'll see you around" he nodded. "Okay. Have a good night," she said, opening the door. "You too" he replied.

She gave him a small wave, which he returned with a nod.

And then she was gone.

* * *

She spent the rest of the night, feeling a lot better about the situation. She still felt awful for him, and couldn't imagine how he had felt the past few weeks. She had been hurting bad, so it must have been much worse for him.

But, she was glad he knew. Hiding things from him was not fun, and she knew she never, ever would again. No matter what. And hopefully, he'd forgive her in time.

She fell asleep, feeling more content than she'd felt in weeks. Slowly but surely, things were getting better.

* * *

Fitz laid on his couch, watching TV. It was two in the morning, and he wasn't the least bit tired. Which, was most likely due to his awful-timed nap earlier today. He would really need to get his sleep schedule in check, considering the fall semester began next Monday.

He could go for a drive, as he liked to do on occasion when he couldn't sleep. But he didn't really feel up to it.

His thoughts turned to Olivia. He had actually seen her today. In person. He was happy that she had taken the initiative to come and talk to him on her first day back. And he had said everything he had wanted to say, he thought. He knew she was aware of her mistake, and that she regretted it, and was trying to make up for it, at least.

He had had a week to cool down a little bit from their last phone call. And even though he was still upset, he knew it wouldn't do any good to shut her out and tell her to fuck off or something. Which, may have been something he would have done last week. But now, it was this week. And even through his anger, he was still very aware of a couple things. That she was it for him. And that he still wanted her. Bad.

And knowing those things, he wasn't going to delay the process any longer by making their relationship worse. It already had healing up to do as it was, and she was working on that. So, he was going to do his part, and be civil.

Plus, he had come to understand. He knew how fathers could be. He knew that her father and his father were quite different. That her father cared for her, and wanted only what was best for her. He couldn't say the same for his own father.

But he did know what it felt like to be put under pressure by your dad, demanding that you do something. He knew what that was like, and understood that. He just wished he had known the truth to begin with.

He sighed, and wondered if he should at least try and go to bed, despite being completely wide awake. He turned the TV and the living room light off, and went to go turn the bar light off as well, before noticing something.

The letter he'd written a week ago, on Olivia's birthday, before he had even known the truth about their breakup. He shook his head and grabbed it, with the intention of throwing it away. But then he stopped, and thought for a second.

Maybe he'd go for a drive, after all.

* * *

The next morning, Olivia woke up fairly early. The apartment was quiet, so she could tell that Abby was still sleeping. But, she was hungry, so she got up, planning to eat what little food she'd brought from home that her mother insist she bring.

She and Abby would have to get groceries today for sure, but for now, Olivia was fine with a couple granola bars.

As she threw away one of the wrappers, something caught her eye.

A white envelope that somebody had clearly slid underneath the door.

She raised her eyebrow, and went to investigate.

But when she got a few feet away, her heart started beating faster. Because she recognized what was on the envelope. She recognized the handwriting.

She bent down and picked it up, peeling the sticky note off of the back of it. The sticky note read;

 **I wrote this on your birthday, not really sure what I was going to do with it afterward, just knowing that I wanted to write. I almost threw it away. But, after some thought, I decided that maybe you'd want to read it, because you like when I write. So, here you go.**

She shook her head and smiled slightly. Not everyone was moved in yet, and he wasn't even her professor anymore, so she wasn't worried if people had seen him. Plus, knowing him, he'd probably done it in the middle of the night or some damn thing. That man was something else.

She stuck the sticky note back on the envelope and opened it up, pulling out a lined piece of paper, covered in his handwriting. It read;

 **My dear Olivia,**

 **I suppose I should wish you a happy belated birthday, if you're reading this. So happy belated birthday. I hope you had a fun day.**

 **I'm not really sure where this letter is headed. But that's the beauty of it, isn't it? I can just pick up this pen, and start writing, and I don't have to know where it's headed. And I don't even have to give this to you if I don't want to. But, knowing me, I probably will.**

 **Because it's you. And you have this hold on my heart that I can't seem to break. Not that I want to. But let me tell you, Olivia, I'm pissed at you. It's your birthday, and I'm really, really upset with you. And I'm confused.**

 **But, like I told you before, I don't believe this is over. I will never believe that it's over. And I'm sitting here on your birthday, the day I had planned out the celebration for in my head, and I'm trying to stay positive. And somehow, that meant writing to you. And that probably makes me pathetic, or a fool. I don't know. But, I also don't give a fuck at this point. Because I don't know what else to do. I feel lost.**

 **This isn't meant to be some pity party for myself. It really isn't. And let me tell you, right about now, I really want to be one of those guys that say I can get over you. I will get over you. I'm independent, and I don't need you. Well, the thing is, I'm not one of those guys. Because I can't get over you. I will never get over you. I am independent. But I do need you.**

 **And no matter what I'm doing, everything leads back to you. When I'm sitting in my living room, all I can see is you dancing to music in front of me, telling me to get my ass off the couch and dance along with you. Or you sitting next to me, asking me question after question about the hockey game that's on TV.**

 **When I'm in my car, I still see you next to me, fixing the makeup that you don't even need to wear, in the mirror. Or you pointing to random ridiculous things out the window.**

 **When I'm drinking, I still see you on my lap at the cabin, lips pressed against the bottle of whiskey. Or the way your face lit up the first time you tried wine. Or the way you blushed when we did body shots at Brett's wedding.**

 **When I'm in my bedroom, all I see every day is the shirt and the necklace you left here. I see them every day, and I can picture you wearing them. Or I see all the times we'd talk about our future, after you graduate. Or all the times we shut off the lights, and we didn't just sleep.**

 **I see all of that, because you're everywhere. And you're everything. So I guess my point of this entire ridiculous letter is that I love you. And I always will. And I'm so angry with you. I really am.**

 **But in time, I won't be anymore. Even if you never come back to me. Even if you never love me again. Because you don't have to.**

 **But there isn't a thing you could do that I wouldn't forgive.**

 **Just know that.**

 **Happy Birthday, Olivia.**

 **Yours always,**

 **Fitz**

* * *

"Your mistakes don't define your character. It's what you do after you have made the mistakes that makes all the difference."

I really like that quote, and it applies to Olivia in this situation.

She may be young, a lot younger than Fitz. She may make mistakes, as every human being does. (I know I sure have). But she is beautiful, inside and out. And her heart is so full of love, _especially_ for Fitz. If you can't see that, then I don't think I have done the job right!

And despite the age difference, despite mistakes made, despite complications, Fitz loves that young woman more than anything. And I think he has great taste, if I do say so myself.

Just some Olivia appreciation from me :)

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I enjoyed writing it. It was very important.

And what an honest, down-to-earth letter from Fitz, huh?

Thank you all for wishing me well at school. It means a lot! The first couple weeks are a bit easier, and I still have a good amount of time to write. I can't say the same for later in the semester, but I will absolutely try my hardest!

I hope you are all still hanging in there.

And if you ever want to reach out to me somewhere _not_ on fanfiction, please do! I would love to hear anything and everything you have to say. Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, whichever it may be. My handles are listed in my profile on here.

Read on!

With Love,

~T

P.S. I know many of you like to see visuals, and if you are one of those people, you can view this chapter on Wattpad to see a visual of Fitz, or go look on my Tumblr account that I recently started! I will probably do one for Olivia in time as well, just because I think visuals can help.


	46. Can't Stop Thinking About You

Fitz woke up to the sound of his alarm blaring in his bedroom. He quickly turned it off to avoid hearing the awful sound any longer.

He blinked a few times and looked out the window at the sky that was just beginning to brighten.

And he felt good.

He'd been feeling better lately. Not completely himself. But...better. And today was great, because today was the first day of fall semester.

He got up and got ready for his run, yet another thing he looked forward to. It always seemed to calm him, despite the raising of his heart rate.

When opening one of his drawers filled with T-shirts, he did the familiar glance to the right side of the drawer, where her T-shirt was folded. It was light blue, with a pocket on the left side. It was adorable, and very "Olivia". And actually, one of her favorites, so he wasn't entirely sure how she had managed to forget it here. But in all honesty, he was glad that she had.

He ran his fingers over the soft fabric, instantly remembering the last time she had worn it here, as he had done many times before. It brought him back.

She walked around his bedroom, wearing the shirt, and her favorite little pair of cutoff jean shorts. He laid in his bed, watching the gorgeous sight.

"Baby, what are you looking for?" he chuckled. "My Biology textbook. Did I not leave it here?" she asked. "I don't know, did you?" he asked.

She shot him a look and rolled her eyes. He glanced at the nightstand on her side of the bed, positive that that was the last place he had seen it. He looked all around the area and spotted it, clearly having fallen behind the nightstand. "Did you find it?" she asked.

"Nope."

"Damn" she sighed. He waited until she kept searching to reach behind the nightstand and grab it, and put it safely underneath the covers.

"Babe," he said. "Hmm?" she replied, still looking around. "If I find it...what's my prize?" he asked. She laughed. "Anything you want," she said with a smirk.

He pulled back the covers and gasped. "Well, would you look at that? I found it!" he exclaimed.

She turned and saw it laying on the sheets, and put her hands on her hips. He smiled, and tapped the sheets next to him, indicating that he wanted her to come to bed. "You drive me crazy, Fitzgerald Grant," she said with a shake of her head, coming to bed with him.

He smiled and pulled her on top of him. "But...it's a good kind of crazy, right?" he asked with a smile. She rolled her eyes and giggled. "Yes. It's a good kind of crazy" she nodded.

He smiled at her and rubbed his nose against hers, before placing a soft kiss there. "You are so beautiful" he whispered. Her cheeks turned red and she laid her head down on his chest, wrapping her arms around him. "So are you" she whispered back, holding onto him tightly.

He wrapped his arms around her back and breathed in her scent, so happy to be holding the love of his life in his arms. Not doing anything else. Just holding her.

And as he came out of his thoughts, rubbing his fingers over the fabric of that shirt, he wished he could hold her like that again.

It took all the energy in him to close the drawer, and continue to get ready for his run.

He set out on his normal route of about five miles. And it felt great. August mornings were some of the hottest mornings of the summer, so his shirt never came with him. And his shorter hair was definitely nice. His longer hair had been dreadfully hot, and pretty annoying when it was humid outside. But, he had to admit, he did like the longer style, as did his ex-girlfriend.

The thought of her commenting on his hair made him smile.

A couple weeks ago, he had been at least _trying_ to push the thoughts of her away. The _images_ of her away.

But now, he had been letting it happen. In fact, he couldn't _stop_ thinking about her.

With every pound of his shoes on the pavement, it seemed different things about her flashed before his eyes.

Her smile. Her eyes. Her voice. Her laugh.

Her body.

He shook his head, and _did_ actively try to get that last one out of his head.

But he couldn't. All he saw was her smooth, soft skin. He could almost feel it pressed against his own.

Her dainty little hands, running down his chest.

Her perfect lips, pressed against his. Pressed against his skin.

The curve of her back.

He picked up his pace, feeling the sweat on his skin. Trying to do anything to divert his attention away from the things he was thinking about. He knew it was only natural, but his thoughts only continued to bombard him. Jesus Christ.

After his run filled with miserable, but such desirable thoughts, he went to work out in his apartment's gym, as today was his arms and back day.

He worked out hard. Really hard. And he had been doing so ever since things with Olivia had ended.

It had only been just over a month, but he could already tell that he was becoming stronger, in every way. Mentally, emotionally, yes. But mostly, physically.

He had always taken pride in his body, and his health. He liked to maintain his strong build and feel good about himself, but he had done much more than maintain. He had far exceeded that, and he was already beginning to notice.

He walked back up to his apartment, drenched in sweat, and feeling good.

But the shower afterward, felt much better. Today seemed like it would be a pretty good day.

* * *

Olivia ran her fingers over his handwriting on the lined piece of paper, that was already looking a bit worn after less than a week. She'd folded it and unfolded it over and over again, because all she ever did was read it.

She read all of the things he wrote for her a lot. But this one had become her new favorite. It expressed his feelings, both positive and negative. It was just him, getting everything out on paper, at a time when he couldn't talk to her in person.

She really did love it when he wrote to her.

She smiled at the way he addressed her. Even when he was pissed, it didn't change.

My dear Olivia.

She ran her fingers over his name, signed at the bottom. The "F", much bigger than the remaining three letters. It made her think of the bracelet that she hadn't worn in months. The bracelet with an engraved "F", and nothing else.

She reached into the opened box on her desk and pulled it out. The once perfectly braided leather was now a bit worn, and faded. The once shiny, unscratched flat clasp was now a little duller. But it was still so beautiful. Just holding it made her heart beat faster.

She hadn't put it back on. It didn't really feel…right. She didn't feel like she was his. She didn't feel like she had the right to wear it.

 _In time,_ she thought.

She forced herself to put the letter and the bracelet back in the box, and the box back under her bed, so that she could focus on her computer screen in front of her, even though he was still occupying her mind. He always was.

She couldn't stop thinking about him.

She sighed, and looked at the screen. She really needed to start remembering to look up her professors before the day of that particular class.

But, _RateMyProfessors_ serviced her needs, nonetheless, because she soon found Professor Samuel Reston, the one she had been looking for.

He was rated a 3.9 out of 5 stars. She nodded, thinking that was decent enough, but then smiled.

He wasn't as good as Fitz.

She probably shouldn't be smiling about that, considering she would have to take a class from this man. But, she smiled anyway, knowing that Fitz was better. He _was_ ranked very highly here at Yale, and that made her proud.

78% would take his class again, yeah good, cool. Class difficulty level, 4.8 out of 5 stars, yeah, same as International Politics.

But then, something else caught her eye. Another ranking, that they must have added after the last school year.

And she started laughing at what it was.

 _Hotness._

"Oh good lord" Olivia said with a laugh. It said only one person had voted, and they voted 1 out of 5 stars. _Ouch._

And then her curiosity got the best of her.

She began typing.

G-r-a-n-t

She clicked on Yale, and scrolled through a couple other professors with the same last name, until she found him.

She viewed his ratings for all three of his classes, which varied slightly between each course. But the hotness rating was the same for each one.

5 out of 5 stars.

"Oh my god," she said, shaking her head.

Not that it was really that surprising. She was well aware that girls liked him. She'd heard whispers about him all the time last year.

Yeah, he was hot. Nobody knew that better than her.

He was definitely the youngest of most Yale professors, and he didn't look his age, to begin with. But _damn_ , college students were bold.

She noticed there were comments to go with, just as there were comments about the ratings on the academic side of things.

She tapped her desk impatiently, trying to stop herself from clicking "view all comments".

But she couldn't stop herself.

There were a ton of votes, all of which were pretty much 5 out of 5 stars, followed by some interesting comments.

 **I took Professor Grant's class this year. He's a great teacher, and he's so passionate about it. He has a gift, and I don't want to take away from that. But ladies, (and gents!), he's also a sexy thing, let me tell you. 5/5.**

 **-Laney**

 **I got a C in his class, not only because it's hard, but because I paid more attention to him than I did to what he was saying. Although, his voice is nice too. But, legit, he's a really great professor. Best one I've ever had, no doubt! 5/5.**

 **-Meghan**

 **My fellow Bulldogs, this is the hottest prof you'll ever see. Really great hair. He also made everyone laugh constantly. I almost spit out my coffee multiple times. But most importantly, he's a hell of a teacher! 5/5.**

 **-Jamie**

 **His class made a lot of sense, because he knew exactly what he was doing. Probably the most attractive prof I've ever seen, too. Looks, personality, all of it. 10/10 would bang. No disrespect, Professor Grant! Seriously, you're f***ing awesome! 5/5.**

 **-Brooklyn**

"Yeah, well, 10/10 you will _not_ bang, Brooklyn," Olivia said. But even still, she raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but laugh a little bit at the comments she read.

Well. He was certainly a popular guy among the students.

Great professor, funny, nice voice, and _hot_. Classic.

She packed up her things quickly, after losing some time from looking at _other_ students call her ex-boyfriend hot in many ways.

She grabbed her things and headed for the door, ready to leave on the first day of junior year.

* * *

She sat in the auditorium, listening to Professor Reston talk about his background, and why he decided to start teaching here at Yale.

And then they went over the syllabus, as always. The first day was _always_ syllabus day. And man, she was bored out of her mind.

Last year, for the first time, she hadn't been bored out of her mind talking about the syllabus. The syllabus for International Politics 475.

Which, was because Fitz was talking, and she was immediately drawn to him, no matter what he was talking about. She kind of missed seeing him up there.

Instead, she watched Professor Reston stand in the same spot the entire time, talking. He wasn't pacing.

He wore a full suit and tie. Formal. No subtle acts of defying authority on his part. Lame.

But she figured she was a little too biased, so she shut her mind up and forced herself to listen to the man speak. But where was the passion? Where was the excitement, and the enthusiasm? Even on syllabus day, professors showed their true colors. And his colors were fricken dull.

No disrespect, Professor Reston!

But, she felt better when she went to introduce herself at the end of the class. He was very kind, and showed immense interest in each student's major and path that they wanted to take. She decided not to judge him simply based on syllabus day. There was plenty of semester left.

She had just the right amount of time before her next class, so she headed over there immediately. It was a Public Relations research class, and it was in a building she'd never actually been in before. So, she used her campus app to guide her there.

When she finally arrived, she had about ten minutes to spare. Perfect. And as she waited outside the auditorium with a few other students, she heard something that made her heart flutter.

"Dismissed."

Her head snapped up at the familiar word, and the familiar voice. _No_ fricken _way_.

She looked around at the other students, who were all looking down at their phones. They, of course, didn't care about the professor that was inside that auditorium at the moment.

Students began filing out of the auditorium, so Olivia stepped aside and let them all pass. But inside, she was cursing at them to move faster, because she was dying just to see him. Even if it was only for a few seconds.

Finally, _finally_ , there was room enough for her to sneak into the auditorium, as other students behind her did the same.

She looked up at the front as she walked across to find a seat in one of the first few rows. She read "Foundations of Political Theory 501" on the chalkboard, written in his adorable handwriting. That was Fitz's other class, the one she had yet to take. The one she would either take next semester, or next year, depending on the difficulty of her schedule in upcoming semesters.

He was greeting the line of students that had come up to meet him, happily shaking their hands and talking to them.

She remembered when that was her, last year. She remembered how drawn to him she had been. She kind of envied those students right now, seeing the magic of Fitzgerald Grant III for the first time. Because there _was_ a magic about him. And she really, really missed it.

She pulled out her laptop, preparing to go over yet another syllabus. Her eyes flickered back and forth between what she was doing, and him at the front.

Students began filling the rows of the auditorium as class time neared, and his line of students continued to shorten.

"Damn, who is _that_ fine specimen? Do you think he's a TA?"

Olivia looked to her right at the girl next to her. She was talking to her friend, subtly pointing at Fitz.

She rolled her eyes. _Seriously!_ He wasn't even the professor for the class and she _still_ had to listen to people talk about him? Good lord.

After he finally met with his last student, he greeted the professor who had recently come in, likely the professor of her PR research class. Olivia hadn't had time to look her up, or the professor of her next class, because she had gotten...distracted.

She was an older woman, who looked nice enough. She greeted Fitz with a handshake, and they talked briefly, before Fitz packed up his things to make room for her.

He scanned the room briefly as he put his things away, and to her surprise, she caught his eye. And then that man did the biggest double-take she'd ever seen.

She figured he didn't remember what classes Olivia had told him she was taking, and he wouldn't just assume she was in any old Public Relations class. So he was probably pretty surprised to see her.

He nodded politely in her direction, before slinging his briefcase over his shoulder and bidding the other professor goodbye.

She watched him walk out, his perfect body on display to the entire auditorium, even through his clothes. Sleeves rolled up, no tie, shorter hair, but still rocking it, briefcase hanging off his body and a coffee mug in hand.

The stainless steel coffee mug she'd given him for Valentine's Day.

The way he carried himself just oozed confidence. He looked fucking great. Yeah, _that_ was her Fitz.

Him leaving must have caught the attention of the girl next to her again, because she spoke up once more.

"Mmm. Hate to see you go, but _love_ to watch you leave."

Olivia rolled her eyes again at the two friends laughing at what she'd said.

As Fitz opened the door, he turned and looked over his shoulder. And he gave her that smile. That beautiful, flirty Fitz smile, that caused endless butterflies, and heart fluttering. And then he turned back around and kept walking.

Damn.

The girl next to her gasped. "Did he just look at me?" she exclaimed. Her friend scoffed. "Jeanie, why would he look at you. He was obviously looking at me."

Olivia turned her head away from the girls and smiled, laughing silently.

Oh man. This was gonna be another long year.

* * *

Olivia sat on the living room couch, eating the grilled cheese she'd just made for her and Abby, who would be there any minute. They planned to go over to Huck and Harrison's after they ate dinner, which Olivia was looking forward to.

But _right now,_ she was talking on the phone to her mother.

"So tell me again which classes you had today?" her mother asked. "The Supreme Court in American Politics, PR Research, and Philosophy of Law" she answered. "Whew! That sounds like a big load, honey. And...you like them so far?" she asked.

"Yeah, we don't ever do much on the first day, but they all seem alright. Abby said she can help me out in Philosophy of Law, because she took that last year" Olivia said. "Well that's perfect! How about the professors. You...do you like them?" she asked. Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I do" she answered.

"Any good ones?" she asked.

Olivia shook her head. "Mom, you already know that I don't have him this semester. So, if that's what you're trying to get at..." Olivia began. "Olivia, I'm merely asking you about the professors you have now" she answered. Olivia nodded. "Right, sorry. Well...they all seem good, I guess. A little boring, but they tend to be on the first day" she replied. _Unless they're Fitz_ , she thought. "I suppose that's true" Maya agreed.

"So how are you doing?" she asked after a small pause. "I'm doing fine, mom" Olivia answered. "You know you can tell me if you're not" her mother replied. "I know. But I really am doing...just fine" she nodded.

"You're sure?" Maya asked. "Yes. I just...miss him. That's all. Let's just...we really don't need to talk about it again" Olivia answered.

"Alright, alright. I'm just...trying to help" Maya said. Olivia nodded. "I know you are, I know. Thank you," Olivia replied.

"You're welcome, baby. Well...I suppose I can let you go, I just wanted to check in," she said. "Alright, thanks for calling," Olivia replied. "Of course. Your father and I love you very much and are so proud of you. We always want you to know that" she said. Olivia smiled and nodded. "I know. Thank you. I love you both too" she answered. "Alright. Have a good night."

"You too. Bye, mom."

"Bye, Livvie."

Olivia hung up the phone and tossed it aside, continuing to eat her grilled cheese. In peace.

She'd already gotten a few phone calls from both of her parents in the days she'd been at school. Which was fine, she enjoyed talking to them. But...her relationship with them was still weird, so it wasn't as enjoyable as it used to be. It kind of felt...forced nowadays. But, in time, she hoped it would return back to normal.

She turned on Friends since she didn't have much else to do. And just as she did, the door opened.

"Hey, Liv!" Abby greeted.

"Hey! Just in time, your grilled cheese is right there" Olivia said, pointing at the kitchen counter. "Thank you so much. You're a fricken lifesaver, I'm starving" she said, dropping her keys and grabbing the plate.

"I hope you enjoy your _gourmet_ grilled cheese" Olivia teased. "Hey, it's alright, Liv. Everyone knows you can't cook to save your life" Abby shrugged, sitting down next to her. "Hey now. I make mean grilled cheese" she said. "Mhm, so does my ten-year-old cousin," Abby said back. Olivia smiled and shook her head. "Yeah, yeah, yeah" she replied. Abby laughed.

"How was day one?" she asked. "It was as good as syllabus days can be" Olivia shrugged. "How about for you?" she asked back. "Yeah, same" Abby nodded.

"Oh, hey. I saw pretty boy on campus today. What the fuck did he do to his hair?" she added.

Olivia laughed. "Oh, did I not tell you? Yeah, he...cut it" she replied. Abby winced. "Well, he's lucky he's still pretty without the whole cute curly thing he had going on" Abby replied.

"Yeah, that seems to be a popular opinion because I sat next to two girls that thought he was 'fine' today," Olivia said. "What?" Abby asked. "Mhm, I guess he teaches Foundations of Political Theory in the same lecture hall as one of my PR classes. So I saw him today, too, very briefly. _And_ I listened to the girls next to me talk about him. They certainly liked what they saw" Olivia said.

"Did he see you?" she asked. Olivia nodded. "He...smiled at me," she said, feeling her cheeks redden. "See, he's coming around!" Abby exclaimed.

"Yeah. I think...maybe this will be good. Having Reston instead of Fitz. It puts a lot more space between us and I think...he needs that. It's going to kill me, but...I just want him to have whatever he needs. I just want him to be happy" Olivia said.

Abby put a hand on her arm. "Liv...in a way, you may be right. But also...it's probably going to kill him too, to not see you so much. I'm sure he'll jump at the chance to see you whenever he can, even if he's still mad, and even if it's only for a few seconds. I mean, seriously, you're Olivia, and he's Fitz" Abby said.

"And...?" Olivia giggled.

" _And_ that's explanation enough" Abby replied. Olivia shrugged and nodded. Fair enough.

"Hey...did you know they added 'hotness' as a ranking on _RateMyProfessors?"_ Olivia asked. Abby scoffed. "No way," she said. Olivia nodded. "Oh yes, way."

Abby was silent for a moment.

"You looked him up didn't you."

"How could I _not_ look him up," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Let me guess, everyone ranked him high" Abby stated.

Olivia nodded. "Yep."

"Well, Liv...he is..." Abby began.

"Yeah, he's hot, I know."

"There were comments that expressed that" Olivia added.

Abby laughed. " _Comments_ too? Damn, _RateMyProfessors_ is upping their game!"

Olivia smiled and nodded. "Mhm. One said 'ten out of ten would bang'. I gotta keep my eye out for her" Olivia joked.

Abby scoffed. "Oh jeez. Do I need to open a can of whoop-ass on these reviewers?" she asked.

Olivia burst into laughter. "No, I think you can save your can of whoop-ass. Thank you though, you're a true friend."

"Hell yeah. If anyone tries to get in the way of my Olitz...all I'm saying is, they're gonna wish I hadn't taken Karate" Abby nodded.

Olivia smiled, and put her arm around her best friend. "Thanks, Abby" she giggled. "No problem, Liv."

Even after the past shitty month she'd had, school wasn't turning out to be so bad.

* * *

Well, it's clear that these two are always on each other's minds. It's also clear, that their paths can definitely still cross, no matter what.

And they're slowly becoming themselves again.

It all should make for an interesting semester ;)

And man, Fitz is making everyone thirsty! If that ain't the goddamn truth, lol!

Btw, the hotness ranking on _RateMyProfessors_ really _was_ a thing at one point. It always made me laugh.

Hope you enjoyed!

With Love,

~T

P.S. If you're into music, you can check out the brief Forbidden soundtrack I posted on Tumblr, that includes all of Olivia and Fitz's songs. Just a little something fun! The link is also up on my Twitter. Enjoy!


	47. Friends

"Come on, man. Please? It'll be fun" Logan said. Fitz sighed, and thought about it again.

"Alright, fine. Fine" he nodded.

"Thatta boy!" Logan said, patting Fitz on the back.

"You're a pain in the ass, Baxter, you know that?" Fitz asked. "I certainly do" Logan nodded with a smile. Fitz rolled his eyes, and patted his shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, man."

"Yeah, man, I'll see you" Logan nodded.

Fitz had only recently told Logan that he and Olivia were no longer together. However, Logan had suspected that something was up, because Fitz hadn't really "been himself". He didn't quite know the extent of what happened, but he was still incredibly surprised that they had broken up. He always told Fitz he thought there was no way they would.

Yeah, Fitz used to think that too.

And now, Logan was begging him to go out to get drinks the next night, saying he needed to go "blow off some steam". Fitz shot him down multiple times, because he knew that he probably only wanted to find a new girl for him or something. But he finally agreed, mostly just to shut him up. And he supposed going to get a few drinks wouldn't be all that bad.

He left the front desk, and took the stairs up to his apartment, happy to finally be home after another long day.

When he got inside, he put his briefcase and coffee mug down on the counter and unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt, before reaching down to undo his belt.

He never even fully dressed up at work and he still couldn't get out of his clothes fast enough.

He walked down the hallway, unbuttoning the rest of his shirt as he walked. He pulled his undershirt over his head and changed into an old T-shirt and some shorts, instantly feeling much better.

He glanced at the picture frame on his nightstand, cracked glass and all.

And he thought of her.

He hadn't seen her today. Well, he rarely did anymore. He would see her on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, in passing time. But even still, it wasn't really _seeing_ her. It was more like...sneaking glances at each other when the other wasn't looking. It was quick, and not much of anything, really.

He'd had plenty of time to figure out their schedules, because it had been three weeks now, since classes had started. He'd had three weeks, to figure out _exactly_ when and where their paths would cross. And in all honesty, it wasn't that often.

She didn't go to Oak Haven on Saturday nights anymore. He'd gone once, two weekends ago, but it wasn't quite the same anymore, and he didn't enjoy it the way he used to.

James now regularly came with Cyrus every Saturday night, it seemed, so he didn't feel all too bad that he hadn't gone much.

He wondered if Olivia missed it. If she missed going to their places. If she missed him.

Because, man, he missed her.

It had been so long since they had just sat down and had a nice, normal conversation.

Their last conversation had been alright, but it was still a bit heated, and certainly not normal.

And before that, they hadn't been with each other in person since early July, at Brett's wedding. And now, it was early September. So it had been a while.

He needed the time. He did.

He had felt much more like himself these past few weeks, and his anger was not as strong anymore. It was fading. Still there, but definitely fading.

But even though it was still there, that didn't stop him from missing her.

That young woman was always on his mind. And he had come to learn that that wasn't ever going to change.

He walked back out to the kitchen to make himself some dinner, so he could just relax and watch some TV.

Something he wouldn't get to do tomorrow night now, apparently. Because he and Logan were going out. How fun.

* * *

Olivia sat in Huck and Harrison's apartment, studying her nails that she'd recently painted a bright red. She was tuning out Quinn, gossiping to Abby about some random girl in her Psychology class. "Liv, beer?" Harrison asked from the kitchen. "Yeah, yeah" Olivia nodded, not even looking up at him.

"Catch."

She looked up and caught it with one hand, before cracking it open and taking a sip. She grimaced, because she had never really been a fan of beer. But, oh well.

"Is that the new brand you got him?" Huck asked with a frown next to her. Olivia nodded and handed it to Huck to let him try it. He took a sip and scowled. "Harrison, your taste in beer is still ass."

Olivia giggled and took the can back from Huck. Yeah, he was right.

"Okay well the twenty-four pack cost me less than twelve bucks, dickwad, money doesn't grow on trees!" Harrison replied. Huck laughed and shook his head. "Fine I'll give you an extra five bucks, so you can splurge and buy a less ass-y brand."

Harrison smiled and gave Huck the middle finger, to which Huck instantly returned. Olivia laughed and shook her head. "Oh, you boys."

"Do you guys wanna do something tomorrow?" Quinn asked the group. "Like what?" Abby asked. "I don't know...just...we always stay in and party. Let's go _out_ and party!" Quinn replied.

The boys nodded and Olivia shrugged. It wasn't like she had that much else to do with her Friday night.

"Can David come?" Abby asked. "Of course he can. He can tell us all the great places since he's so full of wisdom" Quinn smirked, which made everyone laugh. That was the joke, that David was old and wise, now that he was out of college. Old and wise. At twenty-two. Ha.

"Well sweet then I'm bringing Zoey so you all can meet her" Harrison piped up. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. All y'all can bring your baes. Me, Huck and Liv will be on the lookout for our own wherever we go" Quinn smirked.

Olivia plastered a fake smile across her face and nodded, and looked at Abby, who was grimacing.

After breaking up with Hannah before summer break, Harrison had been single for the last three months. But now he was talking to a girl named Zoey, who he seemed to like a lot.

Huck hadn't had a girlfriend since freshman year, and Quinn and Charlie had been on and off all summer, according to her. Right now they were...off. And since they'd been back at school, Quinn seemed a little boy-crazy. Olivia, being in a similar situation as Quinn, was _not_ boy-crazy.

She was crazy about one. But _only_ one.

So, wherever they went, she'd probably just stick by Abby and David.

The group of friends hung around in the boys' apartment like they loved to do. And afterward, Olivia and Abby made their way down the hall to their own apartment, where they made popcorn and watched Friends together. It was a pretty good Thursday night.

* * *

The next day went by fairly quickly. Fitz only had one class to teach on Fridays this semester, so after that class, he went back to his office and worked for the remainder of the day, before heading home.

He and Logan had figured out a plan over text earlier because he had off today. So, they were meeting at the club they'd gone to last time, around eight.

Fitz changed out of his "preppy clothes", just for Logan, and decided on a pair of slim khakis, a blue plaid button down, and some casual shoes. Still looked kind of preppy to him, but apparently, that was his wardrobe. Whatever.

He made himself some dinner and did a little cleaning up around his apartment, feeling like he at least was being productive before he finally took an Uber downtown.

* * *

"How about Club Vandome? We can get into that one" Quinn suggested. "No, that one's not open yet, and it won't be until ten," Harrison said.

"What about...what's it called...Quinnipiack?" Huck asked. "That one's twenty-one plus. We should just go to BAR. That one's the best I've been to and you all can get in" David piped in. "Wait, BAR is eighteen plus?" Abby asked. David nodded.

"Oh, okay, sweet. I've never been there. Is everyone down?" Quinn asked. Everyone nodded in agreement. Olivia just went with it.

At least she could drink now.

They all walked there, with David leading the way. Abby clung to his arm and walked with him, laughing at something he had said.

Olivia smiled, looking just ahead of her at her best friend, who was so in love. And at David, who looked at Abby like she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. They were so cute.

Everyone certainly dressed the part tonight. They looked like a stylish, put together group, that was for sure.

Olivia was wearing ripped, high-waisted skinny jeans with a tight, black v-neck tank top, and black heels to match. She wore her hair in loose curls, and had done her makeup rather bold tonight. It would at least be fun to take some fun pictures with her friends all dolled up. And she had to admit, dressing up a little more than usual was kind of fun.

They got there around nine, and it was very, very busy. After they all showed their I.D.'s and got stamped, they entered the main, large room where many people were dancing. There was also a huge bar off to the right side, where tons of people sat. But that didn't even come close to covering the entire place.

There were little side tables everywhere, where people stood and chatted with their friends. And in the back, she could see it was a little more secluded, with separate areas and rooms to go into. The whole place seemed to be lit up purple and blue, with the occasional white strobe light flashing. Overall, it seemed like a pretty good place.

* * *

Fitz sat at the bar, talking with Logan. The place was absolutely nuts, but it was fun. The bar was where he preferred to be, mostly because that's where the drinks were, and that's where most of the older adults tended to be. That wasn't to say that some weren't out there tearing it up on the dance floor. Because some certainly were. But mostly, the young adults took that over.

He really liked this place, though. It reminded him of his college years. But at the same time, it was a nice place to come now, even in his late thirties. Fun, but not over the top crazy, either. It was perfect.

"Grant."

"Yeah, man," Fitz answered, taking a sip of his Manhattan. "Um...isn't that...is that your ex?" Logan asked. Fitz's head snapped up and he looked in the direction that Logan was looking. There were so many people and the lighting made it hard to identify faces. But then he saw her.

Showing up, without warning. Looking... _incredible._

Just the sight of her had his heart beating out of his chest. Seeing her somewhere _besides_ a lecture hall for about five seconds was a breath of fresh air.

"Holy shit" he breathed.

Logan chuckled. "Alright, yep, it's her."

"Yeah—um. Yeah. That's her" Fitz said.

"What are you gonna do?" Logan asked. Fitz raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" he asked back. "Well...do you want to leave?" Logan asked. Fitz shook his head. "No. Why?" He asked. Logan shrugged. "I don't know I just got the impression that...you weren't on the best of terms. Maybe you...don't want to see her?" Logan questioned. Fitz shook his head again.

"I always want to see her," he said quietly.

Logan smirked and nodded. "So...are you going to talk to her?" he asked. "You say that like I'm in high school and she's the crush that I'm afraid to talk to" Fitz chuckled. "Hey, man, I don't know!" Logan shrugged. Fitz laughed. "We're on fine terms. But she's clearly out with all her friends, I don't want to bother her."

"Mmhm. Yeah. Your preppy, vanilla ass ain't foolin' anyone here, Grant."

Fitz scoffed. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"You're nervous" Logan chuckled.

Fitz shook his head.

"I'm not nervous to talk to my ex-girlfriend, Baxter."

"Hm, it's funny you say that. Are you wearing blush?" he asked. Fitz could feel his cheeks turn an even darker shade of pink than they already were, which made Logan laugh.

"Okay, fuck you" Fitz chuckled.

"Hey, my man. Being nervous is not something to be ashamed of, you know. Ladies are crazy, they like that shit!" Logan nodded excitedly.

Fitz laughed and shook his head. "I'm not nervous to _talk_ to her. She just makes me nervous in...general, even when we're on...weird terms. I don't—I don't know," he stumbled.

Logan smirked and looked over Fitz's shoulder. "Nah man, I get it. Pretty little lady like that would make me nervous too" he said, nodding appreciatively.

"Okay, can you—eyes off," Fitz said.

Logan nodded. "Right, sorry. Oh—shit, oh shit, she's talking to a guy, Grant," Logan noted.

"Yeah, well look at her. Guys like her."

Logan nodded in agreement, still eyeing someone.

"Wait—no. I didn't mean—stop looking at her, it's making me uncomfortable."

Logan shook his head. "Fitz, I'm not gonna go for your girl. That's against the code. I'd never do that, you're a true buddy" he said, smacking his arm.

"I know that" Fitz chuckled. "Besides, I'm not looking at your girl, I'm looking at _her."_

Fitz cautiously turned his head.

"Blue dress, drinking a martini," Logan said quietly.

Fitz glanced at the woman who fit Logan's description and nodded. "Yeah, man. You gonna go for it?" he asked.

"Am I gonna—did you just ask if I'm gonna go for it, hell _yeah_ I'm gonna go for it! Logan Baxter always goes for it!"

Fitz chuckled and smacked his back. "Good luck, buddy."

"Thanks, man."

Logan got up and went to work his Logan Baxter charm, and Fitz took the opportunity to sneak a glance back in Olivia's general direction, to see if she really _was_ talking to a guy.

He had held it in when he and Logan were talking, just to appear casual. But the second the words had come out of Logan's mouth, his stomach tightened. Another guy. Oh, how heading those words had pained him. _Ouch._

It was hard to see her through all of the people. But from what he could tell, she was with Abby and her boyfriend. He hadn't met the guy, but he'd seen pictures of their group of friends and was fairly positive that was him. Which, made him feel much, much better.

Although, as he continued to look over there, he could see guys next to her, eyeing her. Guys in their mid-twenties, if he had to guess. Not quite college guys, but certainly not older guys. And now, his stomach tightened again.

He shook his head, telling himself he was being ridiculous and jealous. But he had to admit, he kind of wanted to go over there.

Not just because he felt a twinge of jealousy. But because he missed her. He missed talking to her, he missed her presence, he missed it all.

But there were certain things keeping him where he was. The fact that he felt dumb for being jealous, when he was the one that wanted time. The fact that he truly was a little nervous. And the fact that he really didn't want to bother her, because she had come with her friends.

Man, exes were fricken complicated.

* * *

Olivia sat at the bar with David, and Abby, who was standing by his side. She was sipping on the Cosmopolitan she'd ordered, which was already almost gone.

David, Olivia, and Zoey were the only ones of age in the friend group, so between the three of them, they made do with getting drinks for everyone that wanted them. But practically none of them had stayed by the bar, as they'd immediately went to the tables by the dance floor, or went dancing right away.

Abby and David stayed however, as did Olivia. She was trying to avoid the guy sitting a few seats down from her. He had clearly had taken interest because he would not take his eyes off her, which made her a little uncomfortable.

She talked to Abby and David, or watched Quinn dance with some random guy, before they started making out right there on the dance floor. Oh lord.

She sat there, stirring what little liquid she had left in her glass, before Abby's voice startled her.

"Oh, um. David, babe, let's go dance."

Olivia looked up to see Abby with wide eyes, pulling a confused David away from the bar. And Abby's gaze was fixed directly behind Olivia. So naturally, Olivia turned back around and looked to her left.

And there, getting into the empty seat next to her, was Fitz.

She had to prevent her mouth from hanging open at the sight of him. In all honesty, she had seen the man earlier today before her PR class. But she felt like she hadn't really _seen_ him in forever.

He wore slim khakis and a casual blue, plaid button-down. And he looked so good.

"Two gin and tonics, please."

She blushed and looked down at her lap.

"Hi."

She looked up to see him putting some cash down for the drinks, making brief eye contact with her.

"Hi" she replied.

"You looked a little empty there," he said, tapping her nearly empty cocktail glass. "Thank you. You didn't have to" she said with a nervous smile.

He shrugged as if it was no big deal. The bartender handed them their drinks, which they both thanked him for.

"I never really thought I'd see you at a club," he said. "My friend wanted us all to come _out_ and party tonight. This is where we ended up" she replied. He nodded. "I could say the same for you" she added with a smile.

He chuckled. "Logan and I just like the drinks here."

"Gotcha. Where is he?" she asked. Fitz leaned back and pointed subtly down the bar, to where Logan and a woman were chatting it up. "He's using his charm," Fitz said with a laugh.

Olivia laughed too. "It looks like the charm is working" she nodded. "Yeah, it always seems to work," Fitz said, shaking his head.

They sat in silence for a little bit. It was comfortable. But it was still silent.

"So how have you been?" she asked, finally speaking up.

He nodded. "I've been alright. How have you been? Classes going well?" he asked

"Yeah, actually. I like them a lot. Things are...alright" she replied.

He nodded and held his drink out. She clinked her glass against his and nodded. "It's good to see you," he said quietly.

"It's... _really_ good to see you" she nodded. "I mean...outside of the five seconds I see you every...Monday, Wednesday and Friday" she added. He smiled. "It's more like...three seconds" he replied. She laughed. "You're right. It just...isn't very long" she said. "It isn't," he said, shaking his head.

More silence.

"I haven't had one of these since Brett's wedding" Olivia noted, glancing down at her gin and tonic. "Yeah, neither have I. I just figured...this was our thing. So...we could have one together" he replied. She grew sad at his use of the past tense.

It _was_ their thing.

"It was. And red wine" she nodded, taking another sip. "Yeah, and red wine. I haven't had that since Brett's wedding weekend, either" he said. She winced. "I...drank a whole bottle on my birthday" she replied. He looked over at her and raised his eyebrow. "That a girl," he said with a smile.

She shook her head. "That mixed in with a good amount of whiskey...yeah, not a good feeling in the morning" she replied.

He nodded. "Yeah, I bet. So...that night. Your birthday. You didn't go to...a bar?" he asked.

"Nope. Just got wasted in Sandra's basement. How fun, right?" she asked, laughing a bit. "Well...most twenty-first birthdays aren't all that glorious, to be honest" he replied. She nodded. "Yeah, you're right" she agreed. "It...probably didn't help to get a drunk dial from your ex-boyfriend either," he said quietly.

She looked over at him. "Actually...that was probably the best part of my night. Not...the call. Just...hearing you. Hearing your voice" she replied quietly. He looked over at her and exhaled deeply.

"It's weird that...this is us right now," he said, after a slight pause. "What do you mean?" she asked. "I mean...you and me. This is us. Seeing you for a few seconds three times a week. And then...meeting randomly at clubs on the weekend" he replied.

She nodded at their strange current situation. "Yeah. Things really can change fast" she said. "Mhm. So, I suppose we're...friends" he stated.

She couldn't help but laugh, just because that sounded ridiculous to simply be his "friend". But she made the best of the comment anyway. "Damn. I just got friend-zoned by my former professor" she said quietly. And that made him laugh.

What a beautiful sound.

"I didn't mean—that's not..." he began, trying to form the words. "I know" she nodded, saving him.

He nodded back, glad that she understood.

"I'm a really good friend though," he said with a smile, clearly trying to add some more humor to the conversation.

She laughed. "Hmm...I think you'll have to prove that one to me" she replied. He smiled. "Alright. I can do that" he nodded. "You sure?" she challenged. He smiled. "One hundred percent" he nodded. "Alright, alright" she giggled, bumping her shoulder into his. He turned towards her with a smile when their bodies touched.

"I'm gonna start being a great friend right now by letting you know something," he said, glancing slightly behind them. "Alright, let's hear it" she replied.

"Well" he began, taking a big drink. "I think you're... _missing_ something on your left wrist."

She looked down at her left wrist, with no bracelet. Her completely bare left wrist. She looked back up at him to see his smile as he gave her a little wink, before a few of her friends crowded around her, taking a break from dancing.

And she could barely focus on what they were saying, because her heart was still fluttering from their exchange.

"Damn, Liv. Who in god's name was that?" Quinn asked, checking Fitz out as he walked away.

"Uh...I don't—I don't know" Olivia replied with a shrug, taking a sip of her drink.

Quinn exhaled deeply. "Jesus fuck. I would climb him like a tree" she said.

Olivia almost spit out her gin and tonic at that comment, starting to cough a little bit.

Everyone started laughing at the whole situation, thinking that Olivia just thought the comment was funny.

"Hey, you can't leave that random guy hanging though!" Harrison teased, pointing out to the dance floor.

Quinn nodded. "You're absolutely right. Come with me to find him again" she said, grabbing Zoey's hand and nodding at Harrison to follow.

Olivia shook her head and laughed at her ridiculous friends.

She looked down the bar, where Fitz had gone most likely to avoid suspicion from her friends. She saw him, already looking at her.

He gave her that cute Fitz smile, which she returned with one of her own.

And she knew exactly what she was going to do when she got home. Take out that worn, braided leather bracelet, with the first letter of his name on it. The first letter that claimed her as his.

And she'd put it on, so he could see that no matter if they were friends or not right now,

She'd be waiting for him.

* * *

There you go.

Whew! Look at that progress. Both doing so much better, and they're now "friends". Mmmhmm.

How do you all think that will go?

Hope you all enjoyed.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	48. Sparks Fly

Olivia walked to Woodbridge hall, the building she had been to many times before, to see Fitz. Only this time, she was going to see another professor. Unfortunately.

She'd been working on her first paper for professor Reston's class, and wanted some guidance. She had always been a decent writer, or at least, she _thought_ so. But the first paper for every class was always tough. Each professor was different, and was looking for different things in a paper. So even though she felt confident about her writing, she still felt that getting some help would be beneficial to her.

She entered the building and walked down the hallway, getting goosebumps as she did so. Because this was where his office was.

She exhaled deeply as she passed it, seeing his name on the door. The blinds were closed, so she wasn't sure if he was in there or not. But nonetheless, that office made her heart beat fast.

The times she ate lunch in there with him. The time she went to say goodbye to him before winter break. The time she went to visit him on his birthday, twenty minutes before a meeting, and went down on him in his office chair. She held back a laugh at the thought.

They had done some pretty risky things when they were together, and at this point, it just made her smile.

She eyed the doors throughout the hallway and finally saw Professor Reston's name. She knocked a few times, before hearing him tell her she could come in.

"Hi" she greeted happily. "Hi. Miss...Pope, right?" he asked for confirmation. "Yes, that's me" she nodded with a smile. "Very nice to see you again, come on in. Have a seat" he nodded. "Thank you" she replied, setting her backpack on the floor and sitting down across from him.

"So how has it been going with paper number one?" he asked, folding his hands and looking at her. "Pretty good, actually. Like I said in my email, I just wanted to get a second opinion on what I have so far" she nodded. "Well, I think we can manage that," he said with a smile. She nodded gratefully and took out her laptop, opening it up to her Word document.

She turned it around and he read through it briefly, and then helped her out. The essay question was pretty difficult, but he said that what she had down was a tremendous start, which made her feel confident.

Just as he was explaining how her third body paragraph needed to be altered, there was a knock at the door. She briefly turned her head towards the door while Professor Reston apologized and assured her he would make it quick.

"Yep, come in."

There weren't any windows in Reston's office, unfortunately, so Olivia didn't see who it was until the door opened.

And...oh my god.

"My apologies—".

And then he stopped, making eye contact with her.

"Oh, Fitz, hello" Professor Reston greeted.

"Hi. So sorry to interrupt, Nancy had to leave, family emergency. She said this needed to get to you by the end of the day" Fitz said, coming in and handing Professor Reston a file.

"Ah, right, right. Thank you very much, Fitz. Olivia, have you met Professor Grant?" he asked.

 _Nope. Definitely haven't screwed him or anything, either._

"Yes, I actually had him last year for International Politics" Olivia nodded, giving Fitz an innocent smile. "Ah, sure, of course. I wasn't quite positive if I had had you in class before now or not" Reston nodded.

"Yeah, I wish you luck this year. I heard Professor Reston is _super_ tough" Fitz teased with a smile, turning towards Olivia. "Thank you, I'll keep that in mind," Olivia said with a laugh, nodding at Professor Reston, who was shaking his head and laughing.

"Get out of my office, Grant" he chuckled.

"See what I mean, super tough," Fitz said, pointing at him. Olivia laughed and felt herself beginning to blush.

"Sorry again for the interruption. Good to see you again, Olivia" he said politely. "It's no problem. Good to see you again too, Professor" she nodded back.

"Thanks, Fitz" Reston nodded, just as he closed the door.

"Alright, let's see, where were we," Reston said, scrolling back to the paragraph they had been discussing.

But all Olivia could think about was him.

It should be _illegal_ to look that good all the time.

White dress shirt, sleeves rolled up, top few buttons undone. Black dress pants, dress shoes, his favorite dress belt.

The curls in the process of growing back, the big smile on his face, and the kindness in his voice.

It killed her.

She managed to get through the rest of her meeting with Professor Reston, feeling much more confident about her paper, and also much happier than she had been when she first came.

Because she had gotten to talk to him, even though it was only for a few moments. He made everything so much fucking better.

She thanked Professor Reston for taking the time out of his schedule to help her, and she was off, heading back down the hallway.

But she didn't make it very far.

Because as she passed his office, she subtly glanced up at his blinds and door, which were now both open, and heard; "miss Pope."

Her heart started racing again.

She looked inside his office at him sitting at his desk.

"Could I speak to you for a moment?" he asked. She paused, but then nodded, trying to appear casual about it.

She walked in, looking at him behind that desk. She, again, remembered being behind that desk, kneeled down on the ground.

Good times.

"Can you close the door?"

She nodded, reaching for the door to shut it.

She walked over to the chairs she always used to sit in and nodded happily at him. "Hi," she said.

"Hi," he greeted back, gesturing for her to sit down.

"How are you?" she asked, taking a seat. "I'm good. How are you?" he asked back. She nodded. "Good. I just got some help on an essay, I feel pretty good about it" she replied. "Oh, well good, I'm glad. Are you liking Sammy?" he asked. "Professor Reston?" she asked. He nodded.

"Yes, he's a good Professor. Maybe better than you" she teased. He scoffed. "If you were still in my class, I'd flunk you for saying that" he chuckled, which made her laugh. "I'm just kidding. You are and always will be my favorite" she said. He smiled. "As will you. I still have a gift that says so" he said, glancing at the wooden box on his desk. Her heart fluttered. "You kept it here," she said gratefully. "Of course I kept it here," he said quietly back.

She smiled at him and sighed softly. It felt so good to be with him, talking. Man, she missed him.

"So, um. Tomorrow" he began, breaking the silence. He scratched the back of his head nervously. "I...think I'll be at BAR again with Logan after he gets off around nine."

Goosebumps arose on her skin. "Oh yeah?" she asked casually. "Yeah, I think so" he nodded. "Hm," she replied.

She looked at him with a little smile, to see him biting his lip, looking back at her hopefully.

"It's funny. Cause…we were all going to go out again. We just didn't know where" she said. He nodded and kept looking at her. "I think BAR is the best option" she added. "Yeah?" he asked. She nodded.

"So if we go there...you'd be there" she questioned.

"I'd be there" he nodded. "At the bar" she questioned again. "At the bar" he agreed.

"With a gin and tonic," she said with a smile. "Well that depends" he replied. "On what?" she asked. "On if you're coming" he replied. "And why's that?" she asked with a smile.

"Because if you're coming, I'll order two."

She could feel her cheeks begin to turn red. God damn, he was smooth.

She grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Order two," she said. He smiled. "Okay."

"I'll see you," she said. "See you" he replied.

"Oh, and Olivia."

She turned back eagerly to look at him before she opened the door.

"I like your bracelet."

She looked down at her left wrist, where the beautiful bracelet hung loosely. And she smiled.

"I like it too."

The smile on his face made it impossible to tear her eyes off him. She was surprised she didn't trip as she turned and closed the door behind her, because she watched him the entire time. Lord.

* * *

"Wait…so he basically asked you out" Abby stated. "Um…no, I don't…no" she replied. "I think he _diddd,"_ Abby said with a smirk. "He didn't. We're…just friends. Remember? That's a good start, I don't want to get ahead of myself and get my hopes up" she said. Abby just laughed.

"Why the fuck are you laughing!?" Olivia asked.

"Because you just said you and pretty boy were _friends!"_ she exclaimed, barely able to contain herself. "Yeah, I know, it sounds stupid. But…I'll take it. This is progress" she shrugged.

"No, Liv, you still don't get what I'm saying. Normal friends don't want to fuck each other" she said. "Yeah, well when have we ever been normal?" Olivia asked. Abby nodded. "Touché," she agreed.

"Plus, I don't think…he wouldn't want to…um" she said. Abby looked at her like she was crazy. "I'm not even going to respond to that ridiculous comment" she replied. Olivia scoffed. "How was it ridiculous?" she asked.

"Nope, Liv. Nope, we're done. Why don't you go sit in your room and think about what you just said" she said, pointing down the hallway. Olivia laughed. "Okay, _mom."_

"Mhm, that's right. Mom will text the group chat and tell them we're going to BAR, no exceptions. Mom can be scary" she said. "When was the last time you got laid? No sex makes you touchy" Olivia teased, walking down the hallway.

 _"You're_ really gonna ask me when the last time _I_ got laid was. Really? _You?"_ Abby replied with a laugh.

Olivia scoffed as she turned the corner into her room. "Rude!" she exclaimed. "Just facts!" Abby replied.

Olivia shook her head with a laugh and closed the door, starting to get ready for bed. As she changed into one of Fitz's T-shirts, she grew excited at the thought of seeing him the next night again. It had been a week since their random run-in at BAR, and she was already so ready to talk to him again. Just having a conversation with him these days was a treat. So when she went to bed that night, she slept great, knowing she'd be with him again tomorrow.

* * *

"Abby! David's here!" Olivia yelled, as she opened their front door for David. "Hey, Liv. You look nice" he said with a smile. "Hey, David, thank you. So do you!" Olivia replied. "I'm coming, babe!" Abby yelled.

Olivia and David laughed. "Which means…she'll be out in ten minutes" Olivia said. David nodded. "Oh, I know. That girl is never on time for anything" he chuckled. "Hey! I can hear you!" Abby yelled from her room. David winced. "I love you, sweetheart!" David yelled back. "Oops," he whispered, which made Olivia giggle.

They made small talk while they waited for Abby, and while the rest of the group showed up. And soon, Harrison, Zoey, Huck, Quinn, David, and Olivia all stood in the living room of their apartment chatting it up.

Abby finally came out, looking stunning as usual. All the girls wore skinny jeans of a few different colors, and tight-fitted shirts or tank tops, with heels to jazz it up a little bit. Olivia wore her loose curls pulled back in a low, loose ponytail, and had her makeup done boldly again.

The guys wore jeans or khakis, casual dress shirts, untucked, with sneakers. The group looked damn good, once again. They couldn't really afford to be going out to clubs _every_ weekend, so they wanted to make the most of it when they did.

They walked downtown together, just as they had done the week before. It was not the most fun in heels, but they made it work. Certainly better than paying for an Uber.

When they got there, it was about nine-thirty, which seemed to be when it started to get busy at this particular club.

Olivia's eyes went straight to the bar to try and find him. She'd come to learn that the lighting in the place made it hard to see people, but she squinted, trying her best. And then she spotted him at the far end, sitting next to Logan and another woman. With two gin and tonics in front of him.

She smiled and whispered to Abby, letting her know she was going to go sit by him soon. Abby gave her a thumbs up and mouthed "good luck".

She got Quinn's drink for her first, just so that was done with, and then waited until they moved into the crowd a little more, so that she'd be able to sneak off without making her friends question where she went. Once everyone started dancing, they tended to split up anyway.

And eventually, she slipped away through the crowds of people, and made her way over to him.

As she approached him, she noticed two things; that Logan and the woman were no longer sitting next to him, and that he looked amazing. Which, wasn't surprising at all.

He wore a slim pair of jeans, a white T-shirt with a black leather jacket, and casual dress boots. Oh _my_ god.

She slid into the bar stool next to him, which got his attention. "Fancy seeing you here," she said.

He smiled. "Right back at you"

"Hi," she said.

"Hi" he replied, scooting the untouched gin and tonic over to her. She smiled. "Thank you," she said appreciatively. "You're welcome" he nodded.

She took a sip and nodded at the wonderful taste. "Where'd Logan go?" she asked. Fitz looked out at the dance floor. "Well, he's out there somewhere, with Aliyah, the woman he met last week," Fitz said. "Oh, I wondered who that was. So the charm really did work!" Olivia exclaimed.

"I'd say so. He hasn't stopped talking about her since he met her" Fitz said with a smile. "Wow. Well good for him" Olivia nodded. "Yeah. He said he'd come back and say hi, though. He was very delighted to hear you would be here again" he said. "Aww. He's always been so sweet" she said. "Yeah, he's a good dude" he nodded.

They sat in silence for a bit, enjoying their drinks.

"You look really nice, by the way," she said. She watched him turn to her with a smile, and flushed cheeks. "Thank you."

And for the first time that _she_ was aware of at least, she watched his eyes wander. Really wander.

"You look...incredible."

"Thank you," she said with a smile. He nodded at her, and took another drink.

And that's when Logan showed back up. "Olivia! It's good to see you!"

"Hi, Logan, it's great to see you too!" Olivia replied with a wave. Logan came over to her happily and gestured to the woman next to him. "Olivia, I would like you to meet Aliyah. Aliyah, this is Fitz's friend, Olivia" he said. "Hi, pleasure to meet you" Olivia greeted, extending her hand. "Likewise!" Aliyah said, shaking her hand.

Olivia was happy that she had been introduced as Fitz's "friend" rather than his "ex". She'd rather be introduced as his girlfriend, but…one step at a time.

Logan turned back to Fitz and nodded appreciatively. "Grant. I am so proud of you tonight. I can't say it enough."

Olivia looked questioningly at Fitz and Logan, which made Fitz laugh. "He's proud because he says I don't look preppy tonight" he explained. "Mmhm, he's got it figured out tonight. I mean, come on, Olivia. He's normally a pretty preppy lookin' dude, huh?" he asked. "Absolutely" Olivia teased, smiling at Fitz.

Fitz scoffed at her, but smiled back. "See!" Logan exclaimed. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Preppy and vanilla, I know" Fitz nodded with a laugh. Logan turned to Aliyah and laughed, so Olivia took the opportunity to lean in towards Fitz.

"You're not vanilla. Maybe a little preppy. But not vanilla" she said quietly. He turned towards her and smiled. "Thank you" he mouthed. She nodded back and took a sip of her drink, smiling at their funny conversation.

They all chatted for a little while, which was fun. Olivia could already tell that Logan and Aliyah were very fond of each other, even after just a week. It was cute.

But eventually, they left again, going back to dance.

He sighed and looked over at her. "You know, it's really nice to be able to share a drink with you at a bar now" he stated. She smiled. "It is, isn't it? I think the only other time we were really able to do that was in New York City when you ordered us virgin margaritas" she giggled.

"Ahh, that's right. I forgot about that. The Hard Rock Cafe" he said. "Mhm. That place was amazing" she replied, remembering the walls covered in rock and roll memorabilia from top to bottom. "It really was" he agreed, turning his body towards her.

They had to talk pretty loud to hear each other, because by now they had learned that the music in the place was deafening. But they both stopped talking, when a particular song came on that they recognized. It was a club remix, with lots of bass. But the lyrics remained the same.

 ** _Tell me where your love lies,_**

 ** _waste the day and spend the night,_**

 ** _underneath the sunrise,_**

 ** _show me where your love lies._**

Goosebumps arose on her skin at what the song brought her back to. Making love to him in her bedroom, sneaking around her parents. His hands on her body, and his lips on hers.

She snuck a shy glance at him, only to find him doing the same, blushing hard. She laughed quietly to herself, and turned away from his smile, the one that drove her crazy.

"Whatcha blushing about over there?" he asked. "I'm not" she lied. "Or, you're not?" he asked. "Nope" she replied. "Hm. I could've sworn you were. I must need to get my eyes checked" he said, shaking his head. She smiled.

"You know, I could have asked you the same question" she stated. "Impossible, I don't blush" he replied with a shrug. "Oh, I beg to differ," she said, smiling. "You think I do?" he asked, leaning a little closer to her.

"I know you do" she nodded, trying to subtly turn her body towards him. "And you're an expert?" he asked. "Oh yes. I'm an expert on all things" she nodded. "Ahh, I see. So...if I asked you what it's called when a player scores three goals in one game, you'd know the answer?" he asked doubtfully.

"Hat trick" she smirked.

He nodded surprisedly. "I stand corrected."

"You should have known better than to ask me a hockey-related question. You taught me well" she said, taking a sip of her drink.

"Well I had to. Because see, one of the first times we watched hockey together, you asked me why the official 'karate chopped' his own arm, when he was signaling slashing" he chuckled. And that made her burst into laughter. That man knew how to make her laugh.

He smiled at her while she laughed, moving closer to her so that their knees touched. And then, he slowly inched a hand on her thigh.

She felt his warmth through her jeans, and she actually had to put in _an effort_ to contain herself.

She had seen him yesterday, sure. She had seen him last week, sure. She saw him briefly three times a week, sure. But it had been _months_ since she had talked to him like this. And save for the awkward hug they shared when she first returned to New Haven, it had been _months_ since he had touched her.

They weren't together. They hadn't spent time with each other. They had been…apart.

And they hadn't been in the best place for a while. It was clearly getting better, but for some time, things had been awkward. Things had been tense. Things had been weird.

But right now, it was anything _but_ awkward, tense, or weird.

Because here they were, at a bar. Flirting like crazy, sparks flying like the freaking Fourth of July.

His thumb rubbed gentle circles over the ripped, black denim, and she could feel her heart rate rising.

She smiled at him, biting her lip and eyeing him. Man, she couldn't get over how good he looked.

"I'm going to run to the restroom really quick, I'll be back. Don't go anywhere" he said with a smile. "I won't" she replied happily. He gave her thigh a small squeeze and lingered there a moment, before he pulled away and left.

She was actually a little happy that he had left temporarily, so that she could calm herself down a bit. With the way her body had been responding to him, it would seem that she had never received any sort of male attention before. Her heart raced, butterflies erupted in her stomach, and goosebumps covered her skin.

That's what he did to her.

She smiled, just thinking about him for a few minutes, when she heard a man's voice to her right.

"Hey."

She looked over at the man getting into the stool next to her. He was a good looking man, maybe in his mid-twenties if she had to guess.

"Hey" she replied casually.

"Can I buy you a drink?" he asked.

Apparently, men really liked to swoop in on her when Fitz was in the bathroom, because this had happened before.

"Um, I'm actually here with somebody, I'm sorry. Thank you though" she lied. She didn't really think she was there with Fitz, but she certainly was not interested in anyone _except_ Fitz, so she didn't care.

"Ah. Well, he could have at least had the decency to buy you another before he left you here. You're almost empty" he said. "Well, I'm buying the next round, so that's on me" she replied. He nodded surprisedly. "I like you" he chuckled.

"Yeah, me too" Fitz interrupted. Olivia turned toward him, thankful that he had returned.

"Ah, you must be the one she's here with," he said, starting to get up. And to Olivia's surprise, Fitz nodded.

"Right. Well, enjoy your drinks on her! Have a good night" he nodded politely, heading the other way. "You too" Olivia replied.

She looked at Fitz, who was eyeing the guy down. She couldn't help but laugh. He had been nice about it for the most part, but Fitz didn't seem to think so.

"I really can't use the bathroom when we're out together," he stated. She burst into laughter. "I thought the same thing. But he wasn't bad" she replied. "Yeah, I know. It just baffles me how quickly some men jump in" he said, shaking his head. "True that" she agreed. "You told him you were here with me?" he asked. She looked at him nervously. "Yes."

He nodded and smiled, scooting closer to her again.

They finished what little gin and tonic they had left, all while picking up exactly where they had left off before he had gone to the bathroom. She could tell that the man who had shown interest in Olivia had definitely sparked something in Fitz. Jealousy was an awful feeling, and she thought she had sensed a little bit of it in him, no matter how briefly the other man had talked to her.

Because he was making it clear now that they were there together. His hand on her thigh, and his eyes and attention only on her.

And man, Olivia liked it. She was now feeling how she used to feel with him, and she certainly welcomed that.

As soon as she downed the rest of her drink, he downed his, too. He looked out at the dance floor, and then just all around them in general, before standing up and grabbing her hand gently.

She was surprised, but didn't hesitate to go along with it. She looked out at the dance floor, trying to spot any of her friends, but was unsuccessful. There were so many people that it was impossible.

She didn't want to completely ditch them or anything, but right now, she could barely think straight, as she clung to Fitz's hand. The large, strong hand, that she hadn't held in forever.

She let go of her grip on his palm, and intertwined their fingers together slowly. And when she squeezed his hand, she received a strong squeeze back in response, which made her skin tingle. She looked up at him as he led them through the crowd to the back. She had absolutely no idea where they were going, but she didn't give a damn.

She walked close to him the entire way, until they reached the back. There was a back hallway, which was mostly just a more secluded area of the club. There weren't many people back there from what she could see.

They walked down the hallway, passing by a few people on their phones, and another couple making out on a bench. He pulled her towards a little nook in the back, where there were a few benches, and the music, that continued to blare around them.

"I wanted to go somewhere quieter, but I guess I forgot there's no quiet spot in this club" he chuckled. She laughed. "It's okay. It's nice to be away from the chaos, anyway" she replied. "Yeah" he nodded.

He sat down on the bench and looked up at her, standing just a few feet from him on the other side of the hallway.

"What?" she asked. "I didn't say anything" he shrugged. "Your look is saying something" she replied suspiciously. He leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms. "And what might that be?" he asked with a smile. "I…I don't know. That's why I asked!" she giggled.

He just continued to look at her for a moment, before he stood up and walked over to her. The closer he got, the faster her heart raced. He stopped, with about a foot of space in between them, and just looked down at her. She was even wearing heels, and she _still_ had to look up at him.

He gave her that cute Fitz smile and reached for her hand, holding it in his.

She looked into his blue eyes, seeing her own reflection in them. They were staring back at her, like she was the most gorgeous thing he'd ever seen. And it made her feel like herself again. It made her feel like _Olivia_ again, when he looked at her like that.

She could sense it. She could feel it coming, even before his face neared hers. The way his eyes flickered down to her lips. His body language. The slight parting of his lips.

She didn't move, she just stood there, looking at him. Until he closed the gap between them and leaned down.

She closed her eyes and felt his lips graze hers softly, not fully kissing her. But when he pulled away and his hand found its way up to the side of her face, holding it gently, she knew she was in trouble. He leaned back in and kissed her, fully now, taking her top lip into his mouth.

She knew she shouldn't. This shouldn't be happening, for many reasons. But it was so hard to deny him. It was so hard when his lips were on hers, and their bodies were touching.

She opened her mouth against his, and sucked on his bottom lip. He inched them closer to the wall until he had her pinned there gently, with their hands laced together against the wall.

Their open-mouthed kisses were slow, and wet. Very wet. It was not just their lips that had reacquainting to do, but their tongues too.

He let go of her hands, and let them roam her body, firmly cupping her ass for a few seconds. But then they slid down to her thighs, and picked her up. She wrapped her legs around him and he held her there, still against the wall, making out like nobody's business.

He pulled away and started kissing her neck, breathing hard against her skin. She tried to catch her breath, but what he was doing made that tough.

"Oh, Fitz" she breathed, clutching his hair tightly as he continued to leave who knows how many marks on her neck. "Mm," he moaned, pushing his body even closer up against hers.

He returned to her lips, kissing them a few times more, before pulling away and leaning his forehead against hers.

She held the sides of his face and he had a hand on the wall and one around her, both of them still breathing hard. She leaned in and pecked his lips a couple more times, feeling him kiss her right back again.

He slowly let her back down to the ground as she released her grip on him with her legs.

And there they stood, still pressed up against each other and the wall, panting.

"God that felt good" she whispered.

He nodded, leaning into her and putting his hands on her hips. "I've wanted to do that for so long" he whispered back.

"I miss you," she said longingly. "I miss you," he said back. She clung to his shoulders and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning her head against his chest.

His arms held tightly to her waist, and they stood there in a tight embrace. Even after that glorious makeout session, she was sure that the hug was better. It felt so good just to hold him, and be held by him.

He rubbed her back, and leaned his head against hers again.

"Come home with me" he whispered. She pulled back and gave him a questionable look.

"Sorry, wait, no—I didn't mean...not like that" he chuckled. "I mean…I'd like to talk, and I'd prefer to not do it at a club" he added.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'd like to also" she agreed. "I just…let me text Abby quick" she added. He nodded, grabbing her hand and leading her over to the bench. He pulled her on top of his lap as she sent Abby a text.

 ** _Leaving with Fitz so we can talk. Can you just tell everyone I took an Uber home early because I wasn't feeling well or something?_**

"Nice" he chuckled, looking down at her phone. She smiled. "Just trying to be careful" she shrugged. "Good idea" he nodded.

She felt bad that she was ditching them. She never liked doing that. But she had always had to balance them and Fitz, and she thought that talking to him right now was more important than partying at a club with her friends.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her from behind. And it was the best feeling in the world, to be in his arms again. She still couldn't believe that it was happening. That they were together; touching, kissing, talking. But she didn't know what the future held for them, so she tried to enjoy the moment and not think about it too much. She leaned back into his body, holding his hands in hers, until her phone vibrated.

She looked at it briefly, before jerking it away from Fitz's view. Because even in the brief second she had seen it, she'd had time to read it, and hoped that he hadn't.

 ** _Omg! YES, YES, YES! I will cover for you, don't even worry. Just friends, my ass. Go fuck your man, Liv. He's yours._**

"What?" he asked. "Nothing" she replied, her cheeks flushed.

"I don't want to know, do I?' he questioned. "Nope" he replied. He laughed, and tightened his grip around her.

"Should we go?" he asked. She nodded, and he lifted her up and stood up behind her. She sent Abby a thank you text, and assured her she'd let her know how everything went.

They walked out together, just making small talk as they did, until they ran into a couple as they turned the corner.

"Grant, Olivia!" Logan exclaimed, holding Aliyah's hand.

"Oh, hey man!" Fitz greeted. "Hi!" Olivia said afterward.

"Where are you two coming from?" Logan asked. Olivia could feel the redness in her cheeks again. Dammit, that was so inconvenient.

"Um, I was just showing Olivia the back. She's never seen it" Fitz answered.

Olivia had to hold in a laugh. Oh, Fitz. Such a bad liar.

Logan looked at him doubtfully, but nodded. "I see. Well, it looks like you two had fun" he replied with a smile.

Fitz laughed nervously. "Mhm. Hey, man I think we're going to head out early. Is that cool with you?" Fitz asked. "Yeah, buddy, no worries, no worries. We're going to stay until close, so you go ahead, I'll see you later" he nodded.

"Alright, sweet. It was good to see you again, Aliyah" Fitz said politely. "You as well, have a good night, you two" Aliyah replied with a wave. "Thanks, you too," Olivia said with a smile, waving to both her and Logan. They all bid each other goodbye, and Logan and Aliyah headed to the back, probably planning on doing exactly what Olivia and Fitz had done.

But she heard Logan say one last thing.

"Grant."

Fitz turned around to look at him, and both he and Olivia watched Logan rub a finger over his lips, seeming to hint at something.

And then Olivia laughed, and realized what he meant, now that the lighting was a little better. "You have lipstick on your mouth" she giggled quietly.

"Oh shit," Fitz said, starting to rub at it. Olivia turned back to see Logan turning the corner, laughing his ass off.

"Well, I don't think we fooled them" she giggled. He shook his head. "Oh well," he chuckled.

They walked out past the bar and the dance floor, and out the door.

She looked for her friends on the way there, but couldn't see any of them. The place was too packed and too chaotic, so she stayed close to Fitz.

They took an Uber back to Paxton Hills, and she was so glad to be back there. It reminded her of the countless nights they'd spent there together.

When they got into his apartment, she couldn't help but look around. Nothing had really changed since she'd come to see him her first day back in New Haven. She smiled when she saw the canvas of the two of them, still hanging up in the living room out of the corner of her eye.

"Something to drink?" he asked. She nodded. "Yeah, sure, if you're having something" she replied. He shrugged and nodded, and went to his wine rack. She smiled at his beverage choice. Red wine.

He opened a bottle to let it breathe, and watched her look around his apartment.

"It feels better with you here."

She looked over at him and smiled. "It feels good to be here" she replied.

He nodded, and they stood there in silence for a few moments.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

She set her bag down and got into one of his bar stools, sitting there for a moment before responding.

"That…tonight has made me so happy. Happier than I've been in months. And I still can't really process that this is actually happening. That I'm here with you" she replied. "But…" she added.

He leaned back against the island and rested his arms on it, waiting for her to continue.

"I'm also…confused. I don't know…what you're thinking or feeling. I don't know. You mentioned being friends last week, and…tonight. Tonight wasn't…we weren't _friends_ tonight. I don't want you to think I am complaining about it. Because, trust me, I'm not. I'm just…confused" she replied.

"Can I be honest with you?" he asked. "Please do" she nodded.

"Me too. I'm confused too" he replied. He paused before continuing.

"I…miss you. That's all I do is fucking miss you, Olivia. You're stuck in my head, and I can't get you out. I've _never_ been able to get you out. I've had time, and I needed that. I appreciate that you've allowed me that time. It helped me. I'm doing much better now than I was a couple months ago. But the most important thing that the time showed me was that I can't live without you."

Her face softened at that comment.

"I was so angry at you. I didn't think…I just didn't know you were capable of hurting me that much. I will downright tell you, that I was pissed at you."

"I know," she said quietly.

"But…I'm not anymore. I'm not. No matter what, I have never believed that you _wanted_ to hurt me, or that you _wanted_ things to end. I know that neither of those things are true. You just…you broke my trust. You did do that, Olivia" he said.

"I did. I know," she said again.

"And…you can't earn that back if you're not in my life. You can't earn that back if I see you for a total of ten seconds a week. That's not going to work" he said.

She nodded in agreement.

"And I want you to earn that back. Because you know what I want, and like I said, I can't live without you. You know that I don't want to be _friends_ with you, Olivia. You know that despite this entire mess, what I've wanted has never changed."

"So you're confused about…how we…proceed" she said.

He nodded hesitantly, as if he wasn't quite sure.

"And there are your folks to consider," he said.

She nodded. "Yeah. That's…another reason I'm a little…conflicted" she replied.

"Just…tell me how bad it is" he stated.

She winced. "Well. They are cooled down now. It's not as bad…anymore. But at first, it was really bad, Fitz. The things they said, mostly my dad. I could barely listen. They didn't know I was listening, but I was. And…it was hard" she admitted.

He nodded. "Tell me."

She looked at him doubtfully, knowing that it would probably only hurt him to expand further.

"Olivia, it's okay. I can take it, I just…I need to know" he said.

She sighed, putting her hand up to her eyes. "Well. My mom was much more so on your side. She defended you. My dad did not. First, it was the age difference, saying…you were just looking to get some from a younger girl. That it was some sort of game to you, and that there were no feelings involved on your end. You knew you could get away with it because you're a former governor. You're wealthy and smart…and…"

She stopped, feeling the tears start to well up in her eyes.

"It's okay, Olivia. You can tell me" he said.

She nodded, and rubbed at her eyes, trying to dry the tears, but failing.

"Just…that you're white. And…I'm the young black girl, so you could get away with 'shit like that'" she cried. She looked over at him, through her tears, to see him looking sadly down at the floor, physically pained by what she had told him.

But, he walked over to her and pulled her off the barstool and into his arms. "He was so wrong. Everything he said—it was all so wrong, Fitz. He shouldn't have said any of that. He—he doesn't know you. I told them. I told them—you were such a good man, the best man I had ever known. I did. I promise" she sobbed, clutching his shirt.

"Hey, hey, okay. Shhh, I know. It's alright. He was just angry, that's all" he said softly.

"I'm just so sorry that he said those things. I'm so sorry. About everything" she cried, holding onto him tighter.

"Olivia, look at me."

She looked up at him, and he wiped her tears away. "You don't need to be sorry anymore. I know that you are. I know. We all fuck up sometimes. I certainly have. How else would we learn to make things right if we didn't fuck up?" he asked.

"But things still aren't right. I haven't made things right yet" she replied, sniffling.

"Olivia, I forgive you. You are forgiven. Do we still have work to do? Yes. Are there still complications? Yes. But I've forgiven you. At some point, you need to forgive yourself too. It doesn't do any good to dwell on the past. I know that's easier said than done, but you can't change it. Things have happened, and that's that. All we can do now is try to look forward, or else we will never get past this. And I would really like to get past this. Wouldn't you?" he asked.

"Yes," she nodded.

"Okay. You don't need to worry about me. I'm alright, I'm just fine" he said with a smile.

She gave him a weak smile back and leaned her head into his chest, so thankful for him.

"I just don't know what we're going to do" she whispered.

"Well. First, we're going to pour ourselves some wine" he said, grabbing her hand and leading her into the kitchen.

She smiled, and wiped her damp face as he pulled her there.

He poured them both a glass, and grabbed her hand once more, leading her into the living room.

They set their glasses on the coffee table, and he gestured for her to sit down on his lap. "Come here."

She sat down and stretched her legs down the length of the couch, while wrapping an arm around his neck and leaning into his chest.

"Can I tell you something?" he asked.

"Yes."

"First, I want to say that our dads are not the same. I am in no way comparing them. My father is disgusting, petty, and selfish. Your father is a good man. He's just protective and strict, and I get the sense that he's not quite ready to let go of his little girl. Am I correct in assuming that?" he asked.

"One hundred percent" she nodded.

"And that's fine. I'm happy that he's protective of you, and I understand why he was so upset. And I also know that you have a close relationship with your parents. I love that, I think that's great, and I envy that. I _never_ wanted to get in the way of that" he said.

"But here's the deal. Until about seven years ago, I did everything my dad asked of me. I let him control me. I let him direct _my_ life for far too long. I was so unhappy, Olivia. I was so unhappy, until I said that enough was enough, and that I was done. And then I got the hell out of dodge, and came here. It was the best decision of my life, to come here and get my masters, and start teaching" he said.

She clung to him tighter, hanging on his every word.

"Now, my dad and I rarely speak. The man can barely look at me. And I tell you this because _that's_ where our fathers differ."

"Your father isn't using you. And I honestly don't think he is trying to control you, either. I think he loves you so much, that when he found out, he didn't know what the hell to do. I think the only way he could cope was to be angry and threatening, and claim you. But no matter what, he would never not speak to you anymore. He would never have a hard time just looking at you. Because he loves you, and only wants what's best for you. I don't even know the man, but I know enough to know that. And...even though our fathers differ, I don't want there to even be a _chance_ of you ending up like me. I wasted too much time. Too much of my life."

Olivia nodded, knowing exactly what he was getting at. "I know what you're saying. And I agree with you. I have been thinking about it" she said.

"Talking to him?" he asked. "Yes," she nodded.

He nodded back, and tightened his grip on her.

"How long can you wait?" she whispered.

"For you?" he asked. She nodded.

"I would wait forever, if I had to. You're worth every day."

She looked at him, amazed. Amazed that someone like him even existed. And she put her head back down on his chest, and sighed.

"I'd prefer…not to, though" he added. Which made her giggle.

He laughed too. "I want to respect them, and their wishes. I already have reason enough as it is to be on their good side. Right now, there isn't really any reason we couldn't be together, besides the fact that they don't want us to be. You aren't my student. And honestly, even if you were again in the future, I don't grade your things, you don't get any special treatment. But…it is still wrong. It is still unethical. I get that, and I understand that they wouldn't like that" he admitted.

"Yeah, and I told them that I understood that. They knew that I did. That's why they are...trusting me here. They're trusting me to do the right thing" she nodded.

He nodded. "Even if it's hard." She sighed. "Right" she nodded.

"There's...one more thing I want you to know," he added.

"Okay," she replied.

"About my job," he said. She grew nervous. "I think you know what I'm going to say."

She nodded. "I do and I don't want you to say it" she winced. "Well, you're gonna have to sit here and listen because I'm going to" he replied.

She smiled and nodded hesitantly.

"When you're ready to talk to him, and that time comes…if he still wants to do what he threatened to do" he began.

Olivia looked at him, already knowing where it was going.

"Let him."

She sighed deeply and collapsed her head on his chest. "Oh, Fitz" she whispered.

"Don't 'oh, Fitz' me," he said. She shook her head against his chest. "You know that's why I didn't tell you. I knew you would say that" she whispered.

"I know. I know you wanted to protect me, and I appreciate that. I'm very happy that I still _have_ my job, and I don't know if I would, had you told me what happened that night. But either way, my job is not my top priority. You know that. I have told you that" he said.

"I just really don't want you to lose it, Fitz. I really do not want that. It makes me sick thinking of that happening" she replied.

"Olivia, I know. But this part is for me to decide, not you. And if it happens, we'll figure it out, okay? Everything will be fine. I just need to know that you understand that. If he wants to do it, let him do it" he said.

She shook her head, thinking about how awful it would be if that happened. But she wanted to honor Fitz's wishes, as she had not done so the first time. "Okay," she nodded.

"Okay," he nodded back, giving her a squeeze.

"I believe that this will all work out. I really believe that. And if and when it does, when you're comfortable with it, I would really like to meet them" he added.

She smiled. "I would like that too. I…need to talk to them on my own. That is my responsibility and I need to do that first. But like you said, if... _when_ it works out, I want you to meet them too" she replied.

He sighed. "I don't think they'd be too happy about what happened tonight, but…eventually, maybe they'd like me," he said with a smile.

She giggled. "Everyone likes you. You're perfect. The most perfect human being I have ever met" she said softly.

"Well, I don't know about _that"_ he replied. _"I_ do. _I_ know" she nodded.

He smiled, and looked down at her lips. And she looked at his.

He closed the gap between them and pressed his lips to hers softly. It was brief and a little bit reluctant on both ends. But it still felt nice.

"It's really hard to be your friend, Olivia Pope."

"It's really hard to be your friend, too, Fitzgerald Grant."

He sighed and patted her thigh. "Well. I probably shouldn't drive. But I can call an Uber to take you home later. Or…you can stay here if you want" he said. She bit her lip and looked at him questioningly. "In one of the guest rooms I mean" he added. She nodded, knowing that was probably best.

"If you'll let me," she said with a smile.

"I mean, I _suppose"_ he teased. She shook her head at him and rolled her eyes.

"You left a toothbrush here and everything. You're set" he said.

"Oh true, that's perfect. I can even wear that shirt that I left here home tomorrow" she said.

He frowned and shook his head. "Nope," he said.

"Why not?" she asked. "Because" he replied.

"That's not an answer, Fitzgerald."

"My house, my rules, woman."

She laughed. "Alright, fine you weirdo. I'll go home in just my bra then" she shrugged, taking a sip of wine. "Oh, so I'm the weirdo, but you're the one that's going to leave my apartment half-clothed" he replied.

"Yeah, because you're holding my shirt hostage!" she exclaimed, which made him burst into laughter.

"Come on now, that makes me sound awful. I just don't want you to take it back. I like it in my room" he said.

Her face softened. "Oh. Well okay then. I'm alright with that" she said, looking at him sweetly.

"Yeah, see. I never asked for _my_ shirts back" he said, shooting a look at her. She smiled. "You're right. And I never planned on giving them back, so…" she shrugged. He scoffed. "Oh, I see how it is. You want your shirt back, but you can steal _multiple_ of mine" he replied. "Exactly!" she giggled. He rolled his eyes and laughed.

"The woman takes everything from me. My shirts, my time, my attention, my heart," he said, counting on his fingers and looking up at the ceiling.

She smiled. "When did you learn to be that smooth?" she asked. His jaw dropped. " _And_ she insults me! Olivia, friends don't insult each other" he said, which made her laugh. "Friends also don't makeout in the hallway of a club" she replied. He smiled. "Shhh," he whispered, putting a finger to his lips. She smiled back.

"I won't tell" she whispered.

"Me neither" he whispered back.

They sat and talked for a while longer, both having a few glasses of wine and finishing the bottle. And then they went to bed, in their separate rooms.

It was so hard to shut that guest room door. _So_ hard. But she did it. She certainly wasn't going to complain about a thing. Because tonight had been the best night in months.

She wasn't quite sure how this semester would go. How being _friends_ with him would go, and if they'd actually be able to do it. But she wasn't worried, and she didn't care.

Because for the first time, she could truly see things being alright in the end. For the first time, she could truly see that they stood a chance.

* * *

Whew! All it takes is a spark...

That was a long one, but I had a lot of time to write this week, and figured you all would appreciate the quick update.

I think this was a chapter you were all waiting for. I'm certainly glad that you finally got to read it.

They really needed to have a discussion like this, and they finally did. They're _so close._

I'm sure you were all skeptical of the "friends" situation, and as you can tell, they may have a tough time with that one.

There are those that think Olivia is getting off too easy, there are those that think Fitz is overreacting, and there are those that think that it's all reasonable. Which is good, it's always good to have differing opinions among readers, it makes it interesting! But just a kind reminder that not all of you will be happy, that would be fairly _impossible,_ let's be honest. I'm only going to continue to take the story where _I _want to take it. So whether you love or hate the characters, whether you think it's interesting or not, no matter what, that isn't going to affect the story. Just know that. I've had this planned out in my head for ages, friends. Everything I do, I do for a reason.

Now, I will address what you are all _dying_ for me to address...

Nancy's family emergency. Don't worry. All is well in Nancy's family, now. (lol).

Okay, seriously, though. I hope you all enjoyed.

Read on!

With Love,

~T

P.S. There's a cute little silhouette visual on all my social media accounts, of Olivia and Fitz in the club hallway. Check it out, if you wish!

P.P.S. I just want you all to know, that your kind words brought me to tears a couple days ago. You all never fail to amaze me with your support. This story would not be at 48 chapters if it wasn't for you. So here's to you guys. I'm forever grateful. Thank you.


	49. Best Friend Status

Olivia sat on the couch in her living room, staring at her computer screen. And she sighed, because she had been doing homework for hours now, on her Friday evening. Abby was out on a date, the boys were gaming in their apartment, and Quinn was off...doing whatever Quinn did with her Friday night.

They'd decided to cool it down a little bit with the going out recently, just because all they did when they went out was spend money, something they didn't want to be doing all the time as college kids.

But, that made for a boring Friday night, especially when all her friends were busy.

Well, maybe not _all_ of them. Maybe not the most _important_ one.

Friend, ex-boyfriend, insane crush, whatever the hell he was right now.

She shut her laptop, deciding that she'd been a good enough student for the night, before getting out her phone.

 ** _Olivia: Hi. So...I was thinking. Maybe we could hang out tonight? You know. In like a friend way._**

 _She_ even laughed at her own ridiculous text. Good lord.

 ** _Fitz: A friend way, huh?_**

She smiled.

 ** _Olivia: Yeah. A friend way._**

 _ **Fitz: Well I'd love that, except I've been feeling a little under the weather recently. I just don't know if I'm up for much.**_

She grew sad, but then thought of something.

 _ **Olivia: What if I came over? I could make you some soup, we could watch a movie. Are you up for that?**_

She waited patiently for a response.

 _ **Fitz: Yeah. I could be up for that.**_

 _ **Olivia: Okay, are you sure? It was just a suggestion, I definitely don't want to bother you.**_

 _ **Fitz: Get your ass over here. I want some soup.**_

She giggled and grabbed her laptop, heading to her bedroom excitedly.

Even something as little as going to make him soup and watch a movie with him made her so happy.

She grabbed a few things from her bathroom for him, and then she was off.

She stopped at the store quickly, just to grab some additional things for Fitz. A few different kinds of soup, a jug of orange juice, and some cookies and cream ice cream. That certainly wouldn't help with whatever he had come down with, but it was his favorite.

She drove happily to his apartment, carrying in all her bags as soon as she got there. She said a hello to Alex, the doorman, and Logan, who was at the front desk, busy talking to someone.

When she reached his apartment, she knocked, before hearing him tell her she could come in. But as soon as she heard his voice, she could tell that he was sick.

She walked in and saw him sitting on the couch, looking dreadful. Way more so than he had looked when she'd seen him briefly earlier in the day.

"Oh, Fitz," she said sadly. "What?" he asked, his voice scratchy. "You don't look so good," she said. He frowned. "I thought I always looked good?" he questioned. She giggled. "You're absolutely right. I take it back" she nodded, putting the ice cream in the freezer, and the orange juice in the fridge.

She brought a bag of the things she had with her over to him. "I didn't know what you meant by under the weather, so I came prepared for everything."

He smiled as he watched her pull things out one by one.

"Okay, I brought Pepto-Bismol if your stomach hurt. But...that doesn't seem to be the case. What have you taken today?" she asked. "Nothing yet. I didn't start feeling _this_ bad until a couple hours ago" he replied.

"Fitzgerald Thomas, what the hell. Take this then" she said, pulling out a bottle of cold medicine she'd packed and unscrewing the cap. He smiled. "Thanks."

"Mhm. And I brought orange juice just in case, too. You should have some of that" she added. "Such a good caretaker, you are," he said sweetly.

"Well I need to be, considering you didn't even take medicine on your own!" she exclaimed. He just shrugged. "I haven't really wanted to get up, honestly. My whole body aches" he said. She nodded. "That happens to me when I get a cold too. You need to stay hydrated, that's really important" she said.

He nodded at the full water bottle next to him. "Good. I'll get you some orange juice too" she said, heading back to the kitchen to pour him some.

She watched him from the kitchen as he read the label on the bottle of cold medicine and then poured some into the plastic measuring cup. He downed the medicine and then cringed. "Ew," he said quietly to himself, which made her smile in the kitchen.

He immediately covered himself back up with his blanket and laid his head back down on the pillow. She took out a pot and got everything situated to make him soup, and then brought the orange juice to him.

"Here you go," she said, setting it next to his water. "Thanks, Olivia," he said, smiling underneath the blanket that he had completely over the bottom of his face.

"You're welcome. I'm watching you, now. You better be drinking," she said, pointing to the beverages on the table. "I will. It just makes me really cold. But I will" he replied. She pulled back the top corner of his blanket to confirm that he was only wearing a T-shirt. "Is it alright if I go in your room?" she asked. He nodded.

She went into his bedroom and searched through his closet for the warmest looking hoodie she could find. She lingered in there longer than she needed to, just running her fingers over all of his shirts. It made her so happy to see them all.

She finally thought she had wasted enough time, and pulled out a thick, black Nike one, deciding it was good. She'd seen that he had been wearing sweatpants, so she thought the combination of the two, plus the blanket and soup, would warm him up a good amount.

She brought the sweatshirt out and handed it to him. "Thank you again" he chuckled. She nodded and smiled, putting a hand on his. But then she frowned. His skin was so cold. It wasn't the normal, warm, soft, Fitz skin she was used to.

"Jesus, Fitz" she whispered.

"What?" he asked. She shook her head. "You're just so cold. I'll make your soup" she said, heading back to the kitchen.

It was almost October, so it was beginning to be that time of year, when people got sick. So it wasn't surprising, it just made her feel bad.

As she started the soup, she heard him flipping through channels, before he stopped on one that sounded familiar. And then she smiled, because she heard David Schwimmer's voice, followed by Jennifer Aniston's.

 _Friends._

And to her surprise, he kept it on that channel. "Are you watching _Friends_?" she asked, standing on her tiptoes to look over the bar at him. "Yeah. It's your favorite show so I thought you'd like to have it on" he replied. She smiled.

"That's very sweet, but you don't have to keep it on, Fitz. Watch what you want to watch!" she said. He shrugged. "I like _Friends_. It's more my time than it is yours, you know" he chuckled. "I know. I think it's one of those shows that every generation likes, though" she said with a laugh. "True" he nodded.

She made his soup, while listening to _Friends_ in the meantime, and the occasional laugh from Fitz. And every time he laughed, it was scratchy, and usually resulted in a minor cough attack afterward. Poor guy. "Stop laughing over there," she giggled.

"I can't help it. Chandler is funny" he chuckled.

"I know!" she exclaimed. He was her favorite character, after all.

"I understand why I have to share your heart with him," he said. She smiled, but shook her head. "No, I only have room for one cute, white brunette boy in my heart, and it isn't Chandler Bing," she said. She stood on her tiptoes again to look at him, seeing him smiling to himself. Such a cutie.

"Your soup is ready," she said. His face perked up.

She brought the steaming hot soup over to him, and was happy to see that he had drank a good amount of water, and a little orange juice.

"Okay. How about a movie now?" she asked. "You don't want to watch this?" he asked. "I want to watch whatever you want to watch," she said.

He sat there in thought. "Netflix?" he asked. "Sounds good to me," she said with a smile.

He gave the remote to her and let her scroll through. She stopped on _The Conjuring_ and looked over at him with a smile. "No. Way," he said. She giggled. He _hated_ scary movies with a passion. "I'm just kidding, calm yourself," she said.

"Oh, how about _The Titanic_!?" she exclaimed. He shot her a look that seemed to say, "really?". She smiled. "Fine, fine. Okay, how about… _Spider-Man Three_ " she asked, confident he'd like that. He shook his head. "The first two are way better," he said.

"Hmm. Okay…What about… _Get Smart_?" she asked. "Eh," he said. She shot a look at him. "You aren't making this very easy, Fitzgerald" she giggled. "Yeah, okay, let's watch _The Titanic_ ," he said, getting cozy on the couch next to her.

Her jaw dropped. "You're kidding" she replied. He looked at her. "No, I'm serious," he said. "I just asked you before if...okay, nevermind," she said, shaking her head.

And then, they watched it. It was the most probably the best Friday night of her life, because watching _The Titanic_ with a sick Fitz, was _hilarious._

"Have you ever wondered if Kate and Leo are actually fucking?" he asked.

She laughed. "Who hasn't wondered that?" she asked. "Okay, so I'm not crazy," he said. "Well, no, you are" she nodded. He looked over at her and then shrugged. "Yeah, okay. That's fair" he said.

"How's your soup?" she asked. "Really good. Thank you again for this" he said. "No worries. It's what friends do, right?" she asked. "I don't think any of my other friends would do this for me. So…you've now graduated to 'best friend' status" he said with a smile.

"Aw, cute. Should we make friendship bracelets?" she teased. "Absolutely we should" he nodded. She laughed, patting his arm.

And gradually, he began to lean back against her on the couch. And she let it happen, because there was no way in hell she wanted him to move.

A little later in the movie, while they watched Rose and Jack on the very front of the ship, Fitz sneezed, which covered up some of the dialogue.

He wasn't happy about it.

"Bless you" she giggled. "Thank you. Wait. Ah! No, rewind, rewind! I missed her say, 'Jack, I'm flying!'" he exclaimed.

She doubled over in laughter, leaning her face down by his, as he was now laid across the couch, with his head on her lap.

"You literally know exactly what she says, you didn't miss anything!" she giggled. "Olivia, give me the remote," he said, reaching his hand up behind him. She shook her head and put it in his hand, and watched him rewind so that he could hear it again. Oh good lord.

He was much more satisfied after that.

"Olivia, draw me like one of your French girls."

She burst into laughter again, resting her hands on his shoulders. "Oh my god. I think you took too much of this cold medicine" she said, taking a look at the label. "I certainly did, that tasted like shit," he nodded.

He had her laughing throughout the entire movie with his ridiculous commentary. And she realized just how much she had been missing him. It was so good to be back with him, laughing and joking.

He leaned upwards for a moment, and stripped off his sweatshirt, before taking a long drink of orange juice, which was being kept cold by a stainless steel mug. She raised an eyebrow. "You're not cold anymore?" she asked.

"No. I'm getting hot now" he replied.

She desperately hoped he would lay back down on her afterward. At first, it didn't seem that he was going to. But then he leaned back, and adjusted his head in her lap again. She smiled and thanked the heavens, resting her hands on his shoulders and chest.

They watched the entire movie, but continued to talk back and forth to each other the whole time. Although, they were careful not to miss any of the really important dialogue, because Fitz didn't like that, of course.

He continued to drink all of his cold beverages, and took the blanket off, too.

"Still hot?" she asked. "Yeah. Really, really hot" he nodded back. "Hmm" she replied.

She inched her fingers up to his hair, beginning to rake through them, but then she stopped. "Oh, Fitz," she said, studying the damp ends of his curls. "What?" he asked. "You're just really sweaty. And _really_ hot" she said concernedly. "Thanks, I know" he chuckled.

She laughed. "Not…okay, well. Yeah, that too. I just mean your skin is really hot" she said. "Yeah. This happens sometimes," he nodded.

She started to worry a little bit, but he continued to be his happy, witty Fitz self, which made her feel a little better.

"Rose, there's enough room for both of you on that door! Let him on!" Fitz exclaimed. "She's not going to, Fitz" Olivia replied sadly, running her fingers through his damp curls. "I know, but she really should. Look at all that space next to her!" he exclaimed.

She nodded. "I'll never let go, Jack. I'll never let go" Olivia quoted. "And then she does. She lets him go" Fitz said, shaking his head. "Fitz, it's okay. It will be okay" she said, patting his head. He chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," he said.

And there they remained, watching the end credits. Fitz still laying his head on her lap, and Olivia holding him there.

"You can…you don't have to stay, Olivia. I'm sure being my caretaker is not what you want to be doing with your Friday night" he said with a laugh. "No, it's okay. I…wanted to come. Unless…do you want me to go? I don't want to overstay my welcome, either" she said. "No—no, that's not. No. I don't want you to go" he said, flipping on his stomach.

He laid his head back in her lap, and wrapped around his arms around her. "I'm going to get you sick," he said quietly. She shook her head. "No, I'll be alright. I took care of Abby for an entire weekend last fall when she was sick and I was fine. I haven't gotten a cold in a long time, my immune system is pretty strong" she replied.

"Well, you better knock on wood. Mine is strong too, and whatever the hell I caught is really kicking my ass right now" he said, scooting closer to her and tightening his grip.

"Yeah, we should check your temperature, come on," she said, patting his damp hair. He groaned, and snuggled up closer to her, but didn't move. "Fitzgerald," she said. He sighed, but then reluctantly got up.

She got a better view of his back, and saw the sweat-soaked T-shirt. "I think you need to change your shirt," she said with a laugh. "I think I need a cold shower," he replied. "Yeah, that might feel good" she nodded. They walked to his bathroom, and she dug out a thermometer so she could check.

"101. Little bit of a fever" she nodded. "I figured" he replied. "Are you going to take your shower?" she asked. "Yeah, I think so" he nodded.

"Okay. I'll just…I'll be in the living room waiting" she said, starting to walk out of the bathroom. "You don't…you can wait in my room if you want, and…watch there" he said. She nodded. "Yeah…okay. Sure," she said, getting the sense that he wanted her to stay.

He followed her into his bedroom and showed her how to run the TV, as he had gotten a new one recently. "Wow, this is super nice," she said appreciatively, scrolling through the smart TV's many apps while he got his clothes ready for after his shower. "I know, isn't it? I prefer to watch in here now, to be honest" he replied. "Yeah, I can see why" she nodded.

Her attention was diverted when she saw him out of the corner of her eye, stripping off his T-shirt. He was facing away from her, so she got a full view of his back. And…holy shit, his back.

He had always been a muscular guy, but even since the last time she had seen him shirtless the day she'd come back to New Haven, she could tell that he looked different.

But that was only his back. When he turned around and started walking to the bathroom, she caught a view of his front. What in the _world._

But, she said nothing while she checked him out. She just stared happily, until he shut the bathroom door. Sad.

She turned on _Love Actually_ , one of her favorite Romantic Comedies, and watched until she heard the bathroom door crack open after his shower.

She turned to see him opening the door a little ways, peeking around it. And she just stared. She didn't have the full view of his torso, but she could definitely see enough. Something about his workout routine had been different, because, seriously, holy shit.

And then there was the hair. It only continued to grow longer, and the curls were _almost_ back in full form.

"Olivia..." Fitz questioned, as if he had been trying to get her attention for a while now.

She snapped out of it. "What? Sorry" she said. "My clothes over there. You wanna hand them to me?" he asked, gesturing to the chair by his dresser. "Oh, right. Yes," she nodded.

Of course, he hadn't brought them with him. _Of course._

She grabbed the pair of boxers and shorts he had sitting there and walked over to him.

"Here you go," she said, handing them through the space in the door. "Thanks," he said with a smile, both holding onto the clothes. She reluctantly let go, but let her eyes travel down his body. Not that she could see him fully, but she still stared. And he didn't move.

She exhaled deeply, feeling her cheeks redden. He smiled down at her. "Olivia," he said. She looked back up at him. "I'm gonna..." he said, pointing inside the bathroom. "Uh—yeah. Yes. Go" she nodded. He chuckled and closed the door so that he could change privately.

Olivia shook her head and let out another deep breath. She was starting to feel like she was the one with the fever, because she certainly felt hot. "My god, Olivia" she whispered to herself, getting back onto his bed.

He came out only moments later, half-clothed at least. She'd certainly had her fair share of experience with the man to know that _both_ halves were quite impressive. But that top half continued to baffle her. There was really no other way to describe him, other than completely freaking ripped. Which was saying something, because he already had been before.

"You feel a little better?" she asked. He nodded. "A little bit yeah. Whatcha watching?" he asked. _"Love Actually"_ she replied. "Can I watch?" he asked, getting into the bed with her. She giggled. "This is _your_ TV in _your_ bedroom, Fitz." He smiled, scooting next to her. "You can kick me out if you want" he shrugged.

"I would never" she replied with a smile. "I could have guessed that by the way you've been looking at me," he said, propping himself up on his elbow.

And...the blushing returned.

"You don't need to be embarrassed," he said with a laugh. She smiled at him and rolled onto her back, looking up at the ceiling and putting a palm to her forehead. "What?" he chuckled. "Nothing. You just...you're...you look great, that's all" she replied, rolling back over on her side to look at him. "Thank you," he said with a smile. "Mhm," she nodded.

They laid there on their sides, looking at each other. But then, as her eyes traveled down his body, something caught her eye behind him. Something she hadn't noticed until now.

He noticed her stare, and looked behind him, both now seeing the same thing.

The cracked picture frame on his nightstand.

She sat up and scooted over there, picking up the frame in her hands.

"My phone screen looked similar to this a couple months ago," she said. He sat up next to her, but didn't say anything back. She looked all around his bedroom, looking for something in particular. And then she nodded, because she had found it.

"What?" he asked. She pointed at the dent in the wall across the room. He looked over there and realized, before nodding and looking back down at the bed. "Just...a bad night."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, setting the frame back down on the nightstand. "Olivia, we talked about this" he replied. "I know" she nodded. He grabbed her hand, and pulled her back down on the bed next to him. "Do you want to talk about it again?" he asked, intertwining their fingers. She smiled at him, but then shook her head. "No" she replied quietly.

"Good. Let's talk about something else then. Something happy" he said. She smiled. "Alright. Then let's talk about why you look like this right now. I seriously need to know, it's driving me crazy," she said, rubbing her hand down his chest.

"What do you mean?" he chuckled. "You know exactly what I mean. Seriously, what in the hell" she said, studying his abdomen. "I guess I just...I've been working a little harder," he said. "A _little?"_ she questioned. "Yeah, a _little,"_ he said with a laugh. She shook her head, continuing her hands on method of admiring his body.

So fucking hot.

He looked down at her hand as it rubbed over him, and he let out a deep breath. "If you're going to continue to feel me up I'd like to know, because you're driving me crazy here," he said quietly. She reluctantly tore her hand away from his lower abdomen, when all she had really wanted to do was slide it inside his shorts. But she refrained.

"Sorry" she whispered. "Oh, don't be," he said.

She looked up at him, and did the only thing she could think to do. Change the subject.

"How are you feeling?"

"Turned on."

 _Well. That didn't work._

She smiled and looked down at the bed. "Oh, was I not supposed to be that honest?" he asked.

"No I appreciate the honesty," she said with a laugh. He smiled and looked down at the bed. "I suppose you were looking for something more along the lines of I'm stuffed up, I'm hot, and my whole body aches," he said.

"Hmm. This is just not your night, is it?" she asked. "It could be worse" he shrugged. "You think so?" she asked. "Mhm. At least you're here" he replied. She smiled.

"You...maybe you want me to...stay here...tonight?" she asked. "Do you want to?" he asked. "I asked you first," she replied with a smirk.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to. I am very capable of taking care of myself. I just like when you're here with me" he shrugged. "So you want me to stay" she questioned hopefully. He rolled over on his back and laughed. " _Yes_ , Olivia, I want you to stay."

She giggled and patted his damp, curly head. "Okay, well we better work on those symptoms of yours then, because I don't want to spend the night with a whiner!" she teased, getting up off the bed. And rather than getting off the other side of the bed, she scooted over top of his body. Very slowly.

"What! I'm not a whiner, you asked me how I was feeling and I told you. Very honestly!" he exclaimed. But she just smiled at him over her shoulder as she left his bedroom.

She scooped some ice cream and grabbed a couple spoons, as well as the cold medicine again. Looks like the cold dessert may come in handy after all.

"Ice cream?" he asked. "Ice cream" she nodded. "But take some of this again, first," she added, giving him the medicine. He took some, cringed because of the taste, and then dug into the ice cream immediately. And they ate it together, as they watched the movie.

"You're _really_ going to get sick" he chuckled, scooping up some ice cream. "Nope. You're underestimating my body's powers" she said confidently. He raised his eyes up from their ice cream and smirked at her. "I don't think I've ever done that. You're _very_ talented" he said.

Her cheeks turned bright red in seconds, and she realized how badly she had worded her response.

"Wow that came out so wrong," she said. "Yes, ma'am, it did" he nodded.

"Okay, you know what I _meant!"_ she exclaimed.

"I do, and let's think logically about this. You sit by me on the couch, you feel me up, and now we're sharing ice cream" he said, shooting a look at her. She scoffed. "Okay, no, _you_ laid on me on the couch, _you_ came out half-naked all hot and bothered, and I'm using _my own_ spoon!" she exclaimed. He just smiled at her. "Do you want me to put a shirt on?" he asked. "Well no, don't do that."

"That's what I thought" he smirked. "I just don't want you to be hot" she shrugged. "Uh-huh," he nodded. She smiled, knowing she wasn't fooling anyone. "You're so cute," he said. "Noooo," she replied quietly. "Yesss," he nodded. "But cute or not, you're going to get sick."

"No I'm not!" she exclaimed. "Okay. Think what you want, but don't blame me when you do" he shrugged. "Wanna bet?" she asked. "Oh, this could be interesting. What are we betting?" he asked. "Hmm..." she thought.

"Dinner."

"Dinner?" he asked. "Yeah. Loser has to make the other dinner." He smiled. "You're on," he said.

"Wait."

She looked over at him. "What?" he asked. "You can't cook!" he exclaimed. She laughed. "Gee, thanks, Fitz." He laughed. "It's a good thing I won't need to because I'm going to win this bet" she added. "So confident. I like that." She smiled, scooting closer to him. "How are you doing now?" she asked.

"Olivia, you don't need to ask me every five minutes."

"Sorry. I just want you to feel better!" she giggled. "I know, I know. It's very sweet. I feel...the same" he shrugged. She put her spoon in the bowl of ice cream that was just about gone, and got off the bed.

She went into his bathroom and wet a washcloth with cool water, wringing it out for him.

He looked at her questioningly as she got back on the bed, scooting back over to him. She folded it over and laid it on his forehead.

He clutched her arm and winced. "Whew, that's cold" he chuckled. "Too cold?" she asked. "No. It feels good" he nodded, loosening his grip on her arm, but continuing to hold it. And then, he put the empty ice cream bowl down and grabbed her other hand, pulling it slightly closer to him.

She followed his lead, swinging a leg over his waist. His hands rested on her thighs, looking up at her sweetly. She ran a hand through his hair, and adjusted the washcloth on his forehead. And then she ran her hand down his chest again, because she couldn't help it.

He smiled up at her, and flexed, which made her laugh. She traced his muscles slowly with a single finger as she sat on his lower waist, driving the both of them crazy. Olivia exhaled and leaned forward, laying all the way down on top of him. She readjusted herself on the bed, but kept her arm and leg draped over him.

And surprisingly, that was the last thing either of them remembered that night, because they both fell asleep. Snuggled up together, one of them sick, and both of them feeling that spark that never seemed to leave them.

* * *

Olivia woke up confused, not remembering, at first, that she had spent the night at Fitz's. With him. In his bed.

Only...where was he?

"Fitz?" she asked, her voice still scratchy.

No answer.

She got up, still wearing the outfit she'd been wearing the night before, and walked out into the kitchen. Which, was empty.

She looked everywhere, but he wasn't in the apartment. She couldn't find his keys or wallet either, so apparently, he had gone somewhere.

She shook her head. The man was sick and feverish, and he still decided to go out at ten in the morning on a Saturday.

She went back into his room and grabbed a T-shirt out of his drawer, just wanting to get out of the clothes she'd been wearing all night. It hung loosely on her body and fell a little ways down her leggings. Just like she liked it.

She was trying not to think about the fact that she felt a little off. Something didn't seem quite right, but she pushed it aside, thinking that all the talk with Fitz last night about getting sick was just getting to her head.

She shook it off and brushed her teeth with the toothbrush she had at his apartment, and while she was fixing her hair in the mirror, she heard the front door.

Followed by a deep cough.

She walked out into the kitchen to see him putting some bags on the counter. "Oh. Good morning. I didn't think you'd be up yet. I was going to make you breakfast" he said, pulling out some groceries.

"Oh, Fitz. You don't need to do that. You should be resting" she replied. "But I want to. My fever is gone, I checked. I'm all good" he chuckled, continuing to pull out groceries.

She smiled at him. "You went out at ten in the morning to get groceries for breakfast?" she asked, giving him a look. "No. I went out to get this. The groceries were an afterthought" he said, pulling out a picture frame.

Her face softened and her lips parted. "For the picture on your nightstand?" she asked softly. He nodded, starting to walk by her towards the hallway.

She followed him to his bedroom, where he sat down on the bed and grabbed the frame to switch the picture out. "You didn't need to do this either, Fitz," she said, putting her arm around him. "Why not? This one made you sad," he said, holding the cracked one.

She shook her head and leaned it on his shoulder. "You are so sweet," she said quietly. He leaned his head briefly down against hers, and smiled. And then, he got up and put the broken frame in the trash.

"That looks better," he said, glancing at the uncracked, brand new frame with the picture of them kissing on his nightstand. "It does" she nodded, leaning her body into his.

And then, out of the blue;

"Achoo!"

She covered up her sneeze with the inside of her elbow and then shook her head in surprise.

She looked over at Fitz, who had wide eyes and raised eyebrows.

"Bless you."

She sighed and smiled, looking down in defeat, because she knew that she was sick.

"Dammit."

* * *

Ha! Liv owes him a homecooked meal ;) Wish Fitz luck with that one.

They are both such teases, and the sexual tension between them at all times is just _insane._

Those "friend" lines are really blurring...

Hope you enjoyed.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	50. Missed You

Fitz stared at his computer screen, which was dimmed down ultra low, as he was in one of his classes. Today was the only day throughout the entire semester that he had a video to show.

He showed it every year, as it was a very useful documentary. However, it made things extremely boring for him, especially when he didn't have any work to do at the moment. So, he used his time very wisely, in his opinion.

He clicked through the pictures that he had on his laptop, all of them of Olivia, or the two of them together. He smiled, looking at her pretty face.

And then he got to the picture of her last winter, looking up at the Sterling Law Building. She looked beautiful. It had always been his screensaver for all of his devices, because from the angle it was taken, it was hard to determine her identity. It could be any pretty girl out there.

But she wasn't just any pretty girl. Not to him. And she never would be.

He remembered the first time she'd noticed his screensaver when she had come to his office one evening. He had been attempting to show her the students projected to be on the Dean's List. But in the process, she'd seen his desktop.

Oh how badly he had blushed.

She, of course, loved it, and showed him her very own lock screen that she had of their hands in the car. Which had made him feel better.

Those times made him happy. The good old days, he supposed. Not as many complications. Just them, together. Sneaking around, yes. Doing crazy, risky things, yes. But doing all of it together.

He sighed and reached out to grab his mug to take a drink, but then remembered that it wasn't coffee in the mug, and it wasn't for him, either. It was for someone else. A certain someone, who happened to be sick. He smiled. He'd told her, and she didn't listen. Such a stubborn little thing.

He leaned his head back against the blackboard and glanced up at the auditorium full of students.

Some of them were writing intensely, no doubt trying to quote every possible word that they could. Some were staring blankly ahead of them, making it impossible to determine if they were truly paying attention, or if their minds were elsewhere. And lastly, there were the select few that were passed out on their lap desks in front of him.

He was never one to call out students in a lecture for not paying attention, sleeping, using their phones, or whatever else it may be. The honest truth was they could do whatever they wanted to do with their class time, but their grade would reflect whatever they chose.

Plus, he usually felt quite proud of himself, because there were rarely students not paying attention in his classes.

He tried to make it interesting and keep them involved, and he thought he did a good job with that. But, if they chose to not pay attention, that was on them. So, he chuckled quietly to himself at the few students who chose to take a nap. It was the morning, after all, and the lights were off in the auditorium. He understood.

And how was he any better if he, the professor, was sitting there looking at pictures of his ex-girlfriend like a lovestruck teenager?

She really did make him feel that way sometimes. No matter how mad that young woman had made him, his feelings for her had never changed. In fact, recently, he was fairly positive that they had only strengthened, if that were even possible. They weren't even dating, and he was having trouble getting her out of his head.

She was a…friend? It felt weird to call her that. He was the one who had even suggested _being_ friends, and it still felt weird to call her that.

He didn't constantly wonder how his other friends were doing, how they were feeling. He didn't dream of his other friends, or think of them when a song reminded him of them. He didn't look through pictures of his other friends. He wasn't in love with his other friends.

But he was in love with her.

That was the god's honest truth. He was so totally in love. Completely _infatuated._

And he would wait for as long as he needed to. He would wait until she was comfortable. But one thing was for sure.

He didn't want to be friends anymore.

* * *

Olivia walked to class leisurely, having gotten out of her first one a little earlier than normal. So she took her time, which was nice.

She'd been feeling dreadful for days, but today was the first day she could confidently say that she was starting to feel better.

She wasn't congested or feverish anymore, and her throat no longer hurt. She was now in the phase of her cold where she had a cough, and her voice was essentially gone. Which, made her throat feel almost tired. It didn't hurt, but it still wasn't a comfortable feeling by any means.

Fitz was probably just about over his by now. They'd kept in contact this week for the first time in months. They'd sent texts back and forth on occasion in recent weeks, sure, but ever since she'd gone to be his "caretaker", the communication had been pretty much nonstop.

And she loved it.

She'd felt gross and not up for much this entire week so she hadn't gotten to see him since Saturday evening, when she finally left his apartment. Well, besides Monday for about a minute, when they'd talked outside the lecture hall. She didn't count that, though. It was not even close to long enough.

And when they had talked, it had been practically impossible because his voice was essentially gone. Especially given that he'd just had an hour-long lecture.

And from the looks of it, today would be the same way for the two of them, only _she_ would be the one struggling to form audible words.

Getting sick really sucked.

She approached the lecture hall where her PR class took place, and opened the door. She listened for his voice like she always did as she neared the auditorium, but instead, she heard what sounded like a video.

Lame.

She only had a few minutes until his class got out, but over ten until hers started, so she was fairly early.

She checked her phone, just to see if she had any unread texts from him. Her face perked up, because she _did._

 _ **Can you stay and talk before your PR class again?**_

 _She smiled, and sent her response._

 _ **Yes I can:)**_

And after the video ended, she heard him remind the class about a homework assignment due next Monday, followed by the familiar, "dismissed."

Thank god.

Students filed out of the auditorium, chatting amongst themselves or looking directly down at their phones. She waited a few feet from the door, leaning up against the wall with her hands in her pockets. And when she finally saw the man walk out, looking amazing as usual, her heart fluttered.

The first thing he did was turn his head to the left, in search of her, which made her smile.

"Hi, miss Pope," he greeted, walking up to her casually. "Hi, professor. Your voice sounds a little better today" she replied. He winced. "Oh boy. Yours doesn't."

"I know" she nodded, her voice sounding scratchy and quiet.

"Would you mind holding this for a second?" he asked casually, handing her his coffee mug. The one she had gifted to him.

She nodded, thinking it was a bit strange, but taking it from him, nonetheless. "Keep it, it's for you," he said, barely above a whisper.

She looked at him questionably.

"It's that tea you like from Starbucks. With a splash of 2% milk. That's right, isn't it?" he asked quietly. Her heart melted, and she nodded with a smile.

"Okay good. I thought it would help with your throat" he said. "Thank you, that was very nice of you," she said gratefully. He nodded.

"I should probably get going, though. Have a good class today," he said with a smile. "Okay. Oh—wait. Your mug. When should I get it back to you?" she asked quietly, as students continued to pass by them.

They were all completely distracted by friends or their phones, and it wasn't uncommon to see a student and professor interacting anywhere on campus, anyway. But with her current situation, she felt the need to be extra careful.

"Text me" he mouthed, as he walked away, smiling at her. She smiled and nodded, feeling the color rush to her cheeks as she headed into the auditorium. She took a sip of her tea, too, and was delighted at its taste. Plus, it did feel good on her throat.

As soon as she found her seat, she immediately pulled out her phone, and sent him a text.

 ** _Olivia: The tea is perfect. Thanks again! You didn't have to give it to me in your SUPER nice mug! Btw, who got it for you? ;)_**

 ** _Fitz: That's my best mug, it keeps everything nice and hot. Someone very special got it for me. On Valentine's Day, if I recall._**

She smiled and checked the bottom of the mug, where she had put a heart sticker to make it more festive.

It was still there.

All of the color had worn off, and it was peeling away slightly. But he'd managed to keep it there. Such a sweetheart.

 ** _Olivia: Hmm. They do sound very special. I'm sorry you'll be without your best mug temporarily._**

 ** _Fitz: No worries, your needs are greater than mine right now._**

 ** _Olivia: So when should I return this famous mug to you?_**

 ** _Fitz: How about Friday night? If I remember correctly, you owe me a homemade dinner._**

Yeah, she'd been thinking about what to make him for _days_.

 ** _Olivia: Of course, I could never forget that. Are you excited!?_**

 ** _Fitz: For the meal…I don't know. To see you, always._**

She smiled.

 ** _Olivia: Fair enough. I'll try my absolute hardest for you._**

 ** _Fitz: Sounds good. 6 at my place?_**

"Good morning," her professor said, her voice amplified by her mic.

 ** _Olivia: Perfect, I can't wait. Gotta go now though, class is starting._**

 ** _Fitz: Okay. I'll talk to you later. Pay attention in class, Ms. Pope._**

 ** _Olivia: Always. I'm a good student, you know that._**

 ** _Fitz: Debatable. ;)_**

She laughed quietly to herself and put her phone in her bag as the professor got the Powerpoint all set up.

She paid well enough attention in class, as she always did. But he also occupied part of her brain, too. As...he always did.

And to make matters worse, the girls by her started talking. Again.

"Hey, I forgot to tell you. You know that super hot TA or...professor? I don't know which one he is...whatever. The hot one" she said quietly.

Olivia raised her eyebrows. The hot one. Well, she'd had enough experience with other students' commentary to know who the hot one was.

"Oh yeah, yeah. The one that's in here sometimes" the other girl replied.

"Yeah, him. Well the other day I saw him running really early in the morning. He wasn't wearing a shirt. And let's just say, I wish he wasn't wearing shorts either."

Yep. Sounds about right.

The other girl gasped quietly. "So he looks good I assume?" she asked.

"Um, yes. Fucking ripped."

Olivia nodded to herself. Yeah, that's true.

"Oh my god, I'm so jealous! Wait...what time was it?" the girl asked.

"I don't know, like 6:30 I think."

"What the hell were you doing out and about at 6:30?"

Silence.

"Uhhh..."

"Please don't tell me you were doing the walk of shame home from Brad's."

More silence.

"Jeanie! You fucked him again!?" the girl exclaimed in a hushed whisper.

"Only like...a couple times!" she replied.

Olivia rolled her eyes, and directed her attention back to the front, as the two girls shifted their conversation to how good Brad was in bed.

Man, she really needed to find better people to sit next to in her classes.

* * *

"We _need_ to find a cookbook!"

Olivia looked at her friend, who was frantically searching their kitchen. "What?" Olivia asked.

"You need a cookbook! How the hell else are you going to _not_ kill him?" she asked. Olivia laughed. "Man, my cooking really gets insulted."

"Liv, you can make a total of like five things, all of which, I learned to make at the age of nine."

"Okay, hold on a second...wait, no, yeah you're probably right. Continue" Olivia nodded.

"What the hell am I even looking for. We don't have a fucking cookbook. Wait—do pre-furnished apartments come with cookbooks?" Abby asked.

Olivia was trying hard to keep her composure, but she couldn't, and she burst into laughter. "No, Abby I don't think so."

"Dammit."

"You know, Abby. There's this thing called the internet." Abby looked up at her and pointed. "You're right, I'm overthinking it. Okay, get out your phone!"

Olivia laughed. "Abby, relax, I'll figure something out. It's not being eaten by a god damn food critic or something" she said.

"Olivia Carolyn Pope, you better get your phone out and figure out what you're making him, or else you're gonna kill him on accident and there's gonna be one less pretty boy in this world."

"Okay, okay, okay" Olivia nodded, pulling out her phone.

So, she searched and searched to find anything at all that seemed plausible for her to make.

And finally, something popped out to her.

"I think I found something good!"

"Okay, let me see," Abby said, looking over her shoulder.

"Pesto chickens and veggies. Yeah, this seems good. Does he like all this stuff?" she asked.

Olivia nodded. "Yep. He likes everything. Well, except olives. Oh, and black licorice. And beets. He's also not really a fan of whole wheat bread. You know, the bread with all the nuts in it—". "Okay—Liv. I got it" Abby said with a laugh. "Right, sorry. But yeah, he...likes all this stuff" Olivia nodded.

"Good. Then I think you're set, you just have to get all the ingredients and...study the recipe like a textbook for the next two nights" Abby shrugged. Olivia scoffed. "Rude!" she exclaimed, which had Abby laughing. "It's all in good fun. You know I love you. Even if you can't cook to save your life."

Olivia smiled. "I love you too. You know, maybe you should let me cook our dinner tonight. Something other than the things I _know_ how to make. I need to get better eventually" she said.

"Hell no, I'm not trying to die tonight" Abby replied. "Come on! How about you help me along then. You can be my teacher," Olivia replied. "I don't know if I want to be. We all know how you feel about your teachers," Abby smirked. Olivia's jaw dropped. "That was below the belt."

"Oh good. That's your favorite area of pretty boy's body!"

And then Olivia's jaw dropped further, while Abby had a look of pure joy on her face.

"WHEW. I am on freaking _fire_ tonight!" she exclaimed. "Okay, yeah. That was pretty good, I'll give you that" Olivia admitted.

Abby laughed. "Alright, Liv, come on. Let's cook, I'll be your teacher. Just promise me you won't try to seduce me" she said.

Olivia shook her head and laughed as she got up next to Abby and nudged her. "You drive me crazy," she said. "I wouldn't be Abby if I didn't" she replied. Olivia smiled. Probably true.

* * *

Thursday and Friday went by in the blink of an eye. Well, except for maybe Thursday night, because that night, Olivia stayed up until one in the morning doing her weekend homework. Which, she probably wouldn't have done if she hadn't started feeling better. But she felt well enough to stay up and get a head start.

She finished every single thing she had due, up until Tuesday. So, her weekend should be enjoyable enough. She knew that it would at least _start_ _off_ great, because on Friday night she'd be with him. He really made everything better.

And thankfully, she was just about ready to go.

Her cough was still there a little bit, but it wasn't too bad. Her voice also didn't sound the best still, but it had recovered a decent amount since Wednesday. Overall, she was feeling better.

She grabbed her purse, as well as his clean stainless steel mug that sat on her dresser, and did one last look-over of herself in the mirror. She was wearing a white, silk top with her darkest pair of skinny jeans, and brown, dressy boots. She loved fall for this reason, when she got to start wearing warmer, cute clothes. Summer was great, but she preferred long sleeves and jeans.

She had definitely dressed up for him, she had no shame in admitting that to herself. Her hair and makeup were done perfectly, and her outfit looked perfect for the occasion, she thought. It almost felt like…a date. Kind of.

"Alright, Abby. I'm gonna go" Olivia said, heading out to the living room. Abby sat on the couch watching TV, with a smile on her face. "Good luck," she said happily. "Thanks. I'll see you later" Olivia replied. "Alright. See you, Liv." "Bye, Abby," she said.

She drove to the store to get all of the necessary ingredients for their dinner, and then headed over to Pax, getting there right on time. Perfect.

She said all of her hellos, as she always did when entering his apartment building, and made her way up to the sixth floor.

She knocked, and heard him tell her she could come in. And after opening the door, she saw him sitting up at the bar with his computer in front of him, looking over at her with a smile.

"Hi," he greeted.

"Hi," she greeted back.

"You don't have to knock, by the way. You can just come in" he said. "Oh, right. Yeah. Okay" Olivia nodded, closing the door behind her. "Look at all those groceries!" he exclaimed, nodding at the grocery bags in her hands. "Mhm. Are you ready for the best meal of your life?" she asked. "I…think so. I just hope it's not my last" he chuckled. Olivia laughed. "Oh come on, now you sound like Abby."

"I'm just kidding, Liv. I believe in you" he said. And she about stopped her tracks. Liv. He had called her Liv.

For months now, it had been Olivia. Strictly Olivia. Hearing him use that nickname felt so good.

"Good. Can I—?" she questioned, pointing towards the kitchen. She was feeling pretty confident and wanted to start as soon as possible. "Oh yeah, of course. Go right ahead" he nodded, getting off the stool.

She washed her hands and got out everything she needed. At least she knew where everything in his kitchen was. That was a plus.

"Oh, here's your mug by the way," she said, pulling it out of one of the grocery bags she'd stuck it in. "Oh, perfect, thanks."

"Hey" he added. She looked over at him, to see him tossing an apron to her. She caught it and laughed. "This is yours!" she giggled. "Mhm. It's your favorite, isn't it?" he asked.

She nodded. "It is, right up there with that trapper hat you always wear in the winter," she said with a smile. He laughed. "Well, this will suit _you_ better tonight," he said, nodding at her to put the apron on. So, she did. She knew her way around the kitchen, _and_ she looked the part. This was going great.

She started by washing and cutting up all of the vegetables she needed while the skillet was heating up. But halfway through, she stopped, to put the olive oil and chicken in the skillet.

"Are you really going to stand there and watch me the whole time?" she giggled, looking at him as he stood about a foot away, leaning against the counter. "Yes," he answered happily.

"Well, alright. It is your kitchen" she nodded. He smiled at her and slowly moved behind her as she flipped the chicken occasionally.

She could feel his presence. "You're making me nervous," she said quietly. "Welcome to my world" he chuckled. She turned her head and gave him a smile, only to realize he was _right_ there behind her. So close.

She finished up the remaining vegetables, and gathered them all together.

He put a palm on the edge of the counter and leaned over her, putting his face down directly by hers as she worked. All she had to do was turn her head, and their faces would about touch. But she didn't. She wanted to, but she didn't.

The recipe required that she remove the chicken and cook the asparagus alone in the oil for a few minutes, before adding the rest of the vegetables, and the chicken last, to warm it back up. So, she did exactly that.

She was slow and shaky while she did everything, but she still did it. Although, she did almost forget to add the seasoning after she mixed in the pesto. Oops.

Her hand shook as she held the skillet up, emptying part of its contents onto Fitz's plate. But soon, his big hand wrapped around her little one and steadied her, helping her along. She turned and smiled at him, receiving that beautiful Fitz smile back.

He poured them both a glass of white wine as she set the table for them. "White wine?" she asked. "Mhm. It goes best with chicken. Is that alright?" he asked. "Oh yeah, definitely" she nodded.

She didn't dislike white wine, she just didn't have it often. She preferred red, but he was certainly right in saying that white would go better with their dinner.

And then they sat down to eat.

"Thank you for all your hard work," he said sweetly, holding up his glass to hers. She nodded and clinked their glasses, and they took a drink, beginning to eat.

Overall, she felt proud of herself. The chicken was a tad overdone, but besides that, everything else was perfect.

It wasn't _Fitz_ caliber cooking, but it was still pretty good. And he seemed to think so too. Whether or not he was just trying to make her feel better was unclear, but he seemed genuine.

" _Really_ good, Olivia. Really, really good" he nodded. "Thank you" she replied, blushing a little bit. "You can also thank Abby, she helped prepare me" she added with a laugh. Fitz shook his head, taking a sip of his wine.

"Maybe. But tonight, was _all_ you. I watched. You looked like a pro" he said. She looked down at the table, smiling and blushing, feeling like an idiot. Man, blushing was really inconvenient.

"Thank you" she nodded again, gratefully.

He nodded. "You look really nice tonight, by the way," she said, admiring what he had on. She could tell that he had also wanted to look nice, because otherwise, he'd be in a T-shirt and shorts.

But tonight, he wore a casual blue button-down and those slim khakis that looked so good on him.

"Thanks, you do too. That shirt…that's the shirt you were wearing when I saw you at Three Sheets last year" he noted. She looked down at her shirt and nodded. "It is, isn't it? How did you…remember that?" she asked. He shrugged and leaned back in her chair as he looked at her.

"Because I couldn't keep my eyes off you that night. Or…any night, really."

Yep. This was feeling more and more like a date.

"I relate to that…on an insane level," she said with a laugh. He smiled. "Yeah?" he asked. _"Yeah"_ she nodded. "And what makes it worse for me, is that every other girl on this campus can't keep their eyes off you, either" she added. " _No,_ that can't be true," he said. She actually laughed. "Oh, Fitz. _Ohhh_ , Fitz."

"What?" he asked innocently. "Girls love you. I literally heard a student refer to you as 'the hot one' a couple days ago," she said. "No way" he chuckled. "Um, _yes_ way. And also, how come you're still out running shirtless in the morning at this time of year? No wonder you got sick!" she giggled.

"Hey, I get hot easily. How do you even know that?" he asked. "A girl in class. She saw you running. She was very appreciative" Olivia replied. "Really? I run early" he replied.

"Yeah, well when students have morning classes and are also returning from a…special friend's house…it's usually fairly early too" Olivia pointed out. He laughed. "Ahhh, the famous walk of shame" he nodded. "Bingo," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Well, I guess I can't speak to girls liking me. But I can sure as hell speak for all the guys that are into you" he said, taking a sip of wine. "What guys?" she asked, dead serious. "Yeah, see, now who's denying it?" he chuckled.

"What? No, I'm serious!" she said. "Um…every guy that's in the room when you walk in?" he questioned. She shook her head. "You don't have to flatter me, Fitz," she said.

He looked at her like she was insane. "I'm not flattering you. Trust me, I notice it, just like you say you do. I know how guys work; I know when they like what they see. And in your case, they always do. You get their attention the second you walk in" he said, nodding at her. She sat back in her chair and sighed.

"There's only one guy whose attention I want," she said quietly.

He smiled. "Hmm…and who might that be?" he asked, leaning forward in his chair.

"Well…" she began, also leaning forward in her chair.

"He's the smartest man I know. I'm talking _really_ smart. And…he has the kindest heart" she said. He smiled, crossing his arms on the table and looking at her intently.

And she loved it. She loved how happy she was making him, so she continued.

"He's funny. He can make _anybody_ laugh" she giggled. "And he's honest, and loyal. And… _so_ handsome" she said with a smile.

"And…so much more. He's got everything. He _is_ …everything."

His look said it all, that he was very happy to hear what she had said. And the color that had rushed to his cheeks made it even better.

"You know that…I feel the same way. About only wanting one person's attention" he said softly.

"I know" she nodded with a smile. "Good. It's…very important to me that you know that…after everything" he said. "Me too" she nodded.

And there they sat, looking at each other. Until he broke the silence.

He cleared his throat. "Um…I can—I'll clean up the kitchen" he said, starting to stack their plates. "Oh, I can—I can help, Fitz," she said. "Yeah, sure. Okay" he nodded, letting her grab her own plate.

And so they cleaned up the kitchen together.

He lessened the tension that had recently formed by putting on his apron that she'd been wearing before.

"That's a nice outfit choice for washing the dishes" she giggled. "Thanks, I thought so," he said proudly, posing in the apron for her. She was in a fit of laughter practically the entire time they were cleaning up, because of him. They both were laughing, actually. They had a lot of fun with each other.

They always did.

So when he suggested that she stay and they watch a movie together, she didn't hesitate to say no.

They headed to his bedroom, because the TV in there was newer and nicer, and that's where they both preferred to watch. Plus, his big, comfy bed was way better than his couch.

They finally decided on _Pirates of the Caribbean_ , after playfully debating back and forth for about ten minutes. She had also clicked on a different scary movie, just to get his reaction. It was the same as usual; a big fat no. Maybe one day she'd get him to watch one with her.

Johnny Depp was brilliant as usual in his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow, but everyone knew that. He was hilarious, and perfect for the role, so both Olivia and Fitz were laughing throughout the movie, even though they'd seen it countless times.

They were also getting closer.

Despite the large size of his bed, that didn't stop the two of them from laying directly next to each other, shoulders touching. And as the movie went on, his fingers brushed hers as their hands rested next to each other.

She tried her best to look at him out of the corner of her eye, and saw that his full attention seemed to be on the screen. But she knew that was not the case, as his fingers started to play with hers. He traced each finger, and the top of her hand. And she lifted it up slightly, so that he could.

He slid it fully underneath her hand and laced their fingers together. And she held on tight. So, so tight.

Watching the movie that way was much more enjoyable.

And it all ended way too soon.

Because before she knew it, the movie was over and it was almost eleven. And she really didn't want to go home. Which was fine, because he seemed to read her mind.

"Stay here tonight."

She looked over at him hopefully. "If you want, I mean," he said with a smile. She nodded, indicating that she wanted to. "And…you can sleep in a guest room if you want, I know last time…we fell asleep," he chuckled. She smiled.

"Or I could…stay in here with you."

He smiled back. "Or you could stay in here with me."

Glad that was settled.

She got up just to grab her phone and send a text to Abby, while Fitz scrolled through Netflix again, asking her if she wanted to watch something else.

"Yeah, sure. What if we started a show?" she questioned. "Oh yeah that's a good idea" he nodded, scrolling through the TV shows section. And after she had texted Abby telling her she was staying at Fitz's, it didn't take her long to get a response. All it read was;

 ** _;)_**

Classic.

Olivia smiled and rolled her eyes, getting back into bed with Fitz.

They eventually decided on _Dexter,_ which had her laughing. "You don't like scary movies, but you'll watch a show solely based on murders and…blood spatter?" she giggled.

"No, Liv. It's different. This won't have any…freaky ghost shit" he replied. "Oh, so…we shouldn't watch _Supernatural_ instead?" she teased, trying to grab the remote from him. "No, no, no" he replied, jerking the remote away from her reach. She laughed, nudging his arm with hers, which made him smile.

And so, they began their first TV show together. Which, she could already tell, would be good.

As they watched, she could almost _feel_ them getting closer again, since she had gotten up. Only this time, it was different.

His hand rested atop hers, until it moved to her leg. The hand on the leg had always killed her.

He didn't move it any further once he put it there, undoubtedly not wanting to make her uncomfortable. But…she really wanted him to move it. She wanted him to move it much higher than it was.

So, she moved her hand over to his leg, too.

He didn't physically do anything to let her know that it affected him. But from the way her heart was racing, she sure as hell had to think he was going crazy inside too.

But it was a good kind of crazy. The kind of crazy that you craved. The kind of goosebumps, butterflies, heart-racing crazy that you wanted more of. So, she made another move.

She inched her hand upward, moving underneath his dress shirt, and rested it on the top of his belt. And then she heard him take an audible breath.

She bit her lip, trying to decide if she should do what she wanted to do, or if she should back down. She was still stuck on what was right, and what was wrong.

But she didn't want to think anymore.

So, she said fuck it.

She gradually lowered her hand, and ran it slowly over him through his pants. She didn't do much else, she just teased him a little bit, feeling him harden at her touch.

He turned his head towards her and gripped her thigh a little harder, clearly not expecting her to do that to him.

She stopped, wanting to make sure that he was okay with it. She certainly didn't want to cross any boundaries that he didn't want her to. But he inched closer and turned his hips slightly towards her, giving her all the confirmation she needed. So she continued, starting to massage him a little bit through his pants.

His lips parted, and he let out another staggering breath, as he kept his eyes on her. The look on his face was something she could only describe as _so sexy._ She could tell that it felt good, and when he felt good, she felt good.

He came even closer, bringing his face nearer to hers. But she didn't want to wait any longer, so she closed the gap and pressed her lips to his. He kissed her right back, and his hand began to slide upward on her thigh. She could feel the warmth he gave off even through her jeans, which, she really wanted _off_ at this point.

But the clothes remained on while they made out, and felt each other up. Which, was truly underrated, in her opinion. Yeah, getting naked was fricken great, but kissing and touching each other fully clothed was still very intimate in its own way.

And it was unlike their kiss weeks ago; the kiss that had started out slow, but had ended up sloppy and fast, against a wall.

This kiss was slow and passionate, their tongues brushing together and their lips reacquainting themselves once again. He shifted his body and moved on top of her, while cupping her through her jeans.

All that could be heard in the bedroom were lips on lips, the quick, unsteady breaths being taken by the both of them, and the quiet sound of the TV, which was dimly lighting the dark room.

He pulled away for a moment, both of them trying to catch their breath. And then her hands began to fumble with the buttons on his shirt, confirming that this was indeed going to happen.

There were no words exchanged between the two of them. Just looks and actions.

So while she unbuttoned his shirt, his fingers went directly to the buttons on hers. She pushed the shirt back on his shoulders and he shrugged it off, before throwing it off the bed and lifting her shirt over her head.

The clothes came off slowly, with long breaks of kissing in between. Her body had almost forgotten what it felt like to have his mouth on her skin. On her chest, on her jaw. And, when he finally took her bra off, on her breast, with his tongue flicking slowly across her nipple.

It drove her crazy, and made her eagerly grind up against him.

She began to unbutton her jeans, but he gently pushed her hands away and leaned his head down as he kneeled over her, starting to kiss her abdomen. He took over for her, undoing her jeans and sliding them slowly off her body, kissing along the fabric of her underwear after he did so.

He placed soft kisses on top of her lacy underwear, and all she could do was watch in awe, as he did what he did. He hooked two fingers inside the waistband and slid them down, looking at her now fully naked body like it was the thing he wanted most in the world. Which, was probably true, considering the large bulge in his pants that she was eager to set free.

So, she finally moved her hands to his belt, beginning to undo it, along with his pants. He just let her do what she wanted as he rested both palms on the bed on either side of her, continuing to admire her body.

She slid them down as far as he could, until he took over and threw them to the floor. She exhaled deeply as she took in his fully naked, aroused state. And he was breathtaking, which was not news to her.

The making out and the slow, agonizing removal of clothing had been more than enough foreplay for them, because they wasted no time.

He prodded her entrance, and pushed in slowly, trailing kisses up her neck to give her time. She gasped at the feeling that used to be so familiar to her, but in recent months, had not been.

"Feel okay?" he whispered. She nodded, running a hand up the side of his face and keeping it there. He smiled at her and leaned his forehead down against hers, before placing a soft kiss on her nose.

And it all came rushing back. His softness. His sweetness. His gentleness. In such an intimate moment, it all came rushing back.

He kissed her lips softly and briefly, before ducking his head down into the crook of her neck and pulling out slightly, so he could push back in again.

She bit her lip and tilted her head back in pleasure, wanting nothing more than for him to keep going. Her hands went back and forth between his muscular back and his curly hair, while her legs only continued to widen for him, eventually wrapping around his body.

His lips were always somewhere; her lips, her neck, her jaw, her chest. Anywhere and everywhere they could possibly be, that's where they were.

"Missed—you. Missed everything," he whispered against her skin, plunging deep inside of her. She moaned and gasped, gripping his body hard. "Missed you—too. So much" she managed to get out in between breaths.

They went slow. All of their movements were slow, wanting to take their time. Wanting to make their beautiful moment last as long as they both possibly could.

But eventually, their moment ended. He made sure she reached her climax before he reached his, pumping in and out of her slowly until he had fully finished.

And she held him through it until his body calmed on top of her.

But even after, he didn't move. Not for a long time.

He just laid there, still inside of her, placing soft kisses on the side of her face.

And she held onto him so tight. She didn't want to ruin anything by thinking. She just wanted to be there with him, holding him.

Because it had been far too long since she had.

"Don't move," he finally whispered, kissing her forehead. "Okay," she whispered.

He pulled out of her and got up, heading to his bathroom, before coming back with a warm washcloth like he had always done to clean them up.

So soft. So sweet. So gentle.

She held onto his arms as he pressed the washcloth between her thighs, admiring his cute curly hair that was now a bit damp from sweat.

She, herself, was fairly hot too. So she didn't even want to think about putting clothes back on.

Her preference was to lay there naked for a while, and it seemed that that was his too, because he soon laid his head on her chest, and wrapped his arms around her. Both, not bothering to put any clothes on.

She wrapped her arms around his head and kissed the top of his damp, curly hair. She couldn't stop herself from saying the words. The words that both of them had seemed hesitant to say lately. But she needed him to know. She needed him to hear those words.

"I love you" she whispered.

"I love you" he whispered back, tightening his grip around her.

And that's how they fell asleep a little while later. Snuggled up together, both completely bare and exhausted. Both unafraid to admit the intense feelings that were still there.

* * *

Chapter 50, ladies and gentlemen.

I wanted it to be big...I hope it did not disappoint ;)

I'm sure you all were expecting that to happen here pretty soon.

How do you think things will be in the morning?

You'll just have to wait and see.

I hope you enjoyed.

Read on!

With Love,

~T

P.S. I know that Tony is in an episode of Dexter, and directed some as well. I completely blanked on that when I wrote the first draft, and once I remembered, I considered changing that. But I thought it was kind of funny, so I kept it. Tribute to Tony and his many talents, I guess. He's awesome.


	51. Lovers

She snuggled her face up against the soft pillow, readjusting her arm underneath it. And as she became more aware, she felt it.

His warmth.

Her eyes fluttered open and she turned her head, to see Fitz lying on his stomach, face turned away from her. But his arm was still draped over her back. It was as if he hadn't wanted to separate himself from her, even though they had shifted in their sleep.

She raised her head to look at the clock, seeing that it was not even eight in the morning. _Jesus_ , she thought. No wonder he was still asleep.

She, herself, tried to fall back asleep, but now her mind was racing.

What the hell were they supposed to do now?

There was clearly no turning back. The clothes had come off. The intimacy had returned. The deed was done.

And man, had it been fantastic.

But she still couldn't help but wonder how they were going to proceed.

She sighed, feeling like she was thinking about this like it was some sort of business transaction.

It wasn't. It was him. It was the love of her life. It was such conflicting feelings, such a complicated situation, that she didn't know _how_ to think about it.

All she did know was that she loved him, and wanted to be with him.

But what about her parents? What about the fact that they were trusting her to be here, even in such close proximity to the man she was supposed to be staying away from.

Because she was supposed to be. At least, if she wanted to respect her parents' wishes.

Well, she clearly had failed at that. Because here they were, naked in his bed.

The only way to describe what she was feeling was simply _conflicted._

And she knew that she would feel this way. She knew that from the beginning, when she had made a move on him the prior night. But now the time was here, when she was supposed to figure out what to do.

She slowly inched herself out from under his arm, trying so hard not to wake him.

She slowly sat up, completely naked, looking for anything at all to cover herself with. His shirt was the first thing she saw, so she grabbed it and put it on.

She tiptoed around his bedroom, looking for wherever the hell Fitz had thrown her underwear. She eventually found them a few feet from his nightstand, which made her smile and shake her head. She glanced at him briefly before leaving his bedroom.

He looked so beautiful when he slept. So peaceful. His quiet breathing and that one unruly curl that rested on his forehead never failed to make her smile.

She walked quietly out of his room and down the hall, to the kitchen. She opened the cupboard where he kept all his coffee, and rummaged around in it, hoping to find the few tea bags that should've been in the box. And luckily, there were two left, so she was able to make some.

She just needed some time to think by herself. Away from the beautiful man in the bedroom down the hall, who had no idea that she was trying to decide if she regretted what they had done or not.

Her heart and her brain were telling her two different things. And she just wasn't sure which she wanted to listen to.

She sat and drank her tea at the table, running her fingers through her messy hair. Messy due to sleep, and messy due to...other activities.

But she didn't get much alone time anyway, because not long after, she heard his questioning voice, and saw his adorable self walk quietly into the kitchen.

"Olivia?" he asked softly. And then their eyes met.

He was just in a pair of boxers, and his hair was a mess. But he looked perfect to her.

"Good morning" she greeted. "Good morning" he greeted back. "I hope you don't mind...I helped myself to some tea" she said with a laugh. "Oh, no worries. That's yours anyway. After that Starbucks incident, I haven't had much tea," he said with a smile.

She laughed. "Ah, right. The tea brewed from...the depths of hell, if I remember your voicemail correctly?" she giggled. "Exactly right" he chuckled. "Well, here, I'll make you some coffee," she said, getting up. He followed her, not saying anything back. And after she filled up the water, she stood there while she waited for it to pour.

And he stood behind her.

She felt his arms around her, while he tucked his head into her neck, pressing soft kisses to her skin.

"This shirt looks great on you," he said, in between his kisses. She smiled, resting her hand on top of his arm, which was wrapped around her. But then she pulled it away, as the coffee began to pour. Obviously, he took notice.

"Everything...okay?" he asked. "I don't know" she replied honestly with a sigh.

He let go of her and stepped back a few feet, starting to wander around the kitchen. "You want to have the talk," he said.

"The...talk?" she asked, grabbing the full mug of coffee and handing it to him. "Thanks. Yeah. The talk. The 'what are we' talk" he said, as they both walked to the table.

They sat there in silence, neither of them really sure how to proceed. So he broke the silence.

"We had sex."

She looked up at him, to see if he was joking. He didn't seem to be, as he had a fairly serious look on his face.

"Yes," she nodded.

"Really good sex."

Now she looked at him to see him giving her a playful smile, clearly trying to add a little humor to the situation.

And she smiled, laughing a little bit.

"You're not wrong" she replied.

"Oh come on. I used all my good moves and that's the response I get? You're not wrong?" he asked. Which, made her laugh again. "I'm trying to be serious here, Fitz," she said.

He nodded. "I know. I'm sorry."

"No, you don't...don't be sorry," she said. "Your moves were fantastic" she added with a smile.

And he smiled back.

"I don't want you to feel like what I said last night wasn't true...or what we did didn't mean anything," she said.

He looked confused. "Well...I didn't think either of those things, but now I'm a little worried" he replied.

She shook her head. "No, I...I don't want you to feel that way either" she said sadly.

He sat back in his chair. "You made the move on me, Olivia. But look...I know I can be flirty with you, and...maybe I went too far. I wasn't ever going to make that move, and I never want you to feel pressured, or uncomfortable. So if I made you feel that way, I am so sorry. I didn't...I never _ever_ want that," he said regrettably.

"No, no, no. Fitz, absolutely not. Never. I _did_ make the move, that was _all_ me. You have never ever made me feel that way. I want that to be very clear to you" she said. He nodded.

"I was hoping I didn't make _you_ feel pressured or uncomfortable" she added. He shook his head. "No. Never" he replied. She nodded thankfully.

"So...you're regretting that you made the move?" he questioned. She sighed. "I don't know" she replied honestly.

He nodded, seeming a bit sad, but also understanding. "You deserve nothing but the truth, and...that's the truth. And you also deserve an apology" she said.

He raised his eyebrows.

"It was selfish of me. I knew that I was going to feel this way. I knew that and I still...I couldn't stop myself. I couldn't...I just wanted you. I _want_ you. And I love you. I'm just sorry" she said sadly.

But his reaction was something she had not been expecting.

He laughed.

"Liv, that's sweet of you. But...you don't have to apologize here," he said.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you apologizing for what happened? I _wanted_ it to happen too. I _want_ you too. I _love_ you too. You don't need to apologize for any of that. I already know you feel conflicted. We addressed that weeks ago. Why else would you be able to cut the sexual tension between us with a knife?"

She smiled and looked down at the table. Yeah, that was true.

"We just...gave into that tension last night," he shrugged.

She sighed thankfully. "You're such a sweetheart," she said, reaching a hand out to him. He smiled and reached out to grab her hand.

"Why?" he questioned. "I just...I thought..." she began.

He shot her a look. "Please tell me you didn't think I was going to be... _mad_...about this, Olivia," he said.

She grimaced. "I don't know. I just...you have to understand that I'm still trying to...deal with my mistake. I'm just trying so hard not to hurt you, or...do anything wrong. I just care about you so much and...thinking about hurting you again makes me sick" she said quietly.

He sighed, and let go of her hand. "Come here," he said, waving her over. She hesitantly got up. "Come on, don't worry. We're not gonna have sex" he chuckled, which made her smile. She sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, something that had been becoming familiar between them.

"Look at me. Look at my face, I'm not mad" he said, giving her his biggest smile. She laughed and leaned her head down against his chest. "Okay," she nodded. "Good. Then you need to relax a little bit, okay? You're walking on eggshells with me and it's killing you. Just let go, be you. Be my Livvie" he said.

Her face perked up. Livvie.

She nodded and smiled. "You're right."

"Yes I am" he nodded back.

"You can take as long as you need to decide what you need to decide. You know that I will wait. I've told you that. If...you want some space from me for a while, I'll give you that. If you want to talk to your parents before anything else, do that. If you still aren't ready to talk to them, that's okay. Anything is okay. These are your parents, I understand that this is hard, and such a weird, complicated situation. So whatever you want to do, I'm on board with it."

She hugged him tighter, so thankful that he was understanding. Thankful that he was how he was. Just thankful for him.

"And I mean, if you want to date me or something…that's cool too" he added.

She pulled back to look at him and giggled at his smiley face.

"Well one thing's for sure, I do _not_ want space from you. We've had way too much of that" she said.

He nodded. "I agree."

"I was going to talk to them the next time I went home. Which…would be for Thanksgiving break, like we talked about. And…I guess the _'right'_ thing to do would be to wait until I do that. Even though…we already fucked up once" she said. "We did, but…that's alright with me, Liv, we can continue to wait. Whatever you say, goes. This is your decision to make" he nodded.

She sighed sadly. "I just...don't want to wait that long," she said quietly.

"Then don't. You can…drive down one of your free weekends in October if you're able or…even early November is sooner than Thanksgiving" he said.

She nodded. "I know. I think…I may have to. Otherwise I'm going to have to stay away from this cute face of yours longer, and I don't know how I'd do that" she said, tapping his nose lightly. He smiled and tightened his grip around her. "Hey…you can look, but you can't touch," he said with a smile.

She raised an eyebrow.

"There are a lot of things I could say to that," she said with a laugh.

He chuckled and pulled her closer, so that she leaned her head against his. "We really just friend zoned ourselves _again"_ she sighed.

He laughed. "No, actually this time _you_ friend zoned _me_. I did it the first time" he said. She shook her head. "We have issues," she said with a laugh. "Yeah. Maybe a little bit. But, hey, at least I'm a good friend. Remember?" he asked. She giggled. "Yes. I remember."

She sat there on top of him, before starting to get up. "Hey," he said, pulling her back down gently. "I'm just gonna need _one_ thing before we start yet another journey of… _friendship"_ he said. "What?" she asked. He turned his head and tapped his cheek, indicating that he wanted a kiss there. She smiled, and thought about it.

No more stepping on eggshells with him.

She placed a single finger underneath his chin and turned his face back towards her. And before she could come up with all the reasons as to why she shouldn't, she kissed him. On the mouth.

He certainly didn't turn her down. He just seemed willing to go as far as she wanted to take him. So when their lips disconnected briefly after their first kiss and she went back in, he did too.

She pulled his top lip into her mouth, raking her fingers through his hair. And then she felt his tongue in her mouth.

It went on like that a little while, proving to be a nice morning makeout session in the kitchen chair. Which, they had definitely done before.

And when they finally pulled away, he smiled at her.

"There's my Livvie."

She smiled and kissed his nose, before getting off of his lap. At least they had that to tide them over for a while. Maybe.

He cleared his throat as he adjusted himself a little bit through his boxers, clearly trying to hide the fact that that had aroused him.

She smiled at him, but didn't address it.

"You going to head out soon…then?" he asked. She sighed. "Um. Yeah, I think so. Abby had a speech I was going to help her out with today. And…I'm sure she'll want to hear all about my somewhat successful dinner" she said with a laugh. "Right, yeah. Okay. I have…some work anyway that I should…probably do" he nodded.

So, after she finished her tea, she went to grab her things, leaving his shirt on the bed for him.

And when she did finally leave his apartment that morning, she didn't feel all that great.

It wasn't any symptoms of an illness bringing her down.

It was just her heart.

Why? Why did things have to be like this?

She didn't even want to cry, or breakdown, or scream. She just wanted things to be how they had been during her sophomore year. She just wanted him. That's all she wanted. It had been all she wanted since she met him.

It felt as though she was trying to choose between her parents and him. Trying to choose between making her parents happy and trying to salvage what was left of her relationship with them, and being happy on her own with the man she loved.

But did it really make sense to try and make her parents happy when the whole reason she was going to talk to them was to tell them she wanted to be with him, regardless?

And did it really matter all that much, when they had already crossed that line last night?

She sighed as all of the information swirled helplessly around in her head. It was all so complicated and strange. The whole situation was just awful.

And she just hoped that he was okay. He didn't deserve any of this. He just deserved to be happy.

She walked sadly into her apartment, putting her things down on the counter quietly. She figured she'd make herself some eggs since she was hungry. At least that would be a pick me up. Maybe.

She started getting everything ready to scramble some eggs, trying to be as quiet as she could since it was still fairly early in the morning. But, it didn't seem to work, because Abby showed up ten minutes later, looking sleepy.

"Morning, Liv" she greeted.

Olivia turned around from the stove. "Oh, morning, Abby. I'm sorry, I tried hard not to wake you" she replied. "Oh, no it's okay. I need to work on this stupid speech anyway. How did everything go last night?" she asked, sitting down on a stool.

"Um...it went okay. He liked the dinner, I think. I was proud" Olivia nodded. Abby smiled. "Oh good, I'm glad Liv!" she exclaimed. Olivia gave her a smile and scooped the eggs out of the pan onto her plate, and then grabbed a second plate for Abby, as she had made a good amount anyway.

She turned off the stove and handed Abby her plate. "Oh thanks," she said. Olivia nodded and came around to sit next to her. "And...how'd the rest of the night go?" Abby questioned. Olivia was silent for a few moments before answering.

"We slept together."

Abby nodded casually. "Well, yeah, you did that last time too" she replied, eating another bite of eggs.

"No, no. I mean, we _slept_ together" Olivia clarified.

Abby started choking, coughing uncontrollably. _"Wait._ You had sex?" she exclaimed in between coughs.

Olivia patted her back a few times and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yes," she nodded with a laugh.

And then Abby let out a nice scream.

Olivia winced and plugged her ears. "Abby, it is way too early for that shit."

That didn't affect Abby a single bit, of course.

"WOO! Finally! Thank baby Jesus! You two drive me fucking insane sometimes. You don't fuck him the first night at the club. Or the second night at the club. Or when you went all 'nurse Olivia' on him. It's about damn time" she said with a smile, still recovering from her egg incident.

Olivia smiled at her and shook her head. And Abby seemed to notice that something was wrong.

"What's wrong? Did he lose all his skills in the bedroom or something? Did his dick shrink?" she asked

"No, Abby," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Well…why aren't you happy then? Talk to me" Abby said, turning towards her.

Olivia sighed. "It's just...I'm so conflicted. I really don't know what to do. We talked about it, I decided we should wait until I talk to my parents. Only...I still haven't figured out when I'm going to do that, and...I don't even know if that's what I want. God, I don't know."

"Jesus, what is it with you two having sex and then declaring your friendship afterward!? Friends don't fuck each other Liv!" Abby exclaimed. Olivia nodded. "Yeah, I know. We're clearly just not good at being friends. We are gonna have to try a lot harder with that one" Olivia said, shaking her head.

"Of course you're not good at being friends. How could you be when you two can't even go five minutes without seeing each other" she giggled. Olivia shot her a look. "Okay, not true" she replied. Abby shrugged. "Eh, kinda true" she mumbled. "Okay, so...you want to respect what your parents want...but you also want to be with him...now. Am I right, or...is that wrong?" Abby asked.

Olivia sighed. "Yeah, you're right. But having both isn't possible" she replied.

"What does your gut say?" Abby asked.

Olivia shook her head. "I don't...I don't know. My gut is broken" she said, putting her head in her palm.

Abby put a hand on Olivia's arm. "This is a hard position for you to be in, Liv. Try not to beat yourself up about it, okay? Things will be alright. And pretty boy is understanding and supportive so you won't have to worry about that" she said, trying to cheer her up.

"He is. He was _so_ understanding this morning. He's just...he's so perfect. He doesn't deserve this," Olivia said sadly.

"Olivia, you don't deserve this either. You don't deserve to be unhappy because your parents don't approve. They haven't even met him. They made assumptions because, what? He's older? He's white? He's been your professor? Like seriously, who the hell gives a flying fuck? Have you ever just sat down and thought about why the hell it matters? You love who you love. Period. And Fitz is a hell of a guy to love. He's got it. He's got it figured out. He's everything they should want in, I'm just gonna say it, a potential son-in-law. Because let's be real here, you're gonna marry him. You are gonna marry the fuck out of that man. And they don't have a say in that."

Olivia smiled as she watched Abby let out a big sigh. "Glad I got that shit off my chest. Whew, that needed to be said" she nodded.

Olivia leaned in and hugged her. "You called him Fitz."

"What?" Abby asked. "When you were talking about him. You called him Fitz. You didn't say pretty boy" Olivia said.

Abby shrugged. "Well...you know, it was a serious moment."

Olivia laughed. "That won't happen again though, that felt weird" Abby added.

"It did sound a little weird, coming from you" Olivia agreed. "But...thank you. For saying all of that. It means a lot to me, Abby. This is hard, and...I honestly don't know how I would've gotten through any of this without you by my side. You've always been my biggest supporter, from the very beginning. So...thank you. Thank you so much" Olivia said gratefully.

Abby smiled. "Oh, Liv, of course. It's what best friends are for. I love you. Always. Whatever happens, I'll be there. I'll support you. No matter what you decide. And...not just with this. I mean anything and everything. We're a team. Over a cliff, right?" she asked with a smile. "Over a cliff" Olivia nodded, taking Abby's hand.

And so, while Olivia wasn't any closer to feeling better about her situation, she at least knew she had multiple people by her side, no matter what. Fitz, himself. Abby. And Sandra and Stephen, whom she'd been trying to keep as updated as possible through text.

But even as that day went on, her decision began to weigh down on her. She showered, which at least felt nice. And later, she helped Abby tweak her speech, and served as her "audience" while she practiced _giving_ the speech.

Abby had never been a fan of public speaking, so whenever she had to do it for a class, her nerves kicked into overdrive, and it's all she thought about. So Olivia was always glad to help her friend. But as she helped, part of her brain was still elsewhere.

Thinking about him. Thinking about how he was doing. Thinking about if the decision she had made this morning, had been affecting him as badly as it had been affecting her.

* * *

Fitz laid on his bed, trying to find something half-decent to watch on TV. He was taking a break from work, which he'd been trying to get done all day. And he had, for the most part at least. But it had taken far too long to complete the amount of work that he had done.

And he knew why.

Because his mind never gave him a god damn break.

He tossed the remote on the bed and got up, craving something to drink. He stood up and stretched, feeling everything crowd his mind. His head just felt messed up.

Kind of like his sheets still were from last night.

Yeah, they'd messed them up pretty good.

Maybe it was his bedroom that was fucking with his head. That was never allowing her to leave his mind.

After all, it was the place that had reconnected them. The place that he'd left his heart on his sleeve, giving himself to her. And she had done the exact same thing.

And now, here they were, back at square one.

It wasn't that he was complaining. He had told her that he understood. And frankly, he could have predicted this. Because he felt for her, he really did. So he was not complaining. He was a grown man. He could wait. He had self-control, and he had respect for her and her decisions.

But it didn't stop him from being sad.

Because he wanted her, and he wanted her now. He wanted her more than anything else. But that's why he would wait for her, no matter how long.

He searched through the fridge for something to drink, and decided on lemonade. Her favorite. Of course.

But ever since he'd met Olivia, he had taken a particular liking to it for some odd reason.

He looked at the clock and sighed. 4:29 pm. He figured he might as well get his work done with the remainder of his night, so that he could relax all day tomorrow. Not like he had much else to do anyway. Well, besides get distracted by thoughts of her.

But that was normal at this point.

* * *

Olivia laid on her bed, looking through her Fitz box. She and Abby had just finally gotten done with going through her speech for the day, after multiple breaks, so Olivia retired to her room to do something that would maybe be a little more fun. Something that would make her smile.

Although, part of her wished she hadn't done every last bit of homework for the weekend. She hated homework, yes, but at least she would have had something to keep things off her mind if she still had some to do.

But usually he snuck into her head anyway, she supposed.

By now, it was almost eight o'clock, and she was fairly sure that she regretted her decision. She was pretty positive.

As she looked through all of their pictures together, it struck her just how happy they both looked in all of them.

And she stopped to _really_ think about it. To _really_ think about how she'd been feeling these past months.

It hadn't been good.

And Fitz. He was a fairly happy guy. He could have his down days, just like everyone, but for the most part, he usually had a smile on his face and a good attitude.

But in those pictures, it was an entirely different level.

In those pictures, the happiness seemed to radiate off of him. His smile, so big. His eyes, so happy. And the same could be said for Olivia, in those pictures.

She remembered those times, and how happy they had been. The times when his letters were full of love, teasing, and little jokes, rather than more sad, serious topics.

It had all been on her. Her parents finding out, lying to Fitz, the recent decision to keep their distance until she talked to her parents. Everything had been on her.

So she made a decision. A _new_ decision. The decision that she felt was right, and had been thinking about all day.

She put her box away, grabbed her purse and her phone, and went out to the living room.

She put on her shoes and her jacket, before Abby looked over at her.

"Liv…where you going?"

Olivia grabbed her things and opened the door, looking back at her.

"To go claim what's mine."

* * *

Fitz sat on the couch, feet propped up on the table, looking through his emails. All of which, were from Cyrus, Sam, and Nancy for the most part, discussing work. Boring.

There was one about the Holiday student/faculty mixer, though, which was a little more fun to read. He never went to that, just because it usually took place at the end of November. And normally, he spent an extended Thanksgiving break in Malibu with his father, so he always missed it.

That, of course, all ended last year. And since then, he hadn't gone back, and honestly didn't know the next time that he would.

Maybe this year he'd try out this famous mixer that everyone always raved about.

As he read through some of the details, he heard a knock on his door. He raised an eyebrow and looked at his watch. 8:13 pm. Seemed like an odd time for a visitor.

He shut his laptop and walked over to the door to open it, having no idea who he was about to see on the other side.

And his heart skipped a beat when he did see who it was.

"Olivia, hi. What are you—." "I'm done being friends," she interrupted.

And with that, she entered his apartment. He let her pass, their bodies brushing together. "Wait—what? I don't…I'm so confused" he said.

She tossed her bag on the floor and began taking off her shoes and coat. "I'm done trying to be the good little girl who obeys. I'm done. I want you, now. And nobody is going to stop me from being with you. Nobody" she said. "What about what your parents want?" he questioned.

"Fuck my parents."

His heart pounded in his chest as he watched her remove her outerwear, defying anyone and everyone who wanted to get in her way. Anyone and everyone who was going to keep her from him.

"If you'll still have me" she added.

And he didn't hesitate.

"Yes. A thousand times, yes."

She smiled and leaned in to kiss him, her hands resting on his shoulders as she jumped into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her back and pulled away to look at her. "You're serious" he whispered, feeling the big smile on his face. "I'm serious" she whispered back, returning that same big smile.

"Oh my god," he said, gently pressing her against the wall in the kitchen and giving her a kiss. "Oh my god. Oh my god," he said again, pecking her lips again and again. She giggled and kissed him back each time, as the color rushed to her cheeks. "I love you. More than anything else" she said, hugging him tightly. "I love you so much" he whispered back, hugging her just as tightly.

He leaned back in to kiss her, still having her pinned against the wall.

"Now are you gonna take off your clothes, or what?" she giggled, after pulling away.

He smiled and set her down, pulling his shirt over his head and dropping it on the floor. She grabbed his hand and started leading him down the hallway, letting him go so that she could take off her shirt. He eyed her up and down as she walked backward towards his bedroom, removing her clothing one piece at a time.

The sight had him hard within seconds.

His fingers fumbled with his belt buckle, but he finally managed to get it off just as he neared his doorway.

And by the time they reached his bedroom, they had transformed from friends to lovers once more.

And lovers, they would stay.

* * *

Woah...

I'm sure y'all were about ready to fight me when they decided on "friends" again. But yeah, that was not going to last long.

"Friends" is out of the question now. They crossed that line, they did the deed.

And it's all coming back full circle now. From Fitz, coming to her door to tell her he wanted to take the risks, and date her, to _now,_ Olivia coming to his door, not allowing anything to come between them anymore. (Aka "Fuck my parents," lol!)

This was a good chapter for Olivia. She has really been trying hard to maintain a good relationship with her parents, and to honor the trust they put in her, but also _build up_ that trust with Fitz. And she did really go through that period of feeling like she had to choose sides.

She chose Fitz.

You can see this growth continue to happen for her. She's making it very, very clear that she never wants to do anything to hurt him again, or hurt the development of trust that she is beginning to earn back. She is also making it clear that she's not going to let her parents decide this anymore, as it is rightfully her decision, and her life. And within these past couple chapters, she's made it extremely clear that she loves Fitz more than anything else. And while she may stumble once in a while, she only continues to develop.

I hope you all liked this one, this was a biggie.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	52. Making Up For Lost Time

"Nope."

"Uh-huh!" Olivia exclaimed.

"No I'm not, Liv. You didn't ask me" he said with a smile.

"You're kidding right" she stated.

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" he asked, sporting his best serious face.

"You look adorable" she giggled.

Color rushed to his cheeks. "Since I'm comfortable in my masculinity, I will accept that compliment."

"Being adorable doesn't make you any less masculine, Fitz" she replied. "You're... _very_...masculine" she added, rubbing her hand down his bare chest. He smiled. "You want me to do it again, don't you."

"Yes," she nodded.

He flexed, resulting in a mesmerized Olivia. As usual.

"That really never gets old," she said, sighing happily. She kissed his chest, continuing down his abdomen.

"Mm. I'll do it whenever you want if you're gonna do that" he said.

"And will you also admit that you're my boyfriend?" she asked, smiling up at him.

"No can do," he said, shaking his head.

"Fitz, what the hell. Yes you are! I didn't ask you, but we implied it" she giggled.

"It's not the same" he shrugged defiantly.

"So you want me to ask you, huh?" she asked with a smile.

"Damn right. I asked you" he nodded.

"You did and you were really nervous" she giggled, poking his chest.

He put a hand up in defiance. "Yeah, yeah yeah. _But_ , I still did it, right?" he asked.

"Yes you did, and it was adorable" she nodded.

"Okay, can you please stop using that word!? How about you go back to 'fucking hot'. I liked that one" he replied.

"Well you're fucking hot too" she replied.

"Thank you," he said, seeming satisfied.

"But you're also adorable."

He shot her a look. "You're really gonna make me do this huh? This is really how you want your morning to start out?" he asked. She gave him a smirk that seemed to say, "try me".

"Alright, you asked for it," he said, flipping her over onto her back. She burst into a fit of giggles and let out a shriek as he started to tickle her, pinning her arms above her head.

She tried and tried like she always did. But he was so strong, and she stood zero chance in attempting to get away from him. He kneeled above her, smiling down at her as she laughed.

"Okay, okay!" she giggled.

"Now _that_ never gets old" he chuckled. "Mean" she replied with a smile. "I'm sorry, I can't help it. You're just so cute and ticklish" he shrugged.

"Okay, that's true," she said, smiling at him.

He shook his head with a laugh and let her hands go. She rested her hands on his arms as he kneeled above her.

"Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III, will you please do me the honor of being my male friend?" she asked.

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Seriously" he stated. She couldn't help but burst into laughter, which made him crack a smile. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I had to" she giggled.

"Male friend, huh?" he chuckled, to which she smiled and nodded at.

But then she took a deep breath, looking up at the man above her. "I would... _really_ like it if you'd be my boyfriend. Again" she said, smiling at him. He smiled and leaned down, kissing her nose. "I will gladly be your boyfriend. Again" he replied.

She pecked his lips briefly, and looked happily at him. "I'll even stop calling you adorable. I'll only say it...in my head" she said.

He smiled. "I think we can work with that." He leaned back down, waiting for a kiss from her. She happily obliged.

He got off of her and sat up straight next to her. So she sat up too, and climbed back into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

And she just hugged him. So tight.

"Next weekend my parents are staying downtown D.C. with their friends for a concert on Saturday. I remember that, they've had that planned since the spring. But…the weekend after…" Olivia whispered.

"The weekend after, you'll drive down" he questioned.

She nodded. "Yes, I'll drive down."

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with?" he asked.

She smiled up at him. "I'm sure. I need to do this on my own. I should've…I should've done this a long time ago. It was on me and I didn't do it. And now it's on me to stand up for myself. For you. I need to make this right for us," she said, holding him tighter.

He kissed her cheek and sighed.

"I'm proud of you, you know" he whispered. She pulled back to look at him, and gave him a strange look. "Why?" she asked. "Because. It can be hard to stand up to the people you don't like, or disagree with. But it's even harder to stand up to the people you love and are close to. And for that, I'm proud of you" he said.

She nodded, knowing that what he said was true, but she didn't really feel proud of herself for much. She was always fairly hard on herself, and this situation proved to be no different.

She shivered and looked around, trying to see if she could locate any article of clothing at all.

"I need to start bringing some clothes back here" she giggled. He leaned his head down and kissed her bare chest multiple times. "Hmm. Am I allowed to veto that decision? I think I like you just fine without them" he said quietly. She laughed, leaning her head back as he continued to kiss her.

"No, seriously. I have, like…nothing here besides a shirt you're holding hostage, and my clothes from yesterday" she giggled.

At least she had her purse with her wherever she went. After all, it had her birth control in it, which seemed to be about the only thing she really needed this weekend...

"Yeah, you're not getting that shirt back," he said, smiling at her. She scoffed. "That's not very nice, Fitzgerald" she replied.

"Well hey, you also have some soap in the shower and a necklace inside my nightstand" he pointed out.

"Oh perfect, I can take a shower, and then wear nothing but a necklace!" she said sarcastically. "Sounds perfect to me," he said with a smile.

She smiled, missing these playful little conversations they always used to have.

She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed deeply.

He rubbed her back affectionately and placed a few soft kisses on her shoulder. And she felt so happy. So happy that tears began to fill her eyes.

He soon felt the wetness on his shoulder, because he pulled her back to look at her.

"Hey, hey, hey. What's wrong?" he asked, wiping her tears away with his thumb.

"Nothing. I'm just…I'm just so happy to be here with you" she replied, clinging to him tighter. He wrapped his arms even tighter around her too. "Aww well, Livvie, I'm so happy you're here too," he said.

"I'm just so happy that we're okay. There was a point where I just...I didn't know if we would be. I'm just so happy" she cried.

"Of course we're okay. Of course we are. It's you and me, we'll always be okay" he replied. "I love you so much. I just never knew I could...love someone so much" she said, holding onto him.

"You and me both" he chuckled, kissing her forehead. "You are absolutely everything. You have my heart, and you always will. We've been through some tough times, but that's only made us stronger. I'm here, for the good times and the bad. I'm here for it all."

"Me too. No matter what. I'm here. I'm yours. Forever" she said.

"Forever," he said back, holding her tight.

"I love you" she sniffled into his shoulder.

"I love _you"_ he replied, pulling her back. "Now stop crying, you're gonna make me cry," he said softly with a smile.

"Sorry," she said with a laugh, drying her eyes. "It's okay. Happy tears are okay" he nodded.

"I'm just so sorry it took this long. I'm just so sorry, Fitz. For everything," she said.

"Hey, no more apologies. Right? No more of that" he said softly.

"Right, sorry. Wait—no. Not…sorry. Fuck" she said.

He chuckled and kissed her forehead again.

"I missed you and your dirty mouth," he said.

She pulled away to look at him, raising an eyebrow at him. " _Mmm_ hm, I bet you did."

He smiled shyly. "That's not—I mean... _yes._ God yes. But that just came out...wrong. I meant—you know what I meant."

She laughed at his stuttering. "I do. I've missed you too. And your…fairly clean mouth" she giggled.

"Nah, I can definitely throw a 'fuck' out there once in a while" he chuckled.

"True. I like when you do that" she said. "You do, huh?" he asked, smiling.

"Mhm. A lot" she nodded. "Hmm…I'll have to remember that one," he said. "You should" she giggled.

He sighed and rubbed her back again.

"You want something to eat? I'll make you something" he said.

She shook her head. "Not right now. I just wanna sit here and hug you for a while" she said.

He smiled. "You just wanna sit here and hug me for a while, okay" he nodded, smiling into her shoulder.

And so there, they sat, holding each other tight.

* * *

But eventually, they did get up and get ready for their day. Sort of.

Both Olivia and Fitz had done all their work for the weekend, so they definitely made the best of their free Sunday. They showered. Together, of course. They ate some breakfast, which entailed Olivia watching Fitz cook for the two of them in a pair of boxers, and the apron she made him wear. Classic.

And now, they sat in his living room, looking through the photo book they had made together for their trip to New York City.

"Oh, this is my favorite!" she giggled, pointing to a picture of Fitz sticking his tongue out at her in Central Park. "Of course that's your favorite. _Of course"_ he said, shaking his head.

"Oh, and this one! This one of you is so cute" she said, pointing to the one on the next page. It was a picture of Fitz in the dark lobby during the intermission of Phantom of the Opera. She'd used her flash, making sure he was illuminated in the photo. What she noticed most was that perfect smile of his, and his cute curly hair. And he looked so happy.

"Okay, that's fair. This one is a little better" he nodded. "It's _perfect,"_ she said. He turned to her with a smile.

 _"_ _I'll_ show you the perfect ones," he said, skimming the book. He turned quickly to a certain page, seeming to remember exactly where it was in the book.

"This one," he said proudly, pointing to one of her.

In the picture, they were out exploring the city. Going on one of their "adventures" as they liked to call it.

It was Olivia, not looking at the camera, but up at all the beautiful skyscrapers above her. A big smile was plastered across her face, and she wore a cross-body purse over her shirt, looking a bit touristy. But apparently, in his eyes, it was perfect. _She_ was perfect.

"Just beautiful," he said.

She felt her cheeks redden and she nudged his arm. "Thank you," she said with a smile. "Mhm. And this one. Mostly just because this one is on my wall" he chuckled, pointing to the picture of her kissing his cheek as he smiled at the camera in Central Park.

"Oh yeah, that's a good one. I'm glad to see it's still up there" she said with a laugh, looking up at the custom-made canvas on the living room wall.

"Of course it is. That was one of the best presents I've ever gotten! All of your presents are awesome" he said.

"Says the man who literally booked an _entire_ weekend in New York City because he felt bad for missing Valentine's Day" she giggled.

"Okay, the trip was _for_ Valentine's Day. But…yeah, I felt bad. You love Valentine's Day" he said. "This is true. And birthdays. I love all those things. I think they're fun and festive" she said happily.

He looked into the distance, seeming to remember something. "Oh my god...don't move, I'll be right back," he said.

She raised an eyebrow. "Okay," she giggled. She continued flipping through photos until he came back with a brown box.

"This has…been in my drawer for months. I ordered them before…way before your birthday. I guess I never really got a chance to give them to you" he said, laying back down beside her.

"Wait so…this is my birthday present?" she asked, taking the box that he handed her. "Mhm. If…you still want it? Sorry, I don't…I don't have a card or anything" he said apologetically.

She reached out and held his face in her hand. "That's alright. This is very sweet of you, Fitz. I didn't need a present!" she said. "Well, I ordered them early. I knew what I was going to get you in May," he chuckled. "May!? Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed. "Mhm. Open it" He said happily, wrapping an arm around her back.

She opened up the brown box, one that it seemed the gift had been shipped in, and pulled out another smaller box.

On the top, in shiny gold font, read; _Ray-Ban_.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed.

"Open them up," he said happily. She lifted the lid off the box and pulled out the protective case they were in, before unbuttoning the button that held it closed.

And then she pulled out a shiny new pair of Ray-Ban aviators.

"They're just like yours," she said in awe. "Just like mine. You always did look so good in them" he said, kissing her cheek.

"Wow! This is amazing, Fitz. Thank you! We'll be twins!" she exclaimed, putting them on. They fit perfectly.

"We will be. Ah, see. They look so good on you" he nodded, admiring her face.

"Thank you. I'm so excited to wear these. Thank you, thank you" she said, wrapping her arm around him and pecking his lips.

"Of course. Happy… _really_ belated birthday" he chuckled. "Thank you!" she replied, leaning in to give him another kiss, just because she couldn't resist.

She pulled back, smiling at him, and watched him turn his body towards her. She grabbed her sunglasses and slid them off her face, setting them down gently on top of the coffee table. And then he leaned back into kiss her again. But this time, they didn't pull away.

He slowly repositioned himself and moved on top of her, dragging a hand down her body. She was just wearing His T-shirt over her underwear due to her lack of clothing at his apartment. But she was really comfortable, at least.

And slowly, his tongue crept into her mouth and his hands went to places a little more private.

His left hand inched up her thigh and underneath the oversized shirt. And then he slid his fingers inside her underwear. She let out a breath and immediately opened her legs wider for him out of habit, allowing him to do whatever he wanted to do.

He smiled at her eagerness to go along with it, running a finger over her clit. She closed her eyes, biting her lip as he teased her. He _really_ teased her.

It was agonizing, but it still felt amazing. He had her grinding up against his hand fairly quickly. Which, he seemed to take as a sign that she didn't want to be teased anymore, because he slowly slid a finger inside of her.

She tilted her head back, letting out a breath.

He leaned down and kissed her neck, thrusting his finger deeper inside of her.

"So wet, Livvie," he whispered. She continued her shaky breaths, holding tightly onto his back.

"Keep going" she pleaded. "Yeah, baby, I will" he whispered, pressing soft, wet kisses to her skin. She smiled at his endearment, the one neither he or she had used in months. It sounded extremely sexy in the moment, that was for sure.

He slowly slid another finger inside of her, causing her to hold tighter to him and moan.

"How's that feel?" he whispered. "Good. So good," she whispered back.

He glanced down at what he was doing, readjusting his fingers a little bit, and then looked back at her, biting his lip and smirking.

It felt so good. He always knew what he was doing, and for the most part, he usually got her there no matter what they were doing. He was talented. _Very_ talented.

He adjusted his fingers just right, giving it to her _exactly_ how she wanted, hitting _exactly_ the spot.

She gasped and clutched onto his free hand, intertwining their fingers against the floor.

"There we go," he whispered, noting her reaction.

His fingers continued to plunge deep inside of her, while he ran his thumb over her clit, massaging it slowly.

"Talk to me, baby, talk to me."

"Feels—good. _So_...good. Almost there" she moaned.

He let go of her hand and pushed her oversized shirt up on her body, revealing the rest of her bare body underneath. He pushed it up far, placing kisses on her soft skin.

He continued up, dragging his tongue along her stomach, and then up to her chest, where he started kissing her breasts.

It was all too much for her. His fingers inside of her, his thumb massaging her clit. His tongue flicking across her nipple. It was all too much, and all of the buildup in her abdomen slowly released as she let go.

Her body shook under him, riding her orgasm as his name repeatedly came out of her mouth.

He kept sliding his fingers in and out of her until her body calmed and stilled.

And then he slowly pulled them out, smiling at her as he looked at her. She felt tired and exhausted, just from that. She often did, after he got done with her.

Only this time he wasn't done.

His fingers found the edge of his shirt that she was wearing and pulled it upwards. She managed to sit up and lift her arms up so that he could take it off, but she immediately laid her head back down.

Then, he took her underwear fully off and just stared her naked body up and down.

"You are a work of art," he whispered, rubbing his hand down her thigh.

She smiled and rested her arms behind her head, looking up at him. Feeling as comfortable as ever to just lay there, naked before him on his living room floor.

"So are you" she whispered back.

He shook his head. "No, no. Nothing compares to you" he said, tracing a finger over her flat, toned stomach.

"Why don't you take off all those clothes of yours and I'll prove you wrong" she smirked.

"No."

She shot a look at him. "No?" she challenged.

He smiled. "No. Not yet."

She scoffed. "Why not?" she asked.

The corner of his mouth tugged upwards in a little smirk, as he leaned down closer to her again.

"You think...I'm done with you?" he asked.

A shiver ran down her spine, listening to his deep voice talk quietly like that to her. Holy shit.

"I don't know," she said with a smile.

He ran a single finger down her stomach, inching closer and closer to where she had just had him. Where she wanted him most.

"I'm not even... _close_...to done."

And just like that, her breathing started to pick up again. She caught her second wind, after being exhausted from the first time.

"What are you gonna do to me?" she whispered, still sporting a little smirk.

"Well..." he began, dragging a finger up and down her body.

"I'm going to take you to my bedroom," he said.

She watched him so closely as he touched her, just in awe of how quickly he had her turned on again.

"Lay you down. And I'm going to do all the dirty, nasty things to you that you can imagine."

Her eyes widened and her lips parted. Woah.

She couldn't even describe what she felt at that moment, hearing him talk to her that way. The man who could be fairly shy, and nervous. The man Abby classified as a "nice boy" because of that shy nature. The man who wouldn't hurt a fly. That was a whole new level of hot right there.

"Well what the hell are you waiting for?" she whispered, smirking at him.

He smiled back at her and immediately grabbed her from under her arms as he stood up.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck as he carried her to his bedroom, kissing her the whole way.

It was just the two of them, as it always was. But this time, as they entered his bedroom, he reached out with a single hand, and he shut that door.

It was going to be a long afternoon.

* * *

She kissed her way up his exhausted body, making sure to drag her tongue over his skin each time. She emerged from underneath the sheets, looking up at him, seeing him trying to slow his breathing.

"I don't think I can do it anymore" he panted. She giggled, continuing to kiss her way up his chest. "For at least a couple hours" he added.

She shook her head and rested there, on top of his chest, running her fingers through his hair.

"Me neither. Making up for lost time is exhausting" she said.

"Uh-huh. Especially when we're just so good at it" he shrugged casually.

She laughed. " _So_ good" she nodded.

"It's okay, we have other things to make up for. I'm just so happy you're here. I just…I just want to lay here with you" he whispered.

"Me too. I just don't want to leave you," she whispered back.

"I'll take you back to your apartment early tomorrow morning if you want. That way...you can stay?" he questioned.

Usually, she would much rather just sleep at her own apartment. Getting ready there was obviously easier, and then he didn't have to drive her anywhere. But tonight was different. This weekend was different. She had finally gone back to be with him, and she wasn't letting this amazing weekend end yet.

"Yes. I want to stay," she nodded, hugging him tightly.

"Good. You wanna watch that show we started?" he asked.

"Sure. We're going to have to figure out where we left off. We got distracted last time" she giggled.

He nodded, reaching to grab the remote off the nightstand.

"Mhm. Jeez, all I was trying to do was watch a show and _somebody_ felt the need to seduce me," he said, very seriously.

She scoffed. "Oh don't even. You loved it" she said, smiling.

He shot her a quick smile.

"Very much so," he nodded.

He kissed her forehead and scrolled through the Netflix menu, looking for their show.

"Can I...ask you something?"

She looked over at him and nodded. "Of course."

"Last night. What made you come over? What made you change your mind about...being friends again?" he asked.

She laid there in thought, still running her fingers through his hair.

"The short answer is that...you make me happy. And I shouldn't have to ask permission to be happy, no matter what. And neither should you. That isn't fair."

He smiled. "And...the long answer?" he asked softly.

She exhaled deeply, and nodded. "I fell in love with you the minute I laid eyes on you. People can tell me that's not true, they can think whatever the hell they want to think. But that's the honest truth. I...I didn't even know what love _felt_ like until I met you. Since that first day in class, I've just...my life has changed. It has changed so much. I used to...I used to care so much about the littlest things, and worry about the dumbest things. All I thought about was school, or work. But when I met you...that all changed."

"My life is you, Fitz. And I'm not saying school isn't important, or work isn't important. They both are, and I still strive to do my absolute best with both. But you. You're everything," she said, feeling the tears start to well up in her eyes. She looked up at him, to see his eyes doing the same.

"Who I am when I'm with you...I'm so much better. _You_ make me better. I love my parents, I do. I want everything to be okay between me and them, and I think it will be in time. But...what I want more than anything else...is you. _You_ are all I want. And...it took me far too long to realize that. _Far_ too long," she sniffled.

"I want to marry you. I want to have children with you. I want _everything_ with you. I am so head over heels in love with you, Fitzgerald Grant. And I wasn't going to wait any longer...I couldn't. We belong together."

He closed his eyes and smiled, clearly trying his best to hide his teary eyes. He looked so happy to hear what she had just said.

She dried her wet cheeks with her finger and smiled at him, planting a few kisses on his face. His long eyelashes were wet, and he sniffed a little bit, before kissing her lips.

"I guess I made you cry after all" she whispered, smiling down at him.

He smiled too. "Damn you," he whispered back.

She giggled and kissed him again, snuggling up to his warm body.

"I love you, Olivia," he said.

"I love you too."

* * *

They're really making up for lost time ;)

And Olivia's got us all in the feels, including her man.

I hope you enjoyed their full weekend together these past few chapters.

And I hope you like where they're at.

Olivia and Fitz are back, friends.

How do you think the talk with the parents will go? Expect that in about two chapters or so!

Read on!

With Love,

~T

P.S. The picture that Olivia took during the intermission of Phantom of the Opera is up on my Twitter and Tumblr!


	53. You're Wrong

"We are just so happy that you are coming home!" Maya exclaimed.

"I'm happy too, mom" Olivia replied.

There was a silence on the other end until Maya spoke up again. "Oh, your father wants me to ask you what you want for dinner on Saturday. He'll make you whatever you want" her mother said cheerfully.

Olivia smiled. Her dad always did love to cook.

"Hmm…how about the chicken fried steak he makes? That's one of my favorites," she said.

"Honey, she said chicken fried steak," Maya said on the other end, clearly talking to Eli.

"He says that's perfect. We'll have that. We are just very happy that you're coming home for a weekend. You don't do that very much" Maya said.

"I'm happy too. I have to go now, though, Abby and I are about to eat," Olivia said.

"Okay. We'll see you in a few days, baby."

"Yep, see you then. Love you mom," she said.

"Love you too. Bye!" "Bye," Olivia replied.

She swung her legs off the bed and headed out to the kitchen where Abby was making their dinner. Whatever the hell it was, it smelled great.

"How'd the talk with mama Pope go?" Abby asked.

"Good. They're happy for now. Just so glad that I'm coming home for once, I suppose. That'll all change the second we have this talk, though" Olivia winced.

Abby shrugged. "Maybe not, though. It's been months since this all happened, they've had plenty of time to cool down. It may just go better than you think."

Olivia nodded. "Maybe. That's what I'm hoping. I just…I don't want to get my hopes up too high. I mean, my parents don't even like it when I swear, for god's sake. It's hard to know how they'll take this," she said.

Abby nodded back. "Ha, that's right. I have to censor myself when I come visit you" she said with a laugh.

"Tell me about it, I have to do that every time I go _home,"_ Olivia said with a laugh.

"How's pretty boy been doing with all this anyway? Now that you two are _official_ again," Abby asked. "Thank god" she added.

Olivia smiled. "He's perfect. Like always. He just wants me to do things when I want and in whatever way that I'm most comfortable. You know, classic Fitz," Olivia said.

Abby smiled. "Such a sweetheart."

"Always," Olivia nodded.

"I know it's only been over a week. But you already seem…happier. You seem like Olivia again," Abby noted.

Hearing that warmed her heart. "I feel like Olivia again."

"And…him? From what you've told me he seems happy" Abby said. "He is. Every time I see him, he's…he's just got such a big smile on his face. Always happy. Always has a good attitude. Always…perfect," Olivia said, smiling just at the thought of him.

Abby chuckled. "You've got it bad, girl."

Olivia nodded. "Yeah. I think we've established that" she said with a laugh.

"Mhm. Honestly, though, you're right. With anyone else, I would normally be like, 'yeah, we get it. Your boyfriend is amazing. He's perfect. La-dee-da'. But…I feel like with pretty boy, even _I_ can see that. It's not just something that only you, as his girlfriend, can see. It is very visible to me, too."

Olivia smiled, wanting to hear more. "Yeah?" she asked.

Abby nodded. "Yeah. Like him saying that he would wait, no matter how long. Him saying he would give up his job for you. Or…even something like him not making a move on you after all this. You made the move, and he waited for you to do it. He just wanted you to be comfortable. It's sad to say, but…I just don't know many guys that would wait like that _after_ the amount of history that you two had."

Olivia nodded and smiled. "And even after I did…he apologized in the morning. He apologized, hoping he hadn't made _me_ feel pressured to make it" she replied.

"Exactly. It's just…those things make such a difference. They show how great of a guy he is. They show that he just fucking loves you, Liv."

"I know. I've known the man over a year and…to this day, I just am baffled by him. By the things he says and does. I know nobody is perfect, I know that. But man…I'm not kidding when I tell you that I think he is, Abby."

"I know you aren't. You are a very lucky girl!" Abby said happily.

"I am. So are you" Olivia said with a smile.

Abby's face grew red. "I am, aren't I?" she asked. "You _are,"_ Olivia nodded.

"He brought it up again. Yesterday" Abby said.

Olivia gasped. "He did not," she said. "Oh, but he _did!"_ Abby squealed.

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes! I shouldn't even be surprised. Of course, he brought it up. Why wouldn't he? You're perfect together. And I mean _perfect"_ Olivia said.

"I never really thought about…marriage before, you know? I mean, I was literally nineteen like five minutes ago, I'm not in any sort of rush, obviously. But…he makes me want to think about it. He makes me want to think about the future. And now that he's brought it up two times…it's _really_ in my head," Abby said.

"You want to marry him," Olivia said with a smile.

Abby sighed, and a small smile crept across her face. "I want to marry him, Liv," she nodded.

Olivia put her hands up to her face and screamed into them. "I've never heard you say that before! Oh my god!" Olivia exclaimed, walking over to her and hugging her from behind.

"You're _gonna_ marry him."

"I'm gonna marry him."

Olivia smiled. "Dabby for the win!" she exclaimed. "Damn right!" Abby exclaimed back.

Olivia let her go and threw her hands in the air. "This is fantastic! You're gonna become a lawyer, marry a lawyer, and have cute little red-headed, lawyer babies. Life is good," she said happily.

"Life is good, isn't it? We both have our guys, we have each other, _and_ I just made this bomb ass pasta for us," Abby said.

"True, it looks great. I'm making dinner tomorrow," Olivia stated confidently.

Abby nodded. "Sounds good, I'm not gonna look over your shoulder this time. I'm just gonna let you do your thing," Abby replied.

"Wow look at me, mom's letting me cook by myself. I must really be growing up," she said with a laugh.

"Mhm. Or just slowly learning how not to kill someone" Abby shrugged. Olivia shot her a look, but then smiled.

She was actually getting better in the kitchen. She could make more now, and she could do it a bit more efficiently.

She was beginning to learn one of the key aspects of cooking was getting the timing right. Timing the main dish right, along with the sides. Figuring out when to start what. All of it. She was getting better. Slowly, but surely.

As they sat down to eat, she poured herself a glass of lemonade and Abby a glass of milk. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, so she took it out as she ate her first bite of pasta.

"Mm. Really good, Abby" Olivia nodded appreciatively. "Thanks, Liv. Your mom texting you?" she asked, glancing at the phone in her hands.

Olivia looked at the message.

 ** _Come over, I miss you._**

And she smiled. "No. Fitz."

Abby laughed. "Ah, I should have known. What'd he say?" she asked.

"He wants me to come over" Olivia replied, starting to send a message back.

"Mmmhm. Well you better hurry up and eat my delicious home-cooked meal fast or else he's gonna start without you" Abby said.

Olivia laughed. "I would happily watch that."

Abby's jaw dropped in awe. "You dirty little thing. And to think, I used to think of you as a goodie-goodie!"

"Oh come on, like you wouldn't."

"Watch my boyfriend...start without me?" she asked. "Mhm," Olivia nodded.

Abby sat in thought. "Yeah, okay. I probably would."

Olivia nodded, giving her an "I told you so" look.

"You gonna go after this then? I was thinking of staying at David's tonight anyway," Abby said. "Yeah, I think so. My homework load is light this week because I have some exams next week. So I don't have anything to do tonight, especially if you're leaving" Olivia replied.

"Cool. Hey, tomorrow though. Movie night at the boys' place" Abby said. "Oh right, right. What did they want to watch again?" Olivia asked. "I think Huck said some superhero movie. Who knows" she shrugged. "As long as there's popcorn, I'm good with anything" Olivia giggled.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You and your damn popcorn" Abby said with a laugh. Olivia nodded. "It should be an official food group," Olivia said. "Yeah, I'm sure you'd love that. Remind me how you live off of popcorn and lemonade and still manage to maintain the body of a student-athlete" Abby said.

Olivia scoffed. "Okay, first of all, you forgot red wine. Second of all, those are not the only things I consume. Third, I run in the gym at _least_ three times a week!" she exclaimed.

Abby shrugged. "Okay, fair. But still, come on. You were blessed with good genes and a fast metabolism" she pointed out. "I won't deny that, but you are _no different!"_ Olivia said with a laugh. Abby shrugged. "Alright, I guess I can't deny that either" she replied. Olivia nodded at her.

"Speaking of bodies…he still look crazy good?" Abby asked. " _Ohhh_ god yeah. It's like he doesn't even think much of it, either. So modest about it. About everything, actually," Olivia replied.

"Well, he has to know he looks good," Abby said. "Oh yeah, he knows. He also knows I like it when he flexes for me" she giggled. Abby shook her head and laughed. "You two make me smile," she said. "You and David make me smile too," Olivia said happily. Abby looked at her happily, nudging her arm with her own.

It was a good dinner with her best friend.

And later, she hoped to have a great night with her boyfriend, too.

* * *

Olivia opened the door to his apartment, not seeing him in the kitchen or in the living room.

"Hello? I'm looking for a cute, blue-eyed brunette boy," she called out.

After a few moments of silence, she received an answer.

"Hmm...I don't think he's here!"

She giggled. "Are you sure? That sure sounds like him" she said, taking off her shoes and jacket, looking around the corner of the hallway.

And there he was, starting to walk towards her with a smile.

She took a few steps, set her bag down, and jumped into his arms, feeling so happy just at the sight of him.

"Hi pretty girl," he said, hugging her tight. "Hi. I missed you" she replied, kissing his cheek and letting him set her back down on the floor.

"I missed you too," he said, grabbing her backpack with one hand and her hand in his other. She smiled at his sweet gesture as they started walking to his bedroom.

"Whatcha got in here?" he asked, gesturing to her bag. "Besides my school stuff for tomorrow, just everything I'll need to get ready in the morning. That way I can stay longer with you" she said, flopping down on his bed while he set her backpack down by his nightstand.

"Sounds perfect to me," he said, coming to join her. He climbed on top of her, intertwining their fingers against the sheets and leaning down to kiss her. "You wanna run with me tomorrow?" he asked.

"Sure. Outside or inside?" she asked. "Inside; treadmill. It's getting too cold for morning runs for me now," he chuckled. "Ahh see _that_ sounds more like the Cali-boy Fitz I know," she giggled.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" he asked. "I knew you couldn't keep up this whole shirtless outdoor running thing for much longer" she replied. "Well yeah, I'm not superhuman! It's October, it's cold," he said.

"I thought you got hot easily" she teased.

"Mhm, but there's only so much I can do when the weather drops ten degrees every day!" he exclaimed. "Fair enough. But just so you know, _I_ think you're superhuman" she smirked. "Oh yeah and why's that?" he asked, touching his nose to hers.

"That's classified information."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh no, we're back to _that_ now," he said. "Yeah, just to annoy you" she giggled. He shook his head and looked across the room. "My girlfriend, she drives me crazy," he teased. She smiled. "Noted."

He smiled and pressed a soft kiss to her nose. "Girlfriend. I love hearing that again," she whispered happily.

He looked down at her so contently, so happily.

"I love _you."_

Three words.

Three words, that she never got tired of hearing from him, ever. Three very important words.

"I love you too. So much."

She wished she could come up with the words to describe just how much she loved him. It seemed no word or phrase could correctly describe just how strong the feelings were.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled at him, happy just to be there with him. Happy that he was hers.

"How come you're so cute?" she asked. The color traveled to his cheeks as he smiled. "I can't speak to that. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," he said back. She laughed.

"Bullshit. Everyone thinks you're cute."

 _"_ _Nooo,"_ he said with a smile. "Are you really going to argue with me about this?" she asked. "Yeah, just to annoy you" he replied, mimicking her. She rolled her eyes and smiled up at him.

"I hope I didn't disrupt any plans tonight. I just really wanted to see you," he said. "Oh no, you didn't at all. I always want to see you," she replied. He smiled. "Even if we're sitting here doing nothing?" he chuckled. "Even then. As long as you're here, I'm happy. That's all I need," she nodded. "You're sweet," he said, pecking her lips.

"You want something to drink? We could…watch something?" he questioned. "Sure, I'll take lemonade if you have any," she replied. "I sure do. You pick" he said, gesturing to the remote on his nightstand. "Okay," she nodded.

He got up off her and walked out of the room, heading to the kitchen. She turned on Netflix and scrolled through all of the shows and movies, looking for _Dexter._ But then she stopped, spotting something that was just so tempting.

 _Insidious._

She had seen it once before, but it had been a while.

So she decided to start it.

It took a little while for Fitz to finally come back, but when he did, he came back bearing lemonade for the both of them, as well as a big bowl of popcorn.

"Ohhh, my boyfriend is treating me tonight!" she exclaimed. "Nah, this popcorn is all for me," he said. "Oh _really?"_ she giggled. He smiled. "Just kidding. I would never do that. Unless I wanted to be single," he teased. She laughed. "Good man," she teased.

She hadn't been paying attention to the movie since he came in, but all of a sudden, the music kicked in at a particularly creepy part and made them both jump at its startling volume. He looked behind him at the TV. "Oh god, what's this?" he asked. She laughed. "It's _Insidious"_ she answered.

He looked back at her with wide eyes, which had her fighting back laughter. "Relax, sweetie, I'll turn it off. I was just waiting for you to come back" she giggled. "Wait—" he interrupted.

She put the remote down and looked over at him as he watched the screen intently.

They both watched as the mother listened to a suspicious and scary sounding voice on the baby monitor. "Why isn't she going to the baby's room!?" he exclaimed. She smiled to herself. "I don't know…" Olivia said, watching intently.

"Go, woman! What the hell! Go get your baby!" Fitz exclaimed, sitting down next to Olivia contently.

And just like that, after about fifteen seconds of watching, he was interested.

Oh, that man.

And despite his hate for "freaky ghost shit", he just continued to watch. Although, sometimes, hesitantly.

At one point in the movie, a ghost child hid inside a wardrobe, before popping out at the mother and scaring her.

"Ahh! What the _fuck!"_ Fitz exclaimed.

Olivia giggled and clung to his arm as they watched. "Did you see that!?" he asked. "Yes, I saw it," she said with a laugh.

"This is so awful, oh my god!" he said, reluctantly watching through his hand.

"I'll turn it off!" Olivia giggled. "No!" he said, grabbing her hand. "Fitz, you don't like scary movies!" she said with a laugh. "I know! But now you have me invested!" he said back, continuing to watch.

"You are so weird," she said, shaking her head with a laugh.

"Shhh, she's trying to find the demon ghost boy. No, no. Renai! He's over there!" Fitz exclaimed.

Renai didn't listen to Fitz.

"Ah! No, Renai. You're gonna fucking die! I can't watch, oh my god" he said.

"I love you" Olivia giggled. "I love you too, baby—what the hell! No! Oh my god, the demon thing is gonna get Dalton. Jack go get your son! Wait, no…John? Jim? What's his name?" Fitz asked.

"Josh" Olivia answered with a laugh.

"Oh, right, right. Josh! What are you doing, man!" he said.

Olivia was in a fit of giggles practically the entire time, watching the movie with him. He was something else.

"Olivia, please tell me we would do so much better than Josh and Renai if our child was possessed by a demon…thing," he said, after the movie had finally ended.

"Yes, we would do much better. I could also recruit Abby to help. She'd be very happy to open her ass-whooping can, or…whatever the hell she always says" Olivia giggled.

"It's okay, I could take him myself. Nobody's gonna get my babies. No way," he said, shaking his head. She smiled and leaned her body into his. "My protective guy," she said.

He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her temple "I gotta be. I have to protect the one person I can't live without," he said with a smile. She hugged him tighter. "But someday…someday there will be more than just me," she said. "Hmm…" he replied, flipping her onto her back. "And how many do you think…there will be?" he asked quietly.

"How many...do you want?" she asked back with a smile. He looked at her happily. "You're putting me on the spot here."

She smiled up at him. "You don't have to answer. I just…wanted to know if you'd thought about it" she said.

"Oh hell yeah I have," he nodded. Hearing that made her so happy.

"And?" she questioned again.

"Three or…four."

"Really?" she asked happily. "Yeah. How do you feel about that? I mean…what are your thoughts on it?" he asked.

"I think three is a good number," she replied. He nodded. "And…a dog," she added.

"A _dog!"_ he exclaimed. "Mhm. A dog. A big one!" she said.

"I'm on board with that. We're gonna have our hands full, babe," he chuckled. "I know. But there's no one I'd rather have my hands full with," she replied.

"Me neither," he said, smiling down at her. "I can picture it now. In my head" she said.

He laid down next to her, holding his hand in hers. "Tell me what you picture. Tell me about it" he said.

"I picture our cabin. I picture it the way we always talked about. And…I picture going to the town team baseball games in the summer. Watching you play. I picture going out on the boat. The _blue and white_ _speed_ boat."

He smiled over at her.

"I picture ice skating on the lake in the winter. I picture the tattoos we'll have," she said. He chuckled. "I've never been so excited for something involving needles in my entire life," he said. "Me neither!" she giggled.

She exhaled deeply, and finished her thought.

"I just...I picture…our life. And I picture it with three little cuties looking up at us. _Our_ three little cuties. With…the curliest hair anyone's ever seen."

He laughed. "Hopefully they'll look like their momma," he whispered. She shook her head. "No way. Their dad's got the looks," she replied. "You know we could just continue to go back and forth on this all night, right?" he chuckled. "Yes. You're right," she giggled.

But she loved it.

She loved talking about their future, especially right now, when she had no idea what it really had in store for them. She had no idea what obstacles stood in their way. But she still knew that someday, what they pictured would come true. There wasn't anyone that would get in the way of that.

* * *

The rest of her week went by fairly fast. She went to class, did as much of her homework as she could each night, in order to be as free as possible for the weekend, and she hung out with her friends.

But the time came for her to leave New Haven on Friday, and drive down to Virginia.

She felt confident about talking to them, and there was no way in hell she would back out of it. But she still couldn't stop the nerves that began to kick in on her drive down.

All she did, that entire drive, was think. Think about what she was going to say, think about what _they_ were going to say, think about how her relationship with them would be affected by this.

It's all she did.

Fitz called her for a while on the way down, and made her feel a little better, as he always did.

But honestly, she just wanted it to be over, so that she could go back to him. No matter what happened this weekend, she was going to go back to him. That made her feel good.

She hadn't really given her parents a reason as to why she was coming home. Whether they suspected that she wanted to talk to them or not, she hadn't confirmed anything.

And she wasn't quite sure how and when to bring it up. How to ease them into it.

She was just plain old nervous, overall. But it had to be done. She had to do what she had to do.

When she finally got home, she greeted her parents as soon as she walked in the door. They were happy to see her, and seemed almost…their old selves.

Great, she was going to make it worse again.

She had eaten on the way, so she just sat with them in the living room while they ate the dinner that her mother had prepared for her and her dad. And they watched a movie.

It felt like old times. It felt like all the other times, when she would come home to them. When she would come home, and spend time with them.

Only those times, her heart wasn't beating out of her chest.

She got up and went to grab a glass of water, looking at them from the kitchen. And she decided right then and there, that there that it was as good a time as any.

She set her glass down and walked over to stand by the couch, grabbing the remote from the side table, and pausing the movie.

"I need to talk to you guys."

Her parents looked up at her, seeming to be waiting for her to continue. "About Fitz. I came home to talk to you about Fitz. In person," she said.

She saw her mother nod slightly, as if she could have suspected this would happen. Her father didn't seem angry. He just seemed…indifferent.

They both just looked at her, so she continued. There would be no "easing them in" at this point, so she just came out and said it.

"You were wrong. You were wrong for what you made me do. I shouldn't have done it, it was _my_ fault. But you never should have threatened me. Or him. You're just _wrong_ about him. You have never been more wrong in your lives."

She didn't even care to stop, she just kept going.

"I shouldn't have listened to you. I'm sorry, but I shouldn't have. I…I wanted to make you both happy. To continue to make you proud. And I felt so bad about keeping it from you, that I thought staying away from him, and breaking his heart was what I was _supposed_ to do, for you. _On top_ of the fact that you threatened his job. His entire career," she said, not being able to hold back her angry tone.

"You did that. You made me _choose_. Why on earth should I have had to go through that? Why should _he_ have had to go through that? I even kept my distance from him at the beginning of this semester. I did. I was trying to respect your wishes. I was staying away from him, the man who isn't even my professor right now, for _you!_ I blame myself for the decisions I made. But that doesn't mean I'm not _hurt_ by the decisions you made, too," she said.

"And I want you to know, I'm not staying away from him anymore. I'm with him. You both need to know that, because I'm done hiding it from you. Nobody deserves to be in the dark anymore, so that's the truth, right there," she said.

That did result in some surprised looks from her mother. But her father just continued to sit there.

"I love him. More than anything else. And he loves me. You can...you can say that's not true, you can say whatever you want to say. Because I don't care anymore. I want you to believe me. I want you to understand, because I love you both more than words can describe, and I want us to be okay. But if you don't believe me, then so be it."

Her parents just sat there, continuing to absorb her words.

"And I'm not leaving him. Ever again. He could still be my professor. He could be. There's a fifty percent chance. And even if he is, I'm not leaving him. We've done this before, we can do it again. And as much as you may hate that, that's not for you to worry about, that's for me and him to worry about. So you can say whatever you want to say, because nothing is going to stop me."

"And dad, if you still want to do what you said you were gonna do. If you still want to end his career, do it. I have no doubt in my mind that you could. I believe you, trust me, I do. And if you really feel the need to do it, then you do what you gotta do. But just know that if that's what you decide, I'll still be with him. You guys can't keep me from him anymore."

"I'm an adult. I may be young, I may not know exactly what I'm doing with my life. But I know what I want. And he's it. He's what I want. You haven't even given him a chance. You don't even know him. And I just want you to know, you're fucking wrong about him. You're so wrong. He's one of a kind. He makes me better. And he's everything to me. _Everything_. I will not lose him again."

She took a deep breath, looking at her parents.

"That's…that's what I came home to say. That's what I came to talk to you about."

Her heart rate had calmed down a little bit, after getting all that out. She was so glad that she had. She had really needed to get that out.

"Oh, and by the way. I'm gonna get a tattoo."

Her mom raised an eyebrow at her. And to her surprise, her dad cracked the slightest smile at her bold statement. Very subtle, but still visible.

And then he let out a sigh, and looked over at Maya.

"Come here, sit down," he said, waving Olivia over.

"I think it's about time we had this conversation."

* * *

Alright, how many of you hate me for leaving you there?

Ha, sorry. I had to.

Olivia stepped the f*ck up. It was time. Like everyone has probably been noticing, _growth_. Gotta love that.

You'll hear more from Eli and Maya next chapter, as promised. How do you think it will go?

I hope you enjoyed!

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	54. The Talk

Olivia walked over to the chair next to the couch, where both her parents sat.

And she sat down, preparing herself for the worst after her bold rant.

And then her dad spoke up.

"I'm happy you came home to talk in person. Because it also gives me a chance to apologize to you in person. Properly apologize."

She waited for him to continue, a little surprised that that was the first thing he said.

"I'm sorry, Olivia. I'm sorry that I treated you the way I treated you. I know I've said it before, and it certainly doesn't excuse how I acted. I was very upset. With you, _and_ with him. I let that take over, and I didn't treat you like the young adult that you are."

"You just have to understand, seeing those pictures, reading those letters. That was news to your mother and I. We were seeing _all_ of that for the first time, when it had been nine months and counting. It was hard to digest even before we knew his position at the university."

"I know. I understand" Olivia nodded. Because she did. She realized how that must have made them feel.

"I was wrong, Olivia. I was wrong. I didn't want to believe what I saw in your room. I just didn't want to face it. I denied what I saw, what was there. Because I was angry."

Maya nodded along, listening to him speak.

"He loves you," Eli said.

Olivia's face softened, and she nodded slightly.

Eli nodded back. "You aren't our little girl anymore. As much as we may want that to be true...it isn't. I just don't want you to put yourself in jeopardy, Olivia. _We_ don't want that. That concern has been there from the beginning, and it hasn't left. We understand how you feel about him, but school is very important. It should be your priority," he said.

But Olivia could only muster up a shrug, because she had already made herself clear. Plus, he had only mentioned putting _herself_ in jeopardy, when honestly, her main concern was _Fitz_ being in jeopardy.

"Putting _ourselves_ in jeopardy isn't ideal. It hasn't been ideal from the start. But...it's too late, dad. What's done is done, we're already past jeopardizing ourselves. It was tough last year. And...depending on how everything works out, it would be tough again. But I won't stay away from him, no matter what. I can't. I know you guys don't want to hear that. I know you don't. But I'm not going to keep it from you either, because that's even worse."

Eli sighed, looking down at the floor.

And then Maya spoke up.

"There's just one more class you have to take from him?" she questioned.

"Either from him or from Professor Reston. I'll take it next semester to get it over with. He doesn't even grade me. TAs do. It isn't as bad as you may think. I get that it's wrong. I get that it's against policy, I'm not going to deny those things. But...I don't gain anything from this whatsoever, I would never have gotten involved at _that_ _time_ if that were the case. You both know that. You know how I am with my schoolwork, you know it has always been a priority. You know me," Olivia replied.

They nodded, staying silent for a bit.

"You didn't even question me continuing to go to Yale. You told me that was my choice, no matter what, because it's my education. And it is. But _this_ is my choice, too. _He's_ a priority too."

Eli shook his head.

"This is different, Olivia. This man and school are a package deal. With one, comes the other. And that's worrisome, when you're at such an important stage in your life. When school should come first," he said.

She frowned. "I was involved with him for my entire sophomore year, and my grades never faltered. Ever. Straight A's. Again. Dean's List. Again. If we're going to keep one thing straight, it better be that. I know how to prioritize school. I get what you mean, about them being a package deal. But at the same time, he doesn't affect my schoolwork. He never has, and he never will. My schoolwork is on me and me alone, and I think I've proved that I know what I'm doing."

"Olivia, we're not questioning your abilities in school. We're simply telling you that there are still some issues with you and this man being together while you're _in_ school" her mother said.

"He has a name, you know."

Her parents looked at her, seeming surprised at her statement.

"You both keep referring to him as 'this man'. He has a name, and you should use it."

"Olivia," her mother said.

"What? What's the harm in using his name? Can you really not bring yourself to say it? Does it physically pain you to talk about him like he's an actual person? Or is it just _better_ not to think of him as an actual person, because he's older than me? Because...how did you put it, daddy's rich? Because he can get away with anything he wants? Because he's white, and I'm the young black girl? Right? _Right?"_

Her parents sat there in shock, listening to her quote her father's words from a few months ago, the night this had all started.

"I heard you. I heard you talking about him. And I was embarrassed. I was embarrassed to hear you talk about someone like that. Someone you don't even fucking know."

 _"Olivia Carolyn,"_ Maya said sternly.

It came rushing back to her, and she began to feel all the things she felt that night. She knew it did no good to blow up at her parents at this point. But the things her father had said about him were untrue, and unfair. And she hadn't defended him before. She would now.

"I was upset, Olivia. Angry. We all say and do things we don't mean when we feel that way," Eli said.

"So you're telling me you really didn't mean any of that? _Really?_ Well, how about threatening to destroy his career? Did you mean _that?"_ Olivia asked.

Her father looked at her and nodded. "I did. I meant it."

Olivia shook her head and let out a deep breath. There were so many things she wanted to say. But she forced herself to hold them in, feeling as though continuing to blow up at them more than she already had would do more harm than good.

"But I don't anymore."

Her head snapped up and she looked at him, trying to figure out if he was being sincere.

"I meant it before. When I was…furious. When I denied everything in front of me. I meant it. But I don't...mean it anymore. His job is safe."

Olivia let out a sigh of relief and rested her head in her hands, wanting to cry tears of joy. He was safe. He could keep his job. That's one of the only things she cared about at this point.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you."

"I don't like this Olivia. _We_ don't. But…this _is_ your education. This _is_ your choice. This _is_ your life. And we can't tell you what to do. We can try and guide you as best as we can, like we've always done. But you're twenty-one years old. There are things you just have to figure out on your own. And…we were wrong to try and interfere, because this is one of them," Eli said.

Olivia nodded, holding back her smile. Because she was sure that was one of the best things she'd ever heard him say.

"I've already got it figured out. He's it. He's the one."

Her parents looked at each other, not necessarily with doubt. But still, as though they needed convincing.

"I know you know the feeling. When you two met each other after college. You know what it feels like, to know who you're meant to be with. You both know that. And I know it too. I've known it since the beginning."

Her mother nodded, looking over at Eli.

"And he wants to meet you. He wants more than anything, to meet you both. He offered to come with this weekend…he's just waiting for my sayso. And…I'm ready for you both to meet him now. It's time," she said.

They sat there, seeming to think about it, before her mother spoke up.

"We'll talk about it," she said.

Olivia nodded, thinking that was as good an answer as she was going to get right now. But then her dad found his words.

"I don't think there's much to talk about, dear. She...says he's the one, she says we need to meet him. So, we'll meet him" he nodded.

Olivia smiled brightly. Especially, after hearing that from her father. Her _father!_

"You'll love him. You will. I promise" she said happily.

Maya smiled down at the carpet, and her father nodded. They probably wouldn't be convinced until they met him. But Olivia didn't care. This was at least something.

It was silent for a little while, as Olivia thought about how she was going to tell the love of her life that they were going to be okay. That things would work out. Maybe slowly, but they still would.

And her parents sat there, hand in hand, probably thinking about the mess that had been created between the three of them this summer. Thinking about how things would be moving forward. But then her mother spoke up again.

"Hey."

Olivia looked up at her.

"Watch your language."

Olivia grew red in the face, knowing that she hadn't really been careful about that tonight. She may be an adult, and she may be able to make her own choices. But apparently the swearing battle was just one she would never win. And she was alright with that.

At least, when she was home...

"Right. I'm sorry" Olivia nodded apologetically.

Maya nodded back at her, giving her a little hint of a smile.

"And…I'm sorry about...before. I didn't mean to blow up, I shouldn't have…gone about it that way, that was wrong of me. He just means so much to me, and…I was upset. I'm sorry," she said.

"We all say and do things we don't mean when we feel that way" Maya interjected, repeating what her father had said only minutes before.

Olivia looked at her, and then at her father. Her mother was right. They were both right.

Her parents may have made mistakes. But she certainly had too. And forgiveness was what was needed, from all parties.

So, Olivia nodded at them.

"Yes. Yes, we do."

* * *

The rest of the movie was a little bit awkward. They finished it, together. And they all bid each other goodnight. But it as still a little awkward after the conversation they'd had tonight. Hopefully that would fade quickly.

Olivia excitedly went up to her room and shut the door, having no plans the rest of the night except to call Fitz.

She dialed his number and waited for him to pick up, her fingers shaking from excitement.

"Hello?"

She smiled at the sound of his voice.

"Hi" she replied. "Hi, baby."

She exhaled deeply, wishing she could tell him in person how everything went. But she didn't want to waste another minute.

"We're going to be okay, Fitz. We're going to be okay," she said.

He was silent for a few moments.

"You're serious? You're...really? Everything went okay?" he asked anxiously. "Everything went okay. Your job is safe. You're safe. We're...safe," she said, smiling big.

She heard him sigh in relief. "Oh my god. We're going to be okay," he said. "We are! They're...they're not the happiest about the whole situation, which...I didn't expect anyway. But...they are being fair about it. They said they would meet you, Fitz," she said.

"You're kidding," he replied. "I'm not. I'm serious. You're going to meet them. You're going to meet them soon," she assured him.

She heard him exhale deeply again. "Oh my god. This is...this is fantastic, baby. This is...this is a big step. This is big for us!" he said happily. "I know!" she exclaimed. "When? When am I able to?" he asked anxiously. She smiled, knowing that he had wanted to for awhile, especially in light of everything that had happened.

"We didn't talk about it yet, but I'm thinking Thanksgiving break. You could...you could come at the end of the week, and then we could just go back together? Maybe? I don't know, it was...just a thought" she said.

"No, I think that sounds perfect. You should have your Thanksgiving with your family. I don't think I should...intrude on that, especially since this will be my first time meeting them. But I could come on...Black Friday? Stay for a few days?" he asked. "Mhm, that was my thought exactly. I still have to talk to them, but I'll convince them. I'll bring it up tomorrow," she nodded.

"And if that doesn't work with them, that's okay. Whenever they say is okay, is...is perfect with me. Their call, I'll be flexible," he said. "Because Malibu is...that's a no go this year?" she questioned. "Yeah, I'm...I'm done with that. I'm done with him." She sighed. "I'm sorry, baby."

"No, no. Don't be sorry. I would much rather spend time with you and your parents. That's what's important to me. You are my family. You are what I have. You are what I want." he said.

She nodded, but it still made her sad to hear. Not because she felt bad for his father. Not even close. But because she felt bad for Fitz. He deserved so much better. He really, really did. So that's why she was determined to make his Holiday break great.

"I'm yours. Always, sweetheart. You know that."

"Hell yeah, you are."

She giggled and smiled up at the ceiling. And then she just laid there and thought for a little bit, with a comfortable silence between them.

"We're becoming…normal. Almost," she finally said.

" _Normal?_ That doesn't sound like you and me," he chuckled. "I know," she giggled. "But…we almost are."

"Almost. Someday we really will be, Liv. Someday."

"I'm living for that day" she whispered. The day they could be out in the open. Not hiding. Not sneaking around.

"Me too."

* * *

The next morning, Olivia walked happily down the stairs, wearing leggings and Fitz's Yale sweatshirt. Her natural hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and she wore no makeup.

Fitz would have loved it.

"Hey," she greeted, as soon as she reached the main level. Her parents both bid her good morning, and she went to go sit by her dad at the kitchen table, where he was drinking coffee and reading a newspaper.

Her mother looked to be just about done with breakfast, which Olivia was looking forward to. Her mom's weekend breakfast was always the best.

She sat there on her phone, sending a good morning text to Fitz, while her father continued to read. They made small talk, while Maya finished up breakfast and brought it over to the table for them. But then she decided to bring up what she had discussed with Fitz the night before.

"So I was thinking…about you guys meeting Fitz. Maybe he could come over Thanksgiving break? Like on Black Friday?" she asked hopefully. Her parents ate their breakfast, chewing thoughtfully.

"So he would be in town until Sunday presumably?" Maya asked.

Olivia nodded. "And then we could just go back together. I could drive down this year, rather than flying like I normally do. He's up for whatever you guys are most comfortable with, I just thought that that would be a good time, and that I'd ask," she said.

Maya nodded, looking over at Eli. "That's fine with me," he said. Olivia smiled. "Cool. Thank you. He's very excited to meet you guys," she said happily. Her parents nodded, Maya giving her a nice smile. "We are too," she replied. "I think it's long overdue," was all Eli said.

Olivia nodded, knowing that they didn't seem the happiest about it. But again, she didn't care as long as they agreed to it. This was step one.

And she found that as soon as she got the difficult part of her weekend over with, _talking to them_ , the rest went by quickly.

She just hung around with her parents on Saturday, as it was rainy and cold out, and she didn't feel like doing much else.

She helped her dad make his famous chicken fried steak on Saturday night, which was amazing, as always. He was also quite impressed with her improved abilities in the kitchen. She was nowhere at his level, but even he was impressed.

And just as she had done on Friday night, she ended Saturday night with a call to her favorite guy, this time, on FaceTime.

By the time Sunday hit, she was actually _sad_ to be leaving her house and her parents. Not overly sad by any means, but a little bit. It had been a pretty good weekend, at least, for Olivia.

She wished Sandra or Stephen had been home this weekend, but they didn't come home often when they didn't have breaks, either. So she just spent all her time at home with her parents, as she figured she should anyway. And it was worth it. All of it was worth it.

She bid goodbye to her parents and began her long journey back to New Haven, which was accompanied by lots of good music, snacks, and a nice phone chat with Fitz.

They talked for over two hours of the drive, even though she was essentially going back to her apartment to grab some things and then head over to _his_ apartment to spend the night.

She couldn't pass up the opportunity to stay with him, especially since they were both insanely happy with how the weekend had gone. She couldn't wait to go home to him.

And finally, she did. Well, after her stop at her apartment.

She told Abby every detail, as they tended to do with most aspects of their lives. Abby was probably _just_ as happy as she and Fitz were, given that she was their biggest supporter and wanted nothing more than for them to be together.

So, when Olivia told Abby she was going to see him and celebrate with him tonight, Abby couldn't get her out the door fast enough.

So, Olivia headed over to Paxton Hills and up to her favorite apartment.

She walked right in, as Fitz requested she do. And then she saw him, smiling at her from the kitchen.

She dropped all her things right there on the entryway floor and ran over to him, jumping into his outstretched arms.

She hugged him tight and exhaled deeply, so happy to be back with him again. It was crazy how quickly her spirits lifted the second she was in his presence.

"Hi baby," he said, his voice muffled by her shoulder. "Hi baby," she said back.

"I'm so happy to see you," he said. "Me too. I'm just so happy. About everything," she replied.

"Me too," he nodded. He walked her over to the island and set her down, moving her legs apart so he could stand between them. He rested his hands on her thighs and gave her a kiss. "How was your drive?" he asked, rubbing her legs softly.

"It was alright. Kind of long, I'm glad to be out of the car for the weekend. I'm glad I'm home now," she said. "I'm glad you're home too" he replied with a smile.

Home was with him.

"I was thinking I could make us a nice dinner. Kind of...a celebratory one," he added. She perked up. "Yes, I thought we could celebrate too! Only...we need more than dinner to celebrate" she smirked, looking over at his wine rack. He smiled back. "Hmmm...well it's a good thing I have the perfect bottle for the occasion," he said, going over to the rack.

He pulled out a beautiful looking bottle and brought it over to her. She read the label and her eyes widened. "Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot," she read. "Straight from Napa Valley," he said, resuming his previous position between her legs.

"Seriously!?" she exclaimed. "Mhm. The only reason I like going back to Cali, honestly," he said. "Well, and for Kings games," he added.

"Which, we still have to do, by the way!" she exclaimed, pointing at him. He nodded. "That's right, that's on our bucket list," he replied. "It sure is, I promised you we'd do it on our first date," she said. He smiled, remembering that night. "That was a good night," he said. "It was, wasn't it? The good old days," she giggled.

"Mhm. But...these days are turning out to be pretty good too," he nodded. She nodded back. "Yes, they are."

"What's for dinner?" she asked. "How's salmon sound?" he asked. "Ooo, salmon! We _are_ celebrating tonight," she said with a smile. "Yes we are. Open this up so it can breathe. You're the corkscrew expert," he said, patting her thigh. "Yes sir" she giggled, lifting up her leg a bit so she could open the drawer where he kept his corkscrew and take it out.

She peeled back the foil and then pushed into the cork, starting to turn the corkscrew.

She watched her boyfriend as she opened the wine. He had just finished washing his hands, and was about to put on his apron. The one she loved to see him in.

He was wearing khakis. Khakis that fit him perfectly all the way down. But as usual, he wore a belt to keep them up. His faded, brown belt.

He just wore a simple grey henley, with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He, of course, made it look sexy as hell. He pulled everything off, though, so it came as no surprise to her.

As he lifted his apron up to put the top over his head, his shirt raised up his back a little more, revealing the waistband of his boxers that stuck up from underneath the waistband of his pants. Calvin Klein, as usual. It was all he wore.

Man, all he was doing was putting on a god damned apron and she was distracted!

She had stopped turning the corkscrew just so she could stand there and watch him, which he noticed as soon as he turned around.

"Uh...Liv. You need help?" he asked, gesturing towards the half-opened bottle of wine.

She snapped out of her mesmerized state and continued to turn the corkscrew. "Uh—no. No, I got it," she said. He smiled and pecked her cheek as he walked by, heading towards the fridge to start grabbing the things he needed.

There were certain non-sexual acts that turned her on.

Watching him cook was one of them.

The man knew he was a looker. Looking like that, there's no way he didn't know. But, man, sometimes he didn't know just _how_ attractive he was, doing simple things.

Seriously, damn.

She helped him cook, and, of course, stole glances whenever possible. It was great. And when they decided the wine had sat long enough and they started to drink, their Sunday night got even better.

Usually Sunday nights weren't all that great. The school week began the next day, back to reality after nice weekends. But this particular Sunday night was perfect.

They are their dinner, which was amazing. She told him more in detail about her talk with her parents, and what it all entailed. And they discussed their future happily, having at least some idea now where it might be headed.

And they drank.

A lot.

After finishing the insanely good bottle of Merlot they'd opened, they moved on to harder liquor. Fitz started mixing them gin and tonics, while they had the TV on in the background. He had been flipping back and forth between Sunday Night Football and a hockey game that was on. It wasn't the Kings, so he wasn't all that interested, but it was still hockey.

Olivia really didn't give a damn what was on TV, but she sure made the best of their sports-watching.

"Okay, so that black football team missed their field goal, and now this blue hockey team missed their…penalty kill shot or whatever the fuck. You know, sweetie, I think they all need new players," she piped up.

Fitz laughed, putting his hands up to his face. "There were so many things wrong with that sentence, baby," he chuckled. "Okay, okay go all sports Fitz on me. I'm ready," she nodded confidently. "Well for starters, that black football team is the Saints. And they didn't miss a field goal they missed an extra point."

"Oh same difference," she shrugged. He shook his head and laughed. "No, Liv, a field goal is worth three. An extra point is just one, after a touchdown."

"Oh, that's right! Right! Okay, I knew that. Alright what else did I fuck up?" she asked.

"The blue hockey team is the Oilers. And Drasaitl missed the penalty _shot_. A penalty _kill_ is a different thing," he said. "What the hell is a Draisaitl?" she asked. He leaned his head on the ground, laughing. "Leon Draisatl. He's a player, the one who missed," he chuckled.

"Ohhh. I'm sorry, baby, you're just going to have to bear with me here, I'm drunk," she said. He smiled and nodded. "I know," he chuckled.

"You're drunk too" she giggled. He put his finger up in protest. "I prefer the term inebriated," he replied.

She rolled over onto her back on the living room floor, finding the term to be hilarious. "Oh, I see. You're _inebriated!"_ she exclaimed with a laugh. "Yes. Very much so" he nodded, laughing back at her.

"But at least I still know basic sports terminology" he added.

"Hey! Mean!" she exclaimed, getting onto her knees and kneeling by him. He laid there, laughing his ass off. She frowned and playfully smacked his chest. "Ow! That hurt!" he teased. "Good!" she giggled.

He scoffed and sat up, laying her down onto her back. "What am I gonna do with you, huh?" he asked with a smile, resting his hands on either side of her face as he kneeled above her. "Hmmm" she replied, eyeing his body up and down.

And she couldn't resist.

She reached for his belt and began to undo it.

He looked down, watching her fingers work.

"Oh. _This_ is what we're gonna do," he said.

"Uh-huh," she nodded, unzipping his zipper.

"Yep. Okay," he said, reaching for her jeans.

He sat there above her, watching her pull his pants and boxers down a little bit. "Right here, huh?" he chuckled, unzipping her pants. "Yeah," she nodded eagerly, reaching inside his boxers to free his hardening length.

He let out a deep breath at her sudden action, bracing himself against the floor with his palm. He continued to pull down her pants as best he could with one hand, all while she touched him. She could see that she was distracting him by what she was doing, which made her smile. But he still managed to get her fully naked from the waist down, just as he was now.

"Okay," he whispered. "Okay," she whispered back, wrapping an arm around his neck.

He looked down as he got himself situated, lining himself up. And then he entered her slowly, letting out a deep breath as he did.

Olivia reached out to the side and clutched the leg of the coffee table, biting her lip at the glorious feeling. But he grabbed her hand and pinned it to the floor with his own, pushing in deeper.

She gasped and arched her back, clenching tight around him. He dropped his head to the floor and half-moaned, half-gasped, at the feeling of her muscles clenching around him. He actually wondered if that alone was going to make him come right then and there.

She'd done that countless times before, but tonight there was something different. He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol, the fact that she was feeling overly horny, or what, but he fucking liked it.

"Holy fuck, Liv" he whispered, holding onto her hands tighter. She smiled and moved her hips in rhythm with his, but for the most part, just let him do his thing.

"You feel so good," he whispered, reveling in how perfect and tight she fit around him. She nodded, her face showing nothing but pleasure as she opened her legs even wider for him. One of his hands traveled down her body, inching underneath her back and palming her ass. He tilted her body slightly, pumping in and out of her as he picked up his pace.

And that was her spot. She let out a gasp and clutched his bicep hard. "Right there, right there," she breathed.

"Right there?" he whispered, just wanting to hear her voice again. He loved it when she talked to him.

"Yes—yes...Fitz. There,"

Especially when she could barely do it.

That meant he was doing what he was supposed to. All he wanted was for her to feel good. And from the looks of it, she really was.

He tucked his head down into the crook of her neck and thrust in and out of her until she came, wanting to make sure that he got her there before he finished.

But when she orgasmed, it usually always pushed him over the edge anyway.

It was by far the sexiest thing he'd ever witnessed, each and every time that it happened. Hearing his name come out of her mouth the way that it did. Hearing the sounds she made and the cursing she didn't even try to keep in check. Seeing the way her back arched. Seeing her bite her lip.

Feeling her hands hold tightly onto his arms or back, sometimes his hair. Just seeing the pleasure she was feeling, solely because of his body. Solely because of the things he was doing to her.

So sexy.

After he finished, he just laid there, breathing hard on top of her. She never wanted him to move after, so he didn't. It had become a habit, really. Each and every time, he heard her little heart beating so fast inside her chest. And each and every time, he waited for it to slow. And for his to slow as well.

"How you doing?" he whispered, looking up at her. She smiled. "Amazing," she whispered. "Me too," he said, laying his head back down on her chest.

He felt her hands on the side of his face, and then felt her kiss the top of his head. And he smiled, rubbing his fingers over the fabric of her shirt.

Neither of them had bothered to fully undress, so both still wore their shirts and were naked from the waist down.

Although, apparently, Olivia wasn't a fan of that.

He felt her little hands on his back, tugging at his shirt. He lifted his head up to look at her questioningly, which allowed her to fully grasp his shirt and start pulling it over his head.

"What are you doing, woman" he chuckled. "This. It needs to come off," she said. He reached his arms straight out in front of him so that she could pull it off completely. "Is that so?" he asked. "Yes," she nodded, leaning her head to the side to look at his now fully naked body. "Much better," she said.

His fingers found the bottom of her T-shirt and started lifting it up. "Well, then this needs to come off too," he said. She giggled and lifted her arms up allowing him to take it off. She unclasped her bra and let him pull it off. "Mmm," he moaned, laying his head back down in pleasure.

"Your living room floor has really been through it all" she giggled. "I blame that on you" he chuckled. "What! Why me!" she asked. "Are you kidding me? You literally just _decided_ right then and there that you wanted to fuck me," he said with a laugh.

"Well of course I did, I always want to fuck you."

"Aww, isn't my girl so romantic?" he teased. "Oh shush," she giggled. "I always want to fuck you too, Livvie," he said, giving her his best sweet voice.

She laughed, nudging his arm. "So you didn't like it then?" she challenged, running her fingers through his hair.

"Oh, no, I loved it. Very sexy" he nodded.

"Well...last time it wasn't on me. Last time you just started taking my clothes off!" she exclaimed. "What? Which time?" he asked. "When you fingered me on the floor," she answered simply. He racked his brain. "Okay, I'm fairly sure I've done that multiple times," he replied.

She laughed. "You really _are_ drunk—". "Inebriated," he interrupted. She giggled. "Fine, _inebriated_. Anyway, it was the most recent time. You know. Dirty, nasty things. Done to me. In the bedroom," she said. "Ohhh! Right. Yeah. Okay, yeah that was probably all me" he nodded.

"Uh-huh. Take some of the blame, jeez" she teased. "Don't start with me, woman," he said. "Oh, woman's gonna start with you," she giggled, nudging him off of her.

She rolled him over and straddled him while he rested his hands on her thighs. She grabbed her gin and tonic on the table and downed the rest of it, adding more to her consumption that night. She grabbed his drink and handed it to him, so he lifted his head off the floor and downed the rest of his too.

"I'll mix us another," he said, attempting to get up. But she put a hand on his chest, forcing him back down. "You think...I'm done with you?" she asked, mimicking what he had said to her last week. His lips parted and then turned into a smirk as she grabbed his glass and put both of them down on the table again.

"I certainly hope not" he replied.

And she wasn't. Not even close.

His living room floor went through much, much more that night.

* * *

There ya go!

I know you all hated me for the cliffhanger, but I gotta do it on occasion ;)

Well, the parents are still a bit skeptical, and not totally on board, as you probably expected. _However_ , they have had _plenty_ of time to cool down and think about it, and are now at least willing to start accepting it and even to meet him. Good news!

Hope you enjoyed.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	55. Motivation

Olivia's phone ring interrupted the giggling fest that she and Abby were having over Chandler's recent comment on _Friends_. Abby turned the volume down a bit and Olivia answered, putting it on speaker.

"Hi sweetie," she said cheerfully. "Hi, babe," Fitz answered. "Hi, pretty boy!" Abby piped up. Fitz could be heard chuckling on the other end.

"Hi Abby, how are you!?" he asked. "I'm fantastic. Just hogging your girlfriend," she said. "That's alright, she was yours first!" he chuckled. Abby nodded. "True that. You really got your shit figured out, I applaud you," she said appreciatively.

Olivia shook her head and smiled and Fitz laughed. "Well thank you, Abby, I try," he replied.

"What's up, sweetheart?" Olivia asked. "Nothing, I was just seeing what my pretty girl was up to, but I don't want to interrupt girl time!" he replied. She smiled and looked at Abby, who put her hand over her heart and smiled back.

"Aww, no that's okay. We're just watching _Friends_. Having a laid back Thursday night," she said simply. "Yeah, you should stay on the phone a little while. Olivia can only go so long before she starts talking about you anyway so it's probably better that you're just here with us," Abby said casually.

Olivia scoffed and smacked Abby's hand, which only made Abby crack up more. "Aww, that's sweet, Livvie," Fitz said on the other end.

"Oh you shush, pretty boy," Olivia replied. "You shush," he shot back.

"Okay, I'll let you just talk to Abby then," she teased, setting the phone on the floor in front of her.

"Oh, this is fun, okay, okay. Let me think. Um...oh, okay, I have a question. Ass man or boobs man?" she asked. Olivia put her hand over her mouth and silenced her laugh, curious as to how he would answer that.

"What?" Fitz chuckled. "Oh don't play dumb. I'm taking this opportunity to talk best friend to boyfriend, and I have this very important question that I must know the answer to!" she exclaimed.

Fitz laughed. "Um...uh, I don't...I don't know," he replied. "Yes you do, come on," Abby nodded.

"I'm an Olivia man," he said.

Olivia smiled, nodding at his very Fitz-like answer. Abby shook her head and laughed. " _No_ , pretty boy, that isn't one of the answer choices. It's multiple choice, you just failed the test!" she exclaimed.

"Impossible, I'm an amazing test taker," he replied. "Not this one, you've been a professor too long, you forgot what it's like to be a student and you _failed,"_ she said. Olivia just shook her head at this ridiculous conversation.

"I was just being honest, really," Fitz chuckled.

"It's okay baby, you can tell her you're an ass man because you are," she giggled.

So that not talking to each other thing lasted about thirty seconds.

"Babe, I think I know my answer better than you do," he replied. "Oh bullshit, if your hand isn't in mine, it's likely on my ass," she said. Abby burst into laughter. "That isn't true!" he exclaimed. "Ehh, kinda," Olivia nodded. "Oh no, what have I done," Abby said with a laugh. "Yeah, see what you started Abby," Olivia giggled. She shrugged and laughed, then looked back at the phone.

"Pretty boy."

"Yeah," Fitz answered.

"I have another question," she said. Olivia raised her eyebrow, wondering what this one would be.

"Alright, fire away, I'm ready," Fitz replied.

"How much do you love my best friend?" Abby asked.

Olivia smiled over at her, thinking it was sweet that she asked that.

It was silent for a little bit.

"More than words can describe. I don't...I can't even explain to you how much. It can be overwhelming, sometimes. In a good way, by the way, Olivia. It's true. I am overwhelmed by what I feel for one person. For the pretty girl right there with you, Abby."

"Awwwwww," Abby said.

Olivia smiled down at the floor, feeling goosebumps on her skin.

"She's blushing," Abby informed Fitz.

Which, only made Olivia blush more.

Fitz let out a cute little laugh. "I love when she blushes."

"I'm not blushing" Olivia giggled. "Ah, the same lie you told me at BAR a while back. When you tell me you're not, you most definitely are. I'll take Abby's word for it, she's there next to you," he chuckled, which made Olivia smile.

"Indeed, I am. Oh except, she isn't _next_ to me. I'm on the couch and she's on the living room floor. She's weird like that," Abby said with a laugh.

"I'm aware. She really likes living room floors," Fitz said.

Olivia felt her cheeks turn an even darker shade of red, knowing exactly what he meant by that. And Abby smiled, because she knew too.

"Especially _yours_ right?" she asked.

Olivia's jaw dropped in awe.

"Yeah, especially mine. I'm not surprised you know about that" he chuckled.

"Yeah, we tell each other everything," Abby shrugged. "Oh I've come to realize that. You are two peas in a pod, you two," Fitz replied with a laugh. "Yeah. She's my girl," Abby said, looking at Olivia. "My girl," Olivia nodded, smiling back at her.

"Since you've asked me your fair share of questions, can I ask you one now, Abby?" he asked.

"Of course," Abby replied.

"So, there's a faculty/student holiday mixer. I don't know if you two have heard about it or gone to it before," he said. "Heard about it but never gone. Don't you have to be asked by professors?" Abby asked.

"Yes, and I would love it if you both could come. Students can bring other students with them if they want to, so...I figured you both could come together," he said.

"Aww really?" Abby asked. "Mhm," Fitz nodded. "That's very sweet, Fitz. I'd love to come," Olivia replied. "Me too. When is it?" Abby asked.

"It's the Monday night after Thanksgiving break. There's lots of good food I've heard," Fitz answered. "Nice, I'm always down for good food," Abby said.

"It won't be suspicious or anything that I'm there?" Olivia asked. "Oh god no, there will be tons of students there," Fitz said. Olivia nodded in satisfaction.

Technically, they could go out on campus right now holding hands, and nobody could do a damn thing about it. He wasn't her professor. But there was still the possibility that he would be next semester, so treading lightly was probably smart.

Being free to do as they pleased could happen in a couple months, or it could happen by next summer. Either one was too long, in Olivia's opinion, but it was just what they were going to have to do.

It was a fun little phone chat with her best friend and her boyfriend, one that lasted over an hour, actually.

But eventually, it ended, along with their Thursday night.

* * *

Friday night proved to be a _lot_ more interesting.

The day, itself, was pretty standard. Olivia went to class and Fitz did too, but afterward, he spent much of his time in his office, working on a presentation for Yale's Board of Trustees.

He, himself, wasn't part of it, but he always aided in presentations as he had some clear background in the area.

The Board of Trustees was Yale's governing and policy-making body, so he knew more than enough, and all the board members loved him. So, he always put extra time and effort into the presentations he worked on, this big one of the fall, being next week.

He didn't want his entire weekend to be consumed by it because that was his only real opportunity for quality time with his girlfriend. So, he dedicated much of his Friday evening to it, in his office where he could focus solely on that.

Only that didn't end up working too well, anyway.

He sat there, staring at his computer screen, resting his temple against his palm. He'd been going strong for hours now, but he was beginning to think he should call it a night. _Just half an hour more,_ he thought.

But that's when there was a knock at the door.

His eyes jerked upwards towards the door and he told whoever it was to come inside, given that his blinds were closed and he couldn't see them.

And in walked his girlfriend, big smile on her face and a steaming Starbucks cup in hand.

She shut the door and her smile brightened even more as she looked at him. "Well hi, Livvie. What are you doing here?" he asked. "I came to surprise my hard working guy with some coffee. You know, so you can stay focused. Keep working hard! Everyone could use a little motivation," she said, setting the cup on the desk.

"Oh well thank you. You're so sweet," he said, reaching for the cup.

"You're welcome. This place is kind of creepy on Friday nights, by the way, jeez," Olivia said with a laugh. "Yeah, I know. Are all the main lights off out there?" he asked.

"Mhm. Clearly, you are one of the only professors who feels it's important to work this late on a _Friday_ night," she teased. "Yeah, I know. Well, I bet Cyrus is still here, but his office isn't in this building," he informed her. Olivia nodded in response and leaned against the desk, looking over at him.

He smiled at the cup, as it read "Olivia". The most beautiful name on this earth, at least, to him.

"It's just the dark roast, no cream or sugar. Strong and black," she informed him. "Perfect, that's how I like it," he said, taking a sip.

"Uh-huh. How you like your _coffee_ , how you like your _women_ ," she said casually.

He about spit the coffee out right there, covering his mouth with his hand as he watched her giggle. He started laughing too, and shook his head.

"Olivia, you have to warn me before you say these things while I'm drinking a hot beverage," he chuckled. "Sorry, I didn't have time to warn you it just kind of came out," she shrugged. "Yeah, and what kind of strong are we talking here? Emotional, _physical?"_ he teased.

"Definitely physical," she nodded, flexing her right bicep. He laughed and stood up, walking over to her. "I think you're stronger than me, babe!" he exclaimed, feeling her bicep through her coat. "Damn right," she giggled. He smiled.

"Thank you for the coffee," he said, leaning in to give her kiss. She kissed him back but even still, they were both hesitant. The door was closed, all of his blinds were shut, and they were _still_ hesitant.

But hesitant or not, he was now watching his girlfriend eye him up and down, with that look. He knew exactly what that look meant.

"You know...there _are_ other forms of motivation," she said, eyeing his belt.

He bit his lip and looked at the door. "I'm fully aware," he nodded.

She smirked. "You want me to go, I'll go," she said.

His brain was telling him yes. _Tell her to go, tell her to go_.

That was not, however, what his body was telling him.

"You could give me the key to your apartment. I could go get... _cozy_...in your bed," she said quietly.

He tapped his fingers on his desk, clenching his jaw. Yeah, that sounded wonderful. So why couldn't he bring himself to give her his key so she could do exactly that?

Maybe it was because she was wearing those skinny jeans that he loved. The ones with the rips in them. Or maybe it was because he was sick and tired of working, so he wanted to do something else.

Or maybe it was just because it was Olivia. And Olivia was...Olivia.

"You should...probably do that, yeah," he nodded.

But even he could hear it in his voice. How much he wanted her to do that, but at the same time, didn't want her to. He could hear the conflict.

"As you wish...can I have your key?" she asked, moving closer to him.

But he didn't move to grab his keys.

Instead, he just eyed her up and down, as she had done to him.

Damn, she looked good.

She tilted her head to the side and smiled.

She had his heart racing.

"Fuck," he whispered.

He closed the gap between them and pressed his lips to hers, moving her backward towards the door.

As soon as they reached the wall he slammed her against it, although fairly gently.

And his right hand reached out and turned the door's lock.

"We should not be doing this," he whispered, reaching down to unbutton her jeans.

"Nope," she agreed, working on his belt.

But they continued anyway.

He smacked her hand away from his belt and reached around her, picking her up.

Making out all the way to the sofa in the corner of his office proved to be quite sloppy. And wet.

They kicked off their shoes, and he laid her down and climbed on top of her, finishing what Olivia had started with his belt.

She pushed her jeans and underwear down her body so that he could yank them the rest of the way off.

"Would you hurry up?" she giggled, while he pulled the tight-fitting denim off her legs.

"Would you quit wearing skin-tight jeans?" he asked, throwing them, along with her underwear, to the floor.

She stopped pulling on his boxers to look at him, raising her eyebrow.

"Yeah…okay, scratch that. Keep wearing them," he said, kneeling above her and taking off his boxers.

 _"Mhm,"_ she replied, smiling up at him.

He grabbed her hands and pinned them against the sofa's armrest, on either side of her head, pushing in slowly to give her time to adjust.

But it didn't take him long to pick up his pace, and it didn't take them long to start making too much noise.

He groaned and buried his face into her shoulder, trying to muffle his sounds of pleasure.

At the first sound of Fitz's name coming out of her mouth, he brought his hand up to her mouth and silenced her, too.

"Shhhh," he whispered, lingering inside of her for a glorious moment. She nodded and he took his hand away, replacing it with his lips.

That's all they could do to keep quiet; breath and moan their sounds of pleasure into each other's mouths, tongues tangling.

It was fast, and it was hot. Really hot. Hands traveled down damp, sweaty skin, or into each other's hair. That was always a go-to, particularly for Olivia, but especially when they didn't have much else to hold onto. The sofa was not ideal.

But it was still amazing, nonetheless.

They weren't able to keep completely silent when they finished, Olivia, followed by Fitz. But they tried their best.

And then they laid there, panting and sweating.

"I really did just…come here to give you…coffee," she panted. He chuckled into her shoulder.

"Well thank you. For both forms of…motivation," he replied.

"You're welcome. Thank _you,"_ she giggled, placing kisses down his shoulder.

"Only…I am not motivated to keep working," he said.

"Then what are you motivated to do?" she asked.

"To take you home and do that again."

She kissed the top of his head and laughed. "Alright, get dressed, professor, and we'll go."

"You got it," he nodded, getting up off her.

He got up and they attempted to clean up a little bit. They laughed as they threw their clothes to each other, finding them all mixed up in a heap on the floor.

Socks, shoes, underwear, pants, all of it. But a knock at his office door disturbed their fun.

They looked at each other, eyes wide with fear. Olivia threw him his pants and he pulled them on, his fingers shaking and fumbling with his zipper and his belt.

"One second," he said.

Olivia got dressed and looked for somewhere in his office to make herself as hidden as she could. There was pretty much nowhere to go, so she just hoped she looked as normal as possible on the sofa.

Fitz looked back at Olivia and grimaced, giving her a look that seemed to say "here goes nothing", and he opened the door a little ways.

And then Olivia heard a voice that just about made her cry tears of joy.

"Cyrus," Fitz said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Fitz," Cyrus greeted. "Was your door…locked?" he added. "Uh…was it? I don't—I don't know," he replied.

Fitz looked at Cyrus, knowing he sounded like an idiot. He was an awful liar. Cyrus looked Fitz up and down, studying every inch of him, as well as the door that he was clearly keeping mostly closed for a reason.

And then Cyrus leaned in close. "Is there...someone else in there?" he whispered.

Fitz sighed and looked down at the floor, opening the door all the way for him to see.

"Oh…Olivia? You're…wait…" Cyrus questioned. "Hey, Cyrus," Olivia said, giving him an embarrassed wave.

Cyrus waved back and nodded at the two of them. "Well that explains a lot."

Fitz eyed Olivia and then looked back at Cyrus, not really sure what to say.

"I just wondered if you were still here working on the presentation. I haven't seen you in a while so I figured I'd come by. You didn't answer your phone…which…I now understand," he chuckled.

"Sorry about that. I was working, I just took a break, and…" he began. He shook his head, realizing that sounded bad. "Or—I mean, Olivia just brought me coffee, and…yeah. I'm…done for the night," he said awkwardly.

Cyrus nodded. "Well don't let me interrupt, I just thought I'd drop by. Great to see you again, Olivia," Cyrus said, nodding at her on the sofa. "You too!" Olivia nodded politely.

He nodded at Fitz and bid them both goodbye. And he was off.

Fitz shut the door and looked back at Olivia with a grimace.

"Oops," she said.

He nodded. "Yeah…oops. He didn't know that we were…" he began.

"Back together?" she questioned. He nodded. "Yeah, I haven't talked to him much lately. Probably not the best way for him to find that out again, but I'm glad it was him at the door and not someone else," Fitz said.

"Me too, I don't know what we would have done. There's really no hiding what we were doing so I think we would have been fucked," she replied.

"Come on, we didn't make it that obvious, did we?" he asked.

She raised an eyebrow. "Sweetie, you took almost an entire minute to open the door, which was locked. Your hair is a curly mess, your shirt is wrinkled, and I'm sitting here on your sofa, with my shoes still over there," she said, pointing at her shoes by the other end of the sofa.

He winced. "Well, shit."

She shrugged and laughed, going to get her shoes.

"I'm surprised he didn't lecture us, honestly," she said. Fitz nodded. "Oh, I'm sure he will next time I see him. He just wouldn't do it in front of you," he replied. "Well, I would've understood. That was not the smartest, but...oh well," she said.

"I guess…it's not against policy right now, just...frowned upon, I suppose. But...yeah, we should still be treading lightly, and that doesn't include having sex in my office," he chuckled.

She nodded. "Yeah…this office. This office has seen some things," she said, looking around.

"Mhm. I think I should ban you from coming here," he said, going to put away all his things.

What!? That isn't fair!" she exclaimed. "What's not fair, is that you have slowly withered away all my self-control," he teased, pointing at her. She smiled. "Ohhh, okay. So you're going to use _me_ as an excuse for your lack of self-control before. I see how this works," she said with a laugh.

"Exactly! I'm glad you understand, Liv. It means a lot," he said, putting a hand to his heart.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Blames me for everything," she said.

He smiled over at her and gave her a wink.

"I'm only kidding, my fault. You were just a very worthy participant. And very sexy," he nodded, putting on his coat and slinging his briefcase over his shoulder.

"My fault too. This will _not_ happen again," she said, seeming to be trying to convince herself more than anything else.

"Uh-huh," he replied, giving her a smirk over his shoulder as they headed towards the door.

"Naughty," she whispered, as they entered the hallway.

The hallway was very dimly lit, so it was hard to see each other just a few feet away.

But she knew he was close, when she felt his large hand squeeze her ass.

She giggled and nudged him away in the dark hallway, finding his daringness tonight to be quite amusing.

"You are just something else tonight, ass man," she whispered.

"But you love me for it," he whispered back. "I do. Lack of self-control, and all," she nodded. She heard him scoff and nudge her back.

"Don't start with me," he warned. "You know that means I'm just gonna start with you anyway, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, that sounds about right," he chuckled, which made her laugh too.

They left the dark, empty building, heading to his car so that they could go back to his apartment and continue their fun.

It was the nights like that, that they knew they'd always remember.

Spontaneous, and a little reckless. But enjoyable and filled with love, all the same.

* * *

Oh, those two.

Nothing like a little motivation to get you going! lol.

Thanks to Kerry and Tony for the "strong and black" Twitter exchange inspiration. Love them.

I hope you enjoyed this little filler chapter. Time is moving fast, as it is November now. The next chapter will be Thanksgiving break, which I'm sure you are all very ready for.

How do you think it will go for them?

You'll just have to wait and see.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	56. Change My Mind

"Smells good, Olivia," Maya said, entering the kitchen. "Thanks. Is dad almost done getting ready? I'm not sure how to tell if the turkey is ready or not. I need him," she said. Maya nodded and came over to turn on the light and look through the oven's glass.

"Yeah it looks just about ready, but your father is the expert. He's almost done getting ready, I think. Oh, shoot. Did my phone ring?" she asked. "Nope, all good," Olivia nodded, putting the hot pad on the counter and then the crockpot of the mashed potatoes she'd made from scratch on top of the pad.

"Okay, they must be making good time then. They should be here in twenty minutes or so, she said she was going to call if she'd be later," Maya said. "Cool, it's been way too long, I miss aunt Faye," Olivia said, trying to clean up as best as she could. "Oh, I miss that crazy sister of mine, too" Maya nodded.

Olivia and her dad had pretty much done all of the cooking for Thanksgiving dinner this year. And if Olivia wanted to describe it, using Fitz's words, she'd say that it felt _fricken awesome._

She was finally learning how to be a decent cook, after twenty-one years of sucking! _What a miracle_ , she thought.

Her dad made his way down, dressed all nice for their family get together. They all took turns getting ready, so Olivia and Maya had already gotten dressed.

Olivia wore a nice maroon dress, and had straightened out her hair for the occasion. Rarely did she just _keep_ it straight, but she liked how it looked today, especially with the dress she was wearing.

She had her makeup done perfectly and a beautiful silver necklace on, along with her favorite pair of black heels. She wished Fitz was there to see her, because she couldn't deny that she loved the way he looked at her when she was all dressed up.

But she didn't just wish he was there so he could see her dress, she wished he was there just because it was Thanksgiving, and you were supposed to spend the holidays with people you loved.

She knew he had been right about not coming before the holiday, though. Considering many of her family members would be there, it would be a bit overwhelming for a first meeting, and a bit complicated to explain to her other family members.

But, she only had to wait one more day for him to fly down to Virginia. How it would all go, she had no idea, but there was only one way for her to find out.

She was definitely nervous, so she could only imagine how he was feeling. Fitz could be shy at times, sure, but there was really only one thing in the world that made him downright _nervous_. And that was Olivia.

So she wondered how meeting her parents made him feel, _besides_ happy. Because he was, happy. It meant the world to him, getting to meet them. It was what he had wanted for a long time, and he was finally getting it.

She was also a little disappointed that he wouldn't really be _staying_ with her. But, she still understood that as well. He'd made reservations at a hotel for the two nights that he was staying, saying he didn't feel it was right to stay in their house the first time they all met, given everything that had happened.

She supposed that was the safe play, so she agreed. But it still made her sad. All she wanted was for them to love him and approve of him, so they could spend all holidays together. Under the same roof. As a family.

Seemed like a dream at this point, but maybe in the future, it would be a reality. That's all she could hope for.

Her family started showing up slowly, until it was all of them seated around the table. She and her parents, her aunt Faye and Uncle Jack, her cousins Macy and Dillon, and her grandmother on her mom's side.

It was nice to catch up with all of them, as it was difficult to keep in touch when she went off to school. Macy and Dillon were in the midst of their senior year of high school, so they asked her a fair amount of questions about college in general, as they were in that period of life where they really needed to be thinking about it.

She was happy to explain her experiences, besides, of course, the whole... _dating her professor_ thing. Yeah, she steered clear of that subject.

Faye did ask about a boyfriend, like she tended to do. Olivia denied having one, saying that boys were trouble. Which, was true. Ha, sorry Fitz.

She felt the looks she was receiving from her parents while she flat out lied to her aunt, but she wasn't really sure what else to do. She didn't think it was smart at this point, to disclose all of the complicated information.

In her mind, she'd rather wait until she and Fitz were for sure in the clear, so she kept it in. Her parents may know her secret, but the whole world certainly couldn't yet.

Their early dinner, and then eventually, their pumpkin and pecan pie for dessert, ended their Thanksgiving Holiday.

Olivia went to bed, happy to have seen some of her extended family members, and happy to have had such a nice get-together. But nervous, for the remaining days at home.

Her family had left her home fairly late that night, so she didn't get to bed until late, either. Fitz had gone to bed much earlier than she had, because he had a very early flight the next morning.

He loved to fly though, it was always something he enjoyed, so she hoped he at least made the best of it.

* * *

Fitz boarded his plane on Friday morning, and went to sit down in his seat. He sent a text to Olivia, who would still be sleeping at this point.

He couldn't wait to see her. She would be picking him up at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and he was very excited. Also…nervous.

He knew he'd be just fine, but that didn't stop him from being nervous.

He was just ready to be with her, because he'd spent the entire week alone. She'd felt bad that he was going to spend the Holiday alone, but he didn't really have any other options, besides his scumbag of a father. Plus, he had started to get used to it.

He had spent last Christmas alone, too. Same with Easter. It was the norm for him now. He only hoped that would change again, if things went well with Olivia's family.

Right now, all he could do was hope that they would.

* * *

"I'm going to Reagan now!" Olivia exclaimed, grabbing her keys off the table in the mudroom.

"Alright," Maya replied from the kitchen.

She didn't even wait for her dad to answer, she was out the door seconds later, opening the garage door and heading out to her car. She absolutely could not wait to see him, her favorite guy. The butterflies were going insane in her stomach, for so many reasons, but she tried to push that aside.

The drive to the airport was far too long for Olivia's liking, and it didn't help that the Black Friday traffic was awful. But she finally took the exit she needed to take to get there.

As soon as she parked her car in the pick-up area, she pulled out her phone and called him.

He didn't take long to answer.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Hi!" she exclaimed. "Hi, Liv, are you here?" he asked. "Yes, I'm outside Terminal B," she said. "Okay, I'm walking past baggage claim now, I'll be there in five," he said. "Okay, see you then," she said. "See you then."

They bid each other goodbye and she waited patiently outside her car, looking for a tall, brunette man, looking better than everyone else around him.

And he did, indeed, look better than everyone else around him. Or at least, he did to Olivia. His face lit up at the sight of her outside her car, and he came directly over to her, giving her a big hug.

"Hi, you," he said, squeezing her tightly. "Hi," she said back, pulling back to kiss his cheek.

"Here," she said, taking his bag from him and putting it in her backseat. "Wow, I'm getting the full treatment here," he chuckled.

"Mhm," she giggled, as they both got into the car.

"How was the flight?" she asked, turning the key. "It was good, I was actually able to sleep a little bit," he replied. "Yeah, I'm sure you're tired," she said. "A little bit, but not too bad. I'll be alright. How was your Thanksgiving?" he asked.

"It was good, but I wish you could have been there. I missed you," she said, reaching her hand over to him. "I missed you too, babe. I'm glad I'm here now," he said, bringing her hand up to his mouth and giving it a soft kiss.

"Me too," she nodded, smiling over at him.

"You know, I don't think I have ever ridden anywhere with you. This is nice," he chuckled. "Yeah, usually _I_ get the full treatment with you driving me," she replied.

"Mhm. I like this. You look cute when you drive," he said, squeezing her hand. "Right back at you," she said, turning towards him.

The drive was filled with fun, light-hearted conversation. Only when Olivia pulled into the driveway, did they actually address was about to happen.

"Are you…nervous?" she asked. He nodded.

"Yes."

She exhaled deeply and squeezed his hand. "It will be okay, I promise. You are the most lovable thing in this world," she said.

He laughed and squeezed her hand back in response.

"Ready?" she asked, looking over at him. "Ready," he nodded.

"Alright, let's do this."

They got out and walked through the open garage door, and into the mudroom.

She still had a hold of his hand, and she could feel that he was tense. But his body language said otherwise.

He appeared as confident as ever, and had the biggest smile on his face.

"Mom, dad," Olivia called out, both of them taking their shoes off on the rug.

Olivia set down her boots next to one of Fitz's casual dress boots, as he untied and removed the other one.

She heard footsteps coming towards them in the kitchen, and her heart _really_ started racing.

She gave his hand one last reassuring squeeze, and opened the door into the kitchen all the way, leading him inside.

"Well hello there," Maya said, giving him a smile. "This is my mom," Olivia said, turning to Fitz. "Maya," she said, shaking his hand. "Fitz," he said, nodding at her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, thank you so much for having me," he said happily.

"Oh, of course. It's very nice to meet you too, we've heard so much about you," she said.

And that's when the other half of the "we" walked in.

Eli looked at the Olivia and Fitz, not with a smile, but definitely not angrily either.

"And…Fitz, this is my dad," Olivia said. "Hi, Mr. Pope, it's nice to meet you," Fitz said, extending his hand to him. Eli shook it and nodded. "Likewise," Eli said.

"I was just saying how thankful I was for you allowing me to come this weekend," Fitz said.

Eli nodded. "I would have Olivia give you the tour, but it seems to me you already know your way around my house."

Olivia froze in shock, feeling the color drain from her face. She saw her mother look at Eli and then at Fitz, who was obviously mortified.

"Yes, my apologies, about that. That was a lapse in judgment on my part," he nodded apologetically.

"No it wasn't," Olivia jumped in. "It was a surprise, and a sweet one at that. It was my call to invite him in, not his," she said.

Eli sighed and nodded. "Well, tours are overrated anyway. Come on in," he said, turning around to head out of the kitchen.

Olivia raised an eyebrow at his odd mood change. She looked at her mother, who glanced over her shoulder as she followed Eli out of the kitchen. She gave Olivia a look that seemed to say "who knows".

Olivia intertwined her fingers with Fitz's and started following her parents. And he gave her a smile. His adorable, contagious smile. In her opinion, it hadn't exactly started off the greatest. But he was still smiling.

"Here, sweetheart, let me take your coat," she said quietly, removing hers and then taking his after he took it off. She laid them on the dining room table and grabbed his hand again, leading him to the living room, where her parents sat.

"Do you like coffee, Fitz? I just brewed a fresh pot," Maya said. "Yeah, sure I'd love a cup, thank you," Fitz nodded, sitting down next to Olivia on the couch.

"I'm sure you could use a little caffeine after that early flight," Maya replied. "Oh for sure," Fitz chuckled. "How do you take it?" she asked from the kitchen. "Just black," he replied.

Olivia couldn't stop the smile from forming on her face, as she thought about their "strong and black" coffee conversation. She looked over at him and smiled, but he was already smiling at her, leaning in closer to her.

Maya brought him his coffee and he thanked her politely, taking a sip.

"We were all thinking about going out together to do a little shopping, and then maybe grabbing some lunch after, would you be up for that?" Maya asked, sitting in the chair next to Eli. "Yes, of course, that sounds fun!" he replied.

"We'll show you all the good shopping spots," Olivia said, resting her hand on top of his on his thigh.

"Oh, will you now?" he asked with a smile, turning towards her. "Mhm," she nodded.

"Anything you're looking for specifically?" Fitz asked Maya and Eli. "No, she just drags me along," Eli said, gesturing to Maya, which made everyone laugh.

"It's true, he isn't a shopper," Maya said. "No, he definitely isn't," Olivia giggled.

"But, _he_ always seems to find the most of anybody on Black Friday, isn't that right dear?" Maya asked. Eli nodded. "Somehow, yes," Eli nodded with a laugh.

"I'm not looking for anything too specific, but I have a few ideas for both of these wackos for Christmas," Maya said, gesturing to Olivia and Eli. "Me too, wacko," Olivia replied.

"Olivia, I don't think that's any way to address your mother," Fitz teased. Olivia shrugged and laughed. "Ah, see he knows what he's talking about, Livvie. You should listen to him," Maya said, pointing at her. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's a smarty pants," Olivia said, nudging him. "Don't you forget it," he said, smiling at her.

Olivia saw her mother smile at the two of them, which made Olivia happy. Her father, not so much, but then he addressed Fitz.

"So, Olivia tells us you like baseball," he said.

Fitz nodded. "I do, very much. I watch a little bit on TV, but I prefer to play, when I can," he replied. "He's really good," Olivia piped in, which made Fitz chuckle.

"I don't know about _that_. But...it's fun. Great sport. Hockey is probably my number one, though. _That_ , I _cannot_ play," he chuckled.

"Can't skate?" Eli asked. "No, I can skate well, just...never got into it as a kid so...I'm just no good," he replied.

Olivia highly doubted that, given the coordination and athleticism she'd already seen out of him, but she didn't say anything.

"Well, I'm impressed that you got Olivia to show any interest in sports at all, I remember the first time I saw her wearing that Washington Capitals hat this summer. That was quite the sight," Eli said.

Olivia scoffed. "Oh come on, I used to watch baseball with you all the time when I was little! Remember the 2011 World Series!? I swear, we never left the couch," she exclaimed.

Eli smiled and nodded. "You're right. I do remember. That was a great World Series," he nodded. "Cardinals won that year," Fitz jumped in. Eli pointed at him and nodded. "They did, after quite the game six to force a game seven," he replied.

"Man. Game sevens...best thing in sports," Fitz said. "And most nerve-wracking," Olivia said.

"To say the least! It wasn't even the Washington Nationals in that tournament that year and these two were still nervous on the couch!" Maya exclaimed.

"Mom, it's called the _World Series,"_ she giggled. "Liv, I don't think you have the right to correct her when not too long ago, you said 'the _blue hockey team_ missed their _penalty kill shot,'"_ he chuckled, which even made Eli laugh.

"True, I admit that. I'm still not so good with hockey," she said. "She's learning though," Fitz said with a smile.

"So I assume you saw that the Capitals won the Stanley Cup this past season then?" Eli asked.

"I did, it was very impressive. I thought Las Vegas would put up a better fight than that, but the Caps are tough," Fitz nodded. "Fitz likes Alex Ovechkin," Olivia said.

Eli nodded. "I don't know much about hockey but everyone around here knows the name Alex Ovechkin," he replied. "He's an impressive player for sure, and a great captain," Fitz said.

And Olivia smiled as she watched this unfold. Her father and her boyfriend, talking sports. Her father loved to talk sports, and Fitz knew more about every sport than anyone she knew, so she had a feeling they could go on for hours. Maybe, just maybe, her father was warming up to him.

It's all she could hope for.

Her mother, on the other hand, was _definitely_ warming up to him, Olivia could tell. She caught her looking over at her and Fitz from time to time, usually with a smile on her face.

Things didn't seem to be going so bad, after all.

Finally, they decided they'd better head out, as it was as good a time as any. Black Friday was busy no matter what, so they figured they should just go.

They drove separately, just so that Olivia could take Fitz to his hotel later to check in.

When they got in, Olivia held his hand while she drove. "How are you doing?" she asked.

"Good. I think everything's going well, don't you think?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think so. I'm sorry about the comment he made right away. About knowing your way around the house," she said.

"It's alright. It's his house, and he was making that clear to me. That I crossed a line. I deserved it," he replied. Olivia looked over at him and shook her head. "No, you didn't baby. Maybe I deserved a comment like that, sure. But you definitely did not. That was unfair of him," she said.

He just shrugged. "Liv, the man isn't going to love me from the start. Even if your parents found out later, and in a better way, he _still_ wouldn't have loved me from the start. This is a situation where I'm going to have to earn his approval, and his trust. So that's what I'll do," Fitz nodded.

She sighed and nodded back, knowing that he was right. "Yeah. I just...I just _wish_ they would love you from the start. I love you, they can see that. God _knows_ they can see that. And I just wish that was enough for them. That they'd trust _me,_ " she said. "They _do_ trust you, baby, they just don't trust me," Fitz replied.

Olivia grew sad. But then she tried to lighten up. "They will. They absolutely will," she said. "Yes. Once they really see how much I love their perfect daughter, then they'll know. They'll know everything," he nodded.

She smiled. "I don't know about perfect, but...I agree with you on the rest," she said. "I do. I know. _Perfect,"_ he repeated. She squeezed his hand. "I love you," she said. "I love you too," he said, kissing her hand.

"So where are you taking me, pretty girl?" he asked. "Well, we're going to the mall. It's got tons of stores, we can go wherever you want to go!" she said, turning into the mall parking lot. "Is there a Victoria's Secret?" he smirked. She laughed. "Yes, and we are _not_ going in there with my parents along," she said. "Worth a shot," he chuckled.

They finally found a parking spot, way in the back, and waited for her parents to walk up to the store entrance and meet them.

They decided to walk around the sporting goods store, just because that was the store they came in through. Olivia went off with Fitz, and Eli and Maya went off together.

Shopping with him was the best thing in the world. Similar to watching a movie with him, he always had something to say, and it usually made her laugh.

She just wasn't aware that the two of them were being watched from time to time, from a little ways away.

* * *

Maya looked through the women's clothing section, trying to find something that Olivia would like. She did tend to like a sportier style sometimes, so she knew it was a safe bet for a Christmas present.

As she looked in the aisles ahead of her, she caught a glimpse of a taller man, wearing khaki pants and a heavy flannel shirt, which she recognized. It was Fitz.

And that's when she leaned over just a little bit, and was able to see both Fitz and Olivia.

They were looking at clothes too, it appeared. Except...only one of them was really _looking._

Olivia was fanning through the shirts on a particular rack, saying something that made the both of them laugh. But Fitz. He wasn't looking at the shirts. He was looking at Olivia. Smiling at her, actually.

She kept talking, to him, occasionally looking up at him. And his eyes never left her.

She held up a shirt, that likely was for him, seeming to ask if he liked it or not. Maya wasn't the best at reading lips, but that's what appeared to be happening.

Fitz nodded and kissed the side of her forehead, while Olivia happily tucked the shirt under her arm. And they kept looking.

Olivia, hanging on his arm, and Fitz, hanging on her every word.

The whole thing was quite a sight to Maya. Never once in her life had she seen Olivia like that.

Her daughter had had relationships in high school, yes, but never ones like this. Edison had been in the picture for almost two years, and she'd never seen Olivia act like this with him. And she was _certainly_ positive that Edison had never ever looked at her the way she'd just seen Fitz look at her.

And she couldn't help but think that their age difference wasn't even... _visible_. How that was possible when the gap between them was a whole sixteen years, she wasn't sure. But it did feel true to her.

Olivia looked younger than him, that much was noticeable. But certainly not by a lot. They looked normal together. They looked happy.

Maybe it was the fact that Olivia seemed mature for her age. Or maybe it was the fact that Fitz barely looked _thirty_ , much less thirty- _seven_.

Or maybe it was just the fact that they were it for each other. They were, as Olivia had said, the _ones_ for each other.

It reminded her of her young self, fresh out of college, falling head over heels for the man browsing the store just a few feet away from her right now. It reminded her of how she _still_ felt about her husband.

She had already decided she liked Fitz, based on their meeting at home. But seeing that just a few moments ago. That sealed it for her, that this was for real. He and Olivia.

They were for real.

* * *

"Thanks for the shirt, baby," Fitz said quietly, poking her side. She giggled and smiled back. "You're welcome," she replied quietly back. "Mom, where are you off to next?" Olivia asked, nodding at her parents just to their left.

"Well, I think I know where I want to go, I have something in mind for your dad. Do you want to come with me?" she asked. Olivia looked at Fitz, wondering if that was such a good idea, leaving him and her dad to walk around the mall together. But he nodded.

"You go ahead, I'll spend some time with your dad," he said. Olivia looked to her father, to see him nod slightly at her. "Okay. I'll text you, we can meet up after," she said, slightly concerned.

"Alright, I'll see you later," Fitz said with a smile. She kissed his cheek, and went off with Maya, who, if he wasn't mistaken, flashed him a "good luck" sort of look. Gee, thanks Mrs. Pope.

He walked next to Eli, heading the opposite direction that the girls had gone. "You looking for anything specific for your two girls?" Fitz asked, hoping to spark a conversation with him.

"I have something in mind for Maya, she goes on and on about it. If I can get it wrapped in the store, then I'll get it. It's not something I can really hide in a bag," he explained. "What is it?" Fitz asked.

"You know those uh...KitchenAid mixers? Those nice ones?" he asked. "Ah, yes, yes. They're very nice," Fitz replied. "You have one?" Eli asked. Fitz nodded. "Do you like it? All she does is talk about how nice her sister's is" Fitz said.

"Yeah, I like it a lot. Better than any other one I've ever had," Fitz said. "Alright. Well, she wants it in the red color specifically. She thinks it will make our kitchen...pop or something. I don't know, but it would make her happy to have one," Eli said. "Well, then we better go find one," Fitz said with a smile.

Eli nodded at him, and then looked down at the ground, hands in his pockets as they wandered around the mall, looking for a store that would have what they were looking for.

"I just...I just want to thank you again, for allowing me to come. I know...I know that things got off to a rocky start...before now. And I just want to apologize for all of that," Fitz said. Eli looked up, and sighed.

"I don't like you."

Fitz felt his heart drop a little bit, hearing that. But to be honest, he wasn't all that surprised to hear it.

"I appreciate your apology, I do. But I don't like you, that's the truth."

"I understand. I wouldn't like me either," Fitz nodded back.

"When I saw your things in my daughter's room, I was livid. Livid that I had been kept in the dark, but more livid because of who you were. Because of who you are."

"I denied it at first, what I saw. That she loves you, and that you love her. That's...what I had to accept. And I did, slowly. But not for you. For Olivia."

Fitz nodded at him.

"I'm sure you know everything, I'm sure she told you. I didn't treat her how I should have when I found out. That, I _know_. And I'm genuinely sorry about that. I wish I could take it back. I'm just...I'm not sorry about what I threatened. About your job. I still wonder if I should have done it. I'm not going to. But I wonder if I should have."

Fitz sighed, getting ready to jump in.

"But you didn't. And there has to be a reason that you didn't."

Eli nodded. "Olivia is the reason. My wife made a point to tell me right after we found out, that if...I contacted you, which I really wanted to do. Or...if I got you fired, we would lose her. And I think my dear wife was right. I don't want to lose my daughter. She's my everything, and it seems that's something you and I have in common."

"Yes. And if I'm not mistaken, that's the real reason you don't like me," Fitz said, giving him a little smile.

Eli nodded. "Perhaps. But there are other reasons."

Fitz nodded north of them. "There's a Macy's. You want to try there for the mixer?" Fitz asked, pointing ahead of them. Eli looked up and nodded, so they continued on their way.

"So these reasons. I'd like it if you shared them with me," Fitz said.

Eli was silent for a little while. But he did speak up.

"I just want to know. I'm willing to bet nobody's asked you this, so I'm just going to go ahead. How many were there before Olivia?" Eli asked.

Fitz turned to him in confusion. "How many what?" he asked.

"How many students did you _screw_ before you met Olivia? How many students fell under your spell before _my daughter?_ Did you become a professor because you have a type? Younger women?" he questioned.

Fitz was flat out overwhelmed, and a bit offended, quite honestly. But he took a deep breath and kept his cool, he didn't need to start shit with his girlfriend's dad in the middle of a god damn mall.

"I became a professor because teaching is what I love to do. I'm privileged to be able to do something that I love every day, when that didn't used to be the case for me. And that's all I ever did; work. All I cared about, all I lived for. Until one day that changed, because of one _amazing_ young woman. So no, Mr. Pope, I don't have a _type_. I just fell in love with someone that, based on society's standards, I shouldn't have. But I did, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Because like you said, we have something in common. Olivia is my everything too."

He looked over at Eli as they entered Macy's, heading back to the kitchen items. He didn't say anything for a while, so Fitz spoke up again.

"I know you don't like me, I know you're skeptical. I'm glad that you are. If you weren't, _I'd_ be skeptical. I certainly didn't expect you to welcome me with open arms. She's so lucky to have such great, caring parents, ones who only want what's best for her. And nothing about this entire situation is normal, so I know that makes it all the more difficult. We're having this conversation in a Macy's for God's sake. I just hope to change your mind about me. Because if you've read what I've written to her, you know what my plans are. You know that I'm serious about her, and have been since the start. She's my life. My whole world. She is...everything."

Eli seemed to take in everything that he had said, but he got distracted, as he spotted something.

"Ahh, here it is."

He grabbed the box off the shelf and showed it to Fitz. A KitchenAid mixer, bright red.

"There we go! She'll be a happy camper this Christmas," Fitz nodded. "Indeed. I'm going to go up front and see if I can just get anything at all cover it," he informed him.

Fitz nodded and just waited until Eli came back, thinking about everything the two men had been talking about. He couldn't quite figure him out. At some points, he seemed upset. Mad.

But at others, he seemed to smile, like he just wanted to chat. His guess was that Eli wanted to make it clear that he didn't like him, but also that he wasn't just an asshole of a person, either. Or he just played somewhat nice because of Olivia. Either way, Fitz would take it. He could only go up from here, he supposed.

Eli eventually came back, saying that the registers could wrap it in a heavy brown paper, but that's it. Which, he seemed fine with. So they headed to the front, getting ready to buy the mixer for Maya.

Until something caught Fitz's attention.

He leaned over the glass counter, looking at the jewelry underneath. "What is it?" Eli asked. Fitz pointed downward at a little silver ring. It was a double band, that was shaped into an infinity sign on the top of it.

"We have this plan. Um—tattoos..." he began.

"I know about the tattoos."

Fitz nodded and gave him a smile. "Well, that's what we want. The...infinity sign, with our names..." Fitz began. Eli didn't seem to be following. "Um, nevermind. It's...it's hard to explain. Anyway, she'd really, really like this," Fitz said. Eli nodded. "Well, you better get it for her then."

So he did.

They took the now packaged and hidden mixer out to Eli's SUV, and put it in the trunk. Fitz held the ring in his hands, admiring it most of the way back to mall. "Don't you want to...I don't know, hide it?" Eli asked.

Fitz shook his head. "No. It isn't for Christmas. It's for now," he replied. Eli nodded as didn't say anything back, letting him do what he pleased.

After enough ogling, he put it back in its little case and slipped it in his pocket. He hoped she liked it.

And it was perfect timing, because he got a text from Olivia saying to meet them outside the main entrance whenever they were ready. So they made their way over there, but not without one last conversation.

"Change my mind."

Fitz looked over at Eli in confusion. "Sorry?" he asked.

"You said it yourself, you and my daughter have plans. Plans that, no matter what, I can't interfere with anymore. I don't like you. And you want to change my mind. So I'm telling you, change my mind. Because I want you to change it," Eli nodded.

Fitz nodded. "I want that too."

"And...if you're going to be changing my mind, you might as well call me Eli. Enough with the Mr. Pope, it makes me feel like my father. I appreciate it, but Eli's fine," he chuckled.

"Will do. Thank you...Eli" Fitz replied, a bit hesitantly.

"You're welcome," he said. "Fitz," he added, extending his hand out.

Fitz was pretty sure he was headed in the right direction, because that was the first time he'd heard his name come out of Eli's mouth. And on top of that, he'd asked him to call him by his first name. Fitz held out his hand and shook Eli's, nodding at him with a grateful smile.

"Oh, a handshake. What kind of deal did you two make..." Maya teased as the two men approached the two women.

Eli smiled back. "Oh, just a little man-to-man conversation is all. Did you two find what you were looking for?" Eli asked. "Yep, and then some," Olivia nodded, giggling at Maya, who smiled back.

"How about you two, was your guys' shopping experience productive?" Maya asked. Fitz nodded at Eli. "It was," he said, to which Eli nodded. Olivia smiled, seeming to catch on that he was referring to more than just potential things they bought, but their conversations, too.

"Something of mine is already in the car. But Fitz, here, has something," Eli said, gesturing to him. Fitz smiled and pulled the box out of his pocket. "Putting me on the spot here! I do have something," he chuckled, handing the box to Olivia.

"What's this?" she asked, as they all started walking out. "Just a little something fun," Fitz nodded. She smiled and opened the box, gasping at the ring. "Oh, Fitz," she breathed.

"You like it?" he asked hopefully. "I love it! It's like our tattoos!" she said happily. "Like our tattoos. I tried to explain it to your dad. I don't think he followed me," he chuckled, looking at Maya and Eli Walking slightly ahead of them, talking to each other.

"This is absolutely beautiful, sweetheart, thank you," she said, standing on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek as they walked. He smiled, happy to accept her kiss. "You're very welcome," he replied, watching her figure out which finger it fit best on.

"Hey, you two have any lunch ideas?" Maya asked, looking back at them as they neared their car. Olivia looked to Fitz, who shrugged. "Anything's alright with me, what are you feeling?" he asked her.

She thought about it for a minute. "Why don't we just go to the strip mall south of here and find something there. There's a lot to choose from. We'll follow you," Olivia said. Her parents nodded and got in their car, telling them they'd see them soon.

Olivia and Fitz continued further down the parking lot, heading to Olivia's car. And when they got in, she didn't waste time asking questions.

"How did it go? How was he? Was everything okay?" she asked, turning to him. Fitz chuckled. "Yes, baby everything was fine," he nodded.

"Well tell me about it. What did he say to you? He didn't say anything rude again did he?" she asked. "He said what he needed to say. And I did the same. We're good," Fitz nodded. "You're sure? Seriously?" Olivia asked. "I'm sure. One hundred percent positive."

She sighed, seeming to be unsure still about the situation.

"What did you talk about?" she asked.

"KitchenAid mixers."

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Huh?" she asked. Fitz chuckled. "I'm serious," he said.

"Is that what he got my mom? She goes on and on about those damn things," Olivia said.

"Mhm. A bright ass red one," Fitz nodded. Olivia giggled. "Good, she deserves one," she said.

"But you're for real, Fitz? Everything is okay?" she asked again. Fitz reached out to grab her hand, and squeezed it.

"Everything is okay. Everything will be okay."

Because it was. And it would only continue to get better.

Because he had no doubt in his mind that he would change Eli Pope's mind.

* * *

There you go. This is part one, there will be a part two, for the rest of their weekend.

I just didn't want this chapter to turn into a small novel, so I wanted to split them up, lol!

Well, what are your thoughts?

Eli's made it clear that his feelings for Fitz haven't changed much, but he's willing to _allow_ them to. And Fitz has made it clear that Olivia is, and always will be, his world. The two of them have plans, and that isn't about to change.

Both men were open and honest, which is a good start, at least.

Maya has definitely been more understanding throughout all of this, as seen from her little thought bubble in this chapter.

Stay tuned for part two!

Read on!

With Love,

~T

P.S. If you haven't already seen it and want to, there's a collage of Fitz's styles on my Twitter & Tumblr. Check it out if you want! I'll do one for Liv, too.


	57. Another Day With The Popes

They all ate lunch at a nice sit-down restaurant, and got to know each other a little better.

Olivia and Fitz talked more about the things they'd done together. New York City, the cabin, Brett's wedding. All of it. And this time, to Olivia's delight, her parents actively listened, seeming okay with talking about it. Much different than the first time, when she'd told them _herself_ this summer.

After lunch, Maya said they wanted to make a trip to the liquor store for the weekend. So, Olivia told them she wanted to take Fitz to one last surprise store, anyway, and that after that, and after he checked into his hotel, they'd meet back at home.

So they all bid each other goodbye, and headed their separate ways.

"You said you're staying at the Georgetown right?" she asked. "Yes. I haven't stayed at that one before, it was on my list though. It seems nice," he said. "It is. I've been inside before, it's awesome. I wish I was staying there with you," she said with a smirk. He chuckled.

"You and me both. I suppose you could. But it would probably just be better if you stayed at home," he replied. She nodded. "Yeah, it would be. It's okay, we'll get to spend all weekend together, anyway," she said. "We will," he nodded happily.

They finally made it to the Georgetown Inn, where Olivia parked on the street so they could go in. He grabbed his duffel bag out of the back seat and they walked in together to check in.

The hotel was just as beautiful as Olivia had remembered. High ceilings, gorgeous furniture. It was definitely one of the nicer ones in the area, to say the least.

Fitz was on the second floor, so they made their way up to his room, which was also very beautiful.

He set his bag down on the chair in the corner of the room, and looked at the small folder that held all of his room information.

"Here, Liv, do you want this key? They gave me two," he said, handing her the second plastic card. "Mmm, what am I gonna do with this, I wonder?" she smirked, taking the key from him and putting it in her bag.

He laughed. "I don't know. Just figured I don't need two, and you're my chauffeur this weekend, after all, so you should have the other," he said.

She nodded and watched him start to head towards the door. But Olivia put a hand on his chest to stop him. He looked at her, confused. "Aren't we going?" he asked.

"No, we are not," she answered, pushing him backward towards the bed.

"I thought you were taking me somewhere else?" he questioned, watching her remove her boots. "Take off your shoes," she said. So he did.

"I only said that so we could be gone longer and they wouldn't think anything of it," she giggled, pushing him back on the bed now that his shoes were off.

His eyes widened as she climbed on top of him, straddling his waist. They were both wearing a lot of layers since it was chilly outside, so she began removing her own first. And he just looked her up and down and watched.

She took off her coat and sweater, followed by her tank top underneath. He hadn't said a word since she pushed him back on the bed, he had only continued to watch her in awe, with his hands resting on top of her thighs while she undressed herself.

Until his breathing began to pick up, and he starting unbuckling his belt, himself.

She smiled. "There you go," she whispered. "I was beginning to think you didn't want to."

He smiled. "I want to."

She smirked down at him, running a hand over his strong chest, still fully covered in layers.

"Show me."

He sat up slowly, letting her take off his coat. His hands moved to her ass, pulling her as close as possible to him. Her core was now pressed up against him, and after all that slow undressing, he was getting hard.

She smiled at him, admiring how good he looked. How good he smelled.

But she still wanted the clothes off. She took off his flannel shirt, and the white undershirt he had underneath, too, revealing his gorgeous upper body. It never failed to take her breath away.

He continued to pull her into him, until she was grinding into him on her own. He masterfully unclasped her bra from the front, removing it from her body. She could feel his heartbeat underneath her fingers as she dragged a hand down his chest. She could feel the steady increase, the same as her own.

He leaned forward and kissed her neck, moving slowly down to her breasts while he held onto her back tightly.

She tilted her head back in pleasure and hugged him tight as his tongue swirled around her nipple, wonderfully slow. The flick of his tongue on the sensitive area already had her fighting to keep at least somewhat quiet.

He always made her feel so good. _So_ fucking good.

"Oh my god," she whispered, bringing her head back to lean it against the top of his as he continued to kiss and lick every possible area of her chest that he could.

She could feel the wetness between her legs already. She could feel it begin to soak her underwear. And even through both of their pants, she could feel that he was now hard as a rock, and she wanted him inside of her, _now_.

She reached her hands between their bodies, feeling his already-undone belt getting in the way of what she wanted to do.

"Fitz," she moaned, clutching onto his body. He smiled at her, leaning in to softly kiss her lips. "Someone's impatient today," he whispered. She nodded, because it was insanely true. "Okay," he whispered with a smile, gently kissing the tip of her nose.

His hands slid down to her ass again and he pulled her into his body so that he could flip her onto her back.

She opened her legs wider as he kneeled between them, starting to remove everything from her waist, down. And she laid there, watching him do it.

He did it slowly, and gently. And she couldn't help that he looked so beautiful doing it.

He just knelt there, belt unbuckled, messy hair, removing her clothing so that they could express everything in the most intimate way there was.

It had happened countless times, but today it felt different. Today it seemed like after taking such a big step in their relationship, that everything felt even _better_.

His breath hitched in his throat when he took off her underwear, which revealed how turned on she really was.

He ran a single finger between her legs, watching her face contort in pleasure.

She watched him look down at what he was doing, biting his lip. "Mmm. You are... _wet."_

She exhaled, clutching onto his arms. "I know, baby, I know," he said with a laugh, starting to undo his pants.

He removed the rest of his clothes, which made Olivia one happy camper.

Especially after he was inside of her.

She let out a moan as soon as he entered her, scratching her fingers down his back so hard she was sure she'd left marks.

He leaned his forehead down against hers, pushing in and out of her slowly, maintaining eye contact the entire time.

She looked up into his beautiful blue eyes, which were just looking back down at her.

"I love you," she whispered. He smiled, continuing his slow thrusts. "I love you," he whispered back.

He closed his eyes and brought his lips to hers, coaxing them open with his tongue.

It was long and slow, filled with smiles, and wet kisses. It was perfect.

He was perfect.

"Almost there," she whispered, holding his face in her hands. He nodded, giving her a kiss.

She finally let the high take over, moving her hips in a slow rhythm with his. He kept his forehead leaned against hers, continuing to push in and out of her while she reached her climax, until he finished just after.

He tucked his head down into her shoulder and she placed kisses all along the side of his face, holding him tightly to her chest.

She raked her fingers through his curly hair while they both tried to calm their bodies, knowing they had to get going somewhat soon.

He lifted his head up to look at her with his happy Fitz smile, and then shifted down, laying his head on his rightful place, her chest.

She giggled at its familiarity.

"You are seriously the cutest thing, do you know that?" she whispered. He let out a cute laugh, which only made her smile more.

"I'm glad you think I'm cute."

She nodded and continued to run her fingers through his hair. And then she sighed. "I don't want to go back to my house," she said with a laugh. "Why not?" he asked. "I just wanna lay here with my cute boyfriend. That's it," she said.

She felt him smile against her skin. "But we have to back. I have to... _bond_ with your parents," he chuckled. "Yeah, I know I know. If you're going to do that, don't make it in any way obvious that we just snuck off to have sex," she said with a laugh.

He lifted up his head and opened his mouth in protest. "Me?! You're the one who brought me here! I really thought you were taking me to a surprise store!" he exclaimed. She raised an eyebrow.

"You're telling me you would've rather gone to a _store?"_ she challenged. He thought about it, laying his head back on her chest. "Hmmm," he replied.

"Fine, get up let's go. I'll take you to the huge D.C. sports store at the outlet mall, that's where I was going to say I took you anyway! We still have plenty of time," she said, patting his arm.

"What? No, if we were going to spend time doing that we might as well just have sex again!" he said. "Alright, I'm down for that too," she giggled. He groaned into her chest, but finally said, "yeah, okay me too, just give me a sec."

She burst into an uncontrollable fit of giggles. "I hate you," he chuckled into her chest. "No you don't," she said, shaking her head. "No I don't," he agreed. "You looove me," she giggled. "Somehow, yes," he said.

She scoffed, but then smiled. "Yeah, you're right that _is_ a miracle" she nodded. He kissed her chest a few times and smiled. "No. You make it pretty easy, actually," he whispered. She held his face in her hands as he looked at her and kissed the tip of his nose. "You do too," she whispered back.

"Mmm," he replied, laying his head back down. "Come on, I thought we were having sex again," she said, patting his head. "Uh-huh," he nodded. But he didn't move. "I'm ready. Show me your best moves, come on," she said.

"Give me a second, woman," he said, which made her laugh. "I'm impatient," she stated. He laughed. "Yes. I _know,"_ he replied. She just smiled and hugged him tighter, kissing the top of his head.

"Alright, baby," he said, getting off of her.

"Turn over."

* * *

After their little getaway at Fitz's hotel, they cleaned up and headed back to Olivia's house, getting ready to "bond" with her parents more.

Her parents, of course, had no idea that they didn't actually go to the D.C. sports store. But Olivia and Fitz shared little smiles and looks for the rest of the afternoon, because of it. They really could be so young at heart sometimes.

It was a pretty laid back afternoon and evening, before they decided to make something good for dinner after having gone out for lunch. Fitz offered to help in the kitchen, as a way of saying thank you for lunch. Maya nodded appreciatively and said she would love to have a helper in the kitchen, making her famous chipotle chicken wraps.

Olivia offered to help as well, but Maya shooed her away, saying she and Fitz could handle it themselves. Olivia knew her mother just wanted to be able to talk to Fitz, unbothered, so she definitely didn't argue. Anything that helped her parents warm up to him, she was all for it.

However, she did sneak looks in the kitchen from the living room on occasion, while she watched ESPN with her dad. Well, she didn't really _watch_. ESPN was so boring. Until her dad suggested something else.

"Oh, would you look at that? The Capitals are playing. What do you think, Fitz? Should we watch?" he yelled. "We _should_ watch!" Fitz responded from the kitchen. Olivia smiled and watched her dad turn the volume up a bit so Fitz could hear too. Cute.

She turned her head and watched Fitz and her mother discuss something, and then the both of the nod, getting back to whatever the hell they were each doing.

And she saw them laughing. Thank _god_ , she saw them laughing.

Fitz made eye contact with her from the kitchen, and gave her a smile and a wink. Olivia felt her cheeks redden, and she smiled back.

He still knew how to make her blush.

Eventually their dinner was ready, and Fitz must have done a good job helping, because man, it was good.

They chatted through dinner, and afterward too, as they all watched the Capitals take on the Blackhawks.

Olivia held Fitz's hand on the couch, and didn't hide it either. She was not afraid to show affection in front of her parents, when normally, she probably would be hesitant towards that sort of thing. But in this case, she just wanted them to see that she loved him in any way she could show them.

But eventually, their night came to an end. The Capitals won, which everyone was happy about. The Caps weren't even Fitz's team, and he still seemed excited.

What he didn't seem excited about though, was leaving. She could tell that he was taking a liking to being there with her family. And she was too. She could see it already, all of them being together over the holidays. As a family. She hoped what she envisioned, would be reality one day.

They drove back to the hotel, chatting the whole way there.

"I really like having no car here," he said happily. "And why's that?" Olivia giggled. "Because I like seeing you drive, and I get to spend more time with you," he replied. She laughed.

"I like it too. Although, I still wish you could just stay with us," she said. "One step at a time, babe," he said. She nodded. "I know, I know. I'm just thankful for how things have gone. I think they've gone better than I expected them to for the most part," she said.

"Yeah, that's fair. I don't really know how I expected them to go. I...didn't know what exactly to expect. But...I think I've already made progress," he said. She nodded. "I think so too. I told you, you're the most lovable thing on this earth."

He turned to her and smiled. "Yeah?" he asked. _"Yeah"_ she answered eagerly.

He seemed to sit in thought for a little bit, before speaking up again. "Do you...really mean that? I mean I know that _you_ love me. But other people..." he began. She looked over at him confused. "I—you know what, nevermind. I was just...curious I guess," he shrugged.

"You're asking if you're...likable?" Olivia questioned. He nodded. "Yeah, kind of. I just...hoped so. I don't know," he said uncertainly. She actually had to laugh at that. Full on laugh.

He grew nervous. "What? Why are you laughing?" he asked, sounding a little hurt. She put her hand out on his thigh. "Oh, no, baby. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—no. I just can't believe you're asking me that," she said, still laughing a little bit.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because! You're the sweetest person I have ever met. You are _perfect_ , Fitz. Your heart is so good, and it's always in the right place. Of course I'm biased in a way, I'm your girlfriend and I love you more than anything. But...that also means I know you well enough, and you can believe me when I say that you're lovable. You really are. My mom loves you already, if you couldn't see that," she said.

Even in the dark car, she could see his cheeks flush. "Okay. I just...wondered," he said. "Thanks," he added with a smile. "Mhm. How come you ask? Just...because you're meeting my parents and all?" she asked. He was certainly never one to really be insecure. About anything. So it seemed odd.

"Yeah," he agreed. She nodded. "Well, you don't have to worry about that. Just continue to be yourself. The wonderful Fitz that I know and love. And they'll love you," she said, squeezing his hand. He nodded and smiled at her.

"Sorry, I know that was...cliché. But it's true. It really is," she said, pulling into the hotel parking lot. He nodded. "Thank you," he said. "For what? Telling you the truth?" she asked. He shrugged. "Just...for being you. Thank you," he replied. "Thank you too," she said, leaning in to kiss his cheek.

But after she kissed his cheek, he reached his hand out to hold the side of her face, and just looked at her for a few moments.

At her eyes, at her lips. And then he closed the small gap between them and brought his lips to hers. It was just one kiss. Until it turned into a few more. And then a makeout session in the car.

His hand felt warm, holding the side of her face, thumb rubbing small, soft circles on her cheek. His tongue felt warm in her mouth, tangling with hers. It all felt nice. Until they pulled away and he had to go.

She would see the man in the morning, and it still always hurt to leave him.

But regardless, she drove back to her house, happy with how day number one had gone.

And from the looks of it when she got home, her parents had turned in for the night too. So she went into her bathroom and started to get ready for bed.

Which is when she was hit with an idea. She tried to talk herself out of it. But she couldn't, it was just too tempting, and she was overwhelmed with curiosity.

She leaned down and crouched by the vent, to see if there was any chance that her parents were still up, talking.

And my god, they were.

They were talking quietly, but if she listened closely, she could still make out what they were saying.

"I'm just asking," Maya said. "It was fine. I think I got my point across," Eli replied.

Silence.

"Oh dear god, what did you say to the poor thing?" Maya asked.

"I didn't say anything that wasn't true," he replied. "Wonderful, so you just came out and told him you loathed him?" Maya asked, clearly upset. "Those were not the words I used specifically, but yes," he said. Maya scoffed.

"I don't know why you're being this way. He appreciated it, I'm telling you, he did. Why would I lie to him? The man isn't stupid, Maya, he already knew my feelings towards him. He appreciated me telling him the truth, and he understood _why_ it was the truth for me. I liked that about him. He wasn't just 'me, myself, and I' like I thought he would be."

And...Maya scoffed again. "You can't tell me you really thought that about him. It seems to me there's only one person he cares about in this world and it sure as hell is not himself," she replied.

"I didn't know _what_ to think about him. I thought the worst, you know that I did," he replied. "Yes. You did. You didn't even give him a chance. You decided you didn't like him before you met him," she stated.

"We are not having this conversation again," Eli replied.

"Look, Eli, I was not happy when we found out either. You know that I wasn't. But I didn't decide a thing about him before I met him, either. There's only so much we can do now. I think we've done more than enough. Certainly more than I ever wanted to," she said.

"Yes, dear. You've made your point quite clear to me. How many times do I have to say it? I regret it deeply. More than anything else in my life. But it's done, I can't change the way anything happened. All I can do is try to do right by her now. And I _am_ trying. It's not decided. I told him I want him to change my mind. I told him that, he understands. Just because I'm sorry doesn't mean I'm crazy about the man. But just because I'm not right now, doesn't mean that that can't change, either," he said.

"And...so?" she asked. "Maya, it's been one day," he replied. "I know. And what are your thoughts, after one day?" she asked. "It's hard to say," he said. "Eli, it isn't hard to figure out what your first impression of somebody is," she replied. He sighed. "I think...he's well spoken. I think...he's intelligent. And I think he knows what he wants. I admire those things, even if what he wants is...something I don't necessarily like," he said.

Olivia heard her mother sigh.

"Have you seen them together? Have you just...I don't know, watched them for a minute?" she asked. Her father didn't say anything.

"Well, I have. I watched them when we first got to the mall. I watched him watch _her_ , I guess, is what actually happened. I watched them when they sat together on the couch, I watched them interact when they did something as little as put on their shoes and get ready to leave. From my perspective, from what I have seen, I don't think what he wants should upset you. But...that's _my_ opinion, and _my_ first impression. So I get it. I'm just...telling you," she said.

"You've taken a liking to him already. I know that you have. I'm sure Olivia will appreciate that, because I'm just not there yet," he replied.

"I understand that. I just want you to understand what I think, too" she replied.

"So what did you see then?" Eli asked, after a good silence.

"When you saw them. What did you see?"

"I saw us. You and me," Maya replied. "How we used to be when we were young. How we still are, in all honesty. I saw two people who love each other. A lot. I saw it in those pictures and I read it in his letters. And today I saw it in person. So yes, I like him. There are complications with him, just as there are with anything. But at least we know them. We've known them from the start. It's time we get to know the positives, too," she said.

"Because, honey. I don't think he's going anywhere."

* * *

Olivia went to bed, understanding why Fitz had asked about being likable. Her father seemed to have given him a hard time at the mall earlier. And he hadn't told her about it.

She wished he had told her, but she understood why he hadn't. Either way, she thought everything she'd heard from her parents had been fair. Her father didn't like him, but was open to liking him. And her mother _did_ like him. That was it, essentially.

One down, one to go.

* * *

Olivia woke up early. Earlier than normal, that was for sure. But she didn't feel tired, so she got up right away and got ready.

She went down to the kitchen to see her parents sitting at the table, still in their pajamas, drinking coffee.

"Well good morning, Livvie. You're up early," her mother greeted. "I know. I think I'm gonna go see Fitz," she said, grabbing her boots from the rug by the entryway.

"Okay. When will you two be back? We still have Thanksgiving leftovers that need to be eaten. We could warm everything up for lunch?" Maya suggested. "Yeah that sounds good, I'll let you know," she nodded.

"He an early bird? Will he be up?" Eli asked. Olivia laughed. "I'm not sure. He's...an inconsistent sleeper. I texted him, he hasn't answered," she said.

"Go wake him up, tell him he's got another full day with the Popes," she said with a smile. Olivia smiled back at her mother. "My thoughts exactly!" she agreed.

Eli scoffed. "Why can't you women let your men sleep?" he asked, folding his newspaper over. Olivia and Maya laughed.

"Nah," Olivia giggled.

Maya nodded and winked at her. "I'll be back," she said, giving them both a wave. They bid her goodbye and she grabbed her keys before leaving out the mud room door.

She made the brief drive over to the Georgetown, making sure to have the hotel key he gave her with her.

She made her way up to the second floor, and knocked on his door to see if he would answer. He didn't.

So she used his key.

She turned the corner and looked to see the normally crisp, white sheets and comforter all messed up. And then she leaned over further to see a head of curly brown hair all a mess, just peeking out from underneath the covers. She giggled and took her coat and boots off, putting her things down on the dresser and getting into the bed with him.

"Fitzgerald Thomas," she whispered wrapping her arms around his warm, shirtless body from behind. She kissed his shoulder, and all down his bicep. "Hmmm," he moaned, not turning around.

She smiled against his warm, fair skin, continuing to press soft kisses there. "So this is what you're using the hotel key for," he said, his voice raspy. She laughed. "Yeah. I'm impatient, remember?" she whispered. He laughed. "I do."

"It's almost nine, baby, you _must_ have been tired," she whispered.

He stretched a little bit, readjusting his head on the pillow. "Nine?" he questioned sleepily. "Nine," she nodded, continuing to kiss his skin. "Shit," he whispered, starting to get up. But she stopped him before he even lifted his head. "No, no."

He turned his head towards her to look at her, while her hand traveled down his abdomen. She watched his face as she slid her hand inside his boxers, wrapping her hand around his length.

He wasn't hard, but he wasn't soft, either. It was morning, after all. But it didn't take him long to harden when she started to stroke him.

He turned to lay on his back next to her, and kept his head turned towards her, their noses just about touching. "Do you regret giving me your key?" she asked with a smile. "No," he whispered shakily, holding onto her thigh. "You want me to keep going?" she asked. He nodded. "Yes."

She smiled and moved closer to him, before flipping the sheets up and disappearing underneath them. She heard him let out a shaky breath, his hands clutching the sheets underneath the covers. She grabbed the waistband of his boxers and pulled them off to make it easier for herself.

But as she admired him, fully naked under the covers, she couldn't help it, and decided to surprise him.

She took him in her mouth, just the tip, at first.

His body jerked, clearly not prepared for that, but then he calmed, still holding onto the sheets tightly. She brought her mouth back down, and dragged her tongue very slowly up his shaft, before spending extra time on his tip again. He took in a sharp breath, bringing a hand to her head.

She loved to tease him, just as he loved to tease her. But she finally quit with the teasing and took him fully in her mouth, starting to move her head up and down.

It appeared he was trying to keep fairly quiet, because she only heard sounds from him on occasion. But mostly, she could see how he was feeling from his body language.

One of his hands never let go of the bed sheets. His grip remained strong, his veins showing very visibly.

His other hand was in her hair, guiding her head down with each movement.

And as usual, his body began to shake, and jerk when he neared his breaking point.

"Olivia—" he breathed.

"I know," she said, before going back down on him.

His hips moved slightly in rhythm with her mouth, trying to get as much contact as he could.

His breathing became very audible, and very fast all at once and she knew he was just about there. She swirled her tongue around his tip, reveling in his taste. Trying hard to make sure he got there, and that it was fucking wonderful for him when he did.

"Liv—"

She acknowledged his second warning and moved her mouth fast, using her hand too, until he let go, coming in her mouth.

She swallowed multiple times, and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before lifting up the covers.

He laid there, appearing utterly exhausted, still breathing hard.

She kissed her way back up his body, rubbing her hands over his muscular chest, too.

"Fuck," he whispered, as his chest continued to rise and fall quickly.

"Yeah?" she asked with a laugh. "Yeah, _fuck."_

She smiled, wrapping her arms around his body.

"What a wake-up call," he panted. She laughed. "Gotta get you ready for another day with the Popes _somehow,"_ she replied. "Mmm. Yeah. I liked that," he nodded.

And she did too. Making him feel that way made _her_ feel good. Not only was it a turn on, but it just made her feel good, knowing she could do that to him.

"Speaking of our day. My mom's going to heat up Thanksgiving leftovers for lunch, if that's okay with you. So we could...grab breakfast somewhere," Olivia suggested.

"Yeah. I know what I'm having first."

And before she knew it, he was flipping them over and kneeling above her. His fingers worked the buttons on her jeans quickly and slid them down eagerly. She didn't even think twice, she just let him take off her clothes. He could do whatever the hell he wanted to do.

He had her half undressed in an instant, and was underneath the covers just as she had been minutes before.

She moaned at the first contact his mouth made with the inside of her thighs. Kissing her skin softly, all around where she wanted him most. _Teasing_ her. He dragged his tongue along her skin, making her ache.

She stripped her shirt off and unclasped her bra, just wanting all clothing gone at this point.

And then she felt his tongue on her clit. Her body jerked and she laid her head back on the pillow, biting her lip at the wonderful feeling.

His fingers played around with hers, until he intertwined them together so she had something to hold onto. That, and his hair. Always her second gripping spot.

He used his other hand to open her legs wider, coaxing them over his shoulders. So she rested her feet on his shoulder blades, giving him plenty of access.

He dragged his tongue slowly down the middle, and back up again, making her shake and whimper. Then she could feel his tongue inside of her.

He used his mouth in all the right ways, like he normally did. Both his tongue and his lips. Sucking, kissing, licking. She could hear and feel every little thing he did to her.

And when she got close, he forced his tongue to go faster. She arched her back, bringing her core even closer to his face. And he reached a hand under her to grab her ass, to bring her as close as possible to him. He was on a fucking mission.

"Fitz—Fitz. So close," she panted.

Her body tensed, and the tension built up in her abdomen.

She felt his tongue moving in tight circles down there, until he started to shake his head back and forth, his tongue against her clit.

That was her undoing. She gasped and moaned as her body reached its limit, and she let go. His tongue continued moving side to side quickly through her orgasm, until her body relaxed. He stopped, knowing that she was always sensitive afterward.

And then he lifted the sheets, looking up at her with a smile. But all she could do was give a weak smile back as she tried to catch her breath, still clutching his hand.

He kissed his way up now, spending extra time on her breasts. "Mmm, I see the rest of your clothes are nowhere to be found," he said with a smile. "Yeah," she nodded, smiling back. He closed his eyes and pressed soft kisses to her chest, before flicking his tongue across one nipple, and then the other, giving both breasts equal attention.

All she could do was hold his head while he did it, and try to calm her heart rate.

She could feel him pressed up against her thigh, and he was definitely hard again after everything that he'd just done.

So it looked like her wake up call had escalated to the fullest extent. Well, maybe not the fullest. _Yet_.

But after a few minutes, she was ready to change that. "Shower," she whispered. He nodded, getting up off her and reaching a hand out to help her up.

But right when she stood up, he closed the distance between them and lifted her up. He gripped underneath her upper thighs and carried her to the bathroom, stepping on all of their clothes piled in a heap on the floor.

Their lips continuously connected on the way there, both of them tasting themselves on each other.

He shut the door and turned on the hot water, but went immediately back to her against the wall. They were handsy, but for the most part, they waited until they got into the shower to have a little more fun.

And _a lot_ more fun was had.

* * *

Olivia smoothed our her fair, which she'd pulled up before she got in the shower so that it didn't get wet.

She didn't need her parents knowing she took a shower at Fitz's hotel...ha.

She stood, looking in the mirror, wearing just her underwear and bra.

"Sweetie," she called out.

"Yeah," he replied from the bathroom.

"Were all set for lunch, and she says we should make chili for dinner," Olivia said, reading her mother's text reply. "Okay," Fitz said back. "What do you wanna do until then?" she asked.

"Hmm. I don't know. Are there any nice places we could check out in the meantime? You know...with real breakfast?" he teased, coming out of the bathroom and running a hand through his perfectly done hair.

She smirked at him. "That was the realest breakfast you're ever gonna eat."

He laughed and nodded. "You're right."

She thought for a second while he came and stood behind her, putting his hands on her hips and kissing her neck.

"Well there's the Coffee Bar. Have you ever been?" she asked. He shook his head and rested his chin on her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her stomach.

"Everyone raves about it. The tea there is really good so I can only assume the coffee there is good too," she said, reaching up and holding the side of his face.

"Well, Liv...it _is_ called the Coffee Bar," he replied. She giggled. "Yeah. They have food too. You wanna go?" she asked. "Uh-huh," he said. "Alright. Well we should probably get dressed," she said.

"Aw. You mean we can't just hang around in our underwear all day?" he asked. She smiled and reached down behind her, rubbing a hand over him through his boxers.

"Tempting."

He looked down at her hand. "Ohhh don't be starting something now," he said, which made her laugh. "I think I started plenty when I first got here," she replied. He nodded. "Clearly. I'm not complaining though," he said. "I know you're not," she smirked. "Okay. Put some clothes on that sexy body of yours," she said, patting his thigh.

He kissed her shoulder once more and went to his duffel bag, searching for his clothes. She watched him put on khakis and the shirt she'd gotten for him yesterday, rolling up his sleeves almost instantly. The shirt itself was gray, and the sleeves were blue. It looked good on him.

"Fitz, belt," she said, tossing it to him from the other side of the bed. He caught it with one hand, smoothing out his shirt with the other.

They finished getting ready together and headed to the Coffee Bar, where they spent the rest of the morning.

They both enjoyed it a lot, and Fitz even got Olivia to try some of his coffee. She winced as it went down her throat and shook her head. Gross.

And she brought up what she had heard the night before.

"You know, sweetie, you could have told me what my dad said to you yesterday," she said, taking a sip of her tea.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "I heard them talking in their room. About your conversation at the mall and how he's...not a big fan of you," she said quietly.

He looked down at the table. "Oh," he nodded.

"No, I mean it's okay. I understand why you didn't say much about it. It's between you and him, I respect that. But I'm just saying you could have told me," she said.

"I know. I just didn't want you to worry. You're a worrier," he said with a smile. "I know I am. Especially with things revolving around you," she said. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "Fitz, don't be sorry. _I'm_ sorry. For what he said," she replied.

He shrugged. "I'm not. I'll tell you what I told him. _I'd_ be skeptical if he welcomed me with open arms. That's not how he is, as a person. He's protective. I like that, and I understand that. He has every right not to like me right now," he said, taking a sip of his coffee.

She nodded. "You're right. But, I will say he said good things yesterday, too. He and my mom both. She really likes you already. It's confirmed," Olivia said with a smile. Fitz nodded. "Yeah. She's a little different, your mom. Protective still, yes, but different. What'd they say?" he asked.

She defended you, as usual, and downright said she liked you. She said she saw us together and that we reminded her of how they used to be when they were young. But my dad said he thought you were intelligent and well spoken. He appreciated that you were understanding. And...he said that you know what you want," she said.

"Uh, his daughter? Yep."

Olivia laughed. "Yeah, her," she teased. "That one girl," he chuckled. "This one girl likes her ring, by the way," she said, showing it to him on her left index finger. Her left side was all decked out in general, now. A bracelet on her wrist and a ring on her finger. Hopefully it wasn't the _only_ ring she'd wear on her left hand.

He smiled. "It looks beautiful on you."

"It _is_ beautiful. My tattoo is going to need to go on my right wrist. I can't have my bracelet covering up some of it," she said, running her finger over the worn leather.

"Mine too," he said, pointing to his watch. He always wore watches on his left wrist.

"You nervous about that?" she asked. "Tattoo?" he asked. She nodded. He chuckled. "Yes."

"It'll be okay. Huck told me it doesn't hurt so bad," she said encouragingly.

"Yeah, I'm not afraid of the pain part," he said. "I know, sweetheart," she said, holding his hand.

"I'll just have to distract you," she said with a shrug. "Hm, and how will you go about that?" he asked. "I don't know, I'll think of something," she giggled. "Good. Save your scaredy-cat boyfriend," he chuckled.

She smiled. "No, you're not a scaredy-cat. I will admit though. Out of all the things for a big, strong person to fear...needles and scary movies are it for you," she giggled.

"Hey, I watched a scary movie with you," he said, pointing at her. "You did and it was hilarious. Can we please do it again?" she asked. "No," he replied. She laughed. "Worth a shot."

They had a fun morning at the Coffee Bar, staying there until around noon chatting.

But eventually, they made their way back to Olivia's house, where Fitz was greeted warmly, and they had lunch.

Thanksgiving leftovers were always amazing, no matter what. At least Fitz got to have a form of Thanksgiving food with her family. It wasn't the real thing, but at least it was something.

Then Olivia and Fitz spent a good amount of time in the kitchen, even after lunch, preparing their chili for dinner that night.

But soon, they all got ready to go out again.

"You're just going on all the adventures with us this weekend, Fitz," Maya said, putting on her coat. "I know, I'm honored! Where is this place?" he asked. "Alexandria," Eli replied.

"Mhm. Almost Heavenly Christmas Trees," Olivia giggled. "Ahh. What size do you usually get?" Fitz asked, judging the height of their living room ceiling.

"I think last year we went with a nine-footer. But we've gone as high as eleven before," Eli said. " _Nice_. I like it," Fitz nodded.

So, they went to go get a Christmas tree, as Olivia's family always did the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

And having Fitz there was amazing. She felt that things were slowly coming together.

They took selfies together, and Maya even took a couple pictures for them as well.

And they found a perfect Christmas tree. An _eleven_ -footer.

They strapped it to the top of Eli's SUV and headed back home, after a fun afternoon out.

Turns out having Fitz there was good for multiple reasons. Usually the three of them carried the tree in, Olivia and Maya struggling on one side. But Fitz helped Eli unstrap it from the car, and bring it inside.

Olivia and Maya cleared the way and guided them inside until they got to the tree stand in the corner spot they'd cleared for the tree to go.

"Thank you, Fitz," Eli nodded. "Yeah, no problem. Should we take off the netting so the branches can come down a little bit?" he asked. "Yeah. Olivia, will you grab the scissors?" he asked.

Olivia nodded and went to grab them so they could take the netting off.

They cleaned up some of the pine needles they'd trailed into the house, and Maya started decorated the house with some of her other decorations.

It was a fun afternoon, getting the house ready for Christmas. It was something Olivia, herself, always enjoyed, and having Fitz there with her made it even better.

The chili for dinner that night was _also_ amazing, which her parents congratulated her and Fitz on.

They chatted and ate dinner, while watching a college football game that her dad had turned on.

And slowly, the conversation shifted from talking about Fitz being from California, to his life before his teaching days.

"I'm surprised you haven't said anything about your job prior to Yale," Eli said, looking at him across the table. Olivia looked at Fitz, who nodded. "I'm surprised you haven't asked," he chuckled.

"I'm asking now," Eli said, taking a sip of wine.

Fitz cleated his throat and wiped his mouth with his napkin.

"He doesn't...really like to talk about it," Olivia piped up.

"No, no it's alright, Olivia," Fitz said. "It's...an important part of my life," he added, looking at Eli.

"As you probably know my father was also a governor and senator, and I followed in his footsteps. My mother died when I was young, so it's...just been me and my dad for a long time. He...wanted that for me. And regardless of what I wanted, I ran and I won. I did what I needed to do to get there. For him. But it took me a little too long to realize I _shouldn't_ have done it for him. It took me a little too long to realize that I was living for him and not for me." he said.

Eli crossed his arms and nodded. "I see. And...your marriage?" Eli asked. Olivia shot her father a look. It had taken ages for Fitz to open up to Olivia about his life before Yale, as well as his marriage. Now her dad was trying to get it all out of him on the second night?

"Dad."

He shrugged. "What? I'm trying to get to know the man."

"It's okay, Olivia, really. I have an interesting background so I'm happy to expand on it and...answer any questions. I was married, yes. It was for political gain, a woman my father met through one of his own campaign managers. I couldn't run and win single, especially with how young I was. So, I got married. Her name was Mellie," Fitz said.

"Hm. Not being...on the inside of politics, it's hard to know if those things really exist. Political marriages, things like that," Eli said. "Being on the inside of politics is...not always a pretty world. It's why I left and it's why I don't talk about it much. I would much rather teach it. From the outside. And I can assure you that things like political marriage exist. Many things exist in politics," he said.

Eli nodded, still seeming skeptical.

"So your father. He's still in California?" he asked. "He is," Fitz nodded. "And do you keep in touch?" he asked.

Fitz shook his head. "We've...grown apart. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you we're a happy family. We're not. We have different interests and...he doesn't approve of what I've chosen to do with my life now. He doesn't approve of... _me_. It's for the best that...we're apart." Fitz said quietly.

And then it grew silent.

Olivia looked sadly at her boyfriend, who had practically told his life story right then and there at the dinner table. The story that he didn't like to tell.

She squeezed his hand underneath the table, hoping it would show him a bit of encouragement.

"Well, _we're_ very happy to have you here, Fitz. And we're very sorry about your mother," Maya said kindly.

Fitz smiled and nodded. "Thank you. She was an amazing person. An amazing mom. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss her. She would have been sixty-five this Tuesday, actually," he said.

"Well we will think of you on Tuesday," Maya nodded. "Indeed," Eli added. Fitz smiled back. "Thank you," he said gratefully.

It was silent in the room for a while after that, until the TV announcer yelled;

 **"** **And** ** _touchdooownn!"_**

"Oh. Well that's good for my fantasy team," Eli said. "You have a fantasy team for college football?" Fitz asked curiously. "Mhm. NFL too, but college, I've found, is really fun," he replied.

And then the conversation switched to fantasy football, somehow. Some men and their damn sports.

But Olivia was thankful. Thankful that the conversation had moved away from Fitz's family.

The night, from then on, was good. And eventually, it got to be about time for Fitz to leave again.

As they put their shoes on by the door, something happened that Olivia didn't expect to happen.

"Fitz," Eli said, walking up to him in the entryway. "I'm sorry if I crossed a line before. At dinner," he said.

"Oh, no. No worries at all, you didn't," Fitz nodded.

Eli nodded back. "Right. Well, um. Have a good stay tonight. I suppose we'll see you tomorrow before you both go?" Eli asked.

"For sure. I'll make Olivia come get me and take me back so I can say goodbye," he chuckled. Olivia laughed. "I will, of course."

"Alright. We'll see you tomorrow then. Thanks for all your help today," Eli said, extending out his hand. Fitz shook it gratefully.

"No problem. The house looks nice," he nodded, looking around.

"Bye Fitz. We'll see you tomorrow," Maya said, waving at him as she walked into the entryway.

"Yep, see you then. Thanks for everything," he said. They all bid each other goodbye and they were off to the hotel on night two.

The drive was fairly silent, until Olivia spoke up.

"You okay? About...before?" she asked. He nodded. "Yeah. It wasn't a big deal, really," he replied.

"Well it was a lot for...the second day," she said. "It was, but I might as well get it all out right away. Now they know everything," he shrugged. Olivia nodded.

"He's a good man, your dad. A really good man," Fitz added. Olivia smiled, wondering how he could say that with such confidence after everything. But, she supposed it said a lot about Fitz, himself, that he could say that. So Fitz.

 _"You're_ a good man," she said, reaching out to hold his hand. "I hope so. I try," he said, squeezing her hand.

"You are. You really are."

* * *

The rest of the weekend went by in a blur. Before she knew it, she and Fitz were back at her house, saying goodbye to her parents.

Fitz thanked them profusely for everything, and her mother even pulled him in for a hug, which surprised Olivia. But it was cute.

And as Fitz shook Eli's hand one last time, he said something that made Olivia's heart flutter.

"Next time, you can forget the hotel. We have plenty of room, you're, um...you're welcome here," he nodded.

Fitz smiled and nodded back. "Thank you. That means a lot," he said.

"Although I'm sure Olivia loved being your chauffeur," Eli joked. "I did," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Have a good trip back now, drive safe. Let us know when you get there," Maya said, hugging Olivia goodbye. "I will."

"Bye dad," she said, giving him a hug. "Bye now. See you in a couple weeks."

They all bid each other goodbye and were out the door shortly after.

Fitz offered to drive her car back to New Haven, since she had driven everywhere this weekend. She accepted, at least for a little while, but told him when they stopped for gas that she'd drive the rest of the way.

As he drove, she nudged his arm. "Look at _you_ , Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III. Getting the okay to stay in our house after just two days!" she exclaimed.

He smiled at her. "Mhm. I mean...being kind and liking someone are two different things, but that's gotta mean something right?" he asked. "Oh hell _yeah_ it does. He's getting there," she agreed.

Fitz nodded. "I think so too. This was a good weekend."

"It was," Olivia said, leaning back in her seat. She held her hand out for him to high-five it.

"Good work."

He high-fived her hand and laughed. "Thanks."

He intertwined their fingers on the center console and sighed happily.

"I think I'm changing his mind."

* * *

Congrats on finishing this _novel!_

I'm sure you get now why I split them up.

Whew. What a weekend. What did you all think?

I think they're in a good spot. Things are slowly happening for them.

They deserve it.

Did anyone catch which finger Olivia decided to wear her ring on? Left index...#douxbebe!

Hope you enjoyed.

Read on!

With Love,

~T

P.S. Visual is up on Twitter & Tumblr!


	58. All Yours

"Liv! I gotta go!" Fitz yelled from the kitchen.

"Okay! I'll see you in an hour!" she yelled back from his bedroom. "Uh-huh. Don't forget to lock up, I left my key," he yelled. "Yep. Wait, wait, wait—" she said, putting her curler down and running to the front door.

She stood on her tip toes and gave him a kiss. And then another. "Mm. I love you," she said. He smiled. "I love you. Okay, I really need to go, Sammy's gonna kick my ass, I told him I'd be there five minutes ago," he said, pecking her lips one last time before heading towards the door.

"Okay, go, go, go. I'll see you soon," she said. He kissed her one last time, and gave her a little wave.

And he was gone. She made her way back to his bedroom so she could finish getting ready for the student/faculty mixer.

Fitz had left the office earlier that afternoon, so she'd brought over some clothes so that she could spend time with him, and get ready there.

She and Abby were going together, so she was headed back to her own apartment soon to pick her up.

She was excited about this mixer thing. Usually, weeknights were spent doing homework for the most part, or spending the night _in_ with Fitz, or with her friends. So doing something else was fun.

She and Fitz were pretty happy right now, after a successful weekend back at home meeting the parents.

Things were going well for them. She only hoped that would continue.

She finished her normal hairstyle, the loose curls that she liked the best.

Her makeup and outfit looked good, too, she thought.

She was wearing dark, dressy skinny jeans, one of her favorite white blouses, and a pair of boots. It was a pretty standard dressy casual outfit for fall, but she liked it.

She adjusted her bracelet, and admired her ring for a little bit. Her favorite accessories now.

And in no time at all, she was off, going to pick up Abby.

"Hey, Liv!" Abby exclaimed, getting in the passenger seat. "Hey! You ready?" she asked. "Uh-huh. You?" she asked back.

"Yeah. Ready for good food," Olivia giggled. "Me too. Night off of cooking…I like it," she said.

"Even though we've had, like…the whole past week off?" Olivia asked with a laugh. "True. My parents like to cook a lot when I come home," she nodded.

"Mine too. But I did do some cooking this weekend. With Fitz, too," Olivia said.

"Mhmm, I bet you did. I'm so happy your parents were cool with him. That makes me happy," Abby said. Olivia smiled. "Me too. We're making progress."

"So when's the wedding?" Abby teased. Olivia laughed and felt her cheeks redden. "Not sure about that one yet," she answered.

"Do you guys talk about it a lot?" she asked.

Olivia thought about it. "I wouldn't say a lot. But we have definitely talked about it in detail before. We're on…the same page about everything, you know. I suppose…one thing we haven't really discussed much is… _when_. I want to be out of college when we _get_ married. I know that much. But…otherwise, it's like why would we waste time, you know? We know what we want," she shrugged.

Abby nodded. "That's kind of how I feel about it too. I'd want to be out of college, but I also don't want to wait _that_ long after. I mean, how are you supposed to know when the right time is? How are you supposed to know if you're too young?" Abby asked.

"I think…if you know you're marrying the right person for you…then it doesn't matter about it being the right time, or being too young," Olivia said.

Abby nodded. "My parents met when they were nineteen and got married at twenty-one. When they were still in college and everything. And they're happy as ever. Then there's my dad's sister and her husband. They dated for ten years before they got engaged and got married, and they're happy as ever too. People are just…different about it. It's just hard to know what's best you know?" Abby asked.

"I definitely know. I mean…like with Fitz and I…we've known each other for over a year. We've been _close_ for over a year—involved. But we didn't start _dating_ until January of this year. And…obviously we were apart for some of that time, too, when things ended. And despite all of that I feel like…we've known each other for so much longer than that. I could marry him right now and be super happy. You're right. It's just different with everyone," she shrugged, pulling into the parking lot of Woodbridge Hall.

"I could marry David right now too," Abby said with a smile. "I wouldn't care what people thought. If it's too soon. Or…if we're too young. If _I'm_ too young. I wouldn't care, because I just know."

Olivia smiled and nudged her arm. "Thatta girl."

Abby nodded and smiled back.

"What a serious conversation on the way to a mixer," Olivia giggled. Abby laughed. "Yeah, really. Let's go…not be serious for a while," she said, getting out of the car. "Let's" Olivia nodded.

They walked around to the front of the lecture hall, and into the big, main entrance. Many of the tables and chairs were pushed to the sides of the room to make space for people to stand in the middle. Tables on the sides of the room had tons of food, and drinks on them. And there were tons of people there.

"Holy shit. How have we never gotten invited to this thing, Liv?" she asked. Olivia's eyes widened. "Jesus, I don't know. It's about damn time apparently," she replied.

"We must not be good enough students," Abby whispered. Olivia laughed. "Yeah. Looks like I started screwing my professor at the perfect time," she whispered. "Hi," she said energetically to the woman sitting at the desk they'd just walked up to.

Abby had to turn away, laughing at what Olivia had just said under her breath.

"Hi. Just write your name, and the professor you're here with," the woman said, gesturing to the clipboard on the desk.

Olivia saw there were quite a few names with "Professor Grant" written in next to them. So she wrote her name, and then wrote in "Professor Grant", before handing the pen to Abby.

"Don't write pretty boy," Olivia giggled in a hushed whisper. "Dammit," Abby whispered back.

Olivia laughed and they walked past the desk together, going to hang up their coats on the coat rack.

"Do you see Fitz?" Olivia asked.

"Hmm. No. Come on, it shouldn't be that hard though. He'll be the hottest professor here," she said, starting to head into the crowd of people.

Olivia smiled and shook her head. "You're not wrong."

They made their way through the crowd of students and professors, both. People had plates of food and glasses of punch, or sodas. It was quite the event.

"Hey, Liv. There," Abby said, pointing to a standing table near the back.

And she saw him. He looked good in his business casual attire. Dark jeans and a dress shirt. _Whew_.

He was chatting with two women, one older and one younger. Olivia and Abby approached the table and said hello.

"Oh, hi you two. Glad you could make it," he said. "Hi, Professor Grant. Sorry to interrupt, just wanted to find you and say thank you for inviting us," Olivia said politely.

"Yes. Thank you...Professor...Grant?" Abby said, almost in question. She shot Olivia a look that seemed to say "do we really have to call him that?"

Olivia was laughing on the inside, but kept it casual on the outside.

"Oh of course. Olivia, Abby, this is my colleague, Professor Nancy Davenport. And this is Professor Jessie Wilson from the aerospace engineering department," he said, introducing the two women.

"Nice to meet you, you can just call me Nancy," the older woman said with a laugh, shaking Olivia's and Abby's hand. "Hi, nice to meet you," Professor Wilson said, shaking their hands too.

Olivia and Abby said the same, and chatted a little bit with the three professors, until they went to go get some food and some drinks.

"I like that old lady," Abby said. Olivia laughed. "Yeah me too. That's one of Fitz's favorite colleagues. He likes Nancy," she said.

"What about that other lady? The young...fricken pretty one. I don't like her," Abby said. Olivia laughed. "Why not?" she asked.

"Because! She calls him Fitz and he calls her Jessie and...she's pretty and...she's pretty!" Abby said. Olivia nodded. "Yeah...she is. And she's also married," Olivia replied. Abby looked at her, confused.

"You think I didn't look for a ring the second I saw her?" Olivia asked with a laugh.

Abby nodded. "Wow, I'm a dumbass."

"No, no. These are just habits I develop by being the most jealous person on the face of the earth. Probably not...good habits, but...still habits," Olivia said with a laugh.

Abby laughed. "Okay, that is not true."

Olivia laughed too. "Okay, no it isn't. But...I definitely have a...jealous side," she said.

"Well everyone does, though," Abby said. "Yeah. I think...I just think it kicks in when I have to hear everyone say he's the hottest thing on campus."

"Well he is the hottest thing on campus."

"Well, besides my David and me of course," Abby added, flipping her hair.

Olivia shot her a look. _"And_ you!" Abby said.

Olivia rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Thanks," she said with a laugh.

"No problem," Abby said happily, grabbing a glass of punch.

"Where should we eat?" Olivia asked, looking around the packed room.

"Hmm..." Abby replied.

"Oh, oh! Over there, I know her. That's Maria. She's in one of my law classes."

"Sounds good to me," Olivia shrugged.

So, they went and chilled with Maria.

Fitz, on the other hand, talked with Nancy and Jessie for a while, until he went to go talk with Cyrus.

"Cyrus," he greeted. "Fitz," he greeted.

"This is amazing, this event. I'm glad I'm apart of it this year," Fitz said happily. "I am too, it's about time you checked it out," Cyrus replied.

"And...I see Olivia came to check it out as well," Cyrus said, nodding at the table a little ways away, where Olivia stood with a few other students.

Fitz nodded. "Yeah. I asked her and her friend to come. Abby. Tall, with...the red hair," Fitz described.

"Mhm. So...I take it what I walked in on a couple weeks ago. That wasn't a one-time thing?" Cyrus asked.

Fitz scratched his head. "You didn't...you didn't walk in on anything," Fitz lied. Cyrus raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Uh-huh. Right. So what I walked in on a couple weeks ago," he repeated.

Fitz smiled and shook his head. Such an awful liar.

"It was not a one-time thing, no," Fitz replied.

Cyrus nodded. "So she finally decided what she wanted huh?" he asked.

Fitz frowned. "What she wanted never changed. There were...outside factors that changed things between us," he replied.

Cyrus tilted his head in confusion. "What? Friends? Parents?" he asked. "Parents," he nodded.

"Ahh. So how's that going for you two now?" Cyrus asked. "Good. I just met them this weekend, actually," Fitz nodded. "Really? Wow. So things are really working out!" Cyrus said.

Fitz shrugged. "Time will tell, but yeah things are great," Fitz said happily. Cyrus smiled. "One thing that would _keep_ them great is not participating in below the belt activities in your office," he said quietly, taking a sip of his drink.

Fitz smiled and laughed a little bit. "Noted. It won't happen again, just...it was in the moment...one thing led to another, you know," Fitz said.

Cyrus nodded. "I do. How come you didn't tell me about you two again?" Cyrus asked. Fitz shrugged. "It wasn't intentional. I just haven't seen you much this semester, our paths don't cross as much. And I've been with her a lot, too. Doing things... _fixing_ things," he explained.

"Well I'm glad to hear that you're fixing things. I'm glad to hear that you're both on the same page, and that you're happy. I like you better when you're happy. She makes that happen," he said.

Fitz nodded. "She does."

"And our paths _could_ cross more you know. James and I are always open to more trivia partners. Olivia used to _carry_ us, for god's sake!" Cyrus exclaimed.

Fitz laughed. "Yes she did, she loves trivia, that girl," he chuckled. "But maybe we'll make our return to trivia on Saturday nights occasionally, yes. It was always fun," he added.

"It was. Well, feel free to come whenever. We're always there," Cyrus said. "Thanks, Cy," Fitz nodded, patting his back.

"Of course. I'm going to go chat with Samuel for a while. I'll catch up with you later," Cyrus said.

Fitz nodded. "Alright, see you later," he replied. "Don't be taking her back to your office now," Cyrus joked quietly, pointing at him. "I will _not,"_ Fitz chuckled.

 _"_ _Samuel,"_ Fitz said under his breath, laughing.

His brief moment alone was interrupted by a peppy voice. A peppy voice, speaking _quietly,_ though.

"Pretty boy!"

Fitz looked up to see Abby approaching him.

"Oh hi, Abby. How's your night been treating you?" he asked. "Good, Good. I was just going to get dessert," she said. "Mm. The brownies are fantastic, I had one earlier," Fitz nodded.

"I love brownies, perfect," Abby replied. "Where's Liv?" he asked, looking at the table they'd been at before and not seeing her.

"Oh, well I introduced her to my friends Maria, they were over there, last time I checked—".

"Oh," Abby said, looking behind her.

"What?" Fitz asked. "Um. Well she isn't...she's with someone else now," she said.

Fitz raised his eyebrow, looking where Abby was looking, and spotting Olivia.

She was with a taller African American student, both eating together.

"That guy?" Fitz questioned curiously. "Uh-huh. I uh...I better go save her," she said nervously.

Fitz laughed. "Why? What's wrong with him?" he asked.

"Oh nothing major besides the fact that he's an asshole. That's Edison."

Fitz's eyes widened. Edison. He'd never seen him before.

"Wait. That's...oh," he replied.

"Yeah, like I said. I better go save her," Abby said.

"Hey, Fitz!" a woman said, coming up to him and Abby. Fitz turned to see none other than Amanda.

Well this was all just turning out to be _fantastic_.

"Hey Amanda," Fitz greeted back.

"I'm gonna...I'm gonna go," Abby mouthed to Fitz, pointing behind her. Fitz nodded and gave her a thumbs up.

"How are you liking the party? I've never seen you here before!" she said. "Yeah this is my first year here, it's great!" He nodded.

"Uh-huh, who are you here with?" she asked.

"Nobody. Just...the seventeen students I invited," he chuckled. She laughed too. "Ah, you have me beat. I invited fifteen. No girlfriend tonight?" she asked.

"No. She couldn't make it, unfortunately," he lied. "Ahh, bummer. Well, next year!" she exclaimed. "Yeah, right. How about you?" Fitz asked.

"I'm here with my boyfriend. He's over there," she said, pointing to a man by the punch table.

Fitz nodded at the man, thinking it was music to his ears to hear that she had a boyfriend. Thank god.

He was having a hard time keeping a conversation with the woman. Not because she was a bad conversationalist. He made conversation with her on occasion at work, even though he didn't necessarily want to. But he did, usually showing how disinterested he was.

He was having such a hard time because he was distracted, looking over at Olivia and her ex, continuing to talk.

Abby was there now, too. But it seemed her "saving" hadn't worked so well. Because Edison was there, still chatting away. And Olivia was certainly chatting away too. Being her polite self, he knew.

But he still had to look away from the scene, feeling ridiculous while he did it.

All she was doing was talking to him. But after all the bad things he'd done to her, all the bad things he'd heard about, he wondered why she continued to talk to him.

He really did not like that dude.

She shook his head and forced the pangs of jealousy he was feeling away. Or at least, he tried. He looked back to Amanda, who was now talking about her trip to Colorado for Thanksgiving break and he nodded along, pretending he gave a damn.

Her boyfriend eventually came to chat too. He seemed normal enough.

Meanwhile, Olivia continued on, talking with "douchebag" as she had so often called him.

* * *

Olivia nodded at what Edison was saying. What he was saying, she didn't even know. She hadn't been paying attention.

Not only because he was an asshole, and they hadn't left off on good terms, but because she'd been paying attention to her boyfriend, talking to Amanda.

She really did not like that woman.

But there she was, talking to Fitz. Why was she even surprised.

She shot looks at Abby, who she could tell was trying to get her away, but hadn't had the chance to.

Until now, that is.

"Hey, one of the professors told me the dessert was good. Do you want to go get some with me?" Abby asked.

Olivia nodded eagerly. "Yeah sure. Bye Edison," Olivia said bluntly.

"Actually I think I'll come with you guys, I was going to get some dessert too," he said, starting to follow them.

Olivia rolled her eyes. Great.

So, both Olivia and Fitz's nights were spent not together, not even with all of their friends, but with people they didn't like. People they _both_ didn't like.

* * *

"Liv, you ready to go?" Abby asked, watching some of the students gradually start to leave. "Yes. Please," Olivia nodded.

They'd only recently ditched Edison, because he got distracted by some pretty girl and had left Abby and Olivia. Thank fucking god.

But Olivia's night had not been the greatest overall. Just little things that had added up, and she was in an awful mood.

She tried to find Fitz so she could at least tell him she was heading out. But for the life of her, she couldn't find him anywhere.

"It's fine, let's just go. I'll text him."

Abby looked over at her as they walked back to the coat rack. "Are you sure? It's fine we can just...we can wait for him to show up, wherever the hell he went," Abby offered. "No. It's fine, I just wanna go," she replied.

"Okay. Everything okay?" she asked as they put their coats on. Olivia nodded. "Yeah. I'm in a bad mood and I'm just...I'm being dumb," she said, shaking her head.

"Well, let's get out of here then," Abby nodded. Olivia nodded back.

And they got the hell out of dodge. Thankfully.

Olivia dropped off Abby at their apartment, talking a little bit about the mixer and why she was annoyed.

And although Abby always helped, because she was Abby, her mood did not improve throughout the night.

She went back to Fitz's apartment and laid on his bed, not even bothering to turn any of the lights on. She just watched TV, hoping to lift her spirits.

Fitz eventually came home, seeming fine but not quite...Fitz, either.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hey," she greeted back.

"Can I...turn this on?" he asked, gesturing to the light switch. "Yeah, go ahead," she nodded.

He turned on the switch and started undressing, changing into more comfortable clothes.

"How come you just left?" he asked. "I couldn't find you," she answered. "I mean you could have waited, I was just with Jessie and Nancy in the back hallways," he said.

She looked at him. "Well...I just didn't think it was that big of a deal. I was coming here anyway," she shrugged.

He nodded. "Yeah, I know. I just...I was looking for you and I didn't see you," he said.

"Didn't you get my text?" she asked. "I didn't check my phone. Not until I was walking to my car," he replied.

"Sorry," she said. "It's fine, Liv. Did you like the mixer?" he asked. She looked at him and nodded. "It was fine," she said.

"Just fine?" He asked. "Yeah. I mean, the food was good. I met some new people. I talked to Cyrus for a tiny bit. It was fine," she shrugged.

"It looked like you were having fun. With...Edison," he said, taking off his shirt.

She shot him a look. "I did _not_ have fun with Edison. How did you even know that was him?" she asked.

"Abby told me."

"Oh," Olivia said.

Fitz looked at her. "Did you not want me to find out that was him, or what?" he asked.

"No...I was going to tell you I was with him tonight," she said.

He nodded. "You _were,"_ he said.

"Are you...upset that I was?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No. I just don't get it," he said.

"Get what?" she asked. "I don't get why you talk to him? After what he did to you, after the summer. I don't get it," he said.

"I tried getting away from him all night. He wasn't there with anyone and he tagged along with me and Abby until he found some other girl to tag along with. Trust me, I didn't want to talk to him either," she said.

He nodded. "Alright. I just...I don't like him. I don't think you should give him a free pass, I don't think you need to be polite with him," he shrugged.

"I didn't give him a free pass, Fitz. At all. I barely talk to him, I just tolerate him. He just isn't worth making a scene and getting mad at," she said.

"I don't mean for you to make a scene. I just mean...walk away. He doesn't deserve to just get to come back and talk to you like he's done nothing wrong," he said.

"I just like to keep things civil, Fitz. He wants to be that way, fine. He can be however he wants to be. He knows I want nothing to do with him," she said.

"Does he know that, though?" he asked

"Yes. He's an asshole but he isn't stupid. He does things purely to be an asshole. He knows how I feel about him. But he doesn't care, it's just how he is. With him it's just easier to make conversation and be fine with it," she said.

Fitz shook his head. "He cheated on you. _Cheated_. He said some stupid shit to you over the summer. I just don't get it, Liv. I don't get why you'd spend the evening with him," he said.

Olivia looked over at him. "I already told you that is not how I wanted my evening to go. I _wanted_ to spend it with you, but it's not like I could really do that, is it? And you looked happy to spend it with a bunch of different women, anyway," she said.

"Oh, come on. Don't give me that," he replied.

She shrugged. "It's true. I saw you with Cyrus _once_. Otherwise, that Jessie woman. Amanda? The woman from the science department? Professor Jackson? I don't know, whatever, look, it's fine. I'm not mad. I'm just annoyed and I'm probably being dumb, yeah. But I'm just pointing that out," she said.

"Why are you annoyed then? Because I was talking to them?" he asked.

"No, you can talk to whoever you like, Fitz. It's fine, that's not...I'm not trying to be some psycho girlfriend. It's just you're sitting here getting upset because I was talking to my _one_ ex-boyfriend. And I know that is the reason you don't want me talking to him, because he _was_ my boyfriend."

He put his arms up in protest. "What? No, Liv. Everyone has history, I get that. I just don't get _this_. And I don't like him. Why would I? After all you've told me, why _would_ I like him?" he asked.

"You can dislike him. You just don't need to be jealous of him. He's an asshole, Fitz," she said.

"You don't need to be jealous of a bunch of unavailable women either, but here we are," he replied.

She got off the bed and started walking to the kitchen, shaking her head.

"Well you know what, you got me, Fitz. You're right, I am sometimes. I just am. I know we've had this conversation before, and I know you probably think I'm crazy but I can't help it. I see all these...beautiful women your age. I'm getting better with it, I am. But it still gets to me and I wish that it didn't. I wish I wasn't. But sometimes I am. Sometimes I get jealous," she said, walking in the hallway.

"Then why don't you just come out and tell me that instead of beating around the bush? Just tell me," he said, quickly getting off the bed and walking behind her.

"I have! We already had this Amanda conversation before! Multiple times. Why didn't you just come out and tell me you were too? I didn't hear you say it to me straight, either," she said, getting the lemonade out of the fridge.

"Because I felt dumb. I thought...I don't know Olivia. I thought the conversation would go something like this."

"Is this a bad conversation?" she asked.

"Well it's certainly not pleasant," he replied.

She sighed. "No" she agreed, starting to walk back to the bedroom.

He stayed in the kitchen awhile, giving them both a little bit of space. Not that it was necessary, but just to cool off and think straight about it.

It was a pretty dumb argument, he thought. They'd talked about it before, and had been okay about it before. It was not worth ruining anyone's night over, because they were just fine. Jealousy happened, it was normal.

He walked back into the bedroom, looking at her holding her knees and leaning her head back against the headboard.

"Are we done now, babe?" he asked.

She nodded and sighed. "Yeah."

He came to sit by her on the bed. "I'm sorry," he said, reaching for her hand.

She sighed and shook her head. "No...don't be. I'm the one that should be. I'm sorry. I love you, and I'm protective of you. And I know that isn't an excuse. It's just...I hear people talk about you all the time and it annoys the hell out of me. And then seeing women your age with you, it just...adds on. But I trust you, completely, Fitz. I do. There is _no_ reason I should be jealous. It just happens sometimes and I'm sorry about that. I'm _sorry,"_ she said.

"I understand, Olivia. I do. I accept your apology and I hope you can accept mine. I know that Edison is not someone to be jealous of. It just happened to me too, and I'm sorry about that. I trust you too. I trust you. With everything."

Her face softened and she smiled a little bit, because that was the first time since everything had gone down, that he'd downright said he trusted her again.

"I accept your apology too," she nodded.

He smiled. "Good." He leaned in closer.

"Now you better kiss me, crazy girl," he said. She cracked a smile and pushed him away.

"I'm not crazy," she said.

He raised an eyebrow, which made her scoff.

" _Stop_ , I'm not crazy right? I don't want to be, I'm really trying not to be," she said. He laughed. "Liv, you are not crazy. I was kidding."

She nodded. "Okay," she said, still not fully convinced.

"You better kiss me now, woman, I'm waiting."

She giggled and leaned in to kiss his lips. Once, then a few more times.

She leaned in to hug him, and he laid back on the bed with her in his arms.

"Don't stop talking to your friends at work. That's...that's not what I want at all. I don't want you to think that's what I want, because it isn't. Please just don't do that, okay?" she asked.

He laughed. "I will not do that," he said.

She nodded. "Okay, good. Thank you," she said.

He sighed. "I don't want to take you away from your friends, either. You know I don't want that at all. I felt bad about...getting upset over Stephen this summer, too. I didn't want to take you away from him, he's been your best friend for so long. And I knew that. I just...I just got jealous, too. It happens. So I know exactly how you feel. I do," he nodded.

She nodded. "Being jealous is so fucking inconvenient," she sighed. He laughed. "It is, isn't it?" he asked. "Yeah. Like...seriously. Jesus."

"Well I've said it before and I'll say it again. Nobody is you. Nobody will ever be you. _You_ have my heart and _only_ you," he said.

She smiled into his chest. "I know. You have mine too," she said, laying her head over his heart.

It was beating softly inside. Sounding perfect.

"I know," he said back.

"I understand. About Edison. And you're right about him. I shouldn't have ever kept giving him chances. You're just right," she said.

He sighed and kissed her cheek, and then the other.

"But...Fitz, I just want you to know, you really don't need to be jealous of him. I'm not trying to...dictate who you are and aren't feeling that way about. Clearly I get that you can be jealous of anybody, I felt that way _tonight_ , I _completely_ understand.

It's just...you are...I don't know even how to say it. There is nobody like you. You are one of a kind, nobody is even close. I can't explain how lucky I feel to be your girlfriend. To be laying here with you right now. Everyone should be jealous of _you_. You are...a treasure. _My_ treasure. And you always will be. Always. You are all I want, Fitz. You are _all_ I want. I don't mean to say 'don't be jealous of this person', because I know it can't be controlled. But do you get what I mean? Do you...get what I'm trying to say?" she asked.

He nodded. "Completely. That was very sweet, Liv. I get it, and you know that I feel the same way. That the same goes for you," he replied.

She nodded. "I know."

He nodded back. "You're my treasure too."

She smiled and gave him a kiss. "I better be," she giggled.

"No, no wait. I got a better one. You're my...booty," he said, putting a palm on her ass and trying to keep a straight face. She put her hand to her face and shook her head, trying so hard not to laugh.

But she couldn't keep it in, which made them both burst into laughter.

"Oh my god. Why are you like this," she giggled.

"I'm just a kid trapped in a thirty-seven-year-old's body, let me live," he chuckled.

She shook her head. "Young at heart, I know, me too. And I love you for it," she said with a laugh.

"Hey...young _looking_ too, right..." he asked, pointing up at her.

She nodded. "Absolutely. Sandra and Abby thought you were thirty, so," she said.

"Ugh, thirty sounds so much better than thirty-seven," he said, sighing.

"Thirty-seven is really not that old, baby," she said.

"Liv, I'm going to be forty in three years. Forty! What the fuck! No. No, no, no," he said, shaking his head.

"Yes, and you'll be the hottest forty-year-old I've ever seen," she said, raking her fingers through his hair. He smiled.

"With this...pretty hair of yours and this body of yours," she said, running her hand down his chest.

"I'll be twenty-four by then," she added.

He nodded. "So young," he whispered, almost sadly. "I just...I forget about us sometimes. I forget how far apart we are, I really do. It doesn't feel that way to me. It just doesn't."

"It doesn't feel that way to me either. It never has felt that way," she said.

"I remember when Cyrus first asked me about it. He said, 'so how's that work?' And I just looked at him like he was crazy. It just...works? You're mine. And I'm yours. It just works because...I think it was meant to work. I didn't even know what to say to him," he said with a laugh.

"It was meant to work. I truly believe that. I didn't know...about soulmates before. I didn't know if those really existed. It seemed doubtful to me, I don't know. But I believe in them now. I seriously do," she said.

"I do too," he nodded.

They laid there in silence for a few minutes, just holding each other.

Until Fitz said something.

"Hey. I was thinking about this earlier. I was thinking about this...a lot earlier actually. I have something for you...if you want it. I understand if you...don't or...I don't know I just thought maybe you would," he stumbled.

She giggled. "Well what is it?" she asked.

"Oh. Right, right. I'll go...get it," he said. She got off of him and he walked out of the room, leaving Olivia smiling on the bed. He was so cute.

She heard a kitchen drawer open and close, and his footsteps coming back to the bedroom at the end of the hallway. He had something in his hand, but she couldn't see until he opened his hand when he laid back down.

She crawled back on top of him and admired what he held in his palm.

A silver key.

She took it out of his hand and held it in hers. "To your apartment?" she whispered.

He nodded. "Yes. I thought it was about time. We don't need to share keys, you should...have your own," he chuckled.

She smiled. "Well thank you, sweetheart. This means so much to me. Thank you."

She leaned in and gave him a kiss. A good, long one. And she held the key in her hands. The key to his apartment.

"You're welcome. You can...come and go whenever you please. You've been spending more time here during the week and I love that. I know you live with Abby, and you should, she's your best friend. But just know this is...also your home," he said.

She thought she could almost tear up right then and there.

"Oh, Fitz," she whispered, laying her head on his chest. " _You_ are home."

He wrapped both arms around her and held her tight, kissing the top of her head

All this talk was bringing her back to what she and Abby had talked about earlier. So she brought it up.

"You know this just made me think about this...Abby and I kind of had this oddly serious conversation on our way to the mixer. Just about life and...our boyfriends. How...we want to marry them and... _when_ we want to," she said, tracing a hand down his chest.

"Oh yeah? Abby thinking about that?" he asked.

Olivia nodded. "Yeah. She wondered...you know, how do you know when you're ready? How do you know if you're too young?" Olivia asked.

Fitz shrugged. "I think...you just know when you know. If you're sure about the person...then what does it matter how old you are? I mean you have to be smart about it, yes. Have plans, be financially prepared, and ready. Don't just do it randomly, or just for the fun of it. But...age is just another number, it really is. If it's the love of your life, it's the love of your life. Marry the fuck out of them when you're sure. Maybe that's bad advice, I don't know. But...that's kind of what I think," he said.

She giggled and nodded. "That's kind of what I said. She knows. She and David know that they want to. Were very similar, Abby and me. We both agreed that...we could get married... _now_...and be as happy as ever," she said, a bit hesitantly. She certainly meant what she said, she just wondered how he would take it.

But Fitz just smiled.

"Yeah?" he asked. "Yeah," she nodded.

He laid in thought for a little bit. "It's been on my mind a lot," he admitted.

She propped her head up on her elbow. "Really?" she asked. He nodded. "Especially given that I just met your parents. I mean, it was on my mind before. It's on my mind a lot. Just...more so lately," he said.

She tapped his chest. "And...what do you think? About it. I mean about...when?" she asked.

He smiled. "Well. I guess I...would base it off of what you want."

She scoffed. "What? No, no. You are an equal participant in this," she giggled.

He laughed. "I know. But...you have school, maybe law school or job applications after. I'm boring, I don't have anything going on. I just figured we would do it when...you're ready," he said.

"You're not boring," she said with a laugh. "Debatable," he chuckled.

She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head back down. "So...you're ready. You're saying that you're ready?" she asked.

He rubbed a hand slowly up and down her back. "I'm _beyond_ ready, Livvie. I've never felt more ready for anything."

She smiled against his chest. "Well...I'll tell you everything I've been thinking then," she said.

"Please do," he nodded.

"I've been thinking. About law school. I just...I don't know if it's what I want to do. I wasn't ever sure, to begin with, but I'm leaning more towards no now," she said.

"Oh yeah? How come?" he asked.

"I really like what I do now. You know, I've only had this internship for two years and I've _already_ climbed the ladder at the company. I've _already_ learned so much. I use things I've learned in tons of areas in regards to _school,_ too. Poli sci, and PR, press. All of that. It's not something I _need_ a law degree for. I don't know. I'm just thinking...I could get a job here you know? In New Haven or right around here after college, if all goes well. I have a few contacts close by from my internship. I've networked here a little bit. My resume's strong and so is my transcript," she said.

He nodded. "It is. I have no doubts that you'll find a job right out of college. You are more qualified than so many students out there already," he said.

She smiled. "Thank you. And...after that, I'd like to...marry the fuck out of you, as you put it."

He laughed. "That's right. Well, I like that plan. I like that you've thought about it. It's important," he nodded. She nodded back.

"And I can't wait. I can't wait for you to be mine forever," he said.

"Well look at you, being all soft on me tonight," she giggled, placing kisses all over his face.

He smiled, accepting all of her kisses. "Oh, you know me. I'm a fool for you, Olivia Pope."

"And I, for you," she said back.

He sighed, leaning forward to peck her lips softly.

"I'm glad we talked about this tonight. All of it," he said.

"Me too. And I'm glad it ended better than it started," she said with a laugh.

He smirked.

"What?" she asked.

"It can end even better, if you want."

She smirked back. "Yes," she nodded.

"Mmm," he replied, rolling them over.

"So kiss me," he whispered.

She leaned upward and pressed her lips to his, while her fingers found the bottom of the shirt he'd only recently put on.

Looks like it was coming off again.

He kneeled above her and stripped it off, throwing it to the floor. She took the opportunity to take off her blouse as well. Damn blouse, it took forever to get off. He helped her though, pulling it over her head and tossing it behind him.

He leaned back down and captured her lips in a passionate kiss, running his hands down her body. She was still wearing a tank top and a bra, but that didn't stop his hands from wandering.

Nothing could ever prepare her for how good his hands felt on her body. Their warmth, so strong even through her clothes. Their large size. How gentle he was, when he needed to be.

She rolled them over and took off the rest of what remained on her torso. She straddled him, feeling him hard beneath her.

Thank god for gym shorts.

But, they were still very much in the way. She kneeled again, so that she could start taking off her skinny jeans. What a process that was.

He was fully undressed far before she was, so he flipped her over and took matters into his own hands. He yanked them off, himself, before starting to close the gap between them.

"No, no. On your back," she stated, putting a hand on his chest.

He looked down at her and smiled, before rolling onto his back.

She got on top of him and leaned forward, holding his hands in hers. He watched closely, breathing hard as she got onto him.

As soon as she did, he squeezed her hand and closed his eyes, clearly feeling good.

She watched his face as she slowly began to roll her hips. She watched him lick his lips and open his mouth slightly, letting out a staggering breath. His hands moved to her lower back, before sliding down to her ass to guide her.

He sat up and pulled her into his body even more, resulting in a loud moan from the both of them.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and continued to grind her hips, faster and faster. His hands remained firmly on her ass, and his lips went from place to place.

Her shoulder, her lips, her neck.

She could feel his tongue on her skin. It felt good.

 _He_ felt good.

"Olivia," he moaned, tucking his head into her shoulder.

She smiled at the sound of her name coming from that mouth, in that way.

"Feel good?" she asked. He nodded into her shoulder. "Talk to me, Fitz," she replied.

After much experience of being intimate with him, she knew what he liked. She knew how his body responded to everything. She just knew his body.

He wasn't one to be extremely vocal, himself, but he loved it when she was.

So she wanted to hear _him_. To hear his voice, right then, in that moment.

He breathed hard, holding tightly onto her body. "Keep going—keep...going," he stammered.

This particular angle and position had her biting her lip, because she could feel herself nearing her end already.

"You almost there?" she whispered into his ear, kissing it softly.

He nodded. "Hold on—baby, just—hold on," he breathed.

But the combination of her tongue on his ear and her clenching around him proved to be too much for him.

His body tensed and he dropped his head onto her shoulder, shaking slightly while he came, along with Olivia.

They held onto each other so tightly while they finished, staggering breaths, swear words, and each other's names spewing out of their mouths.

She sat there, him still deep inside of her, while they came down.

"My god," he panted. "Hmm?" she asked.

"You. Just...oh my god, Olivia," he said again. She giggled quietly into his shoulder, and got off of him slowly, before laying back on the bed, exhausted.

"No, come back," he said softly.

"Come down here," she giggled, smiling as she had her head at the foot of the bed.

And within a few seconds, she heard a quiet "okay", before a head of curly brown hair appeared before her on her chest.

And she smiled, leaning forward to kiss the top of his head.

"You, mister, are all mine."

He nodded.

"All yours."

* * *

Well, chapter 58, everyone.

The mixer didn't turn out so great, huh? But, it led to a pretty good conversation, in the end. Sometimes, that's how it goes.

Oh...and it also led to sex.

Nice.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	59. A Day For Themselves

"Olivia!"

Olivia laid there, stretching after a good night's sleep. Even with the smell of Fitz's breakfast cooking, and the sound of her name coming from the kitchen, she didn't want to get out of his bed.

 _Their_ bed.

She'd been awake for over ten minutes now, slowly getting ready to actually _get_ up.

It was December now. The cold air outside and the snow on the ground made it all the more desirable to lounge in a warm, comfy bed, drink a hot cup of tea or hot chocolate, or take a long, steamy shower.

Right now, she preferred the lounging in a warm, comfy bed option.

That didn't seem to be _Fitz's_ preference for Olivia, though.

"Oh, _Olivia,"_ he said softly, peeking his head through the doorway.

She looked over at him and smiled. "Hi."

He smiled back, and came over to her. "Hi."

He sat next to her and ducked his head down, softly kissing her neck.

She giggled at his scruffy face tickling her in such a sensitive area. "You need to shave," she teased. "Oh, do I now?" he asked, intentionally rubbing his unshaved face in the crook of her neck again.

She burst into laughter and tried to roll away from him, but he caught her easily before she did, also laughing.

"My life would not be half as fun if you weren't this ticklish," he chuckled, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"It would be more fun for _me,"_ she said with a laugh. He nodded. "Yes, it would. Now are you coming, sleepyhead? I made us breakfast," he said.

She nodded. "Mhm." But she didn't move.

He laughed. "Jeez, Liv. You're this tired after just a normal night out with your friends? I went out last night, too, and I'm up and raring to go. I got sixteen years on you!" he exclaimed, patting her tummy.

She groaned and turned onto her stomach, laying her head down by his thigh and resting her hand on top of it.

"Yeah, but…you went and had drinks with Logan. I went to a _club_. It's different," she said.

He shook his head. "Excuses, excuses."

"Logan, himself, is exhausting," he added with a chuckle, which made her laugh. "That's true. How was he last night, by the way? Him and Aliyah still going strong?" she asked.

Fitz nodded. "Seems like it. He's good. He's…Logan. He said he wants us all to go out again," he said, rubbing her back.

Olivia nodded. "We're the life of the party, babe," she said.

He smiled. "Yeah, _Cyrus and James_ miss us. Now _Logan and Aliyah,"_ he nodded.

"Well, we'll see Cyrus and James tonight, at least," Olivia said.

"Mhm. I think I should just tell Logan we should all go to BAR again. It's the only place that seems alright for you and me to go. It's chaotic and crazy and you can barely see a damn thing so it's pretty safe. Not that…it would exactly matter right now. But…just to be safe," he said.

She nodded. "Yeah. BAR is good. Way better than the club my friends and I went to last night. Quinnipiack or…whatever. It was trash," she said.

"I _told_ you," he teased.

She nodded. "You did. I will take your advice next time. We just wanted something different but it wasn't worth it. BAR remains number one," she replied.

"Mhm. Remember when we made out in the back? That was fun," he said.

She giggled. "I do remember. We're crazy," she said, shaking her head. "Yes," he nodded back.

"Now come on, you, our breakfast is getting cold," he said.

"Okay, okay," she nodded, getting out of bed.

She let her silky pajama top fall a little down her thighs, covering up the lacy underwear she had on underneath.

She followed him to the kitchen, holding onto his arm as they walked through the hallway.

She saw the two plates of food on the table in the kitchen, still steaming hot. And she smiled. Eggs, pancakes, and bacon. With, a steaming mug of what she assumed was tea, and coffee, in his.

She smiled. "Look at _you_ this morning!" she exclaimed. "Mhmmm. All for you," he said.

"Thank you!" she said, leaning in to kiss him before they both sat down.

Their breakfast was good, and so was their morning conversation.

They had the day to themselves, for the most part. They were going to Oak Haven tonight to meet Cyrus and James for trivia, but besides that, they had no plans. Save the work and homework for Sunday, they thought. Take a nice day for themselves.

It was snowing pretty hard outside, so going out wasn't exactly ideal. But it looked absolutely beautiful, that was for sure.

And it got Olivia into a certain mood.

"Hey baby," she said, using her palms to push herself up onto the island after they ate and cleaned up.

"Hey baby," he replied, putting one last plate in the dishwasher.

"Do you have any decorations?" she asked. He closed the dishwasher and turned around to look at her, raising his eyebrow.

"Decorations...?" he questioned.

She nodded. "For _Christmas_. Duh!" she exclaimed.

"Hmm. Not...many," he replied. She made a sad face, but she wasn't surprised. She hadn't seen many last year around this time, but she felt she didn't know him well enough to bug him about it. Now, however, she went along with her bugging.

"Fitzgerald. How come?" she asked.

He put his arms on either side of her body on the counter. "Olivia. I'm a thirty-seven-year-old man. And I live alone. Decorations really don't do much for me," he chuckled.

"Okay well what do you have?" she asked happily.

"Umm...just...I don't really know. I don't know," he shrugged.

She raised an eyebrow. "You don't know what you have?" she asked.

"Just some things. In the coat closet," he said.

"Well...can we put them up later? I think your apartment needs some sprucing up," she said happily.

He nodded. "Sure we can."

He seemed a bit odd about it, but she let it go, seeing as though it didn't appear to be a big deal. Just Christmas decorations.

"You know," she said, bringing him closer to her with her legs.

"I'm kind of cold. I could use a shower."

"Hmmm," he said, wrapping his arms around her back as she sat on the island.

"You should join me," she said.

He smiled. "Saves water," he whispered.

"Saves water," she whispered back.

He leaned in without warning and pressed his lips to hers, gripping her thigh with one hand and putting a hand on her waist with the other.

She leaned back on the counter with one hand, but her other hand found its way up to the side of his face.

She pulled him impossibly closer with her legs, until he was pressed up as close as he could be to her.

His hands slowly moved to her lower back, and pulled her off the island. She clung to him, not daring to let go as he carried her slowly to his bedroom, and then the bathroom.

He set her down on the vanity and went to turn on the hot water.

She grabbed a ponytail out of the drawer beneath her and put her loose curls up into a tight bun so that her hair wouldn't get wet.

She sat there, unbuttoning her silk shirt, and watched him.

He was beautiful. She was biased, perhaps. Very biased. But to her, she always thought he was.

He opened the glass door of the shower, and turned on both shower heads, making sure they were hot.

When he closed the door, he turned back around and pulled his long-sleeve shirt over his head, walking back over to her.

"Mhm, keep going," she nodded, looking at the rest of his clothes.

He stopped in front of her and smiled, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

He hooked his fingers on the inside of his joggers, and pulled them down, leaving him in just a pair of boxers.

She nodded, hinting for him to keep going.

But he just looked back at her.

"Come take them off for me."

She smiled and hit the switch for the fan, and hopped off the vanity to go over to him.

As soon as she reached him, he immediately pushed the fully unbuttoned shirt off her shoulders and let it fall to the ground. She kneeled down, and pulled his boxers off slowly.

As she stood up, she kissed all along his hips and his lower abdomen, watching his fingers clench in pleasure. Or agony. Either one.

After she was fully unclothed, he grabbed her hand and led her to the shower, both of them holding onto each other as they walked.

He pushed her up against the side wall, feeling both of the shower heads rain down on their bodies.

It was nice. And hot. And wet.

He had her pinned to the wall, thrusting in and out of her as best he could.

He laughed quietly into her shoulder, putting a palm against the wall.

"It's slippery," he whispered.

She giggled, kissing the side of his wet face. "I know."

"Hold on tighter," he whispered.

She nodded and readjusted her grip with both her hands and her legs.

"I'm—I'm ready, go again," she whispered into his ear.

"Okay," he whispered back.

Her back got pushed into the cold tile of the shower wall again, as he entered her once more. And again. And again.

Until she came, which put him over the edge too.

He breathed hard, keeping her pinned against the wall for a few moments until he backed away and she let her feet slowly back on the shower floor. He grabbed her hands and pulled her with him directly under the water.

"I think we just wasted all the water it would've taken for us to shower separately anyway," he chuckled.

"Hmm...I think...it was worth it," she giggled.

He chuckled and leaned in to kiss her.

"But just this once...I'm all for saving water, otherwise," she added, putting on a serious face.

He rolled his eyes. "Mhmm," he smirked, leaning in close and reaching behind her to grab her body wash. She then proceeded to watch him lather soap all over her body. Which, was nice. And a bit of a turn on to her.

"Sweetheart, don't get—".

"I know, I know, don't get your hair wet," he said finishing her sentence.

"Good man," she giggled.

He nodded, rubbing his hand down her arm. "I know these things, I'm an Olivia expert," he said.

She smirked. "You certainly are."

He continued to wash her body, so she grabbed his shampoo and poured some into her hands to wash his hair. He leaned his head down so she could reach and let her massage his scalp with the soap.

He held onto her hips as she did it, just standing still for her. It clearly felt good because she was sure the man had never stood still for that long in his life.

His soapy hair was so soft beneath her fingers. And long, when it wasn't dry and styled.

She laughed. "Look at you. All soapy and cute."

He smiled, holding onto her tighter. "Are you done?" he asked. "Mhm," she nodded.

He leaned his head back and let the water wash out the soap in his hair, running his hand through the soaked strands

He washed his body and she washed her face, before they decided they had taken a long enough shower.

She certainly felt better after her shower, for many reasons.

She laid on the bed in her towel, watching him shave in the bathroom with his electric razor.

"Don't forget your aftershave," she piped up.

He looked at her through the mirror. "Never," he said with a smile.

That stuff smelled heavenly and made his face soft. Mmm.

"You gonna get dressed over there or just lay there in your towel?" he asked. "I haven't decided yet," she replied, which made him laugh. "You're still in _your_ towel!" she added.

"Yeah, well I'm shaving first because you told me I needed to! One thing at a time, woman," he said.

"Hmm, so the world's most perfect man can't multitask? I finally found your flaw!" she teased.

He pulled the electric razor away from his face and turned around to look at her. "We both know I can multitask."

She smirked. "Alright. Maybe. So it looks like I'm still on the lookout for a flaw then," she teased.

He turned back around and laughed. "I have many of those, babe."

She shook her head. "Nope."

She laid there a few minutes while he finished up, and came over to her.

"I wonder where you get this whole 'Fitz is perfect' theory," he said with a smile, intertwining their fingers.

She shrugged. "Well...you are, to me. You're not perfect, because nobody is. But to me, you are. To me, you are the closest thing to perfect that this world has ever seen," she whispered.

He smiled, looking down at her. And he leaned forward to kiss her softly.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you," she replied.

"You smell nice," she added, patting his soft face.

"Well, thank you. I try really hard for you," he said, getting up and pulling his towel off.

" _Mm_ hm," she said, watching him walk to his dresser, in absolutely nothing.

"What a view," she said, giving him her best 'relaxed' pose on the bed. He laughed as he turned around to look at her.

And she slowly untucked the corner of her towel and took it off, laying it next to her on his bed as she sat up.

He nodded. "Hm."

She got up and walked over to his closet, where she had a few shirts hanging up, giving him a smile over her shoulder.

"You know what you're doing over there," he said, shaking his head with a laugh.

"Yeah, I'm looking for my clothes," she replied.

"Doing more than that."

She smiled to herself, finding a shirt to wear for the day. It was a warm, flannel one.

She tossed it on the bed and walked over to the one drawer she had at his apartment. It didn't have much, but it had some essentials. Underwear, bras, a couple pairs of socks. Tank tops she liked to wear at night, and a few shirts. Otherwise, she'd just wear Fitz's clothes. They were comfier anyway.

She stood next to him taking out a lacy pair of underwear and a bra.

"You asked if I was going to get dressed, I'm getting dressed!" she giggled.

He smiled. "Next to me," he replied.

"Mhm, next to you. This is my...'every article of clothing' drawer, you know," she said.

He put on his boxers and stood there, going through his drawers. "Well...I like when you get dressed next to me. I like when...you get ready with me," he said.

"I like it too, sweetie," she said, going to the other end of his room to find her favorite pair of skinny jeans.

"And...you could have more than one drawer you know. You could have...way more," he said.

"You know—eventually. When...you want to," he added nervously.

She grabbed her jeans and turned to look at him. "You mean...?" she began.

She was beginning to catch his drift.

He smiled. "I mean...there's space on that side of the room. For...another dresser. And...you know, I have a whole other half of my closet."

She was _definitely_ catching his drift.

"Did you just...pre-ask me to move in with you?" she asked.

He stood there, shirtless in the khakis he'd just put on and gave her a half shrug. "Um...maybe? Kind of. I don't know. Just...more like, telling you it was okay, or...you know, planning?" he answered.

She put her hand up to her mouth and laughed a little bit, smiling so big. "You are so sweet, Fitz. I'm happy you're planning!" she said.

"Well I just wanted you to know. I mean, I know we've talked about it a little bit, but...I just like to talk about it with you. It makes me feel like...we're a normal couple," he chuckled.

She nodded, continuing to get dressed. "Yeah, I get that. We will be. Hopefully after this semester. That's...whew. That's just all I'm hoping for," she said nervously.

He came over to her, buttoning his shirt.

"Babe."

"Hmm?" she replied, taking his hand.

"You have to be ready for...if that's not the case," he said.

She sighed, but she nodded.

"I know. I just don't like to think about that," she whispered.

It was a fifty percent chance. She'd either have Reston, or she'd have Fitz, and that was that.

"Neither do I. But we can't get our hopes up too much, either. Either way, we'll get through it. We've proved that we can do it," he said.

"We can. I just...I don't want to hide anymore. I don't want to lie anymore. I just want to be with you _openly_. I know we can do it, if necessary. It's just one semester, it's not a year, like before. But I don't want to _have_ to do it. I just want to be with you. Publicly. I want everyone to know I'm taken and I want everyone to know who I'm taken by."

"And everyone _will_ know. Just as soon as everyone _can_ know. We just need to wait to get there," he said, kissing her cheek.

She nodded, leaning her head against his bare chest.

And there they stood for a few moments, until Olivia broke the silence.

"Come on. Let's go decorate your apartment," she said, patting his chest.

"Alright," he nodded, kissing the top of her head.

They finished getting ready, and he showed her the box he talked about that was in his coat closet.

Sure enough, it was marked 'Xmas decor' in handwriting that wasn't his, and it was in an old looking box. Seemed a little strange to her, but she brought it to the living room to look through it, regardless.

They sat down together and Olivia opened it.

The first thing she saw was a small fake tree, all folded up as small as it could be so that it would fit. She guessed it was probably a few feet tall at max, but it was still something. Pre-lit and everything.

"Cute!" she exclaimed. He laughed. "Where should we even put that? It's a lame excuse for a Christmas tree," he said.

"Hey now, a Christmas tree is a Christmas tree. Size doesn't matter," she said, giving him a scolding look.

He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, said no woman ever."

She giggled. "You don't have anything to worry about in that department, Fitz," she said quietly, which made him chuckle.

"Glad you think so."

She pulled out a few of the ornaments that had dispersed everywhere, as well as the star that appeared to light up.

And then she pulled out a stocking, expecting to see Fitz's name on the top.

Only it wasn't his name.

 **Eleanor**

She ran her finger over the name, looking up at Fitz. "Your mother," she whispered.

He nodded, looking at the red stocking. "This is hers. All of this. Everything in this box, was hers," he said.

Olivia grew sad, understanding now why he had been a little weird about it.

"She used to put all these things up in her office at home. She never even _used_ her office. Didn't have anything to use it _for_. But...she loved Christmas. She'd decorate every room if you let her," he said with a laugh.

Olivia smiled. She sounded like her type of woman. Who doesn't love Christmas?

"Is...is this why you don't decorate?" she asked quietly.

He shrugged, playing with a little ornament in his hands. "Partially. I never really felt the need to decorate before. It's always been just me, you know. Why would I decorate for just me? And...yeah. It was her favorite holiday. It's never been the same to me, since she's been gone. So much time has passed and it's still just...never been the same. It never will be," he said.

She put a hand on his arm. "Oh, sweetheart. I didn't...we don't have to decorate, okay? I'm sorry, we can just put these—"

"No, no. No...you're right. We should. I think we should," he said, stopping her from putting the decorations away.

"I don't want them to make you sad," she said.

He shook his head. "They won't. This year...this year is different. This year I have you. I don't need to be sad."

She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, baby."

"Why? You don't need to be sorry," he said, resting his hand on her thigh.

She sat there in silence for a little while, listening to the soft pounding of his heart beneath her head.

"I'm just sorry. About your mom. She sounds wonderful, and you deserve to have her here with you. For Christmas, and for every other holiday. For _every_ day."

He nodded. "She _was_ wonderful. She was...so kind. And so happy, all the time. My dad...he wasn't always how he is today. I mean, don't get me wrong, he isn't a good man. But he used to be...better, at least. She made him better. He didn't deserve her. Not a single bit. He didn't always treat her right. But he did love her. And she loved him. A lot."

Olivia held onto him, listening to him talk to kindly about his mom.

And she smiled. She'd been so kind, and so happy, all the time. Sounded familiar. "She sounds like you."

She could feel the rapid rise and fall of his chest as he laughed. "Yeah. We got that a lot when I was younger. That we were similar. I was a little momma's boy. My father hated that," he chuckled.

"Well, I think it's so sweet," she said softly.

She looked up at him to see him smile. "She thought so, too. I was her "little Fitz". I followed her around everywhere when I was a boy, always so interested in what she was doing. I helped her garden, I loved that. I loved...going to shows with her. Shows at the theaters. She loved the stage. She thought it was good to go see performances, forms of art, you know. And...she loved to sing. So we'd sing together, me and her. My father and I bonded over sports. But that was it. I never had anything else in common with him. We were always just...so different. And I think that's part of the reason he can barely look at me. He just...he sees her in me. He probably wishes he...had another son. Someone more like him."

She clung to him tighter, rubbing his back. "No, no. Don't say that," she said.

"It's okay, Liv, I mean it isn't...news to me. I tried...I tried for him. But in his eyes, I failed him. And that's okay. I'm okay with that. I just wish...you know, for _your_ sake, that I hadn't failed him. Because, I would have loved for him to meet his daughter-in-law. You know, the woman I _love_. The woman I am _meant_ to be with. But...he isn't a good man, Olivia. And I can honestly say that I don't know _how_ he would treat you. I seriously don't know. And I'm so sorry about that," he said regrettably.

"Hey. This isn't your fault, Fitz. You don't need to apologize for him. I would still like to meet him. He's your father. He's still your family, and that's important to me," she said.

"You'd...really want to?" he asked.

"Of course. Obviously I want for him to like me, and for him to approve of me. But...as we've learned, our situation makes that tough for people. People don't like us together. Well...besides maybe Abby," she said with a laugh. "But if he doesn't like me, he doesn't like me. So be it," she added.

Fitz nodded, rubbing a thumb over the top of her hand.

"Well, we can talk about it then. Talk about...you know, maybe flying out there when you and I are all in the clear. Give it...a try," he said.

"That sounds perfect to me, Fitz," she said, kissing his cheek.

"I wish you could have met her. You would have loved her and she would have loved you. I just wish you could have met her, Liv. Maybe then he wouldn't be how he is today. Maybe things would be a little different."

"I wish I could have met her too, Fitz. She sounds amazing, just like you are. She would be proud of you, today. She would be proud of _who_ you are. I know I didn't know her. But...I just know she would be," she said quietly.

He leaned his head against Olivia's. "That's sweet of you, baby. Thank you."

Olivia turned her head and looked at him, looking down at the box of decorations.

She put a finger under his chin, and turned his face towards her. She pecked his lips a few times, and kissed his soft face all around. "Mm, what's all the love for?" he chuckled.

"I just love you so much, Fitz. _So_ much. More than anything else in the world."

He smiled, kissing her once more. "How did I get so lucky?" he whispered.

"I wonder that every day," she said back.

He pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her. And they sat there together for a little bit. Not talking. Not doing anything. Just sitting.

But eventually, he spoke up.

"What do you think? Should we decorate this apartment or what?" he asked.

She giggled. "We should."

"Alright, let's do it."

So they did. And they had fun, too.

Olivia put Eleanor's stocking up in the living room, which Fitz smiled at.

"You know, where's your stocking?" Olivia asked.

Fitz looked at her funny. "I...don't have one," he said with a laugh.

"What?! Yes, you do, come on. The one that Santa used to put all your candy and small toys in. Where is it?" she asked.

"Oh, man. I have no idea, Liv. Probably long gone by now," he said.

She scoffed. "Well that is just not acceptable!"

"What, you still have yours?" he asked.

"Um, yes?! No way in hell I'm ever getting rid of mine. My _parents_ have their own, for God's sake! They still like to fill them up on Christmas. Just...fun little things. We need to get you one!"

He shot her a look. "Babe, my name isn't...Jack, or Max or something. You can't just go to the nearest Target and pick up a 'Fitz' stocking. My name isn't even a goddamn name," he chuckled.

"Clearly it's a name. It's _your_ name," she said, pointing at him.

"Yeah, unfortunately," he nodded. "Oh, shh. I love your name," she said.

"Do you really, though?" he asked skeptically. "Yes! I think Fitz is handsome."

"Okay. My nickname, fine. But my full name?" he asked.

She laughed. "Hmm, I'm getting the sense that you aren't into...carrying on the name," she said.

He shook his head. "No. Why? Are you?" He asked. "That's your decision, baby, not mine!" she replied.

"Personally, I'm not...into that. Not with my name, not with...my father," he said.

"I get that. I like your middle name though," she piped up.

He nodded. "Yeah. I...I do too, actually. I wish I was given that option as a kid. But no. They wanted to call me Gerry, like my dad. I hated that. My mom came up with Fitz. It was at least a form of Fitzgerald, so my dad dealt with it. Either way, I didn't have many options growing up," he said with a laugh.

"Your mom chose well. You don't look like a Gerry," she said.

"I'm thankful for that," he chuckled.

"So...Thomas, though. You like that?" she asked.

He nodded. "I do. Why do you ask?"

"No reason, just...wondering, is all. Just thinking."

"Thinking about...?" He asked.

She shrugged. "Names."

He smiled, getting the extension cord all set up. "Hmm. Names."

"Yeah. Names!"

He nodded. "Okay. Well. While we're on the subject of names. What do you think about...my mom's name?" he asked.

"Eleanor. It's beautiful," she nodded with a smile.

"Elle."

She looked at him in wonder.

"She went by Elle."

"I think that's very pretty. Elle," Olivia said happily.

"I think it's pretty too," he said.

She smiled over at him, and he was already smiling at her.

"So this conversation has never happened before," she said.

"No. Are we...do we know what this conversation is about?" he asked with a laugh.

"Mhm. Names."

"Right," he chuckled.

"How's it going over there?" she asked. "Hmm. Well. The lights still work luckily. But what about these...bead things," he said, lifting up a strand of beads.

She laughed. "You're supposed to drape those all around the tree. Like you would with the lights," she said.

He raised an eyebrow and started to try and do what she'd said. She kept an eye on him, trying to do it evenly and well.

He wasn't doing so hot.

"You want me to help you over there?" She asked with a laugh.

"No, no, you just...you just stay over there and do that wreath thing I have this covered," he said, fumbling with the beads.

"Oookay," she giggled.

"Jesus, mom. Why do you need all these beads? Aren't the lights enough?" he said to himself.

"Now, now, Fitzgerald. Elle's tree is perfect, beads and all."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Okay, how's this look?" he asked, gesturing to the tree.

She glanced at it. Yeah, it looked like a man decorated that tree. He learned how to _garden_ with his mother but he didn't learn how to properly decorate a Christmas tree?!

"It looks beautiful," she said, unable to keep the big smile off her face.

"Thank you," he said proudly.

They decorated his apartment and made some hot chocolate, spending a nice day inside while it looked like a _blizzard_ , outside.

But eventually, they did go out in the blizzard, to go to trivia night with Cyrus and James.

It was fun, and reminded Olivia of last year. Last year had been one hell of a year, it really had. Everything had been so perfect with Fitz. Her parents hadn't known about them, they hadn't had to be apart. They snuck around, yes, but they made the best of everything.

But now, after everything, she was pretty sure this year was going to be just as good, if not better. Her parents knew. She didn't have to hide him from them anymore. And not only that, but they were starting to _accept_ it. Accept _him_.

Her three best friends knew about him, and supported them. Her grades were thriving. She'd had conversations about marriage, about living together in the future with Fitz.

So this year wasn't turning out to be as bad as she thought it would, back in the summer.

When they got home, they changed into warm, comfy clothes and got in bed, Fitz's room lit up by a cute, battery-operated decoration on his nightstand.

She snuggled up to him, listening to the quiet sound of his breathing. Until she wanted to listen to something else, too.

"Will you sing? Will you sing our song to me?" she whispered.

He nodded, slowly turning on his stomach next to her, so he could look at her. And he started to sing.

She smiled at the sound of his beautiful, deep voice, singing a song that, to him, was about her.

She ran her fingers through his hair, smiling at him as the familiar lyrics came out of his mouth.

"I don't ever wanna wake up,

lookin' into someone else's eyes,

Another voice callin' me baby,

on the other end of the phone,

A new girl puttin' on her makeup,

before dinner on Friday night,

No I don't ever wanna know

No other shotgun rider, beside me,

singin' to the radio,"

"Wooahhh" he sang, kissing her arm.

"Wooahhh."

She giggled, accepting all of his kisses.

"Bravo," she said, clapping her hands quietly.

"Thank you, thank you," he said, giving her his best proud voice.

"Your turn," he added.

So, she took her turn, too, singing a bit of "Heart's Content" to him.

And there they laid, singing to each other in the dark, on a snowy, winter night.

* * *

Wow, domestic Olitz!

This chapter was sweet and easy to write, so I got it out fairly quickly. No reason for you all to have to wait any longer for it.

It was a fluffy little chapter, but it had some more underlying importance to it. I hope you all have noticed since their breakup that they have just continued to progress, both as individual people, _and_ as a couple.

Their breakup was good for them. I know it sucked at the time, (it did for me, just the same), but it was important.

And I'm so happy you all liked the last chapter so much! I wondered if people would complain about an argument, but most liked it and what it led to, and that made me happy. Arguments happen! It would be strange if they didn't. Nothing is perfect all the time.

Except maybe Fitz.

Ha! Nobody is. But he is a sweetheart, that's for sure.

Hope you enjoyed.

Time is moving fast. There will be small time jumps in the near future, I'll explain more in the next chapter. Nothing to worry about, though.

Read on!

With Love,

~T

P.S. Another visual is up on Twitter & Tumblr. I know y'all like those!


	60. Opportunities

**Important message at the end of the chapter. Please read when you get there! Thanks!**

* * *

He was hard, pressed up against her leg.

His hands, all over the place.

His tongue, reaching every crevice of her mouth.

She rolled them over, running her own hand down his clothed chest.

Both of them were clothed, actually. Fully clothed. It hadn't escalated beyond making out and the occasional handsy moment for quite some time now.

The sheets and comforter were a complete mess after all the rolling around and switching positions they'd done. Olivia's hair was a mess, and so was Fitz's.

They were just a mess, overall. But a good one. A turned on one.

Only _now_ , did it start to escalate.

He slipped his hand underneath her shirt, both reveling in the skin on skin contact.

He started to massage her breasts, one by one, through her bra.

They were just starting to move even further when Olivia's phone rang.

"Leave it."

Olivia winced, trying to decide if she should answer it or not. It was the middle of the afternoon on a Friday. Seemed like an alright time to call someone. Plus, it could be her parents, calling to check in on her travel plans for the weekend.

"I should answer," she whispered against his mouth, continuing to kiss him.

He continued to kiss her, not acknowledging much of what she had said. She reached over, feeling around for her phone on the nightstand, while Fitz sucked on the skin at the base of her neck.

She inhaled sharply at the feeling of his lips on her skin. Warm. Soft. Wet.

He palmed her ass and guided her into him as she started to grind her hips. All, of course, while she was fumbling with her phone to try and answer.

Which, she finally managed to do.

"Hello?" she said in as normal a voice as she could.

"Hi, Olivia. Is this a bad time?"

Olivia froze.

"Oh, Tim, hi?" she said, almost in question.

"I know, surprised to hear my voice during the school year?" he chuckled.

She watched Fitz raise an eyebrow and mouth "Who's Tim?"

She smiled and mouthed back, "my boss."

He nodded. "Ohhhh, right," he whispered.

She got up off of Fitz, pecking his cheek quickly before she answered him.

"No, this...this isn't a bad time, what's up?" she asked, fixing her cardigan and crossing her arms as she walked out to the kitchen.

"Well, I just wanted to give you a call about an opportunity that comes up every two years or so. As you know I work a lot with Yale and Harvard graduates. One of whom is now apart of a very successful Public Relations Specialists team at The Hartford. Have you heard of it?" Tim asked.

"Yes, the big investment and insurance company in Hartfort?" she asked.

"Exactly right. Well my former colleague, and former Yale graduate Karen Williams will ask me every now and then if I have any recommendations for summer interns. So I gave her your name and number, and you're free to decline, you're free to do whatever you please. This is just a big opportunity that doesn't come easily, so I figured it's a good way for you to get your foot in the door and try it out, if you like."

Olivia put her hand up to her mouth in shock. "Oh my goodness. Tim, that is amazing. Thank you so much! I don't even know what to say!" she exclaimed, feeling her heart beating fast.

"Well you're welcome, Olivia. You deserve it, you really do. You're an insanely hard worker and you've always got such great ideas, and I always know that I can count on you, for anything. You are just what they're looking for there. And I figure if I have to lose one of my best, it should be to a company like that," he chuckled.

"I really don't know what to say, Tim. This means so much to me and I can't thank you enough," she said appreciatively.

"No problem. I assume she'll give you a call within the next day or so, just to talk and maybe set up an interview with you. You'll have to send your resume in, and I assume she'll want your transcript too, because you're still in school."

"Well that's no problem, I can handle everything. You've already given me such a great opportunity," she replied.

"It is a pretty great opportunity. Many of the interns stay there. Most of the ones I've recommended to her have worked their way up. So I have no doubt you can do the same. You worked your way up here, and you haven't been with us for that long, so I have full confidence in you."

She shook her head, not even able to process that such an opportunity was available to her.

"Well thank you for the call, and thank you so much again for this. Thank you, Tim," she said gratefully.

"You're welcome, Olivia," he chuckled.

"And hey, let me know how everything goes with Karen," he added.

"I will. I definitely will," she nodded.

"Alright. Have a good rest of your day now."

"You too. Thank you again. Bye, Tim."

"Goodbye."

Olivia hung up the phone and set in on the counter, still trying to process what in the hell had just happened. A job opportunity. A new job opportunity. In _Hartford!_

"Hey. Babe. Is everything okay with work?" Fitz asked, walking through the hallway.

She looked at him, so happily, and ran over to him.

"Woah!" he exclaimed unexpectedly as she jumped into his arms.

"I just got a job offer, Fitz!" she exclaimed.

"What?!" he asked. "Yes, I'm serious! A _job_ offer. At the _Hartford!"_ she exclaimed.

She watched the wheels turn in his head. "Wait...the Hartford? That's _in_ Hartford. That's—that's forty minutes away from here," he said.

 _"_ _Mhm,"_ she nodded.

"Oh my god...for when?" he asked.

"Summer," she whispered.

His lips parted and he opened his mouth in shock. "Summer? Wait...Liv," he said.

She smiled so big and nodded, because she knew what he couldn't even say.

"I'll be _here_. In the _summer,_ " she whispered.

That shocked look on his face slowly turned into a big smile.

"Oh my god."

She nodded, leaning her head against hers.

"Oh my god!" he exclaimed, spinning her around.

"You're going to be here!" he said, not even trying to be quiet.

"I'm going to be here!" she exclaimed, holding on tighter to him.

They stood there in a tight embrace, Fitz bringing her over against the hallway wall.

He smiled back at her, and then it slowly faded as he seemed to be thinking hard.

"Liv."

"Hmm?"

"Move in with me. In the summer. Live here, with me."

She looked at him, unsure. "What?"

"It's just like we talked about. It's—it's a bit of a drive to and from Hartford, I know. But...you could be here. You could come home to me. Every day, Liv. _Every day._ This is perfect," he said.

The racing in her heart started up again.

"Really—wait. Are you serious?" she asked.

"I'm _so_ serious, baby, completely. This is exactly what we wanted. What do you say?...Will you?" he asked.

She smiled and hugged him tighter, tucking her face into his shoulder. "Yes. Yes, a thousand times yes," she said.

"Yes? _Yes?!"_ he exclaimed.

 _"_ _Yes!"_ she said again.

He laughed happily into her shoulder, spinning her around again.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry I told you to leave your phone, that was a hell of a phone call. That will not happen again," he chuckled.

"It's okay I didn't listen to you anyway," she giggled.

"When _do_ you?" he asked.

"Rarely," she giggled.

He laughed, bringing her back into the bedroom.

"Tell me all about it, tell me everything. What did he say?" he asked, setting her on the bed and sitting next to her.

So, she told him everything.

That she was waiting for Karen Williams to call her first just to confirm. That she was hand selected by her boss for this opportunity. That she could potentially work her way up at this company. That she could make a _name_ for herself at this company. She told him everything.

And he listened intently, holding her hand while she talked.

"Your boss picked the right person for this opportunity. He knows what he's doing, because you are right for this. You deserve this. You work so hard in the summer, Liv, I see it even from here. You're up at the crack of dawn and working past dinner half the time. You should be proud, baby," he said, kissing her hand.

"Well thank you, Fitz. Thank you for supporting me. It means a lot to me," she nodded happily.

"Of course. I'm your number one supporter always, you know that. Impress the hell out of the head of that team when she calls. I know you will," he said.

"I will," Olivia said with a smile.

Fitz grabbed his phone on his side of the nightstand and started texting.

"What are you doing?" she asked. "I'm texting Logan. We're going to celebrate tonight," he said.

"Oh we are, huh?" she asked.

"Yes we are. We're going to celebrate _you_. He and Aliyah wanted to go out anyway. You deserve to get out too, all you've been doing the past few days is studying," he said, shutting off his phone.

She sighed. "I know. It's finals time, babe. I have to," she said.

"Oh I know. And you should. But breaks are good for you too. You can't push yourself too hard for _too_ long," he replied.

"You're right," she nodded.

"But," he said, getting up and grabbing her three textbooks piled on the floor by her backpack.

"You have the rest of the afternoon to be productive," he said, setting them beside her.

"Uh, yeah, except we were kind of in the middle of something before my boss interrupted us," she said.

He laughed. "Uh-huh. I am uh...very aware of that," he said, readjusting his pants.

"So," she said, grabbing the books from the bed and putting them back on the floor.

"You'd better undress yourself."

He smirked, grabbing her hand and pulling her on his lap.

"Do it for me, miss company woman."

She couldn't really turn that down. She pushed him back on the bed, fingers fumbling with his belt.

It was quite different than their fun before, when they took their sweet time.

Now it was as if the clothes couldn't come off fast enough.

She took care of his clothes, and he took care of hers for the most part.

She pushed him back on the bed and kept a hand on his chest.

His hands were instantly on her hips, guiding her into him.

Riding him felt good. Really good.

To him too, clearly, because he guided her with every thrust of her hips and breathed hard in pleasure.

His hands were warm on her skin like they always were. He propped himself up slightly on his elbows, so she leaned down further and gave him a kiss. A slow one, contrary to the speed of her hips.

She leaned her forehead down against his, watching his eyes look back at hers as she continued to roll her hips.

He looked down and squeezed a hand between their bodies, starting to rub her clit while she rode him.

She braced herself with a palm on the bed, moaning at the feel of his finger moving in quick, agonizing circles.

She forced her hips to move faster on top of him, while it appeared he was trying to move his finger faster, too.

"God—you feel so good," she panted.

He nodded in agreement, his whole arm moving back and forth now as he touched her. "Just like that—Liv, just like that. You want me to keep going?" he asked.

"Yes," she whimpered, leaning her head against his.

And so he did. They both did, for a good amount of time.

But as good as it felt, the combination of him inside of her and him touching her was going to bring her to her end quicker than she liked.

"Fitz, I'm—I'm almost there. So close," she whispered.

"Come, Liv. Come for me," he whispered back, looking down as his finger worked.

And man, oh, man, did she.

It overcame her suddenly, all of the built up tension in her abdomen being wonderfully released.

She continued to grind her hips through her orgasm, clenching around him. Which, sent him over the edge, too. It usually did.

She could feel him come inside of her as he called out her name, grabbing her hips hard.

She collapsed on his chest, both their skin a bit damp from sweat.

"Mmm. Okay—now, now I can...study," she whispered breathlessly.

"Oh I see, you just had to get some first," he replied.

She laughed quietly against his chest, putting a hand on his cheek.

"Exactly," she teased.

He scoffed. "I ask her to move in with me and she goes and uses me for sex!" he said, throwing his hands up dramatically.

She laughed. "I can have sex with my boyfriend whenever I damn well please!" she exclaimed.

"Oh is that right?" he chuckled.

"It _is_ right. I mean as long as you're up for it. And based on how hard you were before I'm pretty sure you were," she replied.

"Hmm. Yeah, I was. Except you kinda left me, uh, high and dry when your boss called," he said.

"To take a very important call! And now, I will never leave you high and dry again, because, see, I'll be coming home to you every night in the summer. Every night," she whispered, smiling at him.

 _"_ _Every night,"_ he stated.

"Mmhm," she nodded, laying her head back on his chest.

"That's going to be something else. Having you here all the time. I can't even...describe that. It's just like what we always talked about, Livvie."

"I know! I can't wait. I wonder...I wonder how my parents will take it," she winced.

"Well they'll be happy, won't they? I mean these kinds of opportunities don't just present themselves on a daily basis. This is a once in a lifetime chance, Liv. It's perfect," he said.

"I know it is. And they'll agree, I just wonder if that will outweigh the...living with you part," she said.

He nodded. "Well...they're...warming up to me. They're getting there, right? And by summer, I should have made even more progress with them. It's smart to live with me. It's good for _us_ , it's good financially for you. You know this area well, it's not like you're going off to a whole different state. I think...it makes a lot of sense," he said.

"You're right. You're absolutely right. I just tend to...overthink when it comes to them," she sighed.

"I know, babe. That's alright. You wanna call them or are you gonna tell them when you go home?" he asked.

"I'll just tell them when I go home, it's in a few days anyway," she said.

"Yeah I think that's better. It's a big thing, Liv!" he said.

"I know...I can't wait to tell Abby! Except..." she said, growing sad.

"Except what?" he asked.

"Sandra. And...Stephen."

He nodded. "You know they'll be happy for you," he said.

"Yes. It's just sad that I won't get to spend the summer with them. That was always the one good thing I could count on during the summer," she said.

"I know how that feels. I don't get to see my buddies hardly at all anymore. Brett, Matt, Jason. All those guys. We've all split up. We all live in different states now. And...surprisingly, none of us stayed in Cali. Your friends may not stay in Virginia either, babe. Everyone goes to where ends up being best for them," he said.

"Yeah. It happens, we can't all stay together forever. It's not how it works. But it is sad," she nodded.

"It is. How about Abby, you know where she wants to end up?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, she's staying around here, no doubt. She's aiming for Yale Law after this, to begin with, and after that, I assume she'll stay here and find work. She hates West Virginia, and she _loves_ it here. Plus, David's a homebody, the boy's barely been anywhere else in his life. And...there's no way she's gonna leave him."

"Well, as long as they're both happy that's all that matters. And at least Abby will be here! Maybe not during the summer, but long-term," he said.

"Yeah, she has a job back home during the summer, too. But I'll be happy knowing she'll be back. You know...we've always had this plan. To live with each other until we graduate. I just...I wonder if we're going to do that, you know? We both have serious relationships. We're both at our boyfriends' places half the time anyway."

He nodded. "Well...maybe it's time you two had that conversation. You can certainly go back and live with her your senior year, I have no problem with that I think that's great. But...I think it's pretty clear that I wouldn't have an issue with you...you know, moving in for good, either," he chuckled.

"Yes. It's been on my mind lately, just because you and I will be in the clear next year to do what we want. But now...after today it's really going to be on my mind. It's crazy how one day can change so much," she said.

"Mhm, it really can. I just feel...I just feel good about us, Liv. It feels nice to know what we both want. It feels nice for things to...work. We've never had that before, you and me. It's always been obstacle after obstacle. And now, especially after today, it feels like...things are starting to swing in our favor," he said.

"I know, and I love it. I love you and I love our plan. Every plan that we have."

"I love it all too. I love _you_ too," he said with a smile.

It was a good day. A really good day.

Well, the studying for the rest of the afternoon sucked. But it was necessary, and she dealt with it.

She also did some research on the Hartford, wanting to get a little more background information before she talked to the head of the team on the phone. She wanted to see if this really was a place she could see herself working at long-term, and potentially moving up at, if she wanted.

And it was. It really was. It was quite an impressive company.

Going out with Logan and Aliyah that night was fun. It was nice to get away from all her textbooks for the evening, and just have a night out with her guy and some friends.

But she still had three finals to take, all online, and all throughout the course of the weekend.

She could have taken them earlier in the week to get them done with, but she chose to stay and get as much studying in as she could before she went to the online exam room she always went to, to take them.

But before she did any of that. Before she took her exams, before she said goodbye to her friends and to her boyfriend. Before all of that, she had a conversation with her best friend on Saturday.

Olivia told her about her job offer first. She told her how she'd gotten the call from her former boss on Friday afternoon, and how she'd gotten the follow-up call from one of the specialist team members at the Hartford, Karen Williams, that morning, and it had all gone well. She told her about living with Fitz in the summer. She told her about it all, until she got to what she thought would maybe be the hard part.

"So...next year. I just wondered what you and I wanted to do? I mean we have a little bit of time left before we have to decide if we want to live here next year. So...do we want to live here next year?" she asked straight up.

Abby sat there in thought for a little while.

"So you've been thinking about it too?" Abby asked.

Olivia almost sighed in relief.

"Yeah. A little bit. But just in these past two days. It feels like everything has done a complete 360, you know? And I mean, in a good way for sure. I just...I feel like a lot of my plans are changing and I don't want to feel out of touch with you. I want to talk to you about everything. You're my best friend and...we need to make these decisions together. The decision that's best for both of us."

Abby nodded. "I think...this is a great opportunity for you, Liv. Both the job, and the chance to move in with pretty boy. And...I think you should live there. I think you should live with him for the rest of your damn life because you two deserve to be with each other. The most whipped people I know," Abby said, nudging her arm.

"Hey," Olivia said with a laugh, nudging her back.

"Hey, I mean it in the best way. I think...I just think this is what you're supposed to do. You should live with him, Olivia."

Olivia? _The hell?_ This was beginning to feel like a very emotional conversation.

Olivia shook her head and grabbed her hand. "I'm not leaving you, though. We had a plan, and I'm not going back on our plan unless I know there is a better option for _both_ of us," she said adamantly.

"I know. The truth is, I'm not sure what I'll do yet, with David. I don't know, just because...he's got a lot on his plate right now, and he may move back in with his parents for a while to save up for an apartment. An apartment for... _us_. He isn't sure yet. _We're_ not sure yet, and I still have some saving to do too. But I can figure that out. That's all on me, not you, okay?"

Olivia shook her head. "No. Okay? No. Then you and me, we can live together. I'm not going to leave you hanging, Abby. I don't like that," she said.

Abby laughed. "Olivia. No. It's okay to not have a plan. It's okay to not know exactly how everything is going to turn out. It's part of you know, growing up. It's part of... _adulting,"_ she said with a laugh.

"I will figure it out, just like you've got it figured out. Because, man, you really do. You've got it _down_. And I want to get it down for _me_ too. So live with your man, please, okay? God knows you and I will still be with each other all the god damn time anyway. I can't be away from your annoying ass for too long or I start to feel weird."

Olivia laughed, putting her palm up to her face.

But she soon felt tears, threatening to spill out. She pulled her hand away from her eyes and looked at her, sighing heavily.

"No. Nuh-uh. We're not doing this today. My makeup looks fantastic," Abby said, looking sadly back at Olivia.

Olivia couldn't help but laugh again, at her best friend. Her sweet, hilarious best friend, that she'd do anything for.

And the tears fell anyway, regardless of the women's fantastically-done makeup.

Olivia pulled her friend into a hug as they sat on the couch, wrapping her arms tightly around her.

"You will always be the best roommate. Always. Don't tell Fitz I said that," she giggled.

"I won't," Abby chuckled. "But hey, we still have a whole semester in this apartment. We still have time to tear it up together. This place is legendary," Abby said.

"Hell yeah, it is," Olivia replied.

"I love you, dumbass," Abby whispered, wiping her tears away.

"I love you too, dumbass," Olivia whispered back, pulling away from their embrace.

They laughed at each other's runny mascara. Oh well.

"Well I hope this is the only time I cry today. I'm taking two exams this afternoon, and I don't want to have a reason to cry after those," Olivia chuckled. "Oh you won't, you've been studying like crazy. I just have one more that I'm taking tomorrow. A final exam. On a Sunday. How rude," Abby said with a sigh.

"I know, I'm taking my last one tomorrow too and then getting out of dodge," Olivia nodded.

"Is pretty boy ready to say goodbye for like...a whole two weeks!?" Abby joked dramatically.

"Ha ha, very funny. Yes. We've got it all planned out, he's coming the day after Christmas after my extended family is all gone again. I feel bad. I wish he could just...be there with us. He'll be all alone," she said sadly.

"I know. But...this will be the last year he should have to wait, right? I mean next Christmas your whole family could meet him. You'll be in the clear by then," Abby said.

Olivia nodded. "Yeah, that's the plan. It just sucks for him. He has this...thing with Christmas. It was his mom's favorite holiday, and...he used to spend it with his dad, who obviously...sucks. And now he just spends it alone. I don't know, it's just awful," Olivia said sadly.

"It is. He doesn't deserve that. But he'll get through it, he's tough. He'll _have_ a Christmas at your house. It'll just be...a day later," Abby replied.

"Yeah. I can't wait. I'm having one of his presents custom made right now, back at home. One that he's going to get that day when he comes to my house. And I'm gonna have something delivered to his apartment on Christmas too. Just...something fun, so he has something to look forward to," Olivia said.

"That's sweet, Liv. He'll love that. Thank god for Amazon Prime," Abby said with a laugh.

"Yeah, seriously," Olivia agreed.

She couldn't wait to spend her own little Christmas with Fitz and her family. She only hoped their meetings would improve each and every time.

At least this time, he'd get to stay in the comfort of her home with her family. All she wanted was for him to feel like he had a family. A family that loved and accepted him.

And right now, it seemed they were on a good track to getting there.

* * *

Olivia took her exams, one by one, slowly and carefully.

The first two on Saturday, and the last one on Sunday.

And it got to be time to say goodbye to everyone she loved before winter break.

She'd said slow goodbyes to her friends throughout the week, all of whom left at different times depending on when their finals were.

The only people left to say goodbye to on Sunday were her two favorite people. Abby and Fitz.

She spent the night at her own apartment, and went out to breakfast in the morning with Abby before both of their exams, considering they didn't have any groceries left.

They went to the testing center around the same time and met back at the apartment after, just to gather their things together, and lock up.

It was a sad goodbye, but it was only for a month. They knew how it went, and they knew it would only be a matter of time before they'd be back tearing it up in January.

And after that goodbye, she drove over to Fitz's, heading up to his apartment to say goodbye.

This also wasn't a super sad goodbye. It was less than two weeks, in reality. Not bad at all.

But of course, they were...quite attached to each other. So a goodbye was a goodbye, nonetheless.

"I love you, pretty girl," he whispered, slowly rubbing his hand over the top of her head.

"I love you too. I'll see you soon, okay? You'll be on a plane coming to see me before we know it!" she said.

"Yes, I will. Text me when you're home safe, okay?" he asked.

"Of course. Maybe I'll call you too, once I get a little ways into my drive," she said.

"I would love that," he said, pulling back to look at her.

"I'll miss you and your cute face," she giggled.

"I'll miss you too. You gonna kiss me or what?" he asked.

She smiled and leaned in to kiss him.

A nice makeout session turned into a few playful little pecks, before she looked up at her sweet guy.

"Bye, sweetie," she said.

"Bye," he said, kissing her forehead.

And with a little wave behind her shoulder, she was gone.

Off, heading back to Virginia for her junior year winter break.

Feeling nothing but excitement. Excitement to see her parents, and for Christmas, just to see him again.

Excitement for next semester, to see her friends again. And excitement for the future.

Their future.

* * *

 **Please read!**

Wow.

That was a lot to read and process!

Lots of good happening here. And as promised last chapter, I'll explain a little bit of what I meant by time jumps.

 _So._ This story has and always will be about their journey through Yale together.

It's about these two as a couple, and how they're getting through everything despite Fitz being _Forbidden_ to her.

It was never going to be a story that continues on in detail with each and every year of their life, whether that be marriage, children, jobs, etc.

 _However, a_ nd this is a _big_ however. That does not mean in any way, shape, or form that you will not get to see what life looks like for them after Yale. You WILL.

And you will get to see how everything unfolds for them. But, it will be through time jumps, like I said before. You will get to see the big moments for them, and the little ones too.

This story has so much left, so I don't want you to think it's ending. It is NOT. And I'm not even _starting_ time jumps yet. You will get to see Christmas, you will get to see all of that.

I just don't want it to be a surprise, if time skips a few months every once in a while here pretty soon.

I still have so much planned, that I can promise you. I hope you all can trust me, like you've continued to do.

I've already received so much feedback about this story ending, and how people are very much against that. Well, it will end _eventually_. It will have to. But that time is not now. I want that to be clear.

Thanks for reading all that, it's important! Each and every reader is so important to me. You all are the reason I write! I'm so grateful to have hit 60 chapters!

So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you understand where I'm coming from with the rest of that.

Let me know what you thought!

Read on!

With Love,

your friend, T


	61. Merry Christmas, Kind Of

"So...what do you think?" Olivia asked, looking at her parents across the table from her.

Her parents looked at each other. "Well...do you like the company? Do you like what they have to offer you?" Maya asked.

Olivia nodded. "I've done tons of research on it. It's an amazing company. Did you know it was ranked 152nd in the Fortune 500 last year? They're growing, they're only _continuing_ to grow," she replied.

"That's impressive," Eli nodded.

"I know. And if I do like it, I have the option to work my way up. Or...try to, just like anyone else could. Obviously I would have to apply, and go through that whole process to climb the ladder. But it's an option. Tim seemed very optimistic for me, and Ms. Williams was very kind to me on the phone. She seemed very welcoming," Olivia said.

"When do you have to go in to meet her?" Eli asked.

"She said around early May, just so I can go in and get a feel for things, get the full tour. I'm sure she'll ask more questions too. She asked a few over the phone. But they've got my resume, they've got my transcript. They've got everything. It's all set," Olivia said.

"Well I think you should do what's best for you, Olivia. I think if this is what you want, you should take this opportunity, because you're right, it is a good one," Maya said.

"Very good," Eli added.

"And...the living arrangements. What do you think about...that?" Olivia asked.

"You've discussed it with him in detail? You know that this is what you both want?" Maya asked.

Olivia nodded. "Yes. It's really what we want."

"It will be quite the drive to work every morning," Eli said.

"Well I figure it's really not that much different than what I do now. I mean, you both know it as well as I do. Commuting to downtown D.C. every morning can take just as long, even on a good day," Olivia said.

Her parents nodded.

"I don't care about my commute to work every day. I just don't, a lengthy commute is normal. I want to be with him. It's smart, for so many different reasons," Olivia said.

"Well, it's not like we are going to tell you that you can't or that you shouldn't. You can do whatever you think is best, as long as you have thought it all out. And it sounds like you two have. I think it is a smart choice," Maya said.

Man, that was good to hear.

"What is the layout of his apartment? Does he have enough room for the two of you to live comfortably?" Eli asked.

"Yes. He's got three bedrooms," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Three? For what? He lives alone?" Maya said questionably.

"The apartments there are...not small, mom. None of them," Olivia said.

"Hmm. Well where is this place? Have we driven by it?" Maya asked.

"Oh, yeah. Plenty of times. It's right off the highway. It's...huge. Paxton Hills. Everyone calls it Pax. With all the pretty stone on the outside," Olivia said.

"Oh, maybe, maybe. It's been a while since we've been up there," Maya said.

"Indeed. Maybe we ought to go up there this summer. Help her...move out, and then get...settled," Eli said.

Olivia looked at him with a smile. "I really don't have much at my apartment, dad. It's pre-furnished, remember? I don't have much furniture," Olivia said.

"I know. But we haven't been up there since we moved you out of your dorm freshman year. You won't let us come see your _new_ residence?" Eli asked, teasing her a little bit.

Olivia smiled. "Of course I will let you. I'm sure Fitz would love that, too. He doesn't really get...visitors," she said with a laugh.

"Well tell him we're going to change that," Maya said.

Olivia could barely contain her happiness. "I will!"

"We're proud of you, Olivia. You proved to your boss that you deserve this chance. And you do. And it never hurts to know the right people. You should be proud," Maya said.

"Yes, you should. _Hand-picked_. That's my daughter," Eli said.

Olivia smiled at her parents brightly. "Thank you."

And that was the first time, since this summer, that she'd felt completely content with her parents. That she'd felt happy with herself, and proud. And when she felt that _they_ were proud of her too.

That was a good day.

But that had been the first day of her winter break, when she'd first come home.

Winter break always went way too fast for her liking. She really had nothing to do. No responsibilities. She could just hang out with Sandra and Stephen, or take a day for herself. And all of that was fun. But fun always went by too fast.

Now, she was using another day of no responsibility, to catch up on her sleep. But it wasn't just any day, it was Christmas Eve.

"Olivia," Maya called out, knocking a few times on her bedroom door.

Olivia's eyes fluttered open, and she looked at the clock on her nightstand.

"Oh, shit," she muttered under her breath.

"Sorry—sorry, mom. I'm coming," she said sleepily, getting out of bed.

She walked to the door and opened it, revealing her mother all dressed nicely.

"You still have time, I was just making sure you were alright up here. You haven't said a peep in hours and that is…strange," her mother said with a laugh.

Olivia opened the door fully for her mother to come in. "Yeah, I know. I just was up late last night, I'm still tired. I've been napping for like…two hours, I think," she said, rubbing her eyes as Maya sat down on Olivia's bed.

Maya gave her a look. "Hmm, I wonder why you were up so late," she said sarcastically.

Olivia laughed. "Yeah…I know, I know," she nodded.

It was no surprise that she had been talking to Fitz on the phone. It was no surprise because she did it almost every night, and she didn't hide the fact that she was doing it anymore, like she used to have to. She didn't sneak off to the basement anymore. She didn't have to whisper. She could just talk to him normally. That was a pretty big win in her book.

"How's he doing? He excited to come?" Maya asked.

Olivia nodded. "Yes. I just…I've been talking to him so much recently, especially, because he just…he doesn't have anyone there, mom. He doesn't have… _anyone_. His father's such a son of a bitch—". "Hey now."

She shook her head. "Sorry, sorry. His father is…a piece of garbage, there. He's the only family Fitz has left and the man barely makes an effort to reach out to his son. Even on Holidays. You know, on Fitz's birthday earlier this year, he was surprised that his dad called. He was _surprised_ , mom."

Maya nodded. "Well on Thanksgiving. Didn't he mention something about his dad returning his call before he came here?" she asked.

"Yeah. Fitz called him on Thanksgiving. He didn't answer. And…didn't call him back until ten at night. And even then, he told me it was a five-minute conversation. That's how it always is. They barely talk at all, I just…it just makes me so sad. I know that it's better than no communication, but I just can't imagine being that way with dad. Or you. Or anyone in my family."

Maya sighed. "Well, we've always been…pretty close, baby. You, me, and your father. That doesn't tend to happen when you have such a close-knit family. Fitz doesn't have that, sadly, and it sounds like he never really has."

"Except for when his mom was alive. He was close with her. Everybody needs their family. Everybody. And he's the sweetest guy in the world and he's got _nobody_ left in his family that's there for him. Nobody. It's just not fair, it's not right," Olivia said regrettably.

"I can tell this makes you very upset," Maya said, looking over at her.

"Yeah, it makes me upset. It makes me very upset."

"Well it's good that it makes you upset. It should. And…it shows how much you care for him," Maya nodded.

Olivia nodded back, looking down at the floor.

"You know… _on top of_ all these pictures you've got of him," Maya added, inspecting the pictures she had clipped to a string, strung up on her headboard.

Olivia smiled and laughed, feeling the color rush to her cheeks.

"Yeah. I love all our pictures together," she replied, coming to sit on her bed with her mom.

Maya pointed to the one of them over Thanksgiving break, when they'd all gone to pick out a Christmas tree together. Olivia had only recently gotten it developed.

Fitz had taken the selfie of the two of them in front of a snowy evergreen tree. They were all bundled up. He looked adorable. But, of course, she wouldn't _tell him_ he looked adorable. He didn't like that word. Weirdo.

"I love this one," Maya said.

"Me too. The first meeting," Olivia said.

"Mhm. That's an important one," Maya said with a laugh.

Olivia admired all of them, and watched as her mother looked through all of them, too. It was…a little awkward, considering she had a fair share of them kissing up there. But, oh well.

"The boy's sure got a body on him, doesn't he," Maya said, leaning in closer to look at the one of Fitz on the boat at Dennis's cabin. Ah, the famous boat picture.

She could picture that photograph in her head without even looking at it, no problem. Him looking forward as he drove the boat, wearing board shorts. No shirt. Hat flipped backward with his hair curling up underneath the hat's edges. Aviator sunglasses. Damn.

Olivia blushed again. _"Mom,"_ she said with a laugh.

 _"_ _What?"_ Maya exclaimed. "I'm just sayin' what I see."

Olivia laughed. "Uh. Yes—yeah, he…does," she nodded.

Maya turned back to look at her with a strange look. "Seriously? That's all you got?"

"I don't—I don't know!" Olivia said with a laugh.

"C'mon. You don't think I'm a cool mom? We can talk about cute guys, I don't see your dad anywhere," she said, giving her a nudge.

Olivia put her hand against her head, smiling a little bit. "Whatever you say, mom," she chuckled.

"I'm sitting here complimenting your boyfriend and you're gonna sit there and say 'whatever you say'? Come on baby, I'd expect you to be bragging a little more than _that._ I brag about your dad all the time," she said.

Olivia continued to stumble a little bit. She was just caught off guard. It felt weird to be bragging about her boyfriend in _that way_ to one of her parents. It had taken so long to get to where she was with her them, so talking about…that, didn't exactly seem natural. But she went for it, why not.

"He's…a _very_ attractive man," Olivia said.

"Yes, he is. Quite the hair, I might add," Maya teased. "You don't like it?" Olivia asked.

"No, I _do_ like it. I think it's very cute."

"Yeah...me too. Unfortunately, he did just get it cut a little bit, but it still looks really good. He sent me a picture. I love his long hair, but he probably needed it cut. It grows so fast," Olivia said.

"Yeah, it was pretty long when I saw him last," her mom said.

"Yeah. If he left it unstyled, it would get in his eyes. You should see it when he gets out of the shower, it's so long and it curls out of control," she said with a laugh.

And then she thought about what she said. Yeah, maybe a bit too far, there.

"Or...okay never mind, I probably didn't need to mention the shower part," she said with a laugh.

"That's alright. I'm certainly not under the impression that you don't...or, that you haven't..." Maya began.

Oh Jesus.

"Yeah, I...yeah. I get what you're trying to say, mom," Olivia cut in.

Maya laughed. "As long as you're being smart and safe about it."

Olivia cringed. This conversation was all over the damn place.

"Yes, mom. Yes," Olivia nodded. Her mother knew about her birth control. She used to pick up her _prescription_ for her on occasion for god's sake.

Maya seemed to sense this discomfort.

"I know you are, Olivia. I know. Hey, I'm just making sure! It doesn't hurt to have the conversation, Livvie, I'm your mom! Moms think about these things, unfortunately," she chuckled.

"No, no I get it. I do. You're right," Olivia nodded.

"Alright. Why don't you get ready. We're leaving for church in forty-five," Maya said, getting up off her bed.

"Okay. I'll be ready," Olivia nodded.

Maya nodded back and headed out of her room, only to stop in the doorway.

"And...Olivia."

"Yeah?"

"Make sure that...Fitz knows he's got a family here. I know we don't know him super well yet, but we will _get_ to know him. We care for him, because we can see how much he cares for you. Your father, included. Just...make sure Fitz knows that."

Olivia smiles and nodded. "Thank you, mom. Thank you."

Maya nodded and closed her door to leave her be so she could get ready.

Well, that all-over-the-place conversation turned out to be pretty good.

* * *

Olivia always loved Christmas Eve. She went to a nice church service with her parents and had a nice dinner that her dad always made. It was always delicious.

And Christmas Day, they always had family over just like they did on Thanksgiving.

They usually hosted Thanksgiving and Christmas, and her aunt usually hosted Easter at her house. She was glad they hosted Thanksgiving and Christmas, because they were definitely her favorites.

But even though Christmas was one of her favorites, she was still missing her favorite guy.

All day, she wondered how he was doing, and what he was up to. She tried her best to keep in contact with him, but having her family over made that a bit difficult.

She just hoped he was doing okay, spending it all alone.

* * *

Fitz laid on his bed, watching Netflix with a glass of scotch in hand.

He chuckled at his show, taking a sip of his drink. And he was interrupted by his phone vibrating.

He happily picked it up, expecting a message from his girlfriend. Only it was an automated message from his building, alerting him that he had a package at the front desk.

"Seriously?" he said to himself. He never got unexpected packages.

He tried to think back if there was anything he'd ordered for Olivia, that hadn't come yet. But he remembered wrapping everything. Hmm.

He paused his show and put down his scotch, going to slip on a pair of shoes to go grab this mysterious package.

When he got to the front desk, he greeted the woman at the front desk and showed her his package number.

Sadly, Logan was out of town for the holidays now, so he couldn't chat with his buddy. But, he knew this woman well enough by now too, and knew she was nice.

She handed him a fairly small box that said it was from Amazon, and Fitz brought it up to his apartment to open it.

He ripped open the flaps and grabbed the small blue box inside, lifting up the lid to reveal a keychain.

And then he smiled.

It was a silver circle, with the words, "Always your girl" engraved on it. Along with that was a separate silver heart, that said: "I love you".

He dug further through the box and pulled out the receipt, which contained a note from the sender.

 **Merry Christmas, sweetie!**

Well, as if the keychain itself hadn't already given it away, there was only one person in the world who called him "sweetie".

He continued to read with a smile on his face.

 **I hope you like your keychain, you can think of me wherever you go! I wanted to get the one that said "I hope your day is as nice as my butt", but I thought that wouldn't be very professional. Lol! Don't worry, this isn't your only Christmas gift. That would be lame. You have two more gifts, but you have to come get them yourself;) I can't wait to see you tomorrow, baby. I miss you like crazy. Merry Christmas. I love you so much.**

- **Olivia**

He smiled, laughing at her cute little note. He immediately grabbed his keys off the counter and attached the keychain. He _would_ think of her everywhere he went now.

He pulled out his phone and sent her a text.

 _Just got your sweet gift. Thank you! It's already on my keys. Miss you too, and can't wait to see you tomorrow. I love you!_

And, after that, he went back to his room to watch his show. That was essentially his Christmas. He texted Olivia every now and then when she wasn't busy, and he made sure he had everything he'd possibly need for his trip to Virginia.

He was really excited to go, not only because he'd get to see his girl. But because he liked being there.

He liked her house and he liked the family feel it had to it. He loved her mother, she had been sweet to him from the start, despite everything. And he liked her father too. He was a little more tricky, but he was still kind to him for the most part. He was just excited.

Being apart of a real family like this was not something he was used to, because he hadn't had it for so long.

And now it felt like he did. And he loved it.

* * *

"I'm heading to Reagan," Olivia yelled out to her parents.

"Okay," they both responded.

She grabbed her keys and practically ran out the door, so excited to be going to get Fitz.

Her grandmother had just left this afternoon, since she'd spent the night. Bless her heart, she was the most adorable thing ever, and Olivia loved her to pieces. But it was also fairly good timing, because she certainly couldn't bring Fitz home to her grandmother quite yet. Just not yet.

The drive to the airport, waiting in the parking lot, it all took _way_ too long.

But finally, _finally_ , she saw him exit the building and walk towards her car.

He opened the backseat door to put his suitcase back there and said a very happy, "hi!"

"Hi! Merry Christmas, kind of!" Olivia said back.

He got into the passenger seat and leaned over to wrap his arms around her. "Right back at you! How are you baby?" he asked.

"I'm so much better now! How are you?!" she asked back.

"Perfect. So happy to be here. To see you," he said, pecking her lips.

"Mm. Give me another," she said.

He leaned back in and kissed her again, and then a few more times.

"I missed you," he said.

"I missed you too. I'm so happy you're here. How was your flight?" she asked, putting the car into drive.

"It was alright. It felt long, but I suppose I was just excited to get here," he said.

"I feel that. I used to fly back and forth more often. Now I _drive_ and it's even longer," she said with a laugh.

"But you're so cute when you drive," he said, smiling at her.

"Right back at you. Are you excited for our Christmas? We can all exchange gifts, and we have Christmas leftovers and everything. My dad even mentioned going to O'Sullivan's later, all four of us!"

"O'Sullivan's?" Fitz asked.

"Oh...right. It's a small Irish bar and restaurant. My parents always went there together over the holidays for drinks way before me. And so we started going there altogether when I was really young. Kind of made a tradition, we just get appetizers and stuff. Of course, this is the first year I can actually _drink_ there. It's a fun little place."

"Cool. I'd love to go. I'm happy to have...a Christmas," he said.

"And we're happy to _have_ you," Olivia said.

They made the trip back to Olivia's house, being greeted at the door by her mother, of course.

"Well hello there Fitz," she said. "Hi, Maya, so good to see you again!" he exclaimed, as the two hugged.

"You too, you too. Livvie's been waiting oh so patiently for you to get here," she said. Olivia blushed and nodded. "Yeah, she's right."

Fitz laughed. "I've been waiting patiently too. I'm so happy to be here, thank you for allowing me to spend the holidays with you," he said happily.

"Oh, no worries at all. I like the haircut," Maya said. He smiled. "Well thank you!"

"Fitz."

Olivia and Fitz turned their heads to the deep voice approaching them.

"Eli, hi. Great to see you again," Fitz said, extending his hand. Eli shook it and nodded.

"Likewise. Are you hungry? We can get an early dinner rolling here pretty quick. I'm not sure if Olivia's told you, we were thinking of going out tonight," Eli said.

"Yeah she told me, that sounds great! I could eat a little something now," Fitz nodded.

"Alright. Well come on in," Eli said, waving them inside.

Olivia smiled at Fitz as he immediately bent down to remove his boots. She kicked her moccasins off next to him. They were so easy to slip on and off.

She rubbed his back while he unlaced his second boot, so happy just to be near him again.

He stood back up and smiled down at her.

"Where do you want to stay?" she whispered.

"I better just stay in the guest room," he whispered back.

Olivia nodded. Yeah, she knew. She'd washed the guest room sheets and gotten everything ready for him down there, but that didn't stop her from wishing they could stay _together._ That's what she wanted, for them to stay either in her room or the guest room, but she thought that may be pushing it just yet. One step at a time.

They brought his things downstairs to the guest room while her parents got their dinner ready.

As soon as they got inside the room, Fitz laughed. "Wow, I'm feeling déjà vu, here."

Olivia smiled. "Yeah. On the plus side, this room isn't new to you, you've slept in it before!"

"Mhm. I think your bed's more comfortable, though," he said with a wink.

She giggled and went up to him, wrapping her arms around him. He pulled her into a tight embrace, lifting her off her feet a little bit.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling her with him onto his lap. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, holding onto him for dear life. Man, she had missed him.

"You smell good," she whispered, breathing in his natural scent, along with his cologne. Mmm.

"You do too," he chuckled.

"God, I'm just so happy you're here," she sighed.

He nodded, rubbing her back affectionately.

"You make everything better," she whispered.

He smiled, touching his nose to hers. And then he placed a soft kiss on the tip of her nose.

" _You_ make everything better, pretty girl."

"Let's call it a tie," she said with a smile.

"Deal," he nodded.

"Let's go back up. I want to catch up with your parents," he added, kissing her cheek.

"I love the sound of that," she said happily.

He lifted her up with him as he stood, hands underneath her thighs until he lowered her back down to her feet.

They made their way, hand in hand, up to to the kitchen, where they sat at the bar so they could all chat.

"So, we heard about your plan for next summer. You're all set for that?" Maya asked.

"Yes we are! We're so lucky for this to work out for us," he said.

"Are you sure you're ready to take that step? Olivia takes up a lot of space. She might take over your apartment," Eli teased.

Olivia scoffed and Fitz laughed. "I'm ready. She can take it over, that's alright. She's already got it spruced up a little bit for Christmas," he said, smiling at her.

"I do," she nodded.

"That's my girl!" Maya said.

"And...about next semester. When will you two know," Eli asked, a little bluntly.

Olivia looked over at Fitz nervously. She was nervous, because they'd know in a few days.

"The 28th."

"I see," Eli nodded.

The four of them sat there quietly, none of them really knowing what to say in such a conversation. Seriously, what would one say in that situation?

Maya seemed to have an answer.

"So...Fitz, What have you been up to so far during your break? Have you been busy?" she asked.

Olivia silently thanked her mother and the heavens for the subject change.

"Not much, I haven't been too busy. Winter break is really one of those breaks where students and professors both don't have much to do. We're between semesters, you know, so besides getting my lecture plans set for the first few days back, I'm good. And I have those set. So...I hung around with a couple of my buddies while they were still in town. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'm pretty boring," Fitz chuckled.

"Oh that's not true, you aren't boring," Olivia said.

"Well, regardless, I'm just happy to be here with you all," he said.

"We are too," Maya nodded. "And Olivia says you were thinking about flying back next week?"

"Yes, just whatever is alright with you both. I certainly don't want to overstay my welcome," he replied.

"Oh, honey. Don't worry about that. There aren't many opportunities for you to both be here, you are welcome to stay as long as you like. I'd hate for you to buy a plane ticket when you can just drive back with Olivia next weekend," she said.

"I _tolllddd_ you," Olivia smirked. He chuckled. "Well thank you very much," he nodded appreciatively.

"Mhm," Maya nodded back.

Olivia nudged his arm and smiled at him, reaching for his hand.

"Do you need any help?" Fitz asked Eli and Maya.

"Oh no, we've got it. It's not hard to warm up leftovers. We apologize that you'll now have had leftover Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, and not the real thing," Maya said regrettably.

"No worries at all! It's been amazing, really," Fitz said.

"Thank you. In the future, you can...hopefully have the real thing with us," Maya said, looking up at Fitz.

"I would love that. I would really love that," Fitz replied gratefully.

Olivia sat back and watched the interaction, the clear respect between the two people. Her father didn't say much, which wasn't unusual. But at least he'd been kind so far.

They ate their dinner and eventually, after cleaning up a little bit, retired to the living room.

Olivia went to grab some of the things she had up in her room for Fitz.

"I better go grab some of my things too, I'll be right back," Fitz said.

And the couple met back in the living room, both with a few gifts in hand.

"Wow, look at you, Fitz," Maya said with a laugh, as he set his presents down and sat next to Olivia on the floor.

"I tried my best to wrap them. I'm not very good," he chuckled.

"They look perfect," Olivia said patting his thigh and keeping it there while they held hands.

"Alright someone go first!" Maya exclaimed.

"Fitz should go first. Fitz, this is from all of us. We all agreed you needed one," she said, handing him a gift bag.

"Oh, exciting," he said happily, starting to take the tissue paper out.

And then he pulled it out, and opened his mouth in surprise at Olivia. "A stocking!"

"A stocking! Custom made and everything. See, your name is _definitely_ a name," she said, smiling at him.

He looked over the stocking, which was red and green, the same color scheme as Olivia and her parents' stockings hanging on the mantle right now. Even after they'd used them yesterday, her mom still loved to keep them up as decoration all through the holidays.

And at the very top, embroidered in white thread, was "Fitz".

"Oh this is so thoughtful. Thank you all very much, I love it!" he exclaimed.

"You're welcome," her parents both said. "Maya and I have something else, too. Something a little more fun probably, for you," Eli said with a laugh.

Olivia pulled out the other long, tall gift bag that was from her parents and handed it to him.

He pulled out a cylinder purple box and smiled. "Oh, wow! How'd you guys know?" he asked, turning the box of Glenfiddich single malt scotch over in his hands.

"A little birdie tells us this is your favorite," Maya said.

Fitz turned to Olivia with a smile. "This _is_ my favorite, thank you very much! I have something for you two as well," he said, pulling out a wrapped box from his stack of gifts.

He kneeled and handed it over to Maya, who started to open it with a smile on her face.

"Oh, wow three of them!" she exclaimed, pulling out the three different cookbooks.

"Fitz, I hope you're not insulting our cooking," she teased, pointing at him.

Fitz chuckled. "No, not at all. I just knew you both needed some new things to make with that fancy new mixer that Eli got you. We looked hard for that mixer," he said, looking at Eli.

"Yes we certainly did," Eli nodded.

"Olivia helped me out, made sure you didn't have any of these ones," he said. Olivia nodded, looking at her mom as she read through one of them.

"Well thank you, Fitz! This is very nice of you," Maya said. "Thank you," Eli nodded, looking through one of them as well.

"No problem," Fitz nodded back.

"I think you need to open one of yours now," Fitz added, looking at Olivia. "I won't say no to that!" she exclaimed.

He pulled out a medium-sized box and handed it for her to open. "Just a little something," he said.

And it was two things; an apron, and a candle. And the apron was an exact match to the one he had at his apartment, only a little smaller.

"Oh my god! We can be twins!" she exclaimed. "Yes we can," he chuckled.

She explained to her parents that it was a bit of an inside joke, that she loved this apron that he wore whenever he cooked.

The candle's scent was sandalwood, which excited her. "This...this smells like your cologne?" she said, looking at him in question.

"I know! I thought you'd like that. You can put it in your apartment now and...then you can put it in _our_ apartment," he said, patting her thigh.

She smiled. "Thank you, sweetheart. I will!" she exclaimed.

"Here. I have...one more thing for you," she said, handing him on last gift bag.

He opened it up and pulled out a homemade book. A scrapbook of sorts, with the words "Our Adventure Book" written with stickers on the front.

His face softened and he flipped the cover over, looking at the pictures and stickers all over each page.

"Oh wow, Livvie. This is...this is beautiful," he said.

"Do you like it?" she asked hopefully.

"I love it. This is so sweet. All our adventures," he said, continuing to look through it.

"She's worked on it since she's gotten home. She only finished it a couple days ago," Maya said.

Fitz looked at her with a smile. "So that's what I've really been doing with my winter break!" Olivia exclaimed.

"It's perfect. Thank you so much," he said.

"You're welcome," she nodded.

"I have one more thing for you too," he said, grabbing a smaller, flat box to hand to her.

She smiled as she opened it, and gasped at the Pandora jewelry box.

"Oh, wow," Maya said.

Olivia opened the box to reveal a silver necklace with two hearts, intertwined. Its little message on the inside under the Pandora logo read "United in Love".

"Oh my god, Fitz," Olivia whispered.

"I thought you needed a necklace to go along with your bracelet and your ring. I'm just missing _earrings_ now," he teased. She giggled.

"This is...beautiful. So beautiful. Will you?" she asked, handing it carefully to him.

He nodded and undid the clasp as she turned her head and lifted up her hair, and he put it on for her.

"Do you like it?" he whispered. "I love it. Thank you," she whispered back, giving him a kiss. "You're welcome," he whispered.

"Well. I think he's officially outdone us all," Maya said with a shrug, which made everyone laugh.

"No, no. Thank you very much, for everything," Fitz said happily.

"You're welcome," Maya said, to which Eli nodded.

"It's very pretty," Eli said, gesturing to the necklace his daughter was now wearing.

Fitz smiled. "I thought so. Pretty necklace for a pretty girl," he said, kissing her forehead.

"The _prettiest_ girl," Maya said, pointing at him.

"Oh, mom," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Your mother's absolutely right," Fitz nodded.

Olivia smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you."

"I love you too. Merry Christmas, baby," he whispered into her ear.

"Merry Christmas," she whispered back, pulling away to kiss the side of his head, and then his cheek.

They chatted for a little while in the living room, and cleaned up some of their wrapping paper before putting their gifts away.

Except, of course, for Olivia, who proudly showed off her new necklace, looking down and admiring it every so often.

And another gift that hadn't gotten put away, was Fitz's stocking. In fact, Olivia had hung it up next to her own on the mantle.

It looked perfect there, with hers and her parents. It all looked like a family.

After a while though, they decided they wanted to go out. So, they all got ready to go and they headed to O'Sullivans in Eli's SUV.

O'Sullivan's was just how Olivia remembered it every year. It was cute and small, and decorated very festively. And one of the good parts about going there around the holidays was that it wasn't so busy.

They had some music playing, and a few people were at the bar, but not many. So, they all went up and sat at the bar to order drinks.

Eli ordered a beer. And Maya joined in with Olivia and Fitz and ordered a gin and tonic.

They ordered a few appetizers too, which they had to wait for. And while they waited, Eli, proposed something to Fitz.

"Fitz...you play?" he asked, gesturing to the pool table.

Fitz nodded. "Yeah. You?" he asked.

Eli nodded back. "Why don't you come take me on," he said gesturing for him to follow.

Fitz smiled at Olivia and followed Eli over to the pool table.

"Don't go easy on me now, just because your my daughter's boyfriend. I want your full best effort," he said, pointing at him.

Fitz chuckled. "I'll give it my best. I haven't played in a while, but I used to play a lot more in college."

"As did I. I should play more, I always used to beat guys pretty bad at bars," Eli said, grabbing a cue for him and Fitz off the rack.

"Ah so I'm going to have my work cut out for me here," Fitz chuckled, thanking Eli for the pool cue.

"I don't know, we'll see," Eli said with a laugh.

"I'll rack them up, you break," Fitz said, heading to the other end of the table to rack up the balls.

"Alright, we'll see how good of a breaker I still am," Eli said.

Fitz racked them up and then Eli broke, getting a striped one in the far right pocket.

"Okay, stripes it is," Eli said.

"Whew, yeah, my breaks are never that good," Fitz said with a laugh.

"Ahh, don't underestimate yourself. From what my daughter's told me, you're very athletic, very coordinated. I think _I_ am the one who will have my work cut out for _me,"_ Eli said, getting set up for another shot.

"Well, Olivia's very kind," Fitz said, leaning on his pool cue as he watched Eli make another shot.

"Nice shot," he nodded.

"Thank you. So I see Olivia was also right about you being very modest."

Fitz shrugged. "I think...she is just very complimenting of me. And I think it's very sweet. But she also just may be slightly biased in that regard," he said with a laugh.

Eli looked at him as he lined up for his next shot. "Wow, you really are modest." And then he missed the shot.

"Alright, you're up. Show me what you got," Eli said.

"Alright," Fitz nodded, examining where his best move would be as of now. He had his eye on the solid blue nine ball, thinking that was a nice easy one to start off with. He could get to it easily with the cue ball, so he decided to go for it.

As he set up, he got another comment from Eli.

"Southpaw?"

Fitz nodded. "Yeah. Unfortunately," he said, as he pulled the pool cue back and connected it with the cue ball. His solid blue nine ball went right in.

"'Unfortunately', he says, as he nails the shot," Eli chuckled. "I didn't know that about you. I was definitely right about having my work cut out for me. You have to watch out for lefties in any sport or game. You're all sneaky good."

"Hmm, maybe that's the one advantage we have in this world," Fitz said with a laugh.

"Yes, I suppose that's true," Eli chuckled.

Fitz lined up for another shot, biting his lip as he eyed it up. And he nailed that one too.

And from afar, Olivia watched her boyfriend and her dad, play a game of pool. As of now, it looked like Fitz was winning.

But she was just having a hard time paying attention to the actual game. Man, he was so cute.

"Enjoying the view?"

Olivia turned to her mom, the color rushing to her cheeks already. "What?"

Maya laughed. "You haven't stopped looking over there for five minutes straight."

"I know. What do you think they're talking about? Do you think dad's being nice to him?" Olivia asked anxiously.

"Honey when hasn't your dad been nice to him? He may not be crazy about him but he is still kind to him."

Olivia shot her a look. "Mom, one of the first things dad said to him was 'I would have Olivia give you the tour, but it seems to me you already know your way around my house.'"

Maya grimaced. "That's true. But it was fair. Your dad has been more than fair to him."

"You think it was fair to say he downright didn't like him? I mean we all know he was thinking it but did he really have to say it to him?" Olivia asked.

Maya looked sad. "Fitz told you about that?"

"No. He would have never told me about something like that, he didn't want me to worry. I...heard you and dad talking about it."

Maya shot her a look, but answered, anyway. "Well then you know I didn't like it. And you also know that your father seems to think Fitz appreciated that. That he appreciated the honesty."

Olivia shook her head. "He's just trying so hard for you and dad to like him, mom. He's trying so hard, it is seriously all he wants. Dad could say just about anything to him and Fitz would sit there and take it because he just wants approval. He knows he has an uphill battle, with our situation. And he just wants you both to feel that you can trust him."

"I do like him, Olivia. And I trust him. And your father is warming up to him. Tell me, when's the last time he played pool here with anyone, huh? I certainly don't remember," Maya said.

Olivia nodded. "Yeah. I know. And I'm happy that you like him. That you gave him a chance. I do know what it must have looked like, back when you first found out. I want you to know that I understand how it might have looked. How _he_ might have looked. But it doesn't take very long to realize how wonderful he is. He's...amazing."

"And we are seeing that. We are _both_ seeing that. We see how much you care for each other," Maya nodded.

"I love him so much, mom."

Maya smiled.

"Sorry, I know I say it a lot. But it's just true. I look at him and...it's like I can feel it in my heart every time that I see him. And I just...I never want to be without that feeling. And I never want to be without that cute face," she said, looking over at the two men. They were laughing about something. Actually laughing.

Maya smiled at the same interaction. "You don't need to apologize for saying how you feel. I wish you would say how you feel _more_. It's nice, Livvie. It's nice to hear you. I haven't heard much of you these past few months."

Olivia nodded, smiling at her mother.

"And yeah, I do see a pretty damn cute face," she added, nodding at Eli and Fitz.

"The cutest," Olivia said with a smile.

"You realize I'm talking about your dad, right?" Maya asked.

Olivia turned to her and raised her eyebrows. "Oh. Jeez. Okay, never mind," she said with a laugh.

Maya laughed and nudged Olivia's arm.

Meanwhile, Fitz and Eli were nearing the end of their game.

Fitz only had the eight ball left to win, but he was in a bit of a tough spot.

The cue ball was right in front of one of Eli's striped balls, and the eight ball was also next to one of Eli's. And to make matters worse, this cluster of balls was all on the left side of the table, and being a lefty, Fitz couldn't get to it very easily. Shooting right-handed at that angle would have been perfect, but he didn't exactly have that option.

So he had to get creative.

He grabbed the pool rack and set his pool cue on top of it, so he could get to the angle he needed in order to tap the cue ball, but not touch Eli's ball.

"Well look at this creativity!" Eli exclaimed.

Fitz chuckled, lining it up.

"Don't scratch, now, or else you know what that means," Eli said.

"That means you win! I can't have that, I promised I'd bring my full best effort," he said.

"You better make this then," Eli said.

Fitz exhaled, and tapped the cue ball lightly. It rolled forward, tapped the eight ball lightly into the pocket, and the cue ball stopped rolling.

Perfect.

"Well my goodness you really just pulled that off!" Eli chuckled.

"Yeah, somehow!" Fitz said back.

"I'm impressed. Good game," Eli said, extending his hand.

Fitz shook his hand gratefully and nodded. "Good game. You're a tough pool player," he said, as they racked up again for anyone else that wanted to play.

"As are you. You sure you haven't played in a while?" Eli joked.

"I'm sure. Although I'd love to have a table someday," Fitz said.

"Ah, great. So you could just beat me worse in the future, huh?" Eli asked.

Fitz smiled. "No way. You're a worthy opponent."

"Well thank you. Ah, perfect our appetizers are here," he said, getting into the barstool next to Maya.

Fitz couldn't help but smile at Eli's use of the word "future", like they'd play pool together in the future. It made him feel good. And it made him feel more accepted.

"Good job! You won, right?" Olivia asked.

"I did. But your father's tough," he said, sitting down next to Olivia and putting an arm around her.

"That's pretty impressive, Fitz. Eli usually beats everyone," Maya nodded.

Eli shrugged. "You heard the woman. My wife is always right. Always," Eli chuckled.

"Mmm, good man," Maya said, giving him a kiss.

Olivia leaned in close to Fitz. "Was it okay?" she whispered.

"It was good," he whispered back with a smile.

Olivia smiled happily and linked her arm with his.

"Hey."

She pulled back to look at him.

He tapped his cheek, indicating he wanted a kiss.

She pecked his cheek a couple times and leaned her head on his shoulder.

It was a good night. A great night, actually.

And after they got back from O'Sullivan's, it was pretty late. They'd had a lot of fun there, and time had gotten carried away from them. So they all went off to bed when they got home.

Olivia and Fitz stood at the top of the stairs, hugging before he went downstairs and she went upstairs.

"I'll see you in the morning," Fitz said quietly.

"Okay. Sleep well," she replied.

"You too. I love you."

"I love you too. I'm so happy you're here. Tonight was...so great," she whispered.

"It was. I'm so happy to be here," he said, hugging her tighter.

They eventually pulled away, kissing each other a few times. A few long, good ones.

And then they went their separate ways. She was sad, because she wanted to sleep next to him, and wake up next to him.

But, one step at a time. And regardless, it had been an amazing Christmas. It had been two years in a row now, where she'd spent a Christmas with Fitz that wasn't really... _Christmas_.

Last year, it has been parking lot Christmas. This year, it was December 26th. Hopefully next year, they could spend the day together, on the 25th.

But for now, it had been pretty damn good.

* * *

First of all, a promise is a promise. Ana, this is dedicated to you.

Second of all, _awww_. So much love between these two.

Well, it wasn't Christmas, but to _them_ , it was. They've certainly made progress since last year!

I hope you all liked this chapter.

There will be at least one more chapter of their winter break, and possibly even _two_. It just depends on how long everything turns out to be. You all know me, when I have something planned, it's usually long as all hell. And I have plans. So, hope you're all cool with more winter break chapters!

Also, if you want to see Fitz playing pool, head to my Twitter & Tumblr. I have become very skilled at finding interesting visuals ;)

Let me know what you thought, as usual!

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	62. Ditto

Fitz woke up to wind whistling outside in the early morning. And when he looked sleepily out the window, the window he had once climbed through just to see his girlfriend, he saw that it was still dark out.

He grabbed his watch on the nightstand, and saw that it was just past six in the morning. "What the hell," he whispered, rubbing his eyes.

He'd slept alright. Certainly not as well as he could sleep at his own apartment, but not awful either. They'd gotten home late from the bar last night, so he really should still be asleep. But he wasn't.

Now, he was actually quite awake. He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, wondering what on earth he was going to do until someone in this house woke up.

He turned back over and tried to sleep again, tossing and turning endlessly.

Yeah, so that definitely wasn't going to work.

He grabbed his phone off the charger and looked at it, only to be surprised with what he saw.

 **Olivia:** **Text me when you wake up:)**

He smiled, shaking his head. Oh, that crazy girl.

 **Fitz: I'm up. But what the hell are YOU doing up?!**

He immediately saw that she was typing back.

 **Olivia: I can't sleep when you're SO close but NOT in my bed. Like…what the hell is that.**

He chuckled.

 **Fitz: Hmm. That must be the reason I can't sleep too.**

 **Olivia: I'll be down there in 42 seconds.**

Fitz laughed, rolling his eyes.

 **Fitz: Are you serious?**

But he received no answer. Instead, shortly thereafter, he heard a tiny tap on the door.

He got up and as quietly as he could, turned the handle to open the door.

She was in his arms immediately after he opened the door. He chuckled, shutting the door softly behind her.

"Hi, you," he whispered.

"Hi," she whispered back.

He ran his hands down her back and over her ass, to the back of her thighs, and lifted her up.

She instantly clung to him as he brought her over to the bed. But he didn't set her down. He just stood there, holding her lower back tightly.

She pulled her head back from his shoulder to look at him, before she pressed her lips to his.

He kissed her back, moving his hands back down to her ass.

He turned around and sat down on the bed, bringing her with him on his lap. She grabbed his face in her hands, and pulled his upper lip into her mouth, biting it gently.

They made out on the edge of the bed, hands starting to wander.

"You sure? With them upstairs?" he whispered, after pulling away, breathing hard.

She nodded. "Yeah. We just have to be quiet," she whispered.

"Okay," he nodded.

He kissed her a few more times, their tongues brushing with each time their lips connected.

"I want you on your stomach," he whispered.

"And why is that?"

He leaned in close and whispered in her ear.

"Because it will be easier for me to keep you quiet."

She pulled back to look at him, with daring eyes.

"Is that right?"

"Yeah, that's right," he nodded, pulling her tank top over her head.

She willingly lifted her arms up as he pulled it off, immediately tossing it to the floor before he lowered his head into her chest.

He kissed his way around each breast, sucking gently on her soft skin.

She smelled amazing, and the way her body responded just to his lips pressed to her chest, turned him on immensely.

Being early morning, he was already a bit hard. But her sitting there in his lap while he wore nothing but boxers and she wore a skimpy little pair of shorts, was only making him harder.

Especially when she started to rub up against him.

He broke their kiss, desperately reaching for her shorts. He needed them off, _now_.

She seemed to catch his drift because she just stood up and slipped them off herself, revealing her also very skimpy pair of underwear.

She was about to pull those down too, when he stopped her and took over. He slid them down slowly, letting them fall to the ground for her to step out of them.

He kept his hands planted firmly on her hips as he eyed her naked body.

"God, you're gorgeous," he whispered.

She smiled, resting her hands on top of his.

She seemed content to just stand there for him while he admired her. She smirked at the bulge in his boxers.

"You might wanna take those off, mister."

He smiled. Yeah, he was _throbbing_.

"Lay down," he whispered.

She purposely brushed against him as she got back into the bed, snuggling up under the covers.

He stood up and pulled his boxers down, and got back into bed.

He lifted up the covers and got on top of her, prodding her entrance a little bit before he pushed in.

Her hand flew forward and grabbed onto the headboard tightly, while she let out an audible gasp.

He paused for a moment, allowing her to get her bearings before he pushed in further.

God she felt good. So good.

He just wanted to keep feeling her, again and again, and again.

So he thrust in and out, in and out, while they tried to be quiet. He kept his hand over her mouth half the time, and he usually tried to muffle his sounds with her shoulder.

He took breaks, dragging his tongue across her back and sucking on her soft, caramel skin. And wow did she love that.

He was most definitely leaving marks, that much he knew. But he didn't give a fuck, because she loved it.

He continued to roll his hips slowly, entering from behind as their hands were clasped together on the headboard.

His other hand switched between gripping the sheets for support, covering her mouth when she failed to keep quiet, and reaching underneath her to massage her breasts.

She clenched around him, which always drove him crazy and let him know she was almost there.

As soon as she did it, the breath hitched in his throat and he leaned his head down right next to hers.

He could feel her smiling next to him. "I know you like that."

He exhaled deeply. "I...like that."

He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, while starting to move his hips again.

She moaned against his mouth, which made making out all the more desirable in that moment, to keep them both quiet.

It was a sloppy, wet, open-mouthed kiss. But a very good one.

And he kept pumping in and out of her until she came. Which, as always, was extremely sexy to him.

The way her back arched underneath him. The sounds he could hear coming from her mouth, but were muffled by his palm. The way she shook underneath his body.

He could usually hold on until she made it there first, because that's all he wanted every time; her to be able to orgasm. But when she did, it was over for him. It could make him come every time.

And only moments later, he did.

He moaned into her shoulder, his chest rapidly rising and falling against her back while he finished.

"Whew. I forgot how amazing...morning sex is," she panted.

He thought for a second.

"Didn't we have morning sex a couple days before you left?" he chuckled.

"Yeah. But not _this_ early. This is…early," she breathed.

"True. But nothing compares to…that one time. At four in the morning," he replied.

She giggled beneath him. "Oh yeah. I almost forgot about that time."

He scoffed. "How dare you," he said, before kissing her shoulder.

She smiled. "Well maybe you're going to have to refresh my memory at some point, hmm?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, I'll keep that in mind for the next time we're up at four in the morning."

"Good," she whispered.

He kissed her temple and got up off of her, heading to the bathroom as quietly as he could.

He cleaned himself up and brought a washcloth back to the room to do the same for her.

"You wanna stay here with me for a while?" he whispered, laying back down next to her and pulling her into his body.

"Yeah. I don't want to go back up yet."

"Okay," he nodded.

So, there they laid, spooning in the guest bedroom after making love, all while her parents were still asleep two floors above them.

Sneaking around had become second nature to them, so it wasn't out of the ordinary, by any means.

But eventually, they put their clothes back on and went upstairs.

Fitz put on a clean pair of boxers and a pair of joggers, along with his favorite black Nike hoodie.

When they reached the first level, she started leading him up the next flight of stairs. "Where are we going?" he asked.

"I'm just gonna put on something a little less revealing than this," she giggled quietly, pointing to her tank top and shorts.

"Are you…I mean, is it okay for me to come up there?" he whispered.

She smiled. "You're too cute. Yes, it's okay," she nodded.

So he followed her up to her bedroom, the one he'd been in before.

It looked very similar to the last time he'd seen it.

She closed the door quietly behind her and stripped her clothes off again.

He sat on her bed and looked at all the pictures she had strung up on her headboard. They were all of him, or of the two of them together.

"This is so sweet, baby," he said, looking at all of them.

"Mhm. That's my favorite part about my room now," she replied, pulling one of Fitz's T-shirts over her bare chest.

"Hmm. I think mine is still your bed," he teased.

She laughed. "That's no surprise to me. You remember the fun we had in here this summer? I think it involved a...song," she whispered, getting on the bed and kneeling in front of him.

"Mhmm," he replied, lifting up her shirt. Or... _his_ shirt. She was still naked from the waist down, so he reached around her body to put a hand on her bare ass, and pull her towards his face so he could kiss her down there.

He certainly hadn't planned to start anything major, with her parents sleeping just down the hall. But he did find pleasure in the way her body tensed up just from his soft, light kisses on her sensitive skin. She ran her fingers through his hair as she kneeled there in front of him while he explored her with his mouth.

And...oh boy.

She watched as he dragged his tongue up and down the middle, reaching his hands up to her hips to steady her, as well as have something to hold onto, himself.

She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, just watching him use his lips and his tongue in a way that he _knew_ he was good at. She let out a quiet whimper as she could feel herself giving in to him.

Because just like that, a few innocent kisses had turned into him full-on eating her out right there on her bed.

It wasn't even seven in the morning yet, it was early enough to where she was confident her parents wouldn't be up quite yet. But even still, they were in her room, just down the hall from theirs, and her door wasn't even locked. This was not smart by any means. But it felt so good. It felt so, so good, and she didn't know how to make him stop. Because she didn't want him to.

But she tried.

"Fitz—Fitz."

"Hmm?" he replied, not even looking up at her. His response was weak, he was clearly focused on something else as his tongue moved back and forth against her clit.

"We can't—you have to stop," she pleaded. But even her pleading was weak. So weak.

"I know," he whispered. But he didn't stop.

She tilted her head back, letting out a deep breath as he continued.

His tongue was warm, and wet, right where she craved him. It felt amazing, and she was beginning to think this was just going to have to happen, because for the love of god she couldn't make him stop. She just couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Oh, baby—" she breathed.

"I don't want to. I don't want to stop, Olivia," he whispered, his grip on her hips tightening.

She shook her head and stripped Fitz's T-shirt off herself again, just wanting to be naked for him. "Oh god, don't. Don't stop."

So he didn't.

Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and flipped her over on the bed, settling his face between her legs so he could continue his work.

He tried to move his mouth fast, wanting to make sure she had time to finish and also so that they didn't get caught and, therefore, murdered.

He wasn't sure what had come over him, why he couldn't stop himself. They joked and teased about his "lack of self-control" because of their... _activities_ in his office. But it was only a joke. He was a grown man, and he _had_ self-control.

But just then, he'd seen her there, half-naked in front of him, and he had _craved_ her. Maybe it was the fact that they'd just had sex and they were still turned on. Maybe it was the fact that they hadn't seen each other for two weeks before yesterday. Or maybe it was the fact that they were just in a bedroom with the door closed, and she'd been wearing nothing except _his_ shirt.

He didn't know. All he did know was that his head was now buried between her legs, and her hand was clinging onto his for dear life while she tried to keep herself quiet.

Another thing he knew was that she was insanely wet. Not just from his mouth, but because she was so turned on. He could taste it.

She was certainly keeping herself quiet, but he could still hear her little whimpers and moans. And it turned him on. God, it turned him on.

He was throbbing down there again. But he ignored it, because he wanted _her_ to feel good.

And so far it seemed he was doing a good job with that goal.

She was rolling her hips against him, even though he was as close to her as he was going to get. He was silently laughing, because he knew exactly how that felt, to just not be able to get close enough. To crave more contact, even if it was downright impossible.

He shook his head side to side, letting his moving tongue do the work.

She shivered, clutching onto his hair. Yeah, that kinda hurt, Liv.

"Sorry, baby, sorry," she whispered, reading his mind.

"Don't be," he whispered back, taking a breather. "Are you close?"

She nodded, holding onto the sheets and his hair.

He went right back to it, determined to get her there.

She began to get extremely restless and he knew she was just about there.

He reached up and cupped one breast at a time, lightly running his thumb over each nipple. And that multitasking seemed to work wonders because before he knew it her body was jerking and she was breathing sporadically in a matter of seconds while she orgasmed.

He continued what he was doing until her body calmed, and then he stopped, knowing that she would be sensitive after all of that.

He smiled against her skin, happy that she felt good. He placed soft kisses along her inner thighs and then laid his head down on her, while wrapping his arms around her waist.

She just laid there, her body limp and tired.

"Oh my god," she breathed.

He smiled. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. Why did we just do that," she whispered.

"Because you looked _so_ goddamn good."

She played with his hair while he laid on her, still holding tightly to her waist.

"I did, huh?" she asked, looking down at him.

"Oh god, yeah. Look at you," he said, lifting his head up and running his hand down her abdomen, and then just a single finger slowly down the middle.

She shivered in response.

" _So_ sexy. Mm," he whispered, kissing her soft skin again.

"So it's my fault then?" she giggled.

He looked up at her with a smile, resting his chin on her hip. "No. My fault, I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?"

"Because it was not smart, and...I should have stopped when you asked me to."

She looked down at him. "Well, Fitz we both know I didn't want you to stop. We _both_ didn't want you to stop."

He nodded. "I know. I think that was our problem," he chuckled quietly.

"Hey, it _has_ been two weeks, you know. That's a long time," she joked.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, _such_ a long time. Liv, we're pathetic if we can't go two weeks," he said with a laugh.

"Baby let's be honest, I think we've already admitted that we're pathetic."

He sighed. "Yeah. This is common knowledge."

She nodded. "I can't go long without...everything. Without seeing your cute face. Without holding your hand or hugging you. Without kissing you, and you know...possibly taking your clothes off," she giggled, which made him smile.

"I just...I can't. I just want to be with you all the time. I'm not afraid to admit that I'm clingy with you. Because I am. I know that," she whispered.

He nodded. "Yeah, well. After everything. After California, after...isolating myself, after...having to hide all this time with you. Clingy is okay. It's nice."

She smiled. "Well...you can always tell me to leave you alone for a little while. You can tell me you want...some _guy_ time. I won't be sad," she giggled.

"Why would I wanna be alone when I could be with you? You're just so cute," he said.

She ran her fingers through his hair happily. "As are you. I just know everyone needs their alone time. _Even_ if they have a cute significant other," she said, patting his head.

"Yes. But ninety-five percent of the time I want to be with you. Only you."

She smiled. "Hmm. Maybe my boyfriend's a little clingy too."

He laughed quietly. "Yeah. I'm not ashamed."

"You shouldn't be," she whispered.

He trailed kisses up her body. "Mm. We have to get out of here before your folks get up. Or—I have to. Apparently I can't be trusted," he said, getting up off her. She couldn't help but laugh.

"I'll be downstairs in a minute, okay? I'm just gonna throw some clothes on and go to the bathroom quick," she said.

"Okay," he whispered, going to open the door quietly, before shutting it behind him.

She threw on her clothes. Which, were a pair of leggings, Fitz's shirt, and Fitz's sweatshirt.

She used the bathroom and brushed her teeth, and walked down to the kitchen to find Fitz, not there.

But he met her there shortly, after he, too, had brushed his teeth and fixed his hair that she'd messed up. Anything to appear more normal to her parents, they supposed.

"You want to make breakfast with me? I never am up this early, my moms always making it by the time I get up."

"Yeah, sure. What do you guys have?" he questioned.

"Let's see...tons of eggs. Some bacon...I don't know if we have a lot of pancake mix left though," she said, looking through the fridge.

"Well, then let's make French toast if you have a lot of eggs," he replied, coming to stand behind her as they glanced in the fridge.

"Oh, perfect. That's a good idea," she said, grabbing everything she needed. "I'll make you coffee too."

"Oh well look at you this morning. Feeding me in more ways than one, I see."

She put her hand over her mouth, and pointed at him. "Shhh, Jesus, Fitz," she giggled.

"What?" he chuckled.

"My parents could hear you. They'll wonder how such dirty things come out of someone so sweet," she whispered.

He shot her a look. "You're worried about them hearing me talk to you in the _kitchen_ , when I just ate you out in your _bedroom?_ Hmm."

She smacked his chest, giggling quietly.

 _"_ _Oh god, don't. Don't stop,"_ he whispered mockingly, wrapping his arms around her.

She opened her mouth in disbelief and shook her head. "Oh yeah, says you, mister, _'I don't want to. I don't want to stop, Olivia,'"_ she whispered, trying to get away from him.

He laughed. "Ohh, you got me, you got me," he whispered, kissing her forehead.

"Damn right I got you. Now go on, go sit your ass down and let me make you coffee," she said.

"Alright, alright, my ass is moving," he said, putting his hands up in defense.

She got the coffee ready to brew and smiled at him, sitting in one of the kitchen chairs. He looked all comfy and cute in his sweats, looking at one of the newspapers her father had left on the table from a few days ago.

After his coffee was done, she brought it to him and then started to mix the french toast batter together in a container, so that it would be ready for when her parents did get up. She added some cinnamon, the best part, in her opinion.

And then she put it in the fridge, just to keep it cool. Everything else was out and ready for when they came downstairs.

He looked happily at her as she walked over to him and sat in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning her head down.

He rubbed her back and held her tight.

"Hey," he whispered.

"Hmm?" she replied.

"I'm so happy I'm here with you."

She sighed. "I'm so happy too. I can't believe you're going to be here over a week."

"I know. Think we'll find fun things to do?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, definitely. Think about New Year's Eve! And we can spend time with my parents when they're still off of work. And when they go back to work...I can think of plenty we can do," she whispered.

"Hmmm...enlighten me," he whispered back.

"Mmm, wellll..." she began, tapping his chest.

"You know the bathtub in the guest bathroom downstairs," she whispered.

"Mhm," he nodded.

"It's a jacuzzi."

"Oh is it, now?" he whispered back.

She nodded. "And...we can go to my room, and be...as loud as we want to be. We can go... _anywhere,_ and be as loud as we want to be," she continued.

He bit his lip, leaning his forehead against hers. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "And you don't ever have to stop," she whispered.

He let out a staggering breath. "You're killing me here."

She smiled. "You know I think I actually learned something about you today that I've never really considered in our almost year together," she whispered.

"And what might that be?" he asked.

"You're horny in the morning."

He opened his mouth in disbelief. "I am not."

She nodded. "Yes, yes you most definitely are."

"I refuse to accept that," he said

"Why? It's hot as fuck."

He looked at her quizzically. "Oh. Really?"

She nodded. "Extremely."

He seemed more satisfied knowing that, at least.

She just sat there in his lap, looking at him with a smile.

"Wanna know something?" she asked.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"I love you more than anything else in this world."

He smiled and leaned his head against her heart. "Ditto."

"Did you just 'ditto' me?" she giggled, holding his head in her arms.

"Uh-huh, yeah I did that," he nodded.

"That was kind of cute, actually."

"Yeah that's cause I'm cute," he said, head still buried in her sweatshirt that used to be his.

She giggled. "Yes. You are."

"Oh, well good morning you two."

They both turned their heads towards Maya, walking into the kitchen. She was smiling at the two of them, undoubtedly noticing that they had truly been in their own little world just moments before.

"Good morning, Maya," Fitz said with a smile. "Hi, mom."

"I thought for sure you two wouldn't be awake for awhile. How long have you been up?" she asked.

 _Long enough to fuck in one room and get eaten out in another._

"Not long," Olivia lied. "We were going to make breakfast, it's all prepared," Fitz added.

"Well that's very sweet of you. Eli was just behind me. Oh, speak of the devil," she said, as Eli walked in.

"Hey dad," Olivia greeted, thinking now would probably be a good time to get off her boyfriend's lap.

Fitz cleared his throat as Olivia got up off him. "Good morning."

"Good morning. You two are up early," Eli said back.

"They're going to make us breakfast," Maya piped up.

"Ah, wonderful," he nodded, going to pour himself a cup of coffee that Olivia had brewed.

So, Olivia and Fitz made breakfast.

French toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon. And it was _really_ good.

Their whole _day_ was really good actually. It was a pretty laid back Thursday at the Pope household.

It actually snowed a pretty good amount that day, which wasn't super common for Virginia. It would snow, but it was usually never much, or it melted quickly. However, that was not the case that day.

So they enjoyed the day inside, where it was warm and cozy.

They even watched a couple Christmas movies, one of them being _Elf_. Olivia could barely contain herself as they all watched together, because Fitz laughed his ass off for half the movie.

He hadn't seen it in a while apparently, and he had forgotten that it was pretty funny. His laugh was just contagious, so it had her and her parents laughing too.

Maya and Eli made dinner for all of them, and they had a pretty good conversation in the dining room afterward. Not about anything specific. Just about anything and everything.

Those were sometimes the best conversations to have, especially when trying to get closer with people, and get to know them better.

Olivia could see that it was happening. She could see that her father was beginning to act more normal around Fitz. That he was beginning to see him as just another man, and not someone whom he had hated, at least at one time.

Her father was not normally a chatterbox, but he wasn't a man of few words either. It just depended on who he was with. And since he'd met Fitz, he hadn't been insanely chatty. Usually, Maya drove the conversations.

However, Eli was starting to change that.

And Olivia welcomed that. It felt like things were really moving in the right direction with their relationship, and for that, she was so thankful. God knows it was not easy to get to where they were now.

And eventually, they all went off to bed again.

Olivia walked up the stairs, following her parents after she'd said goodnight to Fitz.

She bid them goodnight before she headed to her bathroom to get ready for bed.

She took a quick shower and brushed her teeth, before putting on one of Fitz's shirts over her underwear. His shirts were the comfiest.

And then she crawled in bed for the night.

She rolled over, pulling the comforter up under her chin, and closed her eyes, hearing nothing but the quiet of her home so late at night.

Until she heard something else.

It sounded like…paper?

She sat up quickly, inspecting her dark room as best she could. And then she could make it out, by the door. She couldn't confirm what it was until she got up and looked at it closer. It was, indeed a piece of paper. It read;

 **Let me in!**

She looked at the paper, confused. But she also smiled.

She grabbed a pen out of her nightstand drawer and wrote back.

 **What the hell are you doing up here?!**

She slipped the note back under the door, and then the pen, too.

A few moments later, the note got pushed back underneath the door, along with the pen.

 **Can't sleep. I'll go back downstairs early tomorrow morning. Just want to be next to you.**

She smiled.

She put the note and pen on her dresser and opened the door quietly, revealing him kneeled down in front of her. She giggled silently, waving him inside.

After she shut the door, she looked up at him with a smile on her face. "Hi," he whispered.

"Hi."

He closed the gap between them and picked her up, walking them over to her bed in her dark bedroom.

She was tired. Very tired. So she didn't hesitate to lean her head against his chest while he carried her.

He laid her gently on her bed, and crawled in next to her, pulling her comforter up over them.

He pulled her close to his body underneath the covers, kissing her neck as he rested his face by hers.

"I like your method of communication," she whispered.

He chuckled. "You didn't answer your phone."

She turned to see her phone charging face down on her nightstand. "Oh, shoot. I'm sorry," she said regrettably.

"It's okay. I'm here now."

"You're here now," she nodded, rubbing her thumb over his hand.

They laid there quietly in the dark, cuddling in her cozy bed. She _was_ extremely tired, but she just couldn't seem to shut her mind off. And she knew why.

He knew her too well.

"You're thinking about tomorrow."

She sighed. Tomorrow was the 28th. Tomorrow, they'd find out how their next semester at Yale would go.

"Yes."

"You know we're going to be okay. No matter what happens. Right?" he asked.

She nodded. "I know. I just…I have tried so hard not to get my hopes up. But they're up. They really are."

"I know. Mine too, baby. I'm feeling good about it. I'm confident."

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Yeah. I am. Everything's been going so well. I think…our luck is going to continue."

She turned around in his arms to look up at him. "I think so too."

"Alright. Try to sleep, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded, snuggling up close to his chest.

And that's how they fell asleep.

* * *

Fitz stirred in his sleep, eventually opening his eyes slowly. It took him a minute to realize where he was. That he had come upstairs to sleep next to her.

He hadn't bothered to set an alarm. He never slept through the night. Ever. So, he tried his best not to wake her as he grabbed her phone to look at the time.

It was difficult, though. She was literally wrapped around him in every way she possibly could be. But he managed to check her phone. It was just past five in the morning.

Yeah, he better go downstairs, just to be safe.

He moved slowly, unwrapping his girlfriend's arms and legs from his body. He chuckled silently at how close she absolutely _needed_ to be to him. Clingy emotionally and clingy physically, apparently.

He kissed her forehead, and smiled at the necklace around her neck. The one he had given to her for Christmas. She hadn't taken it off since.

He made his way carefully over to the door, rubbing his eyes sleepily. He caught a glance of their note on her dresser. The one they'd passed under the door last night.

He grabbed the pen and wrote in what little space remained at the bottom of the paper.

 **See you when you wake up, pretty girl.**

He was sure it was sloppy, because he couldn't fully see what he wrote, and he was tired as all hell. But he put it by her phone anyway, for her to see when she woke up.

And then he quietly made his way back down to the guest bedroom, to sleep a little more. Luckily, unlike the day before, he was able to sleep in a little bit. At least, until about 8:30.

That was pretty damn good for him.

He didn't hear much movement upstairs though, when he awoke again, so he decided to work out a bit in the exercise room just down the hallway. Olivia had shown him that room over the summer, he knew it had an elliptical, which is what she preferred to use.

He hadn't gotten to workout yesterday, so it felt good to stretch and be active. Plus, the first evening he'd stayed, Maya had assured him he could use the exercise room whenever he wanted.

And on top of that, he needed to work off some stress.

Stress resulting in the email he'd receive later today. The automated email he'd receive from the University, telling him his schedule of classes was all set.

As a professor, he'd know a little before the students would know. Their schedules were updated at midnight tonight, but he knew that they certainly wouldn't wait until then to look at Olivia's schedule.

No. They'd both be hunched over his phone, looking at his list of students this evening around dinner time, when the email normally came.

He had tried to keep Olivia from thinking about it much, because he knew how much she worried. She was a worrier. He normally wasn't. But he had to admit that he was worrying now.

He was nervous.

This was their last potential obstacle. This could be it.

Or it may not be. And that made him nervous.

After a good workout, he took a quick shower, letting the hot water run down his body for a while before he actually washed his hair and his body.

It felt good, and seemed to calm him a little bit.

After he got done, he ran a towel through his soaked hair and shook it out a little bit. The shortness of it was definitely nicer after a shower.

He tied his towel around his waist and made his way to the guest room so he could get dressed and go upstairs.

He left his hair undone. It was easier to deal with now, so he was able to do that.

It was a wet, wavy mess at the moment, but it would dry.

He went upstairs to find that everyone was now awake.

"Sorry I'm late to the party!" he said, greeting everyone.

"Good morning, Fitz," Maya said.

"Morning," he said, waving at her and Eli, who nodded back.

He walked over to the table where Olivia sat, bundled up in his sweatshirt. "Hi," he said.

"Hi," she said happily back.

He leaned down and gave her a kiss. "You slept in today," she said, rubbing his arm.

"Well I worked out first and then showered. I've been up over an hour or so," he said.

"Mm. Look at this hair," she said, running her fingers through the damp strands.

He smiled, leaning his head down towards her.

"There you go," she said, patting his head.

He could feel that she'd swept it all to one side, emphasizing the part in his hair that formed naturally.

"Why thank you."

"Mhm," she nodded.

"Help yourself to whatever you'd like, Fitz. We didn't make anything this morning," Maya said.

"Alright, thank you," he nodded.

So he poured himself a bowl of cereal like Olivia, grabbed a huge glass of water to rehydrate after his workout, and sat down.

Their day was a little more productive than the day before had been. They actually went out to grab lunch, and ran a few errands too.

Maya loved to shop all the Christmas decoration deals after Christmas, so that's what they did. Of course, Olivia and Fitz went off on their own for a while at the store, looking at the most random, ridiculous things.

They could find amusement in whatever they did, as long as they were together. They could spend the whole day inside, watching movies, they could go out, they could do _anything_ , and they'd make the best out of it.

After Target, they ran a more fun errand. The liquor store.

Which, resulted in a pretty big haul, as they prepared for New Year's Eve. That's when Eli and Maya disclosed that they got invited to quite the New Year's Eve gathering by Eli's boss all the way in Roanoke.

"Are you going to it?" Olivia asked, at the register.

"I think so. It should be fun. We will likely stay in a hotel, though, so you two will have the house to yourselves. And some of this booze," Maya chuckled.

Olivia raised an eyebrow at her mother. That was...quite the combination.

"Cash or card?" the cashier asked.

"Card," Fitz interrupted, getting his card ready to insert into the reader.

"Oh, no, no, no get your card out of here," Maya said.

Fitz inserted the card into the reader and smiled at Maya.

"Now what'd you do that for?!" Maya exclaimed.

He shook his head, like she was crazy. "I apologize but I can't let you pay for everything, all while you're also allowing me to stay in your home. That's just not going to work," he chuckled.

"Oh, nonsense—". "No, no. You and Eli paid for lunch, this is on me. Please," he said.

She seemed to have a hard time accepting it. "I just feel bad, a lot of this is for the party," she said.

He smiled. "Good. You can't leave this all for Olivia and me at home. She's a lightweight," he teased.

Olivia scoffed. "I am _not!_ Do you know how much wine I can—"

Maya shot her a look.

Olivia shook her head. "I... _cannot_ drink a lot of wine. No I cannot. Nope. I barely drink at all."

Maya looked skeptically at her. " _Mmm_ hm."

Fitz smiled to himself, watching Olivia get silently condemned by her mother. It was a _little_ funny.

"Well thank you, Fitz. You really didn't have to," she said, turning back to him.

"My pleasure," he nodded.

And by the time they got back home, everyone kind of went their own way for awhile, but surprisingly, ended up doing the same thing. Taking a nap.

The holidays were draining, and everyone knew it. Staying up late night after night, entertaining family, cooking all the time. It could drain a person. So they opted to catch up on sleep.

Olivia and Fitz passed out on the couch together, while Eli and Maya headed to their room. Probably a wise option, and much comfier.

But the couch was good too.

A couple hours passed before Fitz woke up with a jolt to his phone buzzing a few times in his back pocket.

Olivia jolted awake too, as she laid on top of him, clearly startled.

"Oh, Livvie. Sorry, baby. I'm—I'm sorry. My phone scared me," he whispered holding her hands in his and kissing them a few times.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly. "What is it? What's wrong?" she whispered.

"I think...I think I got the email," he said checking his watch. 5:28. Yeah, seemed about the right timing.

He could see the fear in her eyes, just for a brief moment as he reached underneath himself to grab his phone.

He saw the automated email notification on his home screen. Oh Jesus.

"Did you get it?" Olivia asked.

He nodded. "Yeah."

She sat up, allowing him to swing his legs off the edge of the couch and sit next to her.

"Do it," she nodded.

"Alright," he said, opening his mail app and then the email.

Embedded in the email was a link to his schedule of classes for the semester, that each professor got.

He entered his pin, which was unique to him, and got access to his lists.

He scrolled past International Politics, and then past the Supreme Court in American Politics. And finally, he reached the third class he taught, Foundations of Political Theory.

He looked over at her as she held onto his arm, looking over his shoulder. She was very noticeably afraid. And he was too.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Ready," she replied.

He scrolled down to get to the "P" in the alphabet.

Both of them had their eyes trained on the screen, squinting to read each and every name.

Their hearts pounded in sync, breathing a sigh of relief every time they read a name that wasn't hers.

Until the reached the very last name in the section of "P" last names.

 **Pope, Olivia**

He stared at the name. The name he thought was so beautiful. Only this time, he hadn't wanted to read it there. What he had wanted more than anything, was to never read that name on one of these lists again.

But there it was.

He slowly brought his phone down to his lap, looking straight ahead of him while Olivia's head collapsed on his shoulder.

He turned his phone off and tossed it carelessly beside him on the couch, looking down in defeat.

She hadn't said a word. Neither of them had. They just sat there, silently accepting that their obstacles were not over. That all of their luck lately, had now run out.

He could feel her tears begin to soak his shirt, so he wrapped his arm around her and leaned his forehead against the top of her head.

"Hey. Look at me."

He could tell she was trying to keep it together. She hadn't made a peep, but the tears were still wetting his shirt. He knew that she was devastated. And he understood.

Because he felt the same way.

"Olivia. Look at me."

She slowly lifted up her face to reveal smudged makeup, and tears spilling out of her sad eyes.

The sight could almost make him cry. He never wanted to see her that way.

"This has nothing on us. Okay? Nothing. This doesn't matter. Me and you are always going to be okay. No list is going to change that," he whispered.

She nodded, her lip quivering as the tears streamed down her beautiful face.

"We've done it before, right? For a whole year. This is half that. We _know_ how to do this. We're so strong, baby. We have been through so much. We can't let this get to us, or tear us down. We are going to make it through this even stronger than we are now," he said. "I promise you, Olivia. I promise you that."

She nodded again, although sadly.

"Come here."

She didn't even hesitate. She swung a leg over his lap and sat there, wrapping her arms around his neck. And she cried into his chest. This time, not keeping it all in.

He held her so tight. Tighter than he thought he had ever held her. And he buried his face in the crook of her neck, sighing deeply.

"I knew I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. I tried...so hard not to. I just...wanted to have you. Out in the open. I wanted us...to be free. I wanted you to be free," she sobbed.

He rubbed her back. "Me too. It's all that I wanted," he whispered.

"We should have known...our good luck. It could...never last. Because couples like...us. We don't...have good luck," she sniffled.

"Hey. Don't say that, Olivia. Don't say that. There's no 'couples like us' here. We're just like any other couple out there. Like any other couple who loves each other. You wanna know the only difference?" he asked.

"I already know the...difference, Fitz," she replied.

"Mm, I don't think you know what I'm talking about. See, the only difference is that we're _better_. We're just better. Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me we aren't one of the best couples you know, huh?" he asked.

She sniffled and hiccuped, not lifting her face off his chest. "We are," she said.

"Hell _yes_ we are. Don't you ever think otherwise, Olivia. There are so many people who are trying to find what _we_ have. So there is nothing in this world that is going to keep us from being us," he said.

She nodded. "I know. You're right."

He poked her sides gently, trying to get a reaction from her that _wasn't_ a sad one. And it worked, as she started to laugh quietly into his chest, avoiding his fingers as best she could. Her being so insanely ticklish could really work in his favor sometimes.

"Let me see your pretty face," he said.

She pulled back and sighed, letting him wipe her tears and smeared makeup off her face.

"I'm sorry. I'm being ridiculous. I just...I got my hopes up, is all. I know...I know we'll be okay. I'm just sad about it," she sniffled.

"No. You are not being ridiculous. You are being human. You're allowed to cry. You're allowed to be sad. I'm sad too."

She leaned forward and hugged him again, putting a hand on the back of his head. "I'm so sorry, Fitz. I'm just so sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" he asked.

"Because. This puts you back in jeopardy again. For an entire semester. And you don't deserve that. You deserve the world, and...I'm just so sorry you can't have it yet."

He shook his head.

"You're my world. I have it already."

She sighed, rubbing her hand down the back of his head. "You're such a sweetheart."

He returned his face back to the crook of her neck, holding her tight again. He closed his eyes, breathing in her scent. Lavender. It's what she always smelled like.

"Oh good. You two are up. We were going to make—"

Fitz opened his eyes, looking at Maya, entering the living room.

And then she seemed to sense the mood.

She looked at him with questioning eyes, as if she was asking if they had received the news, and it wasn't good.

He nodded sadly back at her.

Maya's peppy demeanor, the demeanor that was so very similar to Olivia's, vanished, and she walked sadly over to the couch to sit next to them.

Olivia hadn't pulled back from Fitz's embrace yet, but as soon as her mother sat down, she turned her body in his lap and leaned into him, but looked at her.

"I'm so very sorry," Maya said to the both of them.

Olivia and Fitz nodded. "We're gonna be okay," Olivia said, looking at Fitz.

Fitz smiled. "Yes, we are."

Eli walked in just then, seeing the three of them on the couch.

Fitz looked at him, and gave him a slight nod. And Eli looked back at him, seeming to understand what was going on, given how everyone was acting.

Eli was visibly displeased, just as Maya had been. Whether it was because Olivia was now back in jeopardy, because he truly felt for them, or a mix of both, Fitz could see it.

The night was not how their previous nights had been. Fairly happy, watching movies, going out, all of them being involved in making their dinner. It was quite different.

Maya and Eli made dinner, and they ate quietly. It certainly wasn't silent. But it was noticeably different than before.

After they cleaned up, they hung around in the living room, just having the TV on in the background.

But Fitz wanted some time away. Some time alone.

He stepped out, heading to the entryway. He slipped on his shoes and went out the front door, and he sat down on the porch step.

It was cold. He hadn't grabbed his jacket. But he didn't care. At least it wasn't snowing.

He rested his face in his hands, rubbing his eyes.

It was going to be a long semester. He knew that.

This semester had absolutely flown by. Because he had been more free. They had been more free. They had had the option at least to be a bit more flexible.

Going out together, sitting together at the bar.

Now, it would be back to hiding. With the exception of Oak Haven, being there with Cyrus, there wasn't anywhere they could really go without it being questionable.

Back to stolen moments, whenever possible. Back to sneaking around. Back to how it had all been before.

It took a toll on him and Olivia. It really did. But there was no other option here.

This was how it was going to be.

* * *

Olivia watched as Fitz got up silently and left the living room. And moments later, she heard the front door open and close.

She wanted to follow him. To make sure he was okay. But she remembered their conversation a couple days ago, about having alone time. She remembered what _she_ had said to him, about everyone needing to be alone on occasion. She decided to listen to her advice, and let him be.

He would come back when he was ready.

"Is he okay?" Maya asked.

Olivia shook her head, and replied honestly. "No. He's not."

"Well why don't you go, Livvie. Go be with him."

She shook her head. "He wants to be alone, mom. I know him. I know how he works. We will talk more tonight. But for now, I'll let him be."

Maya seemed to understand, because she dropped it.

Everyone dropped it, at least, for about twenty minutes.

And then Eli got up, heading towards the entryway.

"Dad...where are you going?" Olivia asked.

"Don't you worry about it."

Olivia shot him a look. "Yeah, and when has that ever worked for me."

"Relax, would you? Jeez. You take after me, don't you? So protective."

Olivia scoffed. "Oh, so you get to tell me to relax when I'm being protective. I see how this works," she said jokingly. But in reality, she was only half joking.

"Yes. It's something I should have done, too," he nodded.

He smiled and disappeared into the entryway and then out the door.

Olivia looked at her mom, with questioning eyes.

"Hey. Don't look at me, baby. At least he knows he needs to calm his ass down when he goes all 'protective Eli'."

Olivia shook her head and smiled. Yeah, true, she supposed.

Fitz heard the door open and close behind him, expecting it to be his girlfriend.

"I'll be back inside in a minute, baby."

But he didn't get an answer.

He looked behind him, only to see Eli.

Not...Olivia. Oops.

"I know I said you could call me Eli, Fitz, but 'baby' might be pushing it a little bit."

"Sorry—Eli. I'm sorry. I thought...yeah," he chuckled.

"You thought I was my daughter."

"I did."

"Well she told us you wanted to be alone. So naturally I gave you twenty minutes to yourself. And then I came out," he said with a laugh.

Fitz laughed too. "Oh. Yeah, no I'm fine. I just...wanted some air, I guess."

Eli nodded.

"My daughter...she's certainly protective of you. I can't take a step in your direction without her questioning my motives."

Fitz laughed. "I know she is. I'm sorry about that, although I can confidently say that I like that about her."

"Yes. I was just telling her she took after me. Although, perhaps she has learned to control it better than me already."

Fitz shrugged. "I wouldn't be so sure. She can be...very jealous sometimes."

"Ahh, yes. Something I passed onto her as well, I'm afraid. Out of protectiveness often comes jealousy. Maya has never been the jealous type. I, on the other hand..." he began.

Fitz nodded. "It isn't a bad thing. It's normal. I am not going to pretend that I don't get jealous. I do. It can just be annoying. To _be_ jealous, I mean."

"Yes. It can be," Eli nodded.

The two men sat in silence. Having somewhat of a... _normal_ conversation. It was odd, but it was also nice.

Eli broke the silence again.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry about next semester."

Fitz nodded at him. "Thank you. It's...alright. We'll be alright."

"I thought this would all work out for you two. I really did," Eli replied.

"I did too. Olivia and I both did."

Eli sighed.

"I need you to promise me something, Fitz."

"Anything," Fitz replied.

"I...feel helpless here. I feel like I can't protect her from something happening because of the jeopardy you are putting yourselves in. It is hard, for Maya and I. It was hard before, so it is going to be even harder now. I need you to promise me that you will be careful. That you will be smart. Protect yourselves. Please."

"I will. _We_ will. I know...you don't necessarily want to hear this. But we know how to do this. We know how this works. We will be okay. I promise."

Eli nodded, folding his hands together.

"Okay."

They were silent again. But the silence never seemed to last long.

"I was wrong about you."

Fitz turned his head to look at him. He wasn't necessarily surprised to hear that, but he certainly hadn't expected him to come out and say it, either. At least, not quite yet.

"I was wrong. The...night I found out, I mean. I thought...the worst. I thought bad things about you. Things that are insulting to you."

Fitz nodded. "Eli, you were upset—"

"No, no. I appreciate you defending me now. But...don't. Let me finish."

Fitz nodded again, gesturing for him to continue.

"I am not going to say that I didn't have a right to be upset. I think that I did. Maya and I both had a right to be upset. But...what I did not have the right to do was attack your character. Especially before I knew you."

Fitz didn't say anything, he just let Eli talk.

"I'm just going to be blunt with you, because there's no reason I should have to step around this. Olivia's young. And she isn't white. But you are. And I wish...I wish my mind hadn't jumped to the conclusion that you were using her, and knew you could get away with something like that. But it did. It's sad that in this day and age, that is what I thought, Fitz. But I did, and I'm sorry about that. I am truly sorry about that."

Fitz shook his head. "You don't have to apologize to me. You had every right to be skeptical. I feel like...I should be apologizing to you, for having to feel that way, and for having to jump to that conclusion. I would never expect an apology for that. You love her. You both love her so much, it is so easy for me to see. I knew that from the beginning. She is lucky, to have parents like you and Maya. And...I'm happy that you have allowed me to spend time here. To spend time with you all as a family, and let me prove to you that I am not what you thought that I was. I hope...I have done that so far."

Eli actually gave him a smile. "You want me to be completely honest with you right now?" he asked.

Fitz nodded. "Please. Always."

"I did misjudge you at first, like I said. First, because of what I thought about you. Then, fairly quickly after that, actually, I was upset because I saw the truth. I just denied it, because I didn't want it to _be_ the truth. But it was. There was something there, between you and my daughter that I didn't want to be there. But, it's overwhelming. I mean, it is _so_ overwhelmingly there, Fitz."

Fitz chuckled. "Thank you...I think."

Eli nodded. "See...I should be thanking you for that."

Fitz looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"I have never seen anyone look at my daughter the way you look at her. Never. In fact, it is hard for me to recall if I have ever seen _anyone_ look at another person the way you look at her. And the same goes for her, by the way. She is... _attached_ to you, Fitz. She looks to you. She waits for you. She watches for you. I see it happen, I watch it. When she loves, she loves _hard_. And I've come to the conclusion that you are the same way. This is why it's overwhelming. But in a good way, the _best_ way. In the way every parent wants for their child. You treat her like royalty. You treat her like she is the only woman you ever see. And that's all that I can ask for. That is, quite honestly, all Maya and I want. Because she is...our world. She's our baby. All we want is for her to be happy. And you make her overwhelmingly happy. So frankly, I don't care what your occupation is. I don't care that you're older than her. I did, before. But there are a lot of things I've come to realize these past few months. There are a lot of things I've rethought. My opinion on you, is one of them."

Fitz felt as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Despite the sadness he still felt about next semester, this talk had definitely helped.

"Thank you. Thank you, Eli," he nodded.

"You're welcome. We don't know you well yet. But we've learned a great deal already. And we have liked what we've learned. And...just don't let next semester get you down. You two are strong. Clearly. You've dealt with me."

Fitz laughed. "You're tough," he nodded.

"I am. My daughter brings that out in me. She's...a treasure."

Fitz could only nod. "She is."

Eli sighed in the midst of another comfortable silence. "Are you cold?"

Fitz nodded. "Yes. I am very cold, actually," he chuckled.

"Come on. We better go inside. I'm sure Olivia is worried about you," he replied with a laugh.

They came back inside, heading to the living room where Olivia and Maya still sat, watching TV.

"Ah, there you boys are. We were beginning to worry!" Maya said.

"No need to worry, dear. Fitz and I are just fine."

"That, we are," Fitz nodded, sitting next to Olivia on the floor.

He leaned over and pecked her cheek. "Hey."

"Hey. You okay?" she whispered, linking her arm with his.

"Mhm," he nodded.

She smiled, leaning her head against his shoulder.

He leaned his head against hers, too. "I love you," he whispered.

Olivia snuggled up closer to him as they rested their backs against the couch, where Eli and Maya sat, talking about the show they were watching. And she smiled.

"Ditto."

* * *

Wow, okay! That was long as hell.

Some good and some bad happened. How do you feel about it?

Y'all know they'll be okay next semester. They can do it!

I think there will actually be two more full chapters of winter break. That's the plan.

So, stay tuned and read on!

With Love,

~T


	63. Happy New Year

The next few days passed by quickly.

They were alright. But it was no secret that the news of their next semester had put a damper on things.

It was now Monday, December 31st. New Year's Eve. But it was very, very early in the morning.

Fitz snuggled up closely to Olivia in her bed. She was about as close to him as she could be, too, with every limb wrapped around him.

He sighed deeply, loosening his grip on his girlfriend to look at the time. 3:26 am.

He was content to close his eyes again, and return to his earlier position. He had time.

Ever since the second night he'd stayed, when he'd come up to sleep with her, he'd done the same thing every night.

Wait a little while until they were sure her parents were asleep, and then he'd come up to sleep next to her.

It wasn't necessary. And it probably wasn't the easiest option. But to them, it didn't matter. It made them happy, so that's what they did. They could use a little happy right now.

But after waking up at 3:26 am, Fitz didn't wake up again.

At least, not until past ten

And what he missed, along with Olivia, was someone opening her door quietly to see if she was awake yet.

Eli did what Maya had asked, checked to see if Olivia was up yet. They were going to run errands, and usually Olivia liked to come with.

They hadn't heard Fitz up, either. But Olivia had said multiple times that he was an inconsistent sleeper, so they didn't think much of it.

Until Eli opened Olivia's door.

And there he was, holding on so tightly to Olivia. And she, doing the same.

Eli wondered how on earth that was comfortable. Could they even breathe?

At first, Eli's heart had almost stopped, just seeing them. He certainly knew what things went on behind closed doors between the two, and he did _not_ need to see anything at all resembling it. The thought actually made him sick.

But they were fully clothed. It seemed that...he had come up just so that they could sleep in the same bed. As oddly as that seemed, that's what it appeared, at least.

He shook his head. "Maya," he whispered down the hall.

She peeked her head out of their bedroom door, rubbing lotion on her hands. "What?"

He waved her over.

She raised an eyebrow, but walked down the hallway to him.

"It seems I've found both of them. Look what we have here."

Maya peeked her head into the door and examined the scene before her. And she put her hand up to her mouth, silencing her laugh.

"How long you think that's been going on?" Eli asked.

"Since day one, I'm assuming," Maya said with a laugh.

Eli shook his head. "Good lord."

"Well, she did tell us he had sleep issues."

Eli nodded. "Yeah. Apparently. Do you think they can be away from each other for more than twelve hours?"

"From what I've seen, no," she said with a laugh.

"Let them sleep. God knows they're...going through some things. Leave them be."

Eli nodded, shutting the door quietly again.

And man, did they sleep well. They didn't wake up for an entire hour after Eli walked in.

Fitz's eyes fluttered open, feeling the brightness shine in through her window. The brightness made him nervous. He should have left her room when it was dark out.

He checked the time. 10:17 am. _What the!_

"Jesus," he whispered, laying his head back on the pillow.

He clearly disturbed Olivia, because she began to stir. "Mmm."

She stretched, snuggling up to him before she opened her eyes.

And then she seemed to take the sunlight streaming into her room into account.

"What...time is it?"

"Past ten."

Her eyes widened. "Ohh...shit."

"Yeah essentially," he chuckled.

"Wait...you slept through the night?!" she exclaimed excitedly.

He smiled. "No. I woke up at like...three in the morning, so I went back to sleep. Apparently I was tired because I slept seven more hours. And...apparently I should've just gone downstairs then," he chuckled.

She shrugged. "Honestly, whatever. They're certainly under no impression that we don't sleep in the same bed otherwise."

"Oh I know that. I was just trying to be...respectful, I guess. Although maybe it would've been more respectful to just go for it in the first place instead of sneaking up here every night."

"Well they never would've had to _know_ if you didn't actually get us caught you dummy," she giggled, poking his sides.

 _"_ _Girl,_ you did not just say that to me," he said, very sassily.

She burst into laughter. "What in the hell was that?"

"That was my attempt at being sassy."

She was still laughing. "I'm sorry—I'm sorry. That was too good."

"I feel like you're insulting my sassy attempt," he said, giving her a sad face.

"I am. You're not a sassy person," she giggled.

"Yeah well I don't have room to be sassy. You take up all that room."

She scoffed. "Rude!"

"Yeah, see, shouldn't have insulted me," he said with a shrug.

She continued to laugh. "You are something else."

"I'll take that over being called a dummy again," he chuckled.

"You're not a dummy. I'm sorry about that I take it back," she said.

"Good! Because you don't know that your parents know anyway. Maybe they're still sleeping too. And then they'll never know," he shrugged.

She laughed. "Yeah, like _that's_ plausible."

"Wanna go find out?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go," she said, getting up.

He patted her ass as she got up, which made her turn around and poke him in his stomach.

She, of course, was met with rock hard abs, without him even flexing.

"Do it again."

She poked him again, watching his abdomen tighten even further through his shirt as he flexed.

"Mmhm," she smirked.

"You like that?" he asked, poking her sides.

She giggled, trying to shield her sides from him. "You know that I do. Your muscles are very sexy," she said, certainly not quietly as she opened her door.

"Okay, shh," he chuckled, grabbing her sides.

"What? That wasn't even dirty."

"Dirty enough! I'm already going to be in the doghouse," he whispered.

Olivia smirked. "Hey, so my boyfriend is actually really freaking ripped, if you didn't know—"

"Shhh," he said, putting his hand over her mouth from behind.

She mumbled with his hand over her mouth, continuing on with her rant before they reached the steps.

She ripped his hand away from her mouth in a fit of laughter, not caring even a little bit if her parents were in the kitchen and if they had heard.

She was still a little sad. They both were. So playing around and having fun was something they needed.

They reached the kitchen to find it empty, with a note on the counter.

"Oh...maybe they actually didn't know," Olivia said.

"What's it say?" Fitz asked, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"They ran errands and didn't wanna wake us. They could've just...assumed you were still downstairs, this doesn't mean they know," she answered.

"Very true. I'm just happy they didn't hear you announce to the world how 'ripped' I was," he chuckled.

"Why? You should be proud. You should...show it off," she giggled.

"Yeah, that's not really my thing," he said, taking a sip of coffee.

"Well it should be with a body like yours."

"You're biased!" he exclaimed. "Uh-huh, and you're modest."

He nodded. "Your dad seemed to think so too."

"He's a wise man," Olivia said with a smile, grabbing the orange juice.

"That, he is," he agreed.

"Are you gonna work out?" she asked.

"Mhm. You gonna?" he asked.

"Yeah. You go first, though. You know me, I need to have a little something my stomach before I work out, unlike you," she said.

He cringed. "Yeah, coffee's all I can do beforehand," he replied.

"Yeah that's 'cause you're weird," she said, grabbing the bread.

"Yeah, yeah okay. Come talk to me when you throw up everything you ate before you work out," he said.

"Will do baby," she said, kissing his cheek.

He accepted her kiss and then gave her one back, before making his way downstairs. "I love you!" he shouted behind him.

"Yeah, yeah, I love you too. Work hard, get sweaty."

"Yeah, yeah."

He made his way downstairs to put on some work out clothes and stretch before he worked out.

It still wasn't quite like the gym in his apartment building, but that was to be expected. And it still felt great.

As Olivia has advised, he worked hard and he got sweaty.

About forty-five minutes later, he stripped off his shirt and ran up the stairs, going to grab some water.

Olivia was just finishing up some of the dishes in the sink, and she looked over at him. "Oh...hi, sweetie," she said, a little awkwardly.

He raised an eyebrow. "Hi...baby?" he replied, grabbing a glass from the cupboard.

"Hi, there."

He turned towards the kitchen table behind him, seeing Maya sitting there drinking a cup of tea. Looking him over in his half-naked glory.

Well he certainly hadn't heard them come home...oops.

"Oh. Hi, Maya. Good morning. How are you?" he asked, scratching the side of his face. He could feel his cheeks turning red.

"I'm great. I see you just got done with a workout," she noted.

He nodded. "Yeah. How were your errands?" he asked.

"Good," she nodded.

He cleared his throat. "Good. Um...Liv, you're all set to...go workout now," he said, looking back at her.

"Okay," she said with a laugh.

"Right. Okay. I'm gonna go...take a shower," he said, gesturing behind him to the staircase.

"Yeah you go do that," Olivia nodded.

Olivia looked at her mother, who was raising her eyebrows. Olivia couldn't help but laugh a little bit.

"I don't think he knew you guys were home," she said.

Maya nodded. "Phew. Clearly not. The pictures don't do him justice, by the way."

Olivia scoffed. _"Mom!"_

Maya burst into laughter. "Oh dear. I really am quite funny."

"You're not funny," Olivia said, drying the last dish.

"Well if that's true then you take after me," Maya said, sipping her tea.

Olivia tossed the damp dish towel at her mother, who was laughing again.

"Have fun working out," Maya called out after her as she headed towards the stairs.

"Thanks, mom," Olivia said with a laugh.

She skipped down the stairs, already dressed in her workout clothes, and headed to the exercise room. She could hear the shower running, and knew that Fitz was in there already.

But in the middle of her workout, she heard a knock.

She raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

And in came Fitz, wearing just a towel. "Oh. Hi again," she panted.

"Hi. Sorry about earlier, I did _not_ know they had already come home," he chuckled.

She laughed. "It's fine. I guess it's okay that nobody was home to hear my 'my boyfriend's ripped' announcement because she knows anyway,"

He winced. "I'm just thankful Eli wasn't in the kitchen. _And_ that I didn't come up in less than what I had on."

She giggled. "Oh like you would've!"

"I thought it was just you! I could've!" he exclaimed.

"Hmm, you mean like that," she said, pointing to his current state.

"Uh-huh," he replied, readjusting his towel.

She smirked, eyeing how loosely the corner of the towel was tucked in.

She could just about see him fully. Mmm.

"You better go. I can't focus with you standing half-naked right there," she panted.

He smiled, adjusting his towel once more. "Mmkay. Work hard cutie."

She wiggled her fingers at him. "Bye cutie."

He gave her a wave and left her to herself in the exercise room.

She finished her workout and retreated upstairs to go take a shower, seeing that Fitz was now chatting with Maya and Eli in the kitchen. Now, _fully-clothed_ , thank goodness.

When she got back downstairs, all fresh and clean, she walked into a room full of laughter.

"No, no, really, I can figure it out. I got this," Fitz said, turning the dial on the old kitchen radio underneath one of the cabinets by the sink.

Eli was chuckling. "Fitz, I'm afraid I've tried everything! It's dead, it really is."

"Yeah and that was a very sad day that it stopped working. Eli and I used to dance all the time in the kitchen. To sixties music. You know, Eli is quite the dancer," Maya nodded.

"I certainly am," he agreed.

"What's going on?" Olivia asked with a laugh.

"Fitz is trying to fix our radio," Maya said with a laugh.

And as she said that, there was a static sound over by Fitz.

"And Fitz did it," Fitz said, smiling.

"You did not!" Eli exclaimed.

"Well, give me a second. I'm not sure. This dial is hard to turn. There's a reset button behind this dial on the bottom," he said.

"A reset button? How did we not see that?" Maya asked.

"Probably because it's not labeled. There either isn't a label or it's worn off. And it's very small, I used a pencil to push it in. I didn't know for sure, I just pushed it and hoped for the best," he chuckled, leaning down to look at one of the dials.

"Well, what do you know. Turns out it might not be dead after all," Eli said.

And then there was sound.

Maya smiled and started clapping. "Oh wow!"

It slowly started to become clearer, and it did, indeed, sound like an older type of song.

Olivia couldn't recognize it at first, but Fitz's face lit up.

"Oh my god. This song."

"What? What is it?" Olivia asked.

"'Twist and Shout'. It's the Beatles," Maya piped in. "You like this song, Fitz?"

He nodded. "My mom loved the Beatles. They were all she listened to, at least that I remember."

"Now wait a second. This is a good one, Maya. This sounds like one we'd dance to," he said, smiling at her.

"Yes it does," she giggled.

Fitz held out his hand to Olivia, across the kitchen, and smiled at her.

She smiled back, watching him start to sing quietly along.

"Well, work it on out, honey

You know you look so good

You know you got me goin' now

Just like I knew you would."

He now had a full grip on her hand and was spinning her around the kitchen, as Maya and Eli smiled and laughed at the sight.

But it wasn't long until they, too, started to dance. Like they had done so many times before when they first moved into their house.

Like they had done so many times before, when Olivia was a little girl.

Only now she was grown, with a dance partner of her own.

And he was looking down at her, with the happiest smile she'd ever seen.

Eventually the song ended, but their fun didn't. Olivia wouldn't have ever expected her parents to dance in the kitchen with them. But they did, for quite a while actually.

So many of the songs were too old for Olivia to know, but there were a few that she knew. She did like old school music.

Fitz helped her out though, singing the lyrics quietly to her as they danced.

Besides Fitz singing, there was a lot of laughter that filled the kitchen.

Until they finally stopped, needing to catch their breath a little bit.

"My, oh my. Well that might have been the best thing to happen to us in a while! Thanks to Fitz for fixing it!" Maya exclaimed.

"You're very welcome. I'm glad," he chuckled.

"So he sings too," Eli said, raising his eyebrow at Fitz.

"Yeah I knew that!" Maya said.

"Oh, no, no. Not—not really," he chuckled.

"Uh, yes you do, and you do it well," Olivia nodded, hanging on his arm.

"I agree...I think you certainly do sing," Eli chuckled.

"He'll never admit it. Will you, Fitzgerald?" she teased.

He shrugged, blushing a little bit.

"That's alright. He's modest, but he knows it," Eli nodded.

"He knows a lot of things," Olivia said, nudging his arm.

He smiled at her and nudged her back.

"Well. I suppose we should go get ready huh? We have quite the drive today," Maya said to Eli.

"Indeed. What are you two going to do with the rest of your day?" Eli asked.

"Hmm, well I was thinking we could go ice skating," Olivia said happily.

"Really?" Fitz asked.

"Mhm. There's a place where we can go and also rent skates there. If you want to," she said to Fitz.

"I would love to!" He exclaimed.

"Well that sounds fun!" Maya said.

"Just take good care of her, Fitz. She's not an ice skater," Eli teased.

"What! I'm...a decent skater! Kind of..." she said.

Fitz chuckled. "I'll help her out," he nodded.

"Oh good. Well we'll say goodbye before we go," Maya said, as they both started heading out of the kitchen.

Fitz and Olivia nodded, waving as they left.

"Where's the ice rink?" he asked.

"Not far, it's in Arlington. It's outside, is that okay?" she asked.

"Yes of course. We can dress warm."

"Cool. I thought you'd like to do that," she said.

"Very thoughtful of you, I haven't been in so long! It will be fun," he nodded.

"I think so too," she agreed.

They hung around until Maya and Eli said that they were going to head out.

"We'll see you tomorrow," Maya said.

"Okay, sounds good. Have fun at the party," Olivia said.

"Thank you, have fun ice skating," Maya replied.

"We will," Olivia nodded.

"Hold down the fort for us?" Eli asked, extending his hand to Fitz.

"Of course," Fitz nodded, shaking his hand.

"Olivia?" Eli asked, extending his hand to her as well.

She laughed and shook her dad's hand. "Will do, dad."

"Good. Have fun, you two."

"Yep. Bye," they both said.

And then they were gone.

"Woo!" she exclaimed, jumping into his unexpecting arms.

"Woah!" he chuckled, catching her immediately. "You being very small really helps my cause when you decide to randomly jump on me."

"Well this is cause for jumping on you. My parents are gone," she said with a laugh.

"Oh yeah, and why's that so good, huh?" he smirked.

"Because. It's been good hanging out with them. But...a night to ourselves will be really nice. Just you and me. Alone."

"Alone," he repeated.

"Alone," she whispered again into his ear.

"Hmmm...I like that," he replied.

"Mhm. We can have some drinks. Or...a _lot_ of drinks. Watch the ball drop. Have a fun night in. What do you think?" she asked.

"I think that's perfect. Much better than last New Year's Eve when we had to watch the ball drop over FaceTime and then make up for the real New Year's Eve after the fact," he chuckled.

"Very true. We'll be able to have the real thing! But first, we're going ice skating," she declared.

"You said it, we're going ice skating," he nodded.

"I'm confident. I'm confident that I'm a _very_ _good_ ice skater," she said, as he put her down and they went to get ready.

* * *

"Okay. I'm a _very_ _bad_ ice skater," Olivia said.

"No, no, you're not. Here," he chuckled, extending out his hand.

They were now together on the outdoor ice rink, packed with people on this chilly New Year's Eve Day. It was quite a beautiful sight, really.

What was not beautiful, was her skating though.

She clung to his hand and pulled her hat on tighter as they glided across the slick ice.

He seemed to do it so effortlessly. What the hell!

"How are you doing that? I don't understand," she giggled.

"Your impulse is going to be to try and skate in small strides to keep your balance. But try to do bigger strides, it will help. Like this," he said, showing her with a few big strides.

"Easier said than done. I'm used to...you know, swimming. In water. Real water. Not skating when the water's _frozen."_

He burst into laughter. "You can do it. You're Olivia, you can do anything."

She laughed. "Well thanks, babe. I think I'm getting the hang of it...kind of?" she questioned.

He nodded. "Yeah. Here, do you want me to let you go?" he asked

"No, no. You stay right here."

He smiled. "Yes, ma'am."

"I'm the one that said we should come...I don't want to now embarrass myself by falling on my ass," she giggled.

"No, no I've got you. Your ass is too nice for that, we will avoid falling at all costs," he assured her.

She laughed. "Aww. My boy's so sweet, protecting my ass and such," she said.

He smiled back at her, giving her hand a squeeze.

She hadn't been skating in a very long time, so in a way, it felt like she had to re-learn. And she got the hang of it again. She was nowhere near as good as Fitz, who made it look as easy as walking. But she still definitely improved.

The rink was quite busy in the early afternoon when they went, but it got a little less busy as time went on. She assumed after dinner it might pick up again, just because she always drove past at night and saw it filled with people.

But when later afternoon hit, they were able to have a little more space.

She did finally let go of Fitz, who stayed close by at first.

But she did eventually tell him that she was okay and he could skate freely if he wanted to.

She figured she'd slowed him down enough already. He just laughed, saying it wasn't like he needed to do laps around the rink or anything. That he just wanted to skate next to his girlfriend.

Until a little hockey player took a liking to him.

She smiled when she started noticing it, that the little boy, wearing his youth hockey helmet, gloves, and sweatshirt, was keeping a close watch on Fitz.

Looking at how he skated, forward and backward as if it were the easiest thing he'd ever done.

And then the little boy started skating next to him.

"Can you teach me that? When...you go backwards?"

Fitz looked down at the little boy with the biggest smile.

Hearing the word "teach" to him was like a kid in a candy store.

"You look like a pro already! I think I should be asking you to teach me," he said, leaning down a little further to talk with him as they skated.

The little boy was very clearly flattered.

"My hockey team _is_ pretty good!" he nodded.

"I bet so! What position do you play?" Fitz asked.

"We play them all. They want us to try them all out. I want to be a defenseman. And...I want to be really good. I want to be like Brooks Orpik, and play in the NHL!"

"Brooks Orpik, huh? So you like the Capitals?" Fitz asked.

The boy nodded.

"Me too. He's a pretty good defenseman. I can see why you want to learn how to skate backward. Defensemen have to be pretty good at that," Fitz nodded.

"Yeah. We are trying to learn it in practice, but it's really hard for me. You are good at it. So I thought...you, like...could maybe help me?" he questioned.

"Of course I can. What's your name?" Fitz asked.

"Devan."

"It's nice to meet you, Devan, I'm Fitz," he said, reaching his hand down for him to shake it.

Devan shook Fitz's hand, glove on and all, and smiled while he did it.

"And this is my friend Olivia, she's still learning just like you," Fitz said, gesturing to Olivia.

Olivia nodded. "It's true. You are way better than me already!" she exclaimed.

He blushed, looking up at Olivia.

Fitz chuckled, seeing that he was very clearly flattered.

"Alright Devan, let's stop here in the corner so we don't get in everyone's way," Fitz said.

Olivia kept doing slow laps around the rink, watching Fitz teach a young hockey player how to do something that he had been having a hard time doing even in practice.

But from the looks of it, he was actually getting the hang of it. He was slow and a little shaky at it, but he was getting the basics of pushing off and doing little half circles with each skate to propel himself backward.

He ended up going oh so slowly down one end of the rink, meeting his mom halfway right by the boards.

"Mom! Mom! Look! I'm doing it! I'm going backwards!" he exclaimed.

"I've been watching you! Has he been helping you?" she asked, pointing to Fitz, who was now skating towards her.

Devan nodded. "Yes! He is so good!" he exclaimed.

"Good job! You're getting it!" Fitz exclaimed, stopping by Devan on the ice.

"Yeah!" Devan exclaimed.

His mother chuckled. "Thank you so much for helping him out with that!" she said to Fitz.

"Oh, no problem. I'm Fitz," he greeted, taking off his thin glove and extending a hand.

She shook it and smiled. "Nice to meet you, I'm Amy. I'm not much of a skater myself and neither is my husband, so Devan really has nobody to help him out in that area, I'm afraid," she said with a laugh.

"Well he's a great skater already! You're well on your way to being just like Brooks Orpik, buddy," Fitz said, turning to Devan with a smile.

Devan, of course, was very happy to hear that.

Any laughed, pinching her son's cheeks. "Alright my little hockey player. Why don't you go practice for ten more minutes okay? Then we have to go. Remember? Dinner at grandma's tonight," she said.

Devan nodded. "Okay," he said sadly, but regardless, he still sped away to practice again.

"It was good to meet you," Fitz said, giving Amy a wave.

"You too. Thanks again!"

"No problem!"

Fitz skated back towards Olivia and Devan, who were now laughing about something in the corner as he slowly and steadily started to skate backward again.

Olivia watched them skate together for a little bit until Devan had to go, and got off the ice to go be with his mom.

But before he left, she noticed Fitz had leaned down so that Devan could whisper something in his ear.

She had no idea what the boys were talking about. All she did know was that she loved seeing Fitz interact with kids. He was so good with them, and it melted her heart.

After saying goodbye to his new little buddy, he skated back over to her, hockey stopping in front of her like it was nothing.

Yeah, if she tried to do that, she'd face plant.

"Hi," he said. "Hi. That was very sweet, what you did for him. He was getting the hang of it!" Olivia said.

"Mhm. It'll take him some time. Becoming a good skater is actually a lot harder than people think, and takes a lot of years."

"Well you're clearly very good!" Olivia said, grabbing his hand again as they skated.

He shrugged. "I'm not though. I just know the basics, really."

She rolled her eyes. "Of _course_ you won't say you're good!"

He laughed. "I'm not saying I'm _bad!_ I know that. You just think so highly of me all the time. Which, is very cute by the way. I'm not complaining," he said.

"That's because you're good at everything. And you're perfect," she said very matter of factly.

He laughed. "Now you know that's not true."

She nodded. "Hmm, no it's definitely true. There's really no sense in arguing here because I'm just right. That's it," she shrugged.

He shook his head. "Well thank you. You're very sweet, Livvie."

She smiled, squeezing his hand.

"Hey I was gonna ask. What were you and your new friend whispering about before? Spillin' secrets?" she teased, nudging his arm.

He chuckled. "Oh yeah, he spilled a big one to me for sure."

"Oh...so I can't know, huh?" she asked with a laugh.

Fitz thought about it. "You can know. It was very sweet. He said, 'your friend is really pretty.'"

Olivia put her hand up to her mouth and smiled. "Awww. That is very sweet. He was a nice boy."

"Yes he was. I told him he was absolutely right, and that you were the prettiest girl in the world. He agreed with me."

Olivia felt her cheeks redden, just at the cuteness of that conversation.

"So, I think I have my competition cut out for me. The nine-year-old may have me beat," he chuckled.

Olivia laughed. "I think you're okay. You were so good with him," she said admirably.

He shrugged and smiled. "Yeah. He was a nice kid. And hey, he liked the Capitals!"

Olivia nodded. "I heard! Smart boy."

"I mean...not as smart as he would be if he liked the Kings...but I didn't want to tell him that," he chuckled.

Olivia laughed and nudged his arm. "Hey now. The Capitals are like...the best team."

"Is that right? Why don't you name five players?" he asked.

She winced, but attempted anyway.

"Alex Ovechkin," she said, very confidently.

"Uh-huh. That's one."

"Brooks...Orp...Orpik...?" she questioned, not sure if that's the player that Devan had said.

He laughed. "Okay. Three more."

She flat out had no idea. She had read another name on the front of Capital One Arena, where they played. It was a hard name to say, but she tried.

"Evgeny. That one. Evgeny...Kunet...something," she giggled.

He doubled over in laughter. "Evgeny Kuznetsov?"

"Yeah!"

He shook his head. "You failed, baby, I'm sorry."

"Ah, dammit. I tried. Hockey just isn't my thing," she said with a laugh.

"I know. I applaud your effort though. You still know a lot more than you did when you met me," he winked.

"Very true. I'm a lot different than when I met you. You managed to get me to like...a _few_ country songs," she said.

"A few?! More than a few!" he exclaimed.

She shook her head. "Ehhhh, a _few_. I'm not one of those country music haters but it's still not...you know, _preferred_ ," she replied.

"Well it's not like I listen to it all the time, either. Mostly in the summer. But come on, it's so not _so_ bad," he said.

"No, it's not _so_ bad. Especially when you sing it to me," she said.

"I'll take that," he nodded.

She smiled and readjusted her coat zipper with her free hand.

"You cold, babe?" he asked.

She nodded. "A little bit."

It wasn't too cold outside, really. But they had been there for quite a while now, so she was a bit cold.

"Let's go then. Go warm up at home," he said.

"Okay," she nodded, as he led her towards the door on the rink's boards.

And they made their way home, to warm up.

"You sit here," Fitz said, pointing to the kitchen chair.

"Okay...why?" she giggled.

"Because," he shrugged, getting out two mugs from the cupboard.

"Because...?" she questioned.

"You ask a lot of questions, woman."

"Simple questions!" she giggled.

"You will just have to wait and see," he said, getting the milk out of the fridge.

She watched him move around the kitchen, grabbing things here and there. It was a bit funny how he already knew his way around their kitchen for the most part.

She got a sense of what he was making when he grabbed the chocolate syrup and warmed up the milk.

"Do you have whipped cream?"

She smirked. "Depends on your desired use for said whipped cream."

He about dropped the gallon of milk in his hands as he put it away and held back a laugh.

"Mmm. Sticky," he chuckled.

She laughed. "I think we do, mom made some dessert for Christmas Day. I'm pretty sure she had leftover," she said.

He dug through the fridge and pulled out some Reddi Wip. "Yeah, this has many uses doesn't it."

She nodded. "You said it, not me."

He raised his eyebrow. "No, see I'm pretty sure _you_ said it."

She laughed. "Alright, maybe I did."

He smiled as he sprayed whipped cream on top of their steaming mugs of hot chocolate.

And as soon as he finished the second mug, it stopped working.

"Shit. It's gone," he chuckled.

"Well...I'm sure we can think of other ways to...spend our time," she said.

"Mmhm," he replied, clinking his mug against hers.

"Thanks. This is good," she nodded, taking another sip.

"Yeah. I figure we need one more non-alcoholic beverage before we really start drinking," he said.

"Good call. We have...a lot of alcohol in this house," she said with a laugh.

"Good."

She put her hand on his. "You're doing okay, right?" she asked.

He nodded. "I'm perfect, Liv. Just...I just wanna forget, tonight. Forget about next semester. I'm happy, and I know we'll be okay. It's just been on my mind ever since, like I'm sure it has been on yours. And tonight I don't wanna think about it. I just wanna be with you. And drink. And watch the ball drop. And...fool around with you. It's New Year's Eve, it only happens once a year."

She nodded, showing a little bit of a smile. "It _is_ a once a year thing, you're right. I fully planned on getting blasted tonight too so, I'm with you. I appreciate how you slipped in the 'fool around with you' part."

He laughed. "Well, I would be lying if I said I didn't plan to at some point tonight."

"I like your thinking," she giggled.

"Thank you, baby."

She felt her phone vibrate, and checked it, seeing a message from Sandra and Stephen in their group chat.

"What?" Fitz asked.

"Hmm...Sandra and Stephen are party hopping tonight and asked if they could stop by at some point. What do you think?" she asked.

He shrugged. "They should. I would like to meet Stephen and it would be good to see Sandra again," he nodded.

"Are you sure? I can tell them no, we could...schedule something else if you just want it to be us tonight. That's kinda what we planned."

"I'm okay with it if you are. If you wanted to...you know, hang out with them tonight and go with them for a while you can too. I don't want to get in the way of that," he replied.

She started laughing. "No way, Fitz. I would never leave you here. And I would much rather be here with you than at some random house party. No thanks. But they can come for a while, I haven't seen them for over a week," she said.

He smiled. "Okay. Do they have rides, they're not driving right...?" he asked concernedly.

She shook her head. "No, Sandra said they're Ubering. Nobody wants to DD on New Year's Eve."

"Very true. Did they say when they would come?" he asked.

"No, just that she'd let me know when they were leaving whatever party they're at."

"Okay. Well, I'm gonna go change into some comfier clothes. You want to come with me?" he asked.

"Of course I do."

They brought their hot chocolate downstairs and walked hand in hand to the guest room.

After they both set down their drinks, she plopped down on the bed, and kicked back, watching him search through his suitcase.

"You can do laundry, if you need, babe. I know you're probably staying longer than you expected you were going to."

"Yeah, I might need to actually. I'll do it tomorrow though, I still have some clothes left."

She smiled as he stripped off his shirt. Which, he noticed, so he tossed it at her with a laugh.

She giggled, catching the shirt at the last second. It was long sleeved, and it smelled like him. She bunched it up on her chest and held it there.

He slipped on another pair of his comfortable joggers that he loved, and was now dressed head to toe in black, Nike sweats. Very comfy looking.

"Mmm, can I have your other sweatshirt? The red, Nike one," she said, reaching her hand out to him and grasping the air.

"You wanna steal that one too?!" he exclaimed.

"Nooo, I just want to wear it right now. It looks comfy," she said with a smile.

"It is comfy. It's also a men's large."

"Good, I like them big," she nodded, still reaching her hand out to him.

"Yeah, considering you're dating _me_ , I knew that."

She opened her mouth in surprise and laughed. That confidence was so sexy to her.

"You got _that_ right."

He chuckled and handed her his sweatshirt.

She smiled and sat up, taking off her long sleeve shirt and throwing it to the floor, along with her bra.

"Oh. Taking it all off I see," he said with a laugh.

"Yeah. It'll be too hot to wear anything underneath," she said, slipping the sweatshirt over her head.

"Too hot is right," he nodded, climbing in bed with her.

She laid back down and smiled up at him as he climbed on top of her.

She had the hood up, snuggled up in his sweatshirt.

"You look very cute right now."

"Thank you," she said.

He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, lingering there for a little bit. He opened his eyes and looked into hers as he pecked her lips one more time.

His fingers brushed her neck as he pulled the thick neckline to the side and pressed kisses to her neck and upper chest. His lips were soft, and warm from the hot chocolate.

Nothing escalated from there, she just hugged him while he laid between her legs, placing little kisses all over her.

It was very cute, and had her laughing on occasion when he dragged his lips on a particularly ticklish spot.

He laughed quietly into her neck, of course, trying to make her laugh more.

She ran her fingers through his hair, that was in the process of growing back to the length she loved, and the length he kept it at most often.

"You wanna go open a bottle of champagne?" she whispered.

"Yes," he whispered back.

He kneeled above her, pulling her up to meet his eye level and pecking her lips before they got off the bed.

They finished their hot chocolate as they made their way up to the kitchen. No offense to the hot chocolate, but alcohol sounded better now.

"Okay. Cover your ears," he said.

She did, watching him pop the champagne and letting some of it spill into the sink.

"Woo! Come here, Livvie, drink up," he said handing her the bottle.

She giggled, taking it in her hands and pressing it to her lips.

She downed a huge amount, before finally taking a breather and handing it back, wiping her mouth.

He pressed the bottle to his lips and drank a big gulp as well.

She turned on the radio that Fitz had recently fixed, and searched through the stations to find a good playlist.

And she finally found one that was going through the top hits of the year, and turned it the hell up.

That was just the beginning to their New Year's Eve.

They eventually transitioned to the living room, having already mixed their alcohol. Champagne, a little wine for Olivia and a little whiskey for Fitz.

They were going easy, not wanting to pass out within a few hours. But they were definitely already buzzed. They had been going back and forth between ABC, FOX, and CNN, some of the big news outlets on New Year's Eve. Seeing the ball drop together was their main goal, so they'd for sure watch that.

But right then and there, around 7 o'clock, watching the ball drop was far from their minds.

"Nuh-uh!" Olivia exclaimed.

"Uh, yuh-huh," Fitz nodded.

"No way. You totally gave me the look first."

"I did _not!_ I was scared shitless, how on earth could I have done that?!" he asked, holding her tightly as she sat facing him on his lap.

"I was scared shitless, too, so by your logic I couldn't have done it either," she said adamantly.

"Oh, no, no, no. Nuh-uh. You gave me the look the first time I saw you outside of class. At that dumb restaurant I always forget the name of—"

"Three Sheets—"

"Three Sheets—and you were lookin' at me all cute and sweet," he said.

"Oh okay so was this before or after you ran into me?" she giggled.

"After. Wait. Hey, you ran into me," he said, pointing at her.

"Oh no, another debate," she said, putting her palm to her face.

"Let's debate, I'm a great debater. We have time. Lots of time," he shrugged, taking a sip of his drink.

"Okay. I ran into you. But you gave me the look. You wanna know how I know?" she asked.

He smiled and leaned in closer to her.

"How do you know?"

She closed the distance between them and put her face right up next to his. "Because when I walked away with Abby, I looked back at you. But you were already looking at me. With that look."

"I don't believe you," he whispered.

"Yes you do."

"Yes I do," he whispered back.

She kissed his nose and readjusted herself on his lap, taking a drink of her champagne.

They were sitting on the couch, Fitz facing the right way and Olivia with her legs wrapped around him, facing him.

They always had to be so close. Always.

"Do you remember the first night I came to your apartment? The first night that...we started?" she asked quietly, leaning into his chest.

"Of course I do. I think about that night all the time."

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Yeah. It was one of the best nights of my life."

"Mine too," she nodded. "You were such a gentleman," she added, patting his chest.

He smiled. "You deserve nothing less."

She held his face in her hands, kissing all around it. He closed his eyes, accepting all her soft kisses until he tapped his lips.

She leaned in and kissed his lips, once, and then a few more times.

Until it turned into a little more than a few innocent pecks.

She felt his tongue begging to be let into her mouth. So she granted it access, allowing it to tangle with hers. He tasted like whiskey.

How his lips could be so warm and soft all the time, she had no idea, but they really were.

They took breaths in between their passionate kisses, never really showing any inclination that they were going to stop. It just kept going, long enough to where she could feel that he was turned on underneath her.

Given that she was already in such close proximity, she rubbed up on him, which only made him harder. Harder to the point, where his hand found its way down to her ass and he started _helping_ her roll her hips.

He let out a big, shaky breath as she pulled away and kissed his neck, something he certainly excelled at.

They'd refrained from doing much of anything since the second day Fitz had been here. They slept side by side every night in her bed, but that was the extent of it. Sleep.

It seemed now, that it had been far too long for them.

And with just the right amount of alcohol in their systems, they felt fantastic.

They were just about to start taking off clothing when the front door opened, and in walked her two good friends.

Olivia pulled away, completely breathless, trying to assess their appearances.

But she didn't have enough time.

"Whaddup, Liv—"

"Oh...shit," Sandra giggled. "Hi...hi guys," Olivia said with a laugh, fixing herself up a little bit.

"Hi there," Fitz added, giving the two of them a wave.

Perhaps the fact that they all just walked into each other's houses willingly did not come in handy that night.

"Sorry to interrupt. Now we know why you didn't text back," Sandra said with a laugh.

Olivia saw her phone sitting on the coffee table next to her. She hadn't heard it buzz. Shit.

"Sorry about that, come on in, join our party," she said, waving them in.

She gave Fitz a few more moments to calm down, given that she could still feel every inch of him beneath her leggings. Every wonderful inch.

But she got off and let him adjust himself as he stood up, walking over to her friends.

"Good to see you again, Sandra," he said.

"You too!" Sandra exclaimed.

"Hey man," Stephen said.

"Hi. You must be Stephen," Fitz said, extending his hand out.

"That'd be me," Stephen nodded, shaking his hand.

"Fitz. Nice to meet you," he said politely.

"Yeah you too. It's good to put a face to a name."

"Yeah, likewise. How many parties you guys been to?" Fitz asked, going to sit next to Olivia again.

"Only two. But we have some more that we're thinking about hitting up. You guys are welcome to come along, seriously!" Sandra said.

Fitz chuckled. "Thank you very much. I think having an old guy in the mix would ruin everyone's fun, though."

"You're not even old! We were doing shots with someone's parents at the first party," she said with a laugh.

"Oh yeah. And then her dad shotgunned the beer on the deck," Stephen chuckled.

"No way," Fitz said.

"No seriously. He really did," Sandra giggled.

"Jeez, parties are crazy these days," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Yeah it sounds like you've had a fun night," Fitz nodded.

Stephen and Sandra sat down, too.

"Yeah. What have you guys been up to? You know, besides whatever the hell we interrupted before?" Sandra asked.

Olivia laughed. "We went ice skating earlier. And...after that, we...started drinking. So that's about it, we've been drinking for a while."

"Well that sounds fucking awesome," Stephen said.

"Yeah. You want something to drink?" she asked.

"Hell yeah," Sandra nodded.

"Fitz is a good drink mixer, he might be able to make something you like," she said.

"Yeah, let's go I can mix you guys something," Fitz nodded.

So they made their way to the kitchen, where their entire stash of alcohol was spread out on the island.

Sandra stuck with wine, but Fitz mixed Stephen an old-fashioned.

Which, Olivia always thought was kind of gross. But, to each their own. Stephen definitely liked it.

"Baby," Olivia said.

"Hmm?" Fitz asked, mixing himself another drink.

"You wanna finish this?" she asked, handing him the bottle of champagne, with just a couple good swallows left in it.

He took it without even questioning her, and downed it, before returning to mixing his drink.

Stephen looked at Sandra and then Olivia.

"Okay. Respect. I like this guy."

Fitz looked up from his drink and smiled, holding out his glass for Stephen to clink with his.

"Cheers, man."

"Cheers!" the girls exclaimed, joining in.

They all took sips of their drinks, Olivia giving Fitz a kiss afterward.

They made their way back to the living room, and they had a pretty good time altogether.

Olivia wondered if Fitz would feel weird with some of her friends. He hadn't ever hung around any of her friends in a group, because most of them at school didn't know about him.

But she supposed she had hung around his older friends a lot, and this was really no different.

Stephen and Fitz seemed to click, which Olivia was thankful for. Because at one point, Fitz hadn't been too fond of Stephen. Thankfully that seemed far behind him now, because they were enjoying a conversation about college sports.

She wasn't following. Not even a single bit. But the two guys seemed as happy as ever to talk about it.

Olivia just sat next to Fitz on the edge of the couch, with one leg crossed over his. Sandra sat on the other end of the couch and Stephen sat on the chair.

And as time passed, more drinks were had, and they even broke out the snacks, too.

By 9, Stephen and Sandra were about ready to hit up the party scene again.

Although, they'd clearly had a lot of fun there at Olivia's, because they debated skipping a party just to stay longer. But they decided that it was getting close to midnight, and they wanted to make the best of their party-hopping.

So they called an Uber and eventually, after drunken goodbyes between the four people, they were on their way again.

"Well Stephen definitely likes you!" Olivia said. "Yeah I like him too. He's a nice guy," Fitz said.

"You really mean that?" Olivia asked hopefully. "I really do. I can see why he's one of your best friends!" Fitz nodded.

"Okay. Cool. That makes me really happy," she said with a smile.

"Well good. Happy Olivia makes a happy Fitz," he said, downing the rest of his drink.

"You need to slow down, tiger. You can't pass out on me before midnight!" she exclaimed.

"I won't! I feel fucking great."

"I feel...drunk," she giggled.

"You _are_ drunk," he chuckled.

She smiled. "Yeah. Well, I better have more wine anyway," she shrugged, getting up off his lap.

"Hey, you wanna bring that other bottle of champagne in here too?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied. She poured herself a nicely sized glass of wine, and brought the other bottle of champagne that Stephen had opened, but had barely drank anything out of.

"Thanks," he said, patting her thigh.

"Mhm," she said, plopping down on the floor in front of him. She leaned her head on his knees, as he sat just behind her on the couch. But that didn't seem to be close enough for Fitz, because he just scooted down behind her, readjusting her in front of his lap.

He rested his back against the couch, and she rested hers against him. That spot on the floor had become their spot in a way, a place they sat when they watched movies with her parents.

She was sitting in between his legs, not on his lap, so he took the opportunity to gradually pull her closer to him.

He set the bottle of champagne in front of her.

She laughed, taking a swig of it. It really was great champagne, so it was deadly. She handed it back behind her and he drank some more.

And slowly, his hands started to wander.

They started off on her hips, keeping her in front of him and pulling her close.

But now she watched them move around to the front of her body, resting halfway on her leggings and halfway on the bottom of the sweatshirt she had on.

And then they moved down further.

He traced slowly over her through her leggings. Just a single finger.

The leggings she had on were thick, because she had wanted something warm for ice skating. But they were still just leggings. She could feel everything.

At first he seemed to just be playing around, teasing her, making her move closer to him without even trying.

But then he started moving his finger in slow circles over her clit, all through her leggings. Oh, man, did it feel good.

As soon as he started, she let out the breath she was holding and looked down at his hand as he did it.

He hadn't said a word, he'd just communicated with his hands. The other one was just holding her in place at first. But just then, he lifted up the sweatshirt with one hand to gain himself better access, and then slipped one hand underneath the waistband of her leggings.

He pushed her thong out of the way effortlessly with his fingers, leaving him plenty of places to explore. She jumped a little bit at the skin on skin contact, as his hands had just been holding the relatively chilled bottle of champagne.

He laughed quietly. "My fingers cold?" he whispered.

"A little bit," she nodded.

"I'll just have to warm them up, then."

She let out another deep breath, leaning her head back on his chest.

"There you go," he whispered, wrapping his other arm around her waist.

Naturally her legs widened a little bit, spreading out across his legs, too. He had one of his legs stretched out, and one bent at the knee, giving her plenty of space between them.

But she took up most of that room, opening her legs for him. He had started off playing with her clit, stroking it lightly, which had driven her crazy. But now he had slipped a finger inside of her, letting it linger there while he pulled her even closer into his body.

"Somebody's turned on," she whispered, feeling his erection behind her.

She felt him lean forward, his lips brushing her ear.

"Says the girl who's soaked."

A shiver ran down her spine at his whisper, and his lips, now pressed to her neck.

She couldn't deny what he had said. She could feel that he was right. She'd felt it begin back when he had only teased her through her leggings.

He pushed his finger in and out of her while she reached up and grabbed his face from behind.

She turned his face towards hers and pulled him in for a kiss, and his finger went faster.

She breathed heavily into his mouth, gasping for air as he slowly inserted another finger.

She had to pull away then, because she couldn't handle it. But she leaned her forehead against his and closed her eyes as he continued.

"How's that feel baby?" he whispered.

"Good. So good," she breathed, biting her lip.

His other hand slowly slipped under her thick sweatshirt, and cupped her breast.

See, Fitz. Wearing nothing underneath had come in handy!

Between his fingers plunging deep inside of her, his thumb rubbing her clit, and his other hand massaging her breasts, it didn't take her very long to finish.

She was amazed at his ability to get her to come time after time.

She leaned back against him, breathing hard as she willed her body to calm down. He kept his hand completely in her leggings, seeming very content to keep it there.

"Happy New Years," he whispered.

She laughed. "Mm. Happy New Years is right," she replied.

She downed the rest of her wine and patted his hand, still in her leggings. "I'm going to go change. And you're coming with me," she said.

"Yes I am," he nodded, letting her get up.

She smiled at him, lending him a hand to help him up.

She worked hard to stay balanced as soon as she stood. Wow, the world was spinny.

She looked at Fitz, who shook his head and chuckled. "Woah."

"Me too," she giggled.

"Come on," she said, smiling at him as she walked backward towards the stairs. He smiled back at her, holding onto her hand as they walked.

And then she stripped the sweatshirt off and threw it on the stairs.

His eyes traveled immediately to her chest and his mouth opened slightly, letting out a staggering breath.

"So this is going to be a lot more than just changing isn't it," he stated.

She smirked. "Oh I'm _gonna_ change. But you're gonna fuck me first."

He gave her a smirk and pulled his sweatshirt over his head, along with his shirt, and dropped them at the top of the stairs.

And that's when he pulled her towards him and lifted her up, before bringing her to the ground right then and there.

They didn't even make it to the hallway, much less her bedroom.

"Right here?" she giggled.

"Right here, right now."

She nodded eagerly, trying to pull her leggings down. Leggings were such a damn pain in this situation.

He yanked them off and pulled his joggers down just enough, to where his hardened length bobbed free.

He wasted no time at all, he entered her quick and hard.

She gasped and clutched his back. Hard.

"Oh my god," she moaned.

Her body had felt spent from before, after their activities in the living room. But right then and there she was ready for him again. Ready for him to make her feel amazing.

And he did.

Maybe it was the alcohol. Because they consumed a shit ton already. But she could tell he was horny. He went fast, and he went hard. Something she liked a lot from him. Being such a soft and gentle person in general, he was not showing it now.

He rested his head on the ground as they came together, swearing up a storm.

He collapsed on top of her, breathing harder than she thought she'd heard him breathe in awhile.

And now, after coming twice in a very short amount of time, she was dead tired. Exhausted.

She didn't move, she just laid there, smoothing out his now messed up hair and trying to calm his body.

"We really just fucked at the top of the stairs," she whispered.

He laughed quietly into her chest. "You parents walked in right now and I'd be dead. Gone. Obliterated."

She giggled. "You're not wrong. Good thing they're three hours away and not coming home tonight," she said, kissing his cheek.

"Yeah. Whew. Good job. Teamwork," he said holding out his palm. She slapped it and laughed.

"Nuh-uh. That was all you, baby."

He sighed, chuckling into the crook of her neck.

"Come on. Let's go clean up," she whispered.

He nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Just…just give me a sec."

He eventually got up off her and they went to clean up, and Olivia changed. She wore sweats now, just the same as him. But they collected their carelessly thrown clothes on the stairs and put them back on.

They took forever doing the simplest tasks. They were…drunk. Very drunk. And having sex had only lightened their already happy moods.

Forgetting about next semester was done easily that night. It was the furthest thing from their minds, actually.

The only things on their minds were alcohol, the ball dropping, and each other. That's all they wanted that night.

They spent the remainder of the night on the couch, Olivia laying on top of Fitz.

She read him funny tweets while they waited for the ball to drop. That had them amused for quite some time. When that got old, they made out, or they snuggled, watching Ryan Seacrest talk on TV.

And when the ball finally dropped, it was quite the event.

"YES!" Olivia screamed.

"Woo! Happy New Year's, babe!" he exclaimed, smiling up at her.

"Happy New Year's!" she replied, giving him a kiss.

"Mmm. The best New Year's Kiss I've ever had," she said. "You know, besides last year's."

He laughed. "Last year's was fucking awesome. Oh man."

"You know, ironically it happened on a living room floor," she said.

"Uh-huh. Why do we do that? Why the floor? What's with that?" he asked.

"I don't know," she said, laughing uncontrollably.

"It's like…our thing or something," he said.

"We're weird."

He nodded. "Yeah. But otherwise we'd be boring. Weird is fun."

Olivia nodded too. "Huck says 'weird is good!'"

"Huck's right!" Fitz replied.

She smiled down at him. "Are you tired?"

He shook his head. "Nope. I could go all night."

"Hmmm…" she replied, kissing her way down his chest.

"What're you doing?" he asked, watching her move lower.

"I wanna play."

"Mmm, let's play then."

He laid there, watching her begin to pull his joggers and boxers down a little ways.

He let out a breath as she began to touch him.

"Do you think you can?" she asked.

"Hell yes I can."

She smirked, starting to stroke him as he slowly hardened. But she immediately dipped her head down and took him in her mouth.

That certainly got him going.

His body jerked, but he immediately calmed himself and let her do what she did.

She knew she was good at it.

She used her tongue in a way that made him groan, and hold onto her hand like he had nothing else to hold.

She bobbed her head up and down, going as deep as she possibly could and using her free hand to help.

Going down on him was always something she enjoyed. He made it known that he felt good, and that was rewarding for her. Not to mention that he was… _perfect_ down there. He was perfect everywhere.

His skin was warm, and his hand holding onto hers while she pleasured him seemed so intimate in a way.

She knew she would never look at so many areas of her house the same way again.

She read all of the signs, all of his body language telling her that he was going to come. She read them before he even told her.

"Close—" he breathed.

She knew a mixture of ways to get him all the way there, and to get him there fast.

His tip was sensitive, and she used that to her advantage all the time. A single stroke of her tongue on just the right spot could have him moaning in half a second.

So she used all her superpowers, and she made him come.

She swallowed eagerly, continuing to bop her head until he fully finished.

She watched his chest rise and fall quickly, and his grip on her hand slowly begin to loosen.

She placed kisses all around the area, her lips lingering longer than necessary on his skin.

So warm, so soft. Always.

"Jesus Christ."

She looked up at him, licking his lips and letting out a big breath.

"You are so sexy," she said.

"Me? No way. You're the one that just blew me."

"Mmm. Yeah. You're right, how you feeling?" she giggled.

"Fantastic."

"Good," she said, kissing his lower abdomen. She pulled his boxers and his joggers back up, and he adjusted himself through the thick layers, which made her giggle.

They stayed up till the very early hours of the morning, watching TV, talking, _not_ talking.

It was the best New Year's Eve either of them had ever had, and it was just a night spent in.

They had cleaned up their mess made in the kitchen, despite how drunk they were. But they passed out on the couch eventually, Olivia on top of Fitz as they had done so many times before.

And they didn't wake up until long after.

Not even when Eli and Maya came home.

They entered the living room, seeing the two passed out on the couch, both bundled up in thick sweats.

Maya laughed. "Oh, those two."

"I have a feeling they're not going to feel great when they wake up," Eli chuckled.

"Yeah. The house is spotless though, maybe they didn't have too much of a party," Maya teased.

"Yeah. Right."

"I still don't know how two people can sleep so close together. Sorry, dear, but that wouldn't fly with you and me," he added, pointing at them.

Maya laughed. "Oh hell no. You stay on your side of the bed. You snore," she said, nudging his arm.

"You kick!" he exclaimed a hushed whisper.

"Probably because you snore!" she replied as they walked back to the kitchen.

They had coffee and toast in the kitchen, being quiet while the two lovebirds slept. But finally, they did wake up.

When Fitz stirred, Olivia did too, as she was laying directly on him.

"Mmm," he groaned, running a hand down the back of her body.

She snuggled her face up to his chest, breathing in the scent of his cologne on his sweatshirt.

Her eyes slowly flickered open, and she looked up at his sleepy face. Sleepy, but very cute.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hi," he whispered back.

"My head," she moaned. God, it hurt.

He nodded. "Mine too."

She lifted her head up and scooted up closer to be by his face.

"Kiss," he whispered.

She smiled and pressed her lips softly to his a few times.

"Mm. Better now," he whispered.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Eli and Maya heard the quiet noises in the living room.

"I think the two sleepyheads are up," Maya said, leaning over to peek into the living room.

Eli turned around from his morning news and looked over as well.

And there they were, smiling at each other in between kisses.

"Well good morning there, you two," Maya said.

They both turned their heads, seeming surprised to see them.

"Good morning," Fitz said, his voice still raspy as he waved a hand at them.

"Morning," Olivia echoed.

"Do your heads hurt?" Eli asked with a laugh.

Olivia and Fitz smiled, before eventually giving them both little nods. Eli and Maya laughed.

"Ah, yes. I figured," he nodded.

Olivia and Fitz got up slowly, making their way into the kitchen to make it easier to talk.

"We got on the road early this morning. Although, I will say that your father and I did have ourselves a pretty good party last night," Maya nodded.

"We did," Eli nodded. "I'm glad we went."

"Well that's good. I'm glad you had fun," Fitz nodded happily.

"Yeah. You didn't miss all that much here, we had a pretty relaxing night. Sandra and Stephen stopped by for a while," Olivia informed them, rubbing her eyes.

"That sounds like fun. And I see you didn't make it to a bed last night," Maya teased.

They laughed. "Yeah. We stayed up way too late, we were tired," Olivia replied.

"We were really expecting to find you both in Olivia's bedroom. Again," Eli said.

Well...shit.

Fitz laughed and scratched his head. "Yeah, um…sorry about that."

"No need for apologies. We are both just in awe of how close together you sleep," Eli chuckled.

Fitz nodded. "Yes. We're, uh…we're pathetic, I know."

"Only a little," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Well we're glad you had a good night. And…now, it's a new year!" Maya exclaimed.

"Yes, Happy New Year," Eli nodded.

"Happy New Year," Olivia and Fitz said.

And hopefully it would, indeed, be a happy new year.

* * *

Hi, please read!

I just wanted to explain a little about the school situation, since I've gotten a lot of critiques on that.

The problem here at Yale, is that these classes that Olivia has to take for her major aren't just offered at any time. There are very few options, which is why the class sizes are so large (300+ students in each lecture).

It has been written into a chapter before, but it was a while ago so I'm sure it's not fresh in your minds. She doesn't just have the ability to switch into Reston's class. In high school, that's a very viable option. In college, not so much. (I deal with this every time I register, I promise, lol!) if it doesn't work into her schedule, then she won't be registered for that class. The way the system operates, is you register for the classes you want, and you won't know the professor/location until very close to the start date. It will put you into whichever fits into your schedule. So for example, in this scenario, Reston's class wouldn't have worked for Olivia, because she is taking another class at that time, that she must also take. Cyrus, as the head of the department, has no say in this. That is all systemized. He cannot simply just move around Olivia's schedule because he knows about the two of them. Like Cyrus said from the beginning, he supports Fitz and Olivia, but he will not put _his job_ at risk for them.

It is also not an option to tell the University about the relationship. I did a lot of research prior to this story on Connecticut, Yale in general, as well as the faculty handbook. Specifically, the faculty standards of conduct. This statement is taken directly from the handbook, "The integrity of the teacher-student relationship is crucial to the University's educational mission. This relationship vests considerable trust in the faculty member, who, in turn, bears authority and accountability as a mentor, educator, and evaluator...they maintain proper professional boundaries and never exploit the unequal institutional power inherent in the relationship between faculty member and student."

It's actually been in my notes for 7 months just sitting there, ha. They have clearly never maintained professional boundaries. I mean, not even a little bit. (No offense, Fitz, but you really sucked at that). Fitz doesn't affect her grades, but he is still her professor in the end. It's still unethical, it's still inappropriate, it could still get him fired. Telling the university that it began last semester, when Reston was her professor, only opens up their story to expose them. There is far too much evidence that could be dug up in that case. Photos, credit card history, texts, call history. All of which, would prove that it has been going on far longer than one semester. It is really their only option, and in their best interest, to do what they do best. Which, unfortunately, is keep a lid on things. Y'all know they can do it.

If you're not a fan of the things that force them to do this, I'm sorry, it's just how it is in my story! I do a lot of research for this story and I have lists and lists of descriptions, plans, etc. I can assure you, I don't just throw things together and hope for the best. It's all thought out very thoroughly, and everything has a reason behind it.

Being a college student, some of these things are very easy for me to relate to and explain. I hope I did an okay job at that.

Now, finally, I hope you liked this chapter!

New Year's Eve turned out pretty great, huh? I gave you an extra, extra long chapter because I know it took me longer than normal to update. Final's time is coming up, so I've just been crazy busy, unfortunately.

One more chapter of their adventures in Virginia before they're back at school.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	64. A Family

Olivia's eyes fluttered open, taking in the sunlight shining in through her bedroom window.

And then she felt the arm wrapped around her waist and the large hands resting on her abdomen and her thigh.

She arched her back and reached her arms out in front of her to stretch, which felt great.

She turned her head slightly to look at him.

Her favorite guy, pressed into her body.

His eyes opened slowly, but his eyelids were pretty heavy. He smiled back at her, nonetheless, and snuggled back up to her from behind, closing his eyes again.

He was very clearly still tired, so she turned back around and didn't bother him, even though that was tempting. She was an impatient person.

She started tracing the pattern on her bed sheets directly in front of her face. She didn't want to leave her bed, and she didn't want to leave his warm embrace. So she decided to stay there and wait for him to wake up a little more.

As she laid there, he pressed his body even closer into hers from behind.

She felt him, alright. It was morning, after all.

It certainly didn't come across to her as him trying to initiate anything. It just came across as him wanting to be as close as possible to her. Because...that was no secret. They were always close.

But he did it again, pressing himself into her.

She turned her face back towards him, to see him looking back at her.

So she turned her body around too. They hadn't said a word yet. It had been completely silent in her bedroom.

It was completely silent in her _house_.

It was January 2nd, and her parents were now back in the swing of things at work. Luckily, Olivia and Fitz had a few more days together in Virginia. Where they could put aside school, and just relax and have fun.

She looked at his face, and then down his body.

And then her hand followed suit.

She felt him through his joggers, not doing anything crazy. Just feeling.

And he liked it.

He moved even closer, pressing himself against her hand. So she reached down and started pulling on his pants, until she got them down far enough to where his length was free.

She wrapped her hand around him and started to move it up and down slowly.

His eyes were now closed again, and his breathing was staggering.

The noises he made were quiet, but definitely still audible.

He was hard in her grip, and his tip was now wet. She rubbed her thumb around slowly, wanting him to feel every slow, agonizing circle.

His head fell onto her chest as she did it, his hands searching and searching for something to hold onto.

He finally decided on her hip as the best, and most accessible place. His other hand rested underneath his pillow, and he looked down at her stroking him underneath the covers.

He let out a breath and bit his lip, continuing to watch her.

He was dripping wet now, which helped her cause.

It was completely silent in the room otherwise, but it was obvious what was happening, given Fitz's breathing, and the sound of her hand stroking him while he was wet.

He kept his head against her chest, breathing hard against the soft fabric of her shirt.

His grip on her hip gradually tightened as time went on, and she knew that he was getting close, without him saying a word.

But he finally did, anyway.

"Olivia—" he whispered.

"I know," she replied.

She moved her hand faster, near the tip where he was most sensitive.

His hand moved from her hip underneath the covers to the bottom of his shirt, and he pulled it up a bit, which she silently thanked him for. Would make it easier for her to clean up after he finished.

He hit a certain point where his body began to jerk, and his breathing was even more irregular. His hips moved slightly, in rhythm with her hand. He let out one last, big breath, and she felt him come.

She masked it with her hand as best she could, and continued to stroke him until she felt that he was done.

His chest rose and fell as he laid there, still pressed against her.

"I'll be back, okay," she whispered, kissing his cheek.

She went to the bathroom and washed off her hands, and grabbed a washcloth and got it wet.

He hadn't moved an inch by the time she got back. He was in the same position, looking dead tired.

The damp washcloth she rubbed over his skin seemed to feel good to him.

After she finished cleaning him up she lifted the covers back up and laid next to him.

She laid her head on his pillow and ran her fingers through his hair while his breathing returned to normal.

She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, and he kissed her back.

And then they just laid there.

"Hi," he whispered.

She smiled. "He speaks."

He chuckled quietly. "You're not gonna say hi back?" he asked.

She laughed as she played with his hair.

"Hi, baby."

He smiled, seeming much more satisfied. "I'm tired."

"I can see that. How come?" she asked.

"Because you have magic hands."

She laughed. "Ohhh, so your _body's_ tired," she said.

"Very."

"Well," she said, moving her leg over him.

"You better wake up, mister," she said, placing kisses on his neck as she now straddled him.

He smiled at her and ran his hands over her thighs.

She sucked on the skin at the base of his neck, which had him clenching his hand against her leg.

She pulled his shirt above his head and moved to his collarbone area, dragging her tongue along with her.

"This is working," he whispered.

She smiled against his skin before she focused on one area, which he seemed to notice of.

"You're gonna leave a mark."

"Good."

He chuckled. "Good?" he questioned.

"Yeah. Good. You're mine to mark."

"Yes. I am," he nodded.

She sucked the skin into her mouth, her hands resting on his chest.

She pressed soft kisses all around his muscular chest, hoping to wake him up. Which, she did.

He was definitely awake, eyeing her every move and holding onto her waist.

"I'm so fucking in love with you."

She stopped kissing him and looked up in surprise, smiling at his sweet declaration out of the blue.

"Well right back at you, sweetie. That was unexpected," she giggled.

"I just...I was just thinking about it, is all. I just love you. So much. I don't know what I would do without you."

She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks.

"You're making me blush! Where is this coming from?" she asked, scooting up to meet his eyes.

He shrugged, playing with the ends of her hair.

"Does it have to come from somewhere?" he asked.

"No. It doesn't at all. I was just curious," she replied, rubbing his arm.

"I don't know. I just love you and all the cute things you do."

"The cute things I do?" she giggled.

"Yes. Very cute things."

"That sounds like _you_ , not me," she said, tracing a finger over his chest.

"No, no. All you."

"Like what?" she asked curiously. It was hard for her to even put a finger on anything that he thought was "cute". She could think of about a million cute things that he did, though.

"Like...when you get very protective of me. Especially when it comes to your dad. It isn't necessary, but you still want to protect me and I think that's very cute."

"I must protect you at all costs," she nodded, hugging him.

He chuckled. "And...then when you get excited. You either scream or jump on me," he said with a laugh. "And either way I'm never prepared."

She smiled. Yeah, that sounded like her.

"You're always right by my side. Always. Holding onto me, sitting by me, sitting... _on_ me. _Laying_ on me," he chuckled. "Whatever it may be, you're always there by my side. And that's where I always want you."

She shook her head. "Yeah, thinking back on that maybe I have to give you a little more personal space," she said with a laugh. With him, she sucked at personal space. She felt like she could never be close enough, actually.

"No. Don't do that."

"Oh. Okay. Noted," she nodded, giving him a smile.

"I like that you're close to me. I like that you _want_ to be close to me."

"I do," she agreed.

"Even when we sleep," he added.

She smiled. "Yeah. I think it's funny how we both went from being strictly stomach sleepers to...whatever position gets us as close as possible sleepers," she giggled.

"Yeah. I know. It's gotten to the point where I've noticed that I don't sleep as well without you. Just another thing to add to the sleep issues list," he sighed.

She gave him a sad look and ran her fingers through his hair. "I don't like it when you have trouble sleeping."

"I've been good lately," he replied.

"I know you have. That makes me happy. You need to be fully rested to deal with me on a daily basis. I'm crazy as hell."

He laughed. "But I love your crazy self. A lot."

"I love you too, Fitz. If you want me to jerk you off again I can, you don't have to sweet-talk me," she teased.

He shook his head. "No," he chuckled. "I'm being serious, Liv."

"I know you are, baby. And it's very sweet. You want to know about the cute things you do?" she asked.

He smiled. "Yeah."

"When you call me 'pretty girl.'"

His cheeks turned a little pink and he gave her a smile. "You are a pretty girl."

"Well thank you, I think it's very cute. And when you carry me places. Especially when it's just a few feet away, and I could easily walk. But you lift me up anyway."

"Yeah, you're small!" he chuckled.

She smiled. "And...when you're with kids. You're so good with them."

He nodded. "I like kids. I was just thinking about this the other day, I miss Mia a lot," he said.

Her heart melted. "I miss her too. She was such a happy little girl. And adorable," Olivia said with a smile.

"So adorable. And so smart."

"Yes, she was a bright one. I'm sure she misses you too!" Olivia replied.

"And you. She took quite a liking to you this summer," he said.

She smiled. "I hope so."

"She did. Everyone takes a liking to you, Olivia," he said.

"I don't know about _that."_

"Well _I_ know," he shrugged.

"You're very sweet," she said, holding his face in her hands. She kissed his nose, and then his lips, smiling at him. "And very cute."

He beamed back up at her, his cheeks slightly pink.

"You wanna know something else?" he asked.

"Mhm," she nodded.

"I like when you wear my clothes," he said.

"I love to wear your clothes. You know, men's clothes are just so much comfier than women's clothes. There. I said it."

"Well you look very cute in my clothes, even though you drown in them," he chuckled.

"Yes, I do drown in them, I know. Hey, not everyone can be 6'2" okay," she giggled.

"I'm glad you're not! Your 5'4" self is perfect."

"5'5'" she said adamantly.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, alright, 5'4'" she nodded.

"You can't get anything by me, Liv," he chuckled.

"I know, you smarty pants," she said.

"You know, speaking of clothes. I need to do some laundry today, I didn't get around to it yesterday," he said.

"Oh yeah, for sure. I can just do it for you, you don't have to worry about it," she said, tracing his ear.

"Liv, thanks but it's alright, I can do my laundry," he chuckled.

"You're a guest here, you shouldn't have to!" she exclaimed.

"How about you can help me," he said.

"Okay," she nodded, laying her head on his chest.

"You wanna go get something to eat?" He asked. She nodded.

So they got up and went downstairs to make breakfast. Which, today, was just cereal and orange juice. Nice and easy.

"You know, I wish we had a dog," she said, taking a bite of her cereal.

He chuckled. "Like you and me, or...you mean here at home?" he asked.

"Well I meant here at home. I wish I'd had a dog growing up, all my friends always did. But, yes, I want one with you. We're getting a dog...right?" she asked.

"Hell yes we're getting a dog. You said you wanted one. A big one."

She smiled. "Yeah. A big, fluffy one."

"Big and fluffy. That's doable."

"Well what about you? What kind of dogs do you like?" she asked.

"I like all dogs. Small, medium, large. Short hair, long hair, curly hair. It doesn't matter. If it's a dog, I like it."

"Well what's your _favorite?"_ she asked.

"Hmmm. I don't know. I guess...I think golden retrievers are pretty. They're good with kids and good listeners. Or...huskies. Those are really beautiful. Oh, _German_ _Shepherds_. Very pretty and very nice," he said.

She smiled. "All wonderful options. All big and fluffy."

"Mhm. Boy or girl?" he asked.

She shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me, really. Do you care?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No. I'm good with either. As long as you're happy."

She smiled, looking over at him. "You see how this could potentially cause issues for us, because...that's all I want for you too?" she asked.

"Hmm. Well, I think if our only issues revolve around us both wanting the other to be happy...then we're doing pretty good," he chuckled.

She got up and walked over to him, sitting down on his lap. "I think so too."

"You wanna know what else I think?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"I think...I wanna take you on a date."

He cocked his head to the side. "You wanna take me on a date?"

"Yes, I really do. Before we go back to Connecticut, before we have to go and hide again. I wanna take you to dinner. Here. While we're _free_. While...we still can," she said, a bit sadly.

"You wanna take _me_ to dinner?" he asked, smiling at her.

"What's a matter with that? A girl can't take her man out?" she asked.

"No, no. Of course you can! That's very sweet of you. I'd love for you to take me on a date," he said, kissing her nose.

"Good. I'd love that too," she said.

"I don't...I don't have very nice clothes along with me, though. I didn't pack for anything fancy," he said.

"That's okay! What do you have?" she asked curiously.

"Hmm. Well, I have to do laundry, anyway. You wanna go look with me?" he asked.

"Sure," she nodded.

They put their dishes in the dishwasher and made their way downstairs to the guest room, where his suitcase was.

He started going through his dirty clothes, putting them on the bed in a pile.

"I have this sweater. And...this button down, I could wear underneath. Do you like that?" he asked.

"I do, very handsome. And you have those khakis with right? The ones I like?" she asked.

"Uh-huh. Over...there," he said, pointing to them hanging on the back of the chair in the bedroom.

"Well that will make a perfect date outfit. You'll look so good," she said, patting his chest.

"Thank you. You'll still outdo me. You always do," he said, grabbing her ass.

"Nooo, no. You always look good," she said, watching him strip off his shirt.

"My point exactly," she added, gesturing to his now bare torso.

He laughed, taking off his joggers too, and adding them to the pile.

She eyed him up and down. "You know I think you better wash those boxers too."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm not walking around your house naked, Livvie," he chuckled.

 _Dammit._

"Worth a shot," she shrugged, going to grab a laundry basket out of the closet.

"Okay. Time to wash," she said, filling up the basket with his clothes.

"Look at you go," he said, watching her carry the basket out of the room.

"I'd rather look at you," she said, smiling at him over her shoulder.

He smiled back at her, poking her in the sides as they walked up the stairs.

They went to the laundry room and loaded up his clothes to get ready to wash.

He leaned down and put the detergent pod in the washing machine and closed it, and all she did was watch. Watched him lean down, watched his muscles flex when he reached inside the machine.

"Well, I'll work out when my clothes are done, I don't have any gym clothes left. What do you wanna do until then?" he asked.

She reached around his body, and ran her hand over him through his boxers. "Or...you could work out now. _We_ could," she said.

His body immediately loosened, looking down at her hand.

"If...you want to," she whispered from behind, pressing kisses on his bare, muscular back.

He exhaled, standing up straight and running his hand down her arm, which was wrapped around his body.

Wrapped around his body, because she was gripping him through his boxers.

He turned around and put his hands on her waist, pushing her up against the wall by the dryer.

She was a bit taken aback, but it was still a hell of a turn on.

He pulled down her pajama shorts and her underwear, and she pulled down his boxers just enough.

"Jump," he whispered.

She pushed off the ground slightly and he caught her, pressing her up against the wall, and pressing his body into hers.

He prodded her entrance, giving her time to adjust to his size.

She bit her lip, leaning back against the wall while he held her in place and pushed in.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, while her legs remained firmly around his hips.

He thrust in and out of her against the laundry room wall, moaning along with her while he picked up his pace.

He was trying to hit the right spot, adjusting her against the wall. He tilted her hips a bit and thrust in deep, resulting in quite the reaction from Olivia.

She gasped and smacked the wall with her palm, which made him keep up in that same spot.

"Right there?" he whispered, giving her a smile.

She nodded, not even able to form words.

So right there it was.

That position always drove her crazy. He could get so deep, so quickly at that angle. And it felt amazing. She just wanted more.

He gave her more. Again and again. But eventually, after they were sweating and tired, she came just before he did.

He could _barely_ hold on, but he managed to withhold until she came first.

He just stood there afterward for a moment, still deep inside of her against the wall.

Her head collapsed on his chest, breathing quickly and hard. He slowly lifted her off of him, and set her back on the ground.

As soon as she was standing straight, she felt the warm liquid run down the inside of her leg.

"Fitz," she whispered. "I know," he nodded back, looking through the cabinet next to them. He pulled out a small, clean rag and got it wet in the sink. Perks of having sex in a laundry room, apparently. It was well-equipped for afterward.

He knelt down and wiped up her leg, and then pressed it in between her legs.

She held onto him tight. Now, she was tired.

She pulled up her shorts and put them back on, ready to do whatever the hell they were gonna do next with their day.

But he seemed to sense that she was spent, and had something in mind, because he held her hand and led her out of the laundry room and down the stairs again.

They went into the bathroom and he shut the door, going to start the water in the bathtub. He put some soap in the tub as well.

"Come here," he whispered, waving her over.

She stood in front of him while he removed her clothing, one piece at a time. He ran his hands down her body slowly, moving to her shorts again.

He took off his boxers and then got in the warm water, gesturing for her to follow.

His body was spent, too. So sitting in the warm water together was so nice.

With a little help from her, he figured out how to turn on the jets, and their warm bath essentially turned into a hot tub.

It felt so great.

She sat in between his legs, and rested her head against his chest.

He kissed her neck, wrapping his arms around her stomach.

"I don't want to go back."

He rested his chin on her shoulder sadly.

"I don't either. But we have to," he said.

"I know. It's just been so nice here. It's felt like a vacation. No responsibilities. Just...being here with my family, and with you. It's been amazing."

"Yes. It's probably been one of the best weeks of my life, Liv."

Her face softened. "Really, baby?" she asked happily.

"Really. I think...I needed to have a longer stay like this. I've made so much progress with your folks. They...like me. I mean, I think for the most part. I'm sure I'm still not your father's favorite guy in the world but he respects me, I think. And...he can talk to me normally without looking at me like he wants to kill me. They...accept me. That's why it's been the best week. That's all I wanted. It's all I've wanted from the start."

"They do like you, Fitz. My mom loves you, first of all. Seriously, I mean I think that's obvious."

He laughed. "Yes. Maya and I clicked easier, which was nice. She's a lot like you. That must have helped me."

"Yeah. And my dad definitely has warmed up to you. _Definitely_. Otherwise he wouldn't let you sleep in my room," she giggled. "Because trust me, a month ago, that would not have been okay with him."

"Very true. And...the talk we had last week, outside," he added.

"Mhm. I was so happy when you told me about that. When I saw him get up, I was so afraid. I had no idea what he was gonna say to you."

He kissed her shoulder. "My protective girl."

"Maybe I'm too protective. Like my dad," she said with a laugh.

"No. You're just the right amount. I promise."

"I can't help it. You're so cute and sweet. You need to be protected!" she exclaimed. "There aren't many angels like you in this world."

"Or you," he said, leaning his head on her shoulder.

She sighed, running her hands through his hair from behind. And she couldn't help it. She turned around and sat sideways on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his upper chest.

"I love you."

"I love you," he whispered back.

She felt so overcome by what she felt for him, especially this week when they'd spent every waking minute together. And...every sleeping minute, too. He was everything.

He laughed quietly, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. "You're holdin' onto me like I'm going somewhere. I'm not, I'm right here," he whispered.

"I know," she whispered. "But just in case," she added, tightening her grip around him.

He laughed again. "You're something else."

"I've been told," she giggled.

They finished their nice little jacuzzi bath, and dried themselves off. He walked around in his towel now, waiting for his clothes to be done after they'd switched them to the drier. That was just another level of _yum_.

She put on his Yale sweatshirt and some leggings, wanting to be comfortable during their day in.

She kept her hair up in its tight bun, wanting it out of her eyes and face.

And while they were just hanging around, she got a text from her dad.

 **My company has Capitals tix for tonight. There are 4, we could all go. Does that interest you and Fitz?**

Her face perked up. "Oh my god!"

"What?" he asked, looking over at her on the other side of the bed.

"My dad's got company tickets to the Capitals game tonight if we want to go. Would you like that?" she asked.

His face brightened. "Yeah!"

She nodded. "Okay, I'll tell him yes," she said excitedly.

 ** _Yes! That will be very fun!_**

"I'm looking it up," he said, scrolling through his phone.

 **OK. We will try and get home a little early from work, so we can beat some of the traffic to the game. It's at 7.**

"He says it starts at seven and they'll try to get home from work a little early so we can beat some traffic," she informed Fitz.

 **Sounds good! See you when you get home.**

"Okay. Oh, awesome. They're playing the Pens tonight," he said happily.

"The...pens?" she asked.

"Penguins, from Pittsburgh," he clarified.

"Wait a second...the _pens_. Playing the _caps_. Pens. Caps. What the hell," she said with a laugh.

"Yeah. That's a common joke. I'm glad you caught that," he chuckled.

"So what's so special about the Penguins?" she asked.

"They're a rival of the Capitals, mostly because it's a battle of the two first rounders; Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin was drafted first overall in 2004, Crosby in 2005. Captain versus captain."

"How do you know all this stuff?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know, I just do! Those two are pretty big, everyone knows them."

"Yeah, I've heard of Crosby before. So he is really good?" she questioned.

"Really good," he nodded.

"Better than Ovechkin?" she asked.

"Some say so. Some don't. Still in question," he said with a smile.

"Well I guess we'll find out tonight!" she said.

"We will! It will be fun. I've never been to any other game besides a Kings game," he said.

"We're in the same boat. I've never been to... _any_ game. Neither have my parents. You're gonna have to teach them," she giggled.

"I can do that! It would be my honor," he said.

"You can even wear that red sweatshirt of yours. It matches the team's colors perfectly," she said.

"Very true. You mean the sweatshirt you stole?" he teased.

"I didn't steal it! I gave it back, come on," she replied.

"You're right. I shouldn't have washed it, it smelled like you."

"You shouldn't have. You could have walked around smelling like lavender," she giggled.

"Hey, I've done it before," he chuckled.

"That's true. That was hilarious, when you showered using all my soaps. Can you please do that again?" she asked with a laugh.

"Sure. Give me your Pantene for ultra curly hair, or whatever. It'll work great for mine," he said.

"I will!" she exclaimed. "Speaking of, can you please stop chopping off the curls? Seriously, what the fuck."

"Babe, I didn't chop them off. You act like I buzzed my hair. I didn't, it's still here and it's still long," he said, running his fingers through his hair.

"Long, my ass. It's _wavy_ now, it's not curly. The curls are gone because you killed them!"

"It's still curly!" he said.

" _Barely_. I'm mad at you."

"No, don't be mad."

"I'm mad."

"How do I make it better?" he asked.

"You can't, I'm just gonna have to be mad forever," she shrugged.

"Oh is that right? Really? The girl who can't keep the smile off her face for more than a minute?" he asked.

And just at the mention at it, she began to smile. _Dammit!_

He laughed. "See. My girl's too smiley. You're not good at being fake mad."

"Damn! Your girl tried," she shrugged.

"And failed," he finished.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Seriously though. Your ultra curly hair, I need it back."

"Well, given how fast it grows I'm sure you'll have it back in like five minutes."

She perked up. "True."

"Then _you_ have to go back to your _ultra_ _curly_ hair, too," he said adamantly.

"My natural hair?" she giggled.

"Yes."

"Sure, it's been a little too long since I have, probably."

"Yeah. I like that."

"I know you do. I'm _glad_ you do."

"Mhm. I like everything you do with your hair. But natural is my favorite."

She smiled, intertwining their fingers together on the bed.

He rubbed his thumb over her hand, while he looked through his emails on his phone.

And then they heard a slightly muffled _ding_ upstairs, indicating that the dryer was done.

"Oh good. I don't have to be naked anymore," he chuckled, starting to sit up.

"Fuck," she sighed.

"Your dirty mouth attracts me."

"Mm, likewise," she said, grabbing the loose end of his towel as he stood.

Naturally, the towel unraveled, and he raised his eyebrow at her as he stood there, now naked.

"Really, woman."

"Yes," she nodded.

"I'm not walking upstairs naked, give me my towel back!" he chuckled.

"You're no fun," she said, giving him a sad face.

"First of all, yes I am! Second of all, I've had too many close calls in this house to risk that," he said.

"Yeah you're probably right. Here," she said, handing him the towel.

"Thank you, how sweet of you," he chuckled, starting to tie it around his waist again.

"I'll take it off when I come back down," he winked, before leaving the room.

She smiled as he walked away. Sounded good to her.

He came back down with a basket full of clean clothes and he set it on the bed by her feet. He untied his towel and draped it over the foot of the bed.

She smiled, watching him fold his clothes...without clothes.

"You know, watching you do everyday things is so much better when you're wearing nothing."

"I'm glad you think so," he chuckled.

The lighting in the guest room was dark, but she began to notice what appeared to be a darker spot on his collarbone. "Wait, baby. Come here."

He raised an eyebrow and walked over to her side of the bed. And she started laughing. "What?" he asked.

"I did mark you," she giggled.

His instinctively reached up to where she had been keeping her mouth most of the time.

"Yep. Right there," she nodded.

"I knew you would," he said, shaking his head.

"No regrets," she shrugged.

She got on her stomach and scooted down to the end of the bed, to help him fold his clothes.

They were all warm, and still smelled a little like him, despite being washed. They smelled great.

"I love this shirt," she said, folding one of his gray henley three-quarter sleeve shirts.

"Oh, I might wear that one today actually," he said, reaching out towards her.

"Yeah okay just don't put it on yet."

"No, no, of course not," he teased.

They folded his clothes, and hung around in the basement for a while.

She finally let him get dressed, not wanting him to get cold.

They talked as they laid on the bed in the guest room, and eventually, they fell asleep.

First, it was Fitz.

They were just enjoying each other's presence, and a comfortable silence in between conversations.

Olivia had a hold of a few of his fingers, rubbing her thumb over the top of his hand.

She pressed a few kisses to his large hand, before asking him something. "Do you want me to go make us something to eat?" she asked quietly.

No answer.

"Baby."

Still no answer.

She looked up at her boyfriend, only to see his eyes closed, and his body very still.

She smiled. He looked so cute when he slept. Always so peaceful.

She lifted his arm up slowly and carefully, trying her absolute best not to wake him.

She snuggled up to him underneath his arm, and closed her eyes.

He seemed to naturally hold onto her the second she came into his reach, all while still fast asleep.

And so the two of them slept. Way past lunch and into the afternoon.

They both awoke with a start, when the mudroom door slammed upstairs.

Their eyes opened, making instant eye contact with each other while all tangled up together.

"Mm. Hi, you."

"Hi, baby," she whispered, yawning and stretching.

He wrapped his arms even tighter around her, pulling her into his body.

She snuggled up against his chest, hearing heels clicking against the wooden floors upstairs.

"Well, we know it's Maya," he chuckled.

"Livvie! Fitz!"

Olivia laughed. "Yeaaahhhh," she yelled back.

"Oh," Maya said, seeming surprised that they were in the basement.

"If you're not clothed, oh please for the love of god tell me," she said, making her way down the stairs.

Fitz's cheeks turned bright red as he chuckled quietly.

"Jesus mom. We're clothed."

She appeared just seconds later in the doorway. "Oh good. Have you two been sleeping? All day?" she asked.

"No. We just had a relaxing day in. But...apparently, we got tired," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Yeah. It's almost four," Maya chuckled.

"Oh shit—or...I mean shoot. Sorry. Sorry," Fitz apologized, looking at Maya.

Olivia burst into laughter, that was downright the funniest and cutest thing she'd ever witnessed. And Maya joined in on the laughter.

"Fitz, that's alright. Swearing rules don't apply to you. Just my daughter. She has a dirty mouth," Maya said.

"You know, she really does," Fitz nodded.

"I'm slightly offended that the rules only apply to me," Olivia said.

"Our house, our rules, baby, deal with it," Maya shrugged.

Fitz nodded, looking at her and shaking his finger.

"Oh you be quiet," she giggled, nudging his arm.

Maya couldn't help but laugh. "I think we're gonna leave at 5:30 just to be safe. Are you two excited for the game?" Maya asked.

They both nodded. "It will be fun!" Fitz said.

"I think so too. Even though, I don't get hockey. But I'm looking forward to it!"

"I'll teach you," Fitz said happily.

"Oh good. Alright well I'm going to go finish up some work. Just be ready by 5:30 you two."

"Yes ma'am," Fitz nodded.

"Will do," Olivia replied.

Eventually Eli came home as well, and they all got ready to go to the game.

They decided they'd buy some food at the game, to have the "pro sports game experience".

Olivia and Fitz luckily both had their Capitals hats along, but that was the extent of their team spirit. That didn't cramp their style though, they still went to the game, ready to cheer.

* * *

At the game, Fitz sat by Olivia on one side, and Eli on the other, with Maya next to Eli. As soon as the puck dropped, he was leaning over to explain everything that he could to them. She could hear her parents asking questions, which made her laugh.

She had been just the same.

After the first huge hit of the game, which rattled the glass pretty hard, she saw her dad jump back with wide eyes. "Woah!" he exclaimed.

"They better be careful!" Maya said worriedly, which had Olivia in a fit of giggles on the other end.

The game overall was pretty freaking awesome. Being in the lower level was cool, and seeing everything happen in person was definitely more fun than seeing it on TV.

When the Capitals scored the first goal of the game, she couldn't believe how crazy the atmosphere was inside. People instantly jumped out of their seats, and a loud horn and siren began to blast throughout the arena. It sounded like a police siren, which was actually really cool.

Her parents clapped along happily, with everyone else, as did Fitz. He looked as happy as could be, which she could have foreseen. He loved his hockey.

The penguins were good though, and it was a close game throughout all three periods. Close enough to where it was tied 3-3 at the end of the third period, and needed overtime.

"Oh god. How does this work now?" Olivia asked. "So now it will be three-on-three, sudden death overtime for five minutes. If neither team scores, it will go to a shootout. Someone has to win, there are no ties," he explained.

"I'm very nervous right now and I don't really even follow the Capitals," Eli chuckled.

"Me too," Olivia agreed.

"I'm not. You two need to calm down. Clearly, _we're_ good luck and they're going to win," Maya shrugged, leaning back in her chair.

Fitz nodded. "I agree, just gotta be confident!"

"Okay, okay. I'm confident," Olivia nodded.

But overtime was stressful! The whole three-on-three thing gave the teams so much more open ice to work with, and it was scary! It was back and forth, back and forth, every passing minute proving to be very nerve-wracking for everyone.

And with about thirty seconds left, the Capitals attempted one last rush. Carlson circled around the point, dropping a pass for Kuznetsov. Kuznetsov skated down low, looking for his next pass.

And he saw it.

He threaded it through two defenders, over to Ovechkin, who caught the pass easily on his stick, and rifled it towards the net.

Everyone in that arena saw it hit the back of the net, followed by the red light turning on behind the goal, signaling that the puck had gone in.

And then the fans erupted.

Everyone jumped to their feet, screaming and cheering.

"Told you!" Maya exclaimed, which had everyone nodding and smiling.

It was a great end to a great game, and a great night.

Olivia and Fitz had taken some selfies together at the game, and Maya took a few of the two of them as well, with the ice in the background.

They even had a person sitting behind them take a picture of the four of them.

Olivia knew right then and there that she had to have that one developed immediately. The first picture of the four of them together. That would be a keeper.

But after a full game and overtime, it was late when they got home, and Maya and Eli went off to bed.

Olivia and Fitz followed shortly after, heading into her room.

He was about to shut the door, but she stopped him.

"One sec. I'll be back," she whispered, heading downstairs.

He nodded and took off his shirt, looking at the now purple hickey he had on his collarbone in the mirror. It was quite impressive, actually.

He laughed to himself and shook his head. Oh well. At least his shirt covered it easily.

Olivia came back only moments later, with a bottle of wine in her hand.

He started laughing as she shut the door. "Wine?"

"Yep. This is the last bottle you bought at the liquor store when we all went. And seeing as I'm now taking you on a date _tomorrow_ night, we're just gonna have to drink it all tonight," she shrugged, pressing the corkscrew into the cork.

"Sounds good to me. No glasses though?" he chuckled.

"No, I was going to grab them but they're on the top shelf in the cabinet and I didn't want to be too loud trying to get them. So. We just got the bottle," she shrugged, pulling the cork out.

"Works for me," he said.

"Did you have fun tonight?" she asked, setting the bottle on her dresser to at least let it breathe a little bit.

"I really did. It was amazing," he nodded, taking off his socks.

"It really was. I'm so glad we went. I think my parents really liked it," she replied.

"They definitely did. It was a great way to spend our night," he said.

She nodded in agreement, because it really had been.

Fitz and her parents had talked all throughout the night, and she could tell that they only continued to bond.

He had thanked them profusely after the game, being his normal Fitz self. And her father seemed happy to have taken them all to the game, and very thankful that his company let him have the tickets for that night.

It was just a great night all in all, and it ended with them drinking a bottle of wine in her bedroom.

They sat on the bed, both stripped down to very little clothing.

Thankfully, her room was particularly warm that night, so it actually felt better that way. She enjoyed being in her underwear and a tank top, because it made his stare linger, even when he thought he was getting away with it.

He wasn't. She always noticed.

But then again, he probably always noticed when she stared, too.

The bottle of wine was gone pretty quickly. He'd certainly helped her out, and was a tiny bit buzzed. But she drank more than half, and was more buzzed than he was.

"You are gonna sleep like a baby," he chuckled.

"Yeah, I'm kinda tired," she nodded.

So they got up and brushed their teeth, and returned to her warm, comfy bed and snuggled up together.

She was tired, but she also felt the alcohol a little bit, and wanted to make the most of it.

"Get on your back."

He looked at her a little confused.

"Get...on...your back," she repeated, reaching around her body to unclasp her bra.

He watched her take off her bra, and looked over her now bare chest with want in his eyes.

He turned over onto his back, and started fumbling with something underneath the covers, and she knew he was taking off his boxers.

She stood up and shimmied her underwear off, and got back into bed, climbing on top of him and underneath the covers.

His hands immediately grabbed a hold of her thighs, as she straddled him.

"We need to be really, _really_ quiet," he whispered.

She nodded in agreement as she held his now rigid length, guiding him towards her entrance.

She slowly brought herself down on top of him, and closed her eyes, letting out the quietest moan she could manage.

He reached up and put a palm over her mouth, biting his own lip to keep himself quiet too.

And they were, quiet.

They went slow. Almost painfully slow, just because that way their movements didn't make much noise, and it was a tad easier to remain quiet. But only a tad.

Because no matter what, neither could keep one hundred percent quiet, especially when they finished.

Fitz closed his eyes tightly and tried his best to only let his uneven breaths escape his mouth, and not his voice.

He ran his hands up her soft, caramel skin while she rolled her hips slowly.

He kept his palm over Olivia's mouth almost the entire time, similar to what he had done the first time last week when she'd snuck downstairs.

She could be loud when they were being intimate sometimes. Which, was hot as hell to him. But not ideal in this situation.

After, she collapsed on his chest, and brought the covers up and over the two of them, enclosing them in a warm, soft little bubble of covers.

She breathed hard against his chest, which also was rising and falling at a rapid rate.

"You've made me come three times today," he whispered.

She smiled. "That's nothing. Let's go for four," she teased.

He laughed quietly. "Sorry, baby. I'm dead. I can't."

"I know. I can't either. I really am tired," she whispered.

"You just had to get some before you went to bed, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just needed some real quick. Now I'm good, I can sleep."

He shook his head. "That was _not_ quick."

"Well, it never is with you."

"So it has been with other guys?" he challenged.

Her eyes widened. " _What?_ No. Well, I mean…yes. Oh—god. This is all coming out wrong. That was really just supposed to be a compliment, and…maybe I worded it wrong."

He chuckled. "I know. I just wanted to make you squirm a little bit," he teased.

She scoffed. "Rude!"

"Shhh!" he chuckled, putting a hand over her mouth.

He could see her smiling and hear her laughing, even underneath his palm. Her eyes said it all.

He slowly removed his hand from her mouth and replaced it with his lips.

She immediately kissed him back, biting his lip and pulling it into her mouth.

He traced her lips with his tongue. Her lips were perfect, and they were always soft. Kissing those lips…phew. It was a blessing.

Eventually though, their night came to an end, and they fell asleep snuggled up together.

It wasn't until late that they fell asleep, considering their long nap that afternoon.

But it had been a pretty good day in.

* * *

The next day, they didn't wake up until ten. But when they got up, they decided that they wanted to go out that day and do something, after their day spent in before.

So, they adventured out to the mall and looked around there, just for fun. And then they went walked around D.C. for a while, despite the chilly temperature. It was alright, though, since they'd dressed for it.

They'd both been outside the White House gates, and seen it from afar a hundred times, but they went there together anyway. They checked out the Washington Monument as well, and the Lincoln Memorial.

At this point, none of them were new sights for Olivia and Fitz, but they'd never been there together, so it was still fun. Plus, walking around, hand in hand, was something they wouldn't be able to do very soon. That, in itself, was a win.

She liked people to see him, holding her hand. She liked for people to know that she was taken, and that she was taken by him. It was a feeling she had never felt back at school, so she cherished it.

She texted her parents, reminding them that she and Fitz were going out for dinner that night. She'd told them last night at the game that she planned to take him out, and they said that it sounded fun, and was very sweet.

So later on, after all their D.C. adventures, they went home to get ready for their date. Olivia had made reservations online at a restaurant called the Red Hen, a little Italian place in D.C.

Her parents both came home while they were getting ready, so they were there to see them off.

"Well don't you look handsome," Maya said, as soon as Fitz walked up the stairs.

He smiled. "Thank you! Has Olivia come down yet?" he asked.

"No. You know how she can be when she's getting ready," she said with a laugh.

"Oh, I do know. Everything has to be perfect," he chuckled.

"Mmhm. That girl. Takes after me that way, my apologies," she said.

"No worries, it isn't bad," Fitz said with a laugh.

And he was right. Because a few moments later, she came down, looking absolutely amazing. The amount of time she'd taken to get ready was worth it. Holy shit.

He didn't even say anything at first, he just looked her up and down, his lips slightly parted in awe.

"Oh, baby. You look beautiful!" Maya exclaimed.

"Thanks, mom," she said with a smile.

Maya looked to Fitz, who was still getting his bearings. And she laughed.

"Thatta boy. Get a good stare in."

He laughed, reaching his hand out to Olivia, who took it with a smile.

"You look beautiful, Olivia," he said, twirling her around.

She wore a nice, casual dress. Nothing too fancy. But certainly not _too_ casual either. It was a dark blue color, with a V-neckline. He'd never seen it before, and assumed she'd never brought it to school. He wondered why the hell not, because good god she should have.

Jesus Christ.

"Thank you, sweetheart. You look very handsome, yourself," she said, eyeing him up and down as he pulled her into his chest.

"Thank you," he whispered, pecking her lips.

She giggled, wiping off the bit of lipstick she'd left on his lips.

Maya, of course, watched the entire interaction very happily. "Oh you two, very cute. Just wait a second, I need to get my phone. I need a picture! Where's your dad? He needs to see how great you two look!" she exclaimed, searching frantically around the kitchen.

Olivia shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Mom, this isn't prom."

"Oh, you shush. I want a picture and I'm going to get one. If I can find my damn phone," she said, searching under the mail on the desk in the kitchen.

"Maya," Fitz said.

"Yes, dear."

"Here," he said, handing her phone to her, that he'd picked up from the island.

"Oh, thank you. Thank you. Eli!"

"Okay, okay. Go stand in front of the fireplace. Come on, come on," Maya said, gesturing for them to follow her into the living room.

"Sorry," Olivia giggled quietly, looking at Fitz.

He shook his head. "Don't be. She's just being a mom," he said with a smile.

And it was then, that Olivia remembered that Fitz didn't have this anymore. His mom being a mom. Doing… _mom_ things, no matter how unnecessary the things may seem in the moment. Her mom wanting a picture wasn't so bad.

So, they smiled for her in front of the fireplace, taking all the pictures that Maya could ever want.

She snuck a glance up at Fitz, who was giving Maya his brightest smile, with his arm wrapped tightly around Olivia's waist. She rested her hand on his chest, and smiled back at her mother too.

Eli came downstairs, wondering why Maya had called him. He chuckled as she took pictures.

"Maya, they have to make it to their reservation on time," he said.

"I know, I know. Okay. I'm done. I got plenty of pictures, thank you!" she said.

"No problem," Fitz nodded.

"I'll send them to you both. Fitz, tell me your number, quick," she said, scrolling through her phone.

So he gave her his number, and then they were off.

And he smiled as he sat in the passenger seat, looking at his phone.

Maya had sent the pictures to the two of them in a group message. The pictures were great.

And so was their date.

They honestly hadn't been on a real date in a while. Not just the two of them at a nice restaurant, dressed up. And it was refreshing.

They held hands across the table, smiling at each other as they had done on their first date. Which, was brought up.

"I was nervous that night," he admitted.

"Me too," she agreed.

"You wore that red dress. And your white coat," he said.

"I did. And you wore a navy suit."

"I did."

"That was a great night. Even though we did everything backward," she giggled.

"Yeah...we really did. Slept together...then started dating...and _then_ went on the first date. Hmm," he chuckled.

She shrugged. "We don't like to follow rules."

"Not so much," he said with a laugh.

"I'm glad everything went the way that it did. It turned out pretty well, I think," she said.

"Yes it did. Well, except...or—nevermind," he said.

"Oh," she said, nodding. "Yeah. Next semester."

"Sorry, I didn't mean...I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head.

"It's okay, Fitz. I mean, you're right. That did not go as planned. That did not turn out well. Might as well be honest about it," she replied.

He looked sadly down at the table. "I didn't mean to bring it up. It just...came out. We should talk about something else."

"If you wanted to talk about it we should talk about it," she nodded.

"We did already. I don't. I don't want to anymore."

"Okay. Alright, I'm sorry," she said.

"No, I'm not—it's not your fault, it's mine. It just...it never leaves my mind anymore. It's hard not to think about it. But I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"Okay. Well...do you want dessert?" she asked, saying the very first thing that came to her mind. Anything to get away from this conversation, which obviously he wanted no part of. The dessert thing was lame. But oh well.

"Sure we can have something here, and then I'll have some more dessert later tonight. In your room."

A smile slowly spread across her face, knowing he was trying to get away from the conversation too. It worked.

"Naughty."

He smiled back at her.

It was their last night, and it went pretty well, overall.

Tomorrow was Friday, and they'd decided they would head back to Connecticut, just to get settled before classes started on Monday.

Neither of them wanted to go back on Sunday, and then go directly into class the next day, so going back on Friday gave them a little time to just get settled.

Olivia missed her apartment, Fitz's apartment, and her friends. But she also would miss home, she knew that.

It had been incredible. And now she had to say goodbye.

They said goodbye to her parents before they all went to bed, because they'd be up and gone before Olivia and Fitz even woke up the next day, likely.

It was a sad goodbye.

Olivia hugged her mother tightly, thanking her for the fun month, and did the same with her father.

Fitz gave Maya a big hug, holding her there for a few long seconds, thanking her profusely.

"It was so good to have you come and stay for a while. You're always welcome, Fitz," she said, patting his back.

"Thank you. Thank you so much," he said.

She nodded.

"You are, always welcome," Eli nodded, reaching out his hand. Fitz shook it and smiled at him.

"Thank you. I had such a great time. Thank you," he said again.

"You're welcome. Have a safe drive back tomorrow," he said to the both of them.

"We will," Olivia nodded.

"Alright, goodnight you two," Maya said, giving them a little wave.

"Goodnight," Fitz waved.

And then they went off to their separate rooms.

And despite Fitz's "dessert" later that night, it was still the saddest night of the trip. Good, but sad.

* * *

Sandra and Stephen came to the house that next morning, and had breakfast with Olivia and Fitz, so they could all see each other one last time.

Olivia left the photo of the four of them at the hockey game on the counter. She'd gotten it developed the day she and Fitz adventured around D.C.

They left a little note by it, and signed their names.

She drew a heart next to her name and handed the pen to Fitz. He signed "Fitz" and then wrote underneath; "P.S. I'll miss you guys. Go Caps!"

He didn't attempt a heart. Probably a good thing. She'd seen his attempts before.

But before they knew it, they were all packed and ready to go.

And then they were backing out of the driveway in Olivia's car, taking one last look at the Pope house.

Olivia hadn't been sad to leave her house like that in a long time. She was always excited to go back to school. And she still was. But not nearly as much.

Fitz was sad too, she could tell.

He was quiet, as he drove.

Fitz felt as though he was really beginning to have a family. A real one. A loving one. One he hadn't had for a long, long time. One that he could barely remember anymore.

But this was it.

A family that ate breakfast together, that watched movies together, that took pictures.

Despite the next semester, and having to hide again, he was pretty glad he'd found this family. One that accepted him.

And it would only be a matter of time before he'd see them again.

But for now, he was content to be going home to his apartment with the love of his life, holding his hand next to him in the passenger seat.

* * *

Another long one! I hope you enjoyed their last chapter in Virginia. I'm sure many of you are sad to see them go, as am I!

These chapters have been fun.

But, back to reality, it is.

I'm glad you are all realizing how much of a difference this visit has made on Eli and Maya's relationship with Fitz, specifically Eli and Fitz's. It has been about a week and a half of them _all_ together, _all_ of the time, and that's helped a lot. Her parents have been able to see them together every day, doing things as simple as eating breakfast, sleeping, getting ready for a date, etc. No matter what they are doing, it is always easy to see how much they care for one another. So, are Eli and Fitz best friends? No. (Although maybe Maya and Fitz are, lol!) But, they have made so much progress this winter. Look at where they are now, compared to the end of summer. Eli wanted to kill him then. I mean, not really, but...really. I love character development!

Thank you all for the kind reviews you leave. They make me smile, just know that I appreciate every word! Y'all know who you are. I see each and every one of your names in the reviews with every new chapter, and I look forward to seeing what you thought. I really do. So thank you.

Read on!

With Love,

~T

P.S. Visual on Twitter & Tumblr!


	65. PS I Love You

"Baby," Olivia called out as she laid on the living room floor.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," he replied.

"Wait—wait! Can you bring my sweatshirt that I left on the bed? I'm freezing," she said.

She heard him stop in the hallway and turn around to head back to the bedroom.

"Sorryyyy," she winced.

"It's okay," he chuckled.

Except he didn't come back with her sweatshirt, he came back with his own.

His red Nike one.

She smiled brightly, taking it from him gratefully and thanking him. He winked back at her as he kneeled down and then laid down too, facing her.

She pulled the sweatshirt over her head and pushed her arms through the sleeves, and returned to her earlier position on her stomach.

"I really thought you'd want to sit on the couch by now," he chuckled.

She shook her head. "No, I like the floor. Are you all set for tomorrow?" she asked.

"Yep. Are you?"

"Yep. Unless you want to give me the answer to the question you're gonna ask on the first real lecture day," she smirked.

He smiled. "How do you know I'm going to ask a question?" he asked.

"Because I know you. Both as a person and as a professor. You're going to ask a question and it's going to be hard. And I'm probably going to know the answer, so it's fine if you don't tell me," she winked.

"And you also know I'm not going to call on you."

Her face sunk, but she nodded. "Yeah. Probably for the best."

"We just have to do this right, Livvie," he said, grabbing her hand.

"I know," she nodded.

"We need...we need to go over everything. The do's and dont's," he suggested.

She sighed. "Fitz we don't need that. We know how to do this."

"Liv, this is different. The stakes are higher now. We have more to lose now and I made your dad a promise that there's no way in hell I'm going to break."

"I appreciate that, baby. So, so much. And he does too. But what else is there to talk about?" she asked.

"We're doing things different this semester. We're doing things more carefully."

"We were careful before?" she questioned.

"Yes. But not as careful as we could have been. There were times we were reckless. Careless. That can't happen anymore."

"So...what are you saying?" she asked.

"I'm saying...I'm not going to call on you in class. Ever. You can come say hi at the end of class tomorrow if you want. That's fine, that'll look normal. But after that, no more contact. No talking after class, no walking anywhere together."

She felt her heart drop, and she knew that her face showed it.

"Fitz, we can walk places together, and we can talk after class. Students talk to professors. There's always communication. That won't look suspicious," she reasoned.

"I don't care, Olivia. I'm sorry, but I don't care. You are the best thing in my life. I love you. And I'm taking all the precautions that I can possibly take to make sure we're careful, and that we're safe. You can't argue with me on this one, okay? This is how it has to be."

She felt the lump in her throat, but she nodded sadly at him anyway. He was right, as painful as it was to hear.

"No office visits. They usually end with one or both of us without clothing," he chuckled.

She nodded. "Yeah. So...nothing? I can't just come and make an 'appointment'? I used to. We used to eat lunch together sometimes."

"I know and that's exactly what I mean. Could we get away with that on occasion? Yes. But there's no reason we have to take that risk. It would just be better if we don't," he said.

"Anything else?" she asked sadly.

"It'd probably be best if we didn't do Oak Haven on Saturdays, as much as Cy probably wants us to. From all our experience I think it's pretty safe, and we could do it on occasion maybe. But not every Saturday like we used to last year. Our only safe place is here, Liv. This is it. My apartment. Everywhere else...we should steer clear."

She'd felt the lump in her throat minutes ago, and knew that it was coming. A few quiet tears rolled down her face as she listened to him tell her how it had to be. Listened to him tell her their "do's and dont's" as he had said.

From what she'd heard, they all seemed like "dont's". Everything seemed off limits. And as much as she already knew it, it still hurt so bad to hear it from him.

"I can pick you up from your apartment, that's fine, my windows are tinted anyway. But I won't get out of my car. No more bushes, as fun as that was. That's too risky. No more walks around campus at night. No more going to our park. No more—"

She looked down at the floor, the tears soaking the carpet.

"Livvie—what's wrong?" he asked, as soon as he realized.

She shook her head and wiped away her tears, feeling embarrassed to be crying about it. "It's just...this is just hard. I'm sorry. I'm completely fine. I just don't want to do this," she sniffled.

Panic flashed across his face. "You don't—you don't want to do this?"

"No, Fitz—no, I don't mean...I just...I don't want to _have_ to. But we _do_ have to. We have to get through it, and we will. I just wish it wasn't like this. This feels like we'll barely get to see each other."

"Oh, baby. No, we'll get to see each other at night, like always. Here is safe. You can always come here."

"I know. But even my sophomore year, we saw each other a lot outside your apartment. And maybe we weren't as careful, I get that, and I know that we have to be. I just wish it could be different, that's all," she sighed.

He reached out and wiped her tears away. "I know. Me too. This is just the way it has to be."

She nodded, letting the tears run slowly down her cheeks.

He looked stared down at the floor with a pained look on his face. He turned around and grabbed his notepad and pen off the coffee table that he'd been using earlier, and set it down in front of him on the floor.

"What are you doing?" she sniffled, wiping away her tears.

He didn't answer, he just kept writing, or drawing, or...whatever the hell he was doing.

His entire forearm blocked her view of the paper, considering his hooked writing style. Which, always made Olivia wince. It looked like it hurt.

He was being mysterious, so she scooted over to his right side, and lifted his arm up so she could snuggle into his body. And she watched him while he wrote furiously.

He was writing numbers. Numbers, like on a calendar. It all started with January 7th, which was tomorrow. The first day of second semester.

He opened his calendar in his phone, just to make sure he got every number written down correctly and in the right order. "I always forget which months have thirty-one days. Don't tell anyone," he whispered.

She laughed. "Me too. I always have to do the knuckle trick."

He went through the entire semester, which was about five months. He did it small enough to where it only spanned one page, front and back.

"So this is our calendar, huh?" she asked with a laugh.

"Yes. See, now we have it here whenever we need to see it. Whenever we need to see how much time we have left. How much time we have left until we're free. It's not so long, it really isn't. And we can cross off each day. It will go fast, I promise," he said.

She smiled at his sweet action. Always such a sweetheart.

"You know...we could've saved you all that writing and just gotten our own calendar," she whispered.

He shrugged. "But I made this one with love."

She leaned her head against his bicep and giggled quietly. "You're absolutely right. I take it back. Store-bought calendars are lame."

"I agree," he nodded.

She laid there, clinging to his arm as he began to doodle in the margins.

"I don't want you to be sad."

She looked up at him, and shook her head. "I am sad, Fitz. Just like I know you are too. But we'll get through it. Right?" she asked.

He swallowed and nodded, not saying anything back.

She leaned her head against his arm and stared off into the distance, thinking about class tomorrow. And then he nudged her, and pointed at something he'd written in the margins.

She read it with a big smile on her face.

 **I love you**

He winked back at her, and she reached for the pen to write underneath.

 **I love you more**

He gasped. "How dare you," he whispered.

She giggled. "I'm sorry. I had to."

He leaned his head down against hers and then leaned in to kiss her.

She kissed him right back, pulling his upper lip into her mouth. His tongue brushed against hers as their mouths opened against each other.

A little makeout session on the floor. How abnormal for them.

He pulled away and started kissing her neck gently, dipping his head underneath her chin.

She raked her fingers through his hair, feeling his lips nipping at her skin.

He made his way back up, kissing her chin and finally kissing her lips a few times.

"Mm. You taste like vanilla," she whispered.

"I'm wearing chapstick. Or...I was. You might be wearing it now," he whispered.

She smacked her lips and nodded. "I am," she said with a smile.

"Sorry. This winter air...my lips are dry."

"Still feel soft to me," she shrugged, pecking his lips lightly.

"Good."

She smiled at him, looking into his bright blue eyes.

"Hey."

"Hmm?" she replied.

"We have one more night."

She looked at him in question. "Yeah...?"

"We have one more night of freedom, until this summer."

She nodded. "Yes."

"Get your coat."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Where on earth are we going at this time of night on a Sunday?" she asked.

"Get your coat and you'll find out!" he said, pulling her to her feet.

So, she did the only thing she could really do. She grabbed her coat, and followed him out the door.

They started to drive, and there were a few places she could have guessed, based on the way he was going. And one of her top guesses turned out to be right.

Their park. Their place.

It was cold, dark, and completely empty, as it usually was at night. So free or not, it was a fairly safe place and they knew it.

They walked up to the top of the hill, hand in hand, and sat down against the big tree at the top.

The ground was snowy and cold, but there was nowhere else to sit. Against that tree was it.

They cuddled up against each other and looked at the long, beautiful field of snow at the bottom of the hill that seemed to span miles. It didn't, of course. But it was mesmerizing, nonetheless.

"I'm so sorry, baby. Maybe I wasn't...I was being really straightforward before. When...we were talking about being careful this semester. I didn't mean to make you sad, I really wasn't trying to do that," he said apologetically.

She shook her head. "No, no. That's how I want you to be, straightforward. You don't need to sugarcoat anything. This is how it has to be. You're one hundred percent right. We can't risk anything anymore," she nodded.

He nodded, looking down at the grass.

"But we're gonna be okay. You and me...we're a team. A very strong team. And nothing and nobody is going to mess with that."

She nodded, clutching onto his hand. "Fitz."

"Yes," he replied.

"I know we're going to be okay. I know that with all my heart. And I also know that you're a hundred percent right, we do have to be much more careful. We can't risk anything. But...what if us being careful _does_ distance us? What if we don't get to see each other as much and...I don't know. You and I always joke about being pathetic, and not being able to go long without seeing each other. And obviously, I'm not going to... _die_ if I don't see you for a couple days or something. But...I do like to see you as much as I can. I do get sad when I can't see you, even if it's only for a day. I'm just going to be honest, like you were. That's the truth for me."

"That's the truth for me too, you know that. This isn't going to distance us, okay? It's going to do the opposite. How many people do you think would've quit by now, in our situation? A lot of people, Livvie. Our relationship is not for the faint of heart. It takes a lot out of us, not being free, having to hide. It's hard. It's not fair. But it's how it is, and we've done it. We've done it for a long time already, and I fall in love with you more and more every _single_ day. Nothing has stopped that. And...lots of crazy things have been thrown at us already. That's why I know we're strong, and why I know this will only make us stronger."

She nodded and smiled at him. And she believed him. Because he was so right. He just was.

"You wanna know something?" he asked quietly, leaning his head against hers.

She rubbed his hand and nodded, waiting for him to continue.

"Every time I walk into a room...I look for you."

Her face softened, meeting his gaze.

"Even when I know you're miles away. I still look for you."

She leaned her head against his chest and sighed quietly at his sweet words. She knew he was trying to lighten her mood. But he also knew he was just being his Fitz self. Kind and gentle.

"We know what distance is, We know all about it, and how to combat it. We know how to be _us_. Because nothing's going to change in that way. That's all we have to do, be us."

"You're right," she replied. "You're right. I'm just...I'm just overthinking, and being a worrier, is all."

"I know, and that's okay. Come here."

She leaned into his body, and his warm embrace. It felt nice, considering the cool air.

And there they sat in the cold winter night. Their last night of _freedom_ for months.

When they finally got home, Olivia wanted to warm up a little bit.

"I'm gonna go take a shower okay?" she said.

"Okay, baby."

She pecked his cheek, and headed off down the hallway.

She went to the bathroom and prepped to wash her hair.

She'd stretched the time out a little too long since her last wash, so she figured it was about time.

It was a process for sure, like it always was. Fitz would be happy though, because she'd decided she'd keep it all natural for a while now. Her hair _was_ healthy, but she thought she needed to cut back on her heat usage.

After the long process of shampooing, deep conditioning, and detangling, she got out of the shower. She separated it into sections and put it into twists, so that it could dry stretched out overnight.

Digging through her side of the double vanity, she pulled out her silk headscarf and wrapped it around her slightly damp hair.

She rubbed lotion on her cracked hands. This weather wasn't so kind to her skin, either.

As she came out in her robe, rubbing lotion on her hands, she saw Fitz laying in bed.

"Oh hi, baby," she greeted.

He gasped, looking at her headscarf with a smile. Because he knew what that meant. She probably needed to get into a better habit of wrapping her hair every night to preserve her curls or her straight hair, whichever it may be. But she always made sure to when she washed it, and he knew that by now.

"Mhmm," she nodded.

"Oh good," he said happily.

She giggled, pushing her robe off her shoulders as she searched through her drawer to find something to wear to bed.

She heard him get out of bed and walk up behind her. And then she felt him.

He wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his chin on her bare shoulder.

"Hey."

"Hey," she said letting the robe fall to the floor as she untied it.

He tightened his grip around her naked body, but didn't do anything else. He just stood there behind her, hugging her.

"Guess what," he said.

"Hmm?" she replied.

"Tuesday is the eighth. January eighth."

"Uh-huh," she nodded, putting on a pair of underwear.

"Last year on January eighth I asked you to be my girlfriend."

She smiled. "You did, didn't you? Man. It seems like I've been with you for so much longer than a year."

"Yeah. Well, I suppose we were kind of...involved for the entire semester before that too. Just not..."

"Sexually," she said with a laugh.

"Right," he nodded. "But involved, nonetheless. I've been in love with you for far longer than a year, I can tell you that."

"Me too. But maybe it still evens out to about a year, anyway. After...all the months we were...separated," she said sadly.

"I don't like that word."

She nodded. "Sorry. Broken up? That...doesn't sound good either," she said.

"No. It doesn't. We don't have to talk about it."

She sighed. "Why not?"

"Because. Why would we want to?" he asked.

"I don't want to. But you can't ignore the fact that it happened and push it away. You can't pretend that I didn't hurt you, just because you don't want to talk about it. It still happened. I still hurt you."

"Livvie, baby, we are not still on about this now are we?" he asked.

She shook her head slightly and looked down at the ground. "I'm always going to be. I will always think about it."

He loosened his grip on her body and stepped back. "I understand. But...it's done now, Olivia. All of that is done. We have bigger fish to fry now, that's in the past. We've talked about it before. So why would we continue to talk about it now? It does no good. Nothing can be changed or done differently, and here we are. We made it okay."

"But did we really? Talk about it? After all this time I still don't know...I don't know what happened to you. I still don't know...how you dealt with it. I don't know a lot of things."

"Why does that matter now? That's my question."

"Because I care about you. More than anyone else in this world."

He paused for a little bit, before heading back to the bed. "So you really want to spend our last free night together, talking about this? Really?" he asked.

She sighed. "No."

"Good, because I don't either. In fact, I want you to take off the clothes you just put on, and get over here."

She felt her lips tugging upward in a smirk.

"You are _not_ really using sex as a distraction right now," she said, still facing away from him.

"It's not a distraction," he said, getting off the bed and standing up.

She slowly turned to look at him.

"At least, it shouldn't be," he added, stripping off his shirt.

He reached down and pulled off his pants and his boxers together, leaving him naked there by the bed as he stepped out of his clothes.

She eyed him closely, as his chest rose and fell slowly. God, he looked so good. He was irresistible. So tall. So muscular. So turned on, clearly.

"Everything else is the distraction."

She let out a slow, deep breath, and started taking off her clothes. She only had on underwear and a T-shirt, so she was naked very quickly.

They both were, on separate ends of the room.

"Get...over...here."

She could feel the wetness between her legs already, just at how quickly the mood had changed and just looking at him.

So she went over there.

He reached his hand out to her, pulling her in closer until they were inches apart.

He ran his hands down her sides, stopping on her hips. And then he pulled her gently with him towards the edge of the bed, where he sat down.

He looked up at her naked body, and she looked down at his.

He brought her closer to his face, and pressed kisses on her stomach, palming her ass with both hands.

Her hands rested on his shoulders, while he explored her with his mouth. But he didn't seem to want much foreplay, because he guided her closer to him, hinting that he wanted her to sit down.

She swung a leg over him, and then the other. Her legs were spread wide as she got onto him, and then she wrapped her legs around his waist.

She was eye level with him now, as she prepared for him.

She sunk down onto him slowly, closing her eyes and opening her mouth as she did it.

She tried to be quiet, but then remembered they weren't in Virginia anymore, under her parents' roof.

They could be as loud as they wanted.

He half gasped, half moaned while she sunk down on him, fitting so perfectly tight around him. She was wet, and slick, and the feeling of her was something he would never get over.

She lingered there for a moment, with him almost fully inside her, just to get her bearings. But then she slowly began to roll her hips.

His eyes were closed, clearly enjoying the feeling of her riding him.

"Feel good?" she whispered.

"God, yes," he breathed.

"Do you like when I ride you?" she whispered into his ear, biting the lobe gently. She knew the answer, but she wanted him to talk.

He nodded, groaning low in his throat. "Yes."

She had him in the palm of her hand and she knew it. _He_ knew it.

He surrendered all the control that he had started with, and let her do him how she wanted to do him.

He ducked his head and took her breast in his mouth, swirling his tongue around her nipple. And then he switched to the other one.

She watched him carefully as he flicked his tongue against her nipple while his eyes were closed.

His muscles flexed as he held onto her lower back while she continued to move on top of him.

He slid easily in and out of her, with him coated in his own wetness as well as hers.

"Are you...going to come?" he panted.

She nodded, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

"Close," she whispered.

He nodded in agreement. "Close, so—close. I can't, Liv. I can't," he pleaded.

"It's okay. Let go. Let go for me," she whispered in his ear.

His body tensed just at her words, and his head collapsed on her shoulder as he came.

"Fuck," he breathed, his body convulsing slightly under her.

And him finishing, pushed her over the edge too.

She rode her orgasm, his name spilling out of her mouth uncontrollably.

Until they both sat there, panting while he remained deep inside of her.

He helped her off of him slowly, and pulled her back with him as he laid back on the bed.

"We're doing that again."

She smiled against his chest. "Yes we are."

So they did.

* * *

Olivia woke up to her alarm, when Fitz was just leaving. She knew because she'd vaguely felt his lips pressed to her cheek, and the words, "I'll see you soon, pretty girl," whispered into her ear.

She'd been half asleep, but not soon after, her alarm went off.

It was eight, far too early for her liking after she'd gotten to sleep in for about a month straight.

But it was her first day of the semester nonetheless, and she was somewhat excited to get it started. The faster it started, the faster it was over, she figured.

She got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to start getting ready.

She still had some clean clothes in her suitcase that she'd brought home, which she still had with her at Fitz's. She'd stopped by her apartment just to get things settled on Saturday, but she hadn't spent much time there because Abby hadn't come back yet.

She was coming back today, because she had managed to get Mondays off this semester. Which, was awesome. However, Olivia was in a similar boat, as she had Fridays off this semester. It was about time, she thought. Usually upperclassmen had a better chance at having no classes on some days, and she was now one of those upperclassmen.

That also made her Monday and Wednesday classes a bit longer. They weren't fifty-minute lectures, but an hour and fifteen-minute lectures. It would be gross, but at least she could stare at her boyfriend for an hour and fifteen minutes twice a week. She'd take the wins where she could get them.

She got dressed and put her hair into a tight, perfect bun.

She did her makeup and headed out to the kitchen to have a little something to eat before she drove back to her apartment on campus and walked to class from there.

As she got out a box of cereal, something caught her eye on the counter. A note.

So she went to read it.

 **My dear Olivia,**

 **I remember this day, last year. The first day of class, with you as my student. You had me hooked before you even said a word. And then you did say something to me. You said, "hi, I'm Olivia." And I think I knew you were the one from that day on. Never in my life have I been that starstruck from one thirty-minute conversation. You blew me away, just like you do every day.**

 **Come up and see me after class, okay?**

 **Talk to you soon,**

 **-Fitz**

 **P.S. I love you**

She smiled brightly, because it was adorable. _He_ was adorable.

Her mood improved after his little note. She found that she was a little excited just to go see him up there again, teaching. It was his favorite place to be. His stage. And he did it so well.

He'd gone in early today, just like he said he was going to last night. He wanted to drop by Cyrus's office, which was in a completely different building than his own, and wanted to get everything settled in his own office at the start of the new semester. Otherwise, he normally wouldn't leave all that much earlier than she would for class on Mondays and Wednesdays.

She didn't know how many nights a week she would end up spending the night at his place. She really didn't. She and Abby tended to spend about half their time at their own apartment, and half their time at their boyfriends'. So she assumed it would be that way again.

Her apartment was on campus, which made going to class easier and she didn't have to drive. However, she also didn't get to sleep next to him at her apartment. There were pros and cons to each place.

But she had to admit, she was still excited for the summer. Because then, she'd get to move in full time. This would be her home. Not only that, but they'd be free.

Man, she couldn't wait.

But for now, she had a couple classes to get through on this cold Monday. First, Foundations of Political Theory. Taught by hers truly.

She made the drive to her apartment to drop off her suitcase, and then grabbed her backpack and started the walk to a lecture hall she was familiar with. She hadn't had a class in this particular hall since freshman year, but she still remembered it well.

It was large, and there were lots of nice, comfy chairs in the lobby that students often sat in while they waited for the class before theirs to be done. That much, she remembered.

But today, as she entered the lobby, the chairs weren't all full, only a few. So, that must have meant that the class before theirs was done already.

She walked into the big auditorium, eyeing the front quickly to see if he was here yet. He wasn't.

She chose a seat more towards the back than normal. She wasn't going to be participating in this class. Ever. So she neglected the first couple rows, which were her normal go to.

She got out her laptop and pulled up the syllabus, getting everything completely ready for class.

And then he walked in.

She hadn't seen him in the morning, because she'd been half asleep. But man, she wished she had seen him. Dark, navy dress pants, brown shoes and belt, and a white dress shirt. No tie, sleeves rolled up. Always.

Briefcase slung over his shoulder, watch on his left wrist, and coffee mug in hand. Every single time.

She tried her absolute best not to listen to any possible students who said something about his appearance. She seemed to have chosen a pretty good spot, because she didn't hear anything. Thank god.

The chatter in the room naturally quieted just at the sight of him, his presence having such an effect on the large group.

He began to write on the chalkboard, the name of his class as well as his own name.

And then he fiddled with something underneath the podium, which she could only assume was his microphone.

She watched him clip it onto the top of his dress shirt, and turn it on.

He cleared his throat before continuing. "Good morning."

The lot of students murmured back, but it was pretty pathetic.

Even from as far back as she was, she could see him frown.

"You do know when someone says good morning, it's customary to say good morning back."

That resulted in some laughter, followed by a more clear "good morning" from the students.

He smiled brightly, and opened his arms wide. "Ahh! There it is. Thank you, I feel much better. How are we today?" he asked.

Lots of "good" echoing around the auditorium.

"Oh good, I'm glad to hear that. I'm good too, thank you."

More laughter, followed by his smile.

She smiled into her hand as she watched him pace the room. She could tell he was looking for her as he talked, his eyes scanning the crowd quickly.

"As many of you may know, I'm Professor Grant, and this is Foundations of Political Theory. This is my fourth year teaching this class, it's a very fun class to teach. It's based on a lot of group work, and discussions. Some people like that, some people don't. Either way, I'm here for anything and everything you may need. My email and phone number are on the syllabus. You may use whichever form of communication you prefer to use, just know I will not respond to drunk texts and or calls."

The students laughed.

"Yes. That has happened, by the way."

More laughter.

Olivia remembered him say that at the beginning of International Politics, too.

"Alright. Syllabus day. Let's get a move on it so we can get you all out of here early. I know syllabus week is everyone's favorite week."

And then he caught her eye.

Her lips parted as she stared at him, admiring his confidence up there. The confidence that was sometimes unique to teaching.

Many of the students started getting out their laptops if they hadn't already. And he just looked at her. For as long as he thought was okay to do so.

She looked away pretty quickly, being ultra careful as they had talked about.

And for the most part during that syllabus day, he kept his eyes away from her. He would scan the students, like normal. And occasionally he'd look at her, but not any more than anyone else. That's just how it had to be.

Syllabus day was a little more boring than normal days, which was to be expected. But he still made it interesting, because he was Fitz.

He still talked a little bit about his background. He still mentioned his father, and not himself. Which, she could have predicted. However, the mention of his father was short and not very in-depth. That was okay with her. He didn't even deserve to be mentioned at all, in her opinion. But she figured he was still his father.

Overall, the background on himself was more just a background of his family, and his schooling. Not anything major about himself.

And finally, he finished a little bit early.

"Alright. I'll see everyone on Wednesday. Come prepared. Dismissed."

She packed up her things and went to join the line of students that was forming at the front of the auditorium.

She waited her turn, listening to the brief conversations he had with students as she got closer to the front of the line. They _were_ brief, so he could get to everyone. But he still had this ability, this magic about him, that made it seem like he just really wanted to talk to everyone that he met.

He made everyone feel very important, and like he was genuinely very happy to meet and talk with them. And from Olivia's experience, he really _was_ happy about it. He had such a good heart.

She finally reached him, and extended her hand. She said the first thing that came to her mind.

"Hi."

He smiled back. "Hi. Nice to see you again, Ms. Pope."

"Likewise. I just thought I'd come say a quick hi, and that I'm looking forward to this class," she said.

"I'm glad to hear that! Thanks for coming to say hi. I can assure you that this class will be worth your while."

She nodded at him with a smile, and gave him a slow look over with just her eyes. She certainly didn't want anyone to see her full on check him out, so she did it very discreetly.

But he noticed.

"Thanks, Professor Grant. Nice to see you again."

He cleared his throat and smiled. "Very nice to see you again, have a good rest of your day," he nodded.

"You too," she said happily, giving him a little smirk as she walked by him.

She looked over her shoulder at him as he greeted the next student in line. That was likely the last time she'd speak to him in class. But oh well. She'd see him soon.

She went through the rest of her classes that day, before finally returning home to her apartment. And she was excited when the front door was open, and not locked. Abby was home.

She heard a gasp from what sounded like Abby's bedroom. "Liv?!"

Olivia gasped back. "Abby?!"

"AGGGHHHH!"

And soon a tall redhead was sprinting at her at full speed.

Olivia smiled and met her halfway, hugging her tightly. "Hey!"

"Hey! I missed you!" Abby exclaimed.

"I missed you too. When'd you get home?" Olivia asked.

"Not too long ago, how was class today?" Abby asked, as they both went to hang out in the living room.

"It was alright. Fitz's class was the best, but I could have predicted that."

"Yeah. How's he doin'?" she asked.

"He's good. As best as he can be. But we're doing fine, really. We've accepted it and we're just...looking to the future."

"That's good, Liv. I'm really sorry about that. I...was really sad when you told me. I really was. You two don't deserve that."

"Thanks, Abby. Yeah. We're used to obstacles, it's not too big of a surprise. But enough about that, when are you going to see him?" she asked with a smile.

"Soon! In about an hour!" Abby said excitedly.

"Oh good! I'm sure he misses the hell out of you," Olivia said.

"Yeah, he does," Abby smirked.

"Are you staying here tonight?" Olivia asked.

"Mhm. Unless you're not...then I won't," she said.

Olivia shook her head. "Nah. I've been with Fitz for like two weeks straight. I wanted to stay here tonight, and you know...feel like we're getting our money's worth of the rent we pay," she giggled.

"For real though," Abby said with a laugh.

"I love him to death, but I miss my girl," she said, putting her arm around Abby's shoulder.

"Me too," Abby said with a smile, leaning her head on Olivia's shoulder.

The two spent some of their afternoon together just hanging out. Abby went to see David quickly before he had another evening class, so Olivia spent the time unpacking some of her clothes. But they still spent a considerable amount of time together when Abby got back.

It was good to catch up with her, and have a little time just the two of them back at their apartment. Their famous apartment.

But later that night after dinner, they went over to the other famous apartment, just down the hall. Huck and Harrison's.

"Wooo! The squad's back!" Harrison yelled.

"Hell yeah!" Quinn agreed.

"I missed you guys," Olivia said.

"I didn't," Abby teased.

"Oh shush. You know you missed us and our shitty alcohol," Harrison said, tossing her a beer.

"Oh yippee," Abby giggled.

"How was lover boy today?" Huck asked.

"Very very good. I'm sad he has to work after class tonight, too. But I'm going to spend the night with him tomorrow," Abby informed them.

"Mmmhm. She's gotta get a little somethin' somethin'," Harrison winked.

"Oh fuck off," Abby said with a laugh.

"Hey. At least she's getting it," Quinn smirked, firing a shot at Harrison.

"Oooh," everything replied, looking at Harrison.

"Hey now. Zoey just wasn't the girl for me. She was too...normal," he shrugged.

"Yeah maybe because she hasn't gone through thirty significant others already in her twenty-one years of life," Quinn giggled.

"Oh like you're one to talk, Quinn!" Harrison pointed.

"Alright, alright fine. Let Liv judge then, she's still a good girl. Kind of," Quinn said.

Olivia gasped. "What do you mean kind of? I'm a very good girl," she nodded.

Abby laughed, but then shut up.

Olivia eyed her, giving her the "don't even start" look.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. Hey, speaking of. You still never even told us about mystery boy a while back,"

Olivia raised her eyebrow. "Mystery boy?" she asked, giving her best confused reaction.

"Yeah. You remember. We were playing some drinking game, I don't even know what it was. You had to confess that you'd slept with someone other than Edison, and he was good in bed. I don't know how we managed to get that out of you but we did," Quinn giggled.

"I literally have no idea," Olivia said with a shrug.

"Oh come on, yes you do," Huck nodded.

Olivia sighed, eyeing Abby who seemed to be wincing.

"Alright, alright. You're right, I just...didn't want to admit it. It was some guy at a party Abby and I were at. We were...both drunk. I barely remember it," Olivia said, pretending to be just a bit of ashamed of herself to sell the lie.

"Shit! Liv, that is _not_ like you," Harrison said.

"I know. It wasn't a proud moment," Olivia nodded.

Abby winked at her. Perfectly done.

"Well, don't feel too bad, Liv. We all have our moments. Quinn here can tell you a little bit about her experience with party goers. She sleeps with randos all the time!" Harrison exclaimed.

Quinn scoffed. "That is not even true!"

"Ha. That's what you get for coming at me for all my failed girlfriends," Harrison said.

"You're lucky I fucking missed you and all your bullshit this winter break or I would be out the door right now!" Quinn said with a laugh.

"Oh, she talks a big game. Such a big game," Harrison winked.

"I do, that's one of my many talents!" Quinn nodded.

"Oh yeah? I should call up Charlie and see what your other talents are."

Quinn's mouth dropped open in disbelief.

Harrison chuckled, going over to her and pulling her in for a hug.

"Oh Quinny come here, I'm sorry, that was rude of me," he said with a laugh, patting her back.

"You are evil!" she exclaimed with a laugh. "I really don't even have a comeback, you caught me off guard with that one."

"I know I'm sorry. I shall not speak his name," Harrison said, giving her a big dramatic kiss on her cheek. "Mwah!"

"No, it's okay...we might...uh..."

Harrison stepped back, waiting for her to continue. Everyone else leaned in too.

"You might...what?" Harrison asked.

"Yuh-huh. Spill the tea, girl," Abby said, taking a sip of her beer.

"We might have...hooked up over break."

Everyone got their fair share of reactions in.

"What?!"

"Quinn!"

"No way!"

"Oh shit!"

It was no secret that Quinn and Charlie had never really been "done". They were always on and off, and nobody ever understood when they were "off". They clearly loved each other, they were just still learning to love each other.

So it really wasn't surprising that they had hooked up. But it was a bit surprising that it had happened over break. Because as far as they all knew, it had been a little while since they'd seen each other.

Quinn just smiled, not really sure what else to say. Everyone could tell she was happy about it.

It was good to hear how everyone was doing. Both in their personal lives, and with potential significant others. To everyone's knowledge, Olivia, Harrison, and Huck were the only single ones in the friend group. Of course, Olivia had been taken for longer than any of them could even imagine. And Quinn and Charlie were, well...Quinn and Charlie.

But then one of the only real single friends in the group spoke up.

"I um...I've been talking to someone."

Everyone looked at Huck with a happy smile.

"Huck! Really? You never said anything!" Abby said, patting his arm.

"I know. I um...it's not super serious or anything. We're just talking."

"Okay. Well who's the lucky girl or guy?" Olivia piped up.

Huck cleared his throat. "Girl. She's...I've known her for a while, I met her first semester in one of my gen eds. She's actually a political science major," Huck said, nodding at Olivia.

"Oh very cool! So it's not very serious, but you like her?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah. I...do. I really do," he replied.

"Awww!" Quinn piped up.

"That's cool, buddy. Very cool," Harrison nodded.

"Thanks, yeah. I'm excited to see where it goes," he nodded.

Talking about who everyone else was interested in was good for Olivia, because it took the attention off of her. However, it did make her sad that she had to lie, all while her friends could happily come out and tell each other everything they wished to tell.

She wouldn't trade Fitz for the world. But sometimes she wished their situation was easier.

Regardless, it was a great first night back with all her friends, and a great first day of class.

She went to bed that night pretty happy.

* * *

The next day proved to be another laid back day, because she went to all her Tuesday classes for the first time. Thus, it was syllabus day once again.

But that night, since Abby was definitely spending the night at David's, Olivia went to Fitz's, too.

And he was quite happy to see her.

She unlocked his door with her key, and walked in and locked it behind her.

"Oh, _Fitzgerald!"_ she yelled.

She heard a gasp.

"Baby?"

"It is indeed, me, baby," she giggled, hanging her keys on the hook.

She took off her boots and her coat, and made her way to the bedroom where he was lounging on his bed on his computer.

He gave her a smile. "Hi."

"Hi," she replied, kneeling on the bed to give him a kiss.

"Mm. One more," he said. So she pressed her lips to his once again.

"Thank you. How are you?" he asked, rubbing her back.

"I'm so much better now, how are you?" she asked, holding his face in her hands.

"So good. I missed you, it's been more than a day," he teased.

"Mhm. That's too long, huh?" she asked, kissing his forehead and laying next to him.

"Too long. I'm touching up tomorrow's lecture," he said, gesturing to his computer screen.

"Oh, good. Can I see?" she asked, leaning over to look at the screen.

"Mmm, nope! You'll just have to wait," he said, finishing what he was doing and closing his laptop.

She scoffed. "Darn."

He set his computer on the nightstand and rolled over to face her. "You want something to eat?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah. Sure. What're we gonna make?" she asked, rubbing his bicep.

"Whatever you want, baby," he replied, kissing her nose.

"Okay well I just wanna lay here with you for a little bit first, okay?" she asked, snuggling up to him.

"Okay," he nodded, wrapping his arms around her.

So there they laid, in each other's arms.

Their night was good. They eventually got up and made some stir fry for dinner, cleaned up a little bit and then watched _Dexter_ before they fell asleep.

But before they fell asleep, she smiled as she watched him cross off the first two days of the calendar he had made. The calendar he had made "with love." Two down, many more to go.

And in the morning, Olivia woke up very similar to how she woke up on Monday.

Fitz went in a little bit earlier than her. So she felt his lips against her cheek in the morning, and she still smelled the scent of his cologne present in the bathroom and bedroom.

And when she went to the kitchen to grab something to eat, she encountered another note.

 **My dear Olivia,**

 **You were right, I'm going to ask a question today in class, and I already know that you know the answer. You're probably the youngest person in the auditorium, and still the smartest, by far. That's my girl. I'll see you soon, baby.**

 **-Fitz**

 **P.S. I love you**

* * *

First couple days back in Connecticut, check!

Lots of talking, lots of reunions, lots of _love_.

There may be some time jumps in the near future, just depending on how I order some things. So don't be surprised if that does happen!

I hope you liked this chapter.

Go check out Twitter & Tumblr for something fun...hope you like Fitz's voice ;)

Read on!

With Love,

~T

P.S. Shoutout to the movie _P.S. I Love You_


	66. Right Here With You

Olivia brought a tray of food to Abby around 11:00 at night. She was so incredibly sick with the stomach flu, so Olivia wanted to help her as much as she could.

On the tray was a sleeve of plain crackers, a sliced up banana, and one slice of toast. This was the first time Abby had even gotten remotely hungry, so Olivia wanted it to be enough for her, but not too much.

Along with it was her refilled water bottle and another bottle of Sprite that Olivia had bought for her earlier that night.

She knocked quietly on the door. "Abby, I have your food."

"You can come in," Abby said quietly back.

Olivia saddened just at the sick, sad tone of her voice. Abby was always so peppy and happy. Always joking around, or being kind of crazy. Running around, jumping around...being _Abby_.

But not currently.

"Hey. I got you some bland, boring, easy to digest things," Olivia said, setting the tray next to Abby on her bed.

"Thanks, Liv. Seriously, thank you so much. I cannot imagine actually getting out of this bed right now. You're saving me," she said weakly.

"No worries, it's what roomies are for. And I feel you. I'm a fainter when I have the flu...totally understand not wanting to get up," Olivia said with a little laugh.

"Yeah, trust me. I know. Remember? Freshman year? You passed out in the fucking toilet."

Olivia giggled and nodded. "Don't remind me. That was disgusting."

"Yes it was. And who cleaned you up after that?" she asked, taking a small bite of toast.

"You did," Olivia nodded.

"Mhm. Best friend of the year award."

"Definitely. That's why I gotta repay the favor," Olivia nodded, opening the bottle of sprite for her.

"Yeah. I just hope you don't get sick too," Abby winced. "You really shoulda just let David take care of me. He's the one who got me sick in the first place."

"Yeah well last I heard David could barely take care of his own sick ass," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Yeah...he did kinda throw up all over during one of his presentations..." Abby cringed.

"That's nasty. See, I may have passed out in the toilet, but at least I made it there," Olivia pointed out.

"Yeah, trust me. I got in all the teasing I could before I decided I should probably just be nice to him considering he was basically living in his bathroom from then on."

"Probably a good idea. You feeling any better though?" Olivia asked.

"I don't know...kind of. I haven't thrown up in like three hours. Knock on wood."

"Yes please do knock on wood. I don't want to empty another vomit bucket tonight," Olivia teased.

"Sorry," Abby winced.

"It's okay. I'm going to go to bed, though. Just call if you need me," Olivia said.

"Will do. Thanks, Liv," she said.

Olivia nodded, and closed the door behind her before heading to the bathroom. She washed her hands thoroughly again, as she had done so many times the past day, and then took a quick shower too.

She'd tried anything and everything to prevent getting the flu, that was clearly going around right now. She never touched Abby directly, she remained as far away as she possibly could, and she washed all the germs away. At least, she hoped she did.

But she was still taking care of her, so she wasn't sure how much she could really prevent it.

She hadn't seen Fitz outside of his class in three days now. The last night she'd spent at his apartment was Tuesday. Abby had gotten sick on Thursday, And now it was Friday, so she wasn't going over to his apartment tonight, either.

She also wasn't sure if she wanted to, for fear that she may get sick and therefore, get him sick too. That was all they needed.

So, she texted him a little while before she fell asleep, and she wasn't woken up by Abby once.

Turns out she hadn't woken up all night, either, and made it to the morning without getting sick. And in the morning, she even said she was feeling a bit better.

Olivia watched over her that day, and got some good valuable homework time in as well. She even FaceTimed Fitz around 3:00.

He told her to come over.

"I'm just being careful!" she exclaimed, looking at the paper in front of her as she did her homework.

"I know, I just miss you!" he shrugged.

"I miss you too, it's been way too long for my liking. I just don't want you to get sick or...get stuck having to take care of _me_ ," she said with a laugh.

"Well you feel perfectly fine right now don't you?" he asked.

"Yeah," she nodded.

He smirked.

She shook her head. "You know for a guy who doesn't want to take risks, this is a hell of a risk," she pointed out.

He gasped. "You're not supposed to point out my lapses in judgment!" he teased, which made her laugh.

"But yeah I know. I just miss ya, is all. You don't have to, by any means. But if you change your mind, I'll be here," he said.

She nodded. "Okay, baby."

"Okay. Well I'll let you get back to homework. Don't work too hard okay?" he asked.

"I won't. I love you!" she said.

"I love you too!"

She waved goodbye and ended the call, before returning to her boring ass homework.

But the more she did her homework, and the more she felt perfectly fine, she started to think she wanted to go over to Fitz's apartment.

So she grabbed a few things and decided she'd surprise him. Abby said she was alright to stay by herself, and if need be she could call David.

Olivia felt a little bad, but Abby encouraged her to go. So she went.

When she got there, she opened the door to hear music playing softly in what sounded like his bedroom. She took off her things and walked down the hallway, smiling at his choice of music. It was their music. Their playlist.

As she approached his bedroom she heard his quiet voice singing along to the song that was on. His voice was beautiful, and so was he.

There he was, folding towels as he faced away from her.

He was wearing gym shorts, and no shirt. Man, his back was something else.

"Fitzgerald Thomas."

He turned his head in surprise, not having heard her until that very moment.

His face softened and broke into a big smile.

"Livvie."

She went to give him a hug, which, as she ran towards him, turned into quite the show.

It had been way too long. Four days too long. So she jumped and he caught her, and held on tightly.

"You came!" he said happily.

"I did! I couldn't resist! I just hope this doesn't backfire," she winced.

"Nah, we'll be alright. I'd think you would have already gotten sick if you were going to," he replied, slowly setting her down.

"Yeah, I'd think so too," she agreed.

"I'm just finishing up a load of towels," he informed her.

"I see that, look at you being productive! Although I am a little curious as to where your shirt is?" she giggled.

He looked down, his hand grazing his chest in confusion, almost like he had forgotten he was shirtless.

"Oh. Right. Umm...I don't—know, actually. You know I'm pretty sure I never put one on today," he said, scratching his face.

"Hmm...I am not complaining," she said, shaking her head.

"Good. Hey," he said, tapping his lips.

She smiled and stood on her tiptoes to give him a few good, wet kisses.

How could she have forgotten!

"Have you eaten?" she asked.

"No. I was thinking of ordering in tonight," he said.

She rolled her eyes. "Ivy Wok?" she asked.

He gasped. "Don't judge me. It's...my weakness, okay."

"I'm kidding," she giggled. "That sounds good to me. You want your usual?"

He nodded. "Okay. I'll go order it for us," she said, pecking his cheek.

"Thanks, babe."

So, they ordered in and watched a movie. Both things he'd planned on doing that night, apparently, so she rolled with it. However, the movie he picked certainly wasn't her style.

 _Transformers._

He was into it, though, so she was happy. But also a little confused.

"What the hell is an Autobot?" she asked.

"They're Autobots. That's what they're called," he explained.

"Okay, and what's the leader dude's name?" she asked, running her fingers through his hair.

"Optimus Prime. He's the blue and red semi with the flames," he replied.

"And that yellow Camaro one is..." she inquired.

"Bee. Bumblebee."

"Makes sense, okay," she nodded.

She tried her best to pay attention, but she found that playing with his hair was much more fun.

It was a little longer now, as it grew so damn fast. The ends curled up a bit, especially right behind his ears. It was very cute, and she couldn't help herself.

She lounged on one end of the couch and he laid his head on her lap. He very clearly enjoyed it, because he leaned back and let her play with his hair.

She leaned down and kissed his curly head a few times before she just hugged him, leaning her head down against his and tightening her grip around him.

Man, she just loved him.

"Livvie," he whispered.

"Yes?"

"I can't breathe."

She giggled and loosened her grip, rubbing the side of his face lightly. "Sorry, sorry."

He turned over onto his stomach on the couch and returned his head to its earlier position in her lap. "You're forgiven."

He snuggled up nice and close in her lap, placing kisses on her clothed, upper thighs. She watched him with a smile, as her hands returned to his hair.

His hands were on her lower back, wrapped around her body. Until they began to move.

They moved up to the waistband of her leggings, and gently began to pull them down over her ass.

"Fitzzzz," she giggled.

"Hmmmm," he replied.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said, continuing to try and get her leggings down.

To get them down, he needed her to sit up for a brief moment, so he could get them all the way past her ass.

He looked up at her with an innocent smile, almost begging her to sit up. She couldn't resist the face. The cute, cute face.

So she lifted herself up slightly, and watched his muscles in his arms flex as he lowered her leggings.

He switched to the front of the waistband now, and pulled them down from there too, along with the red, lacy thong she had on.

He kneeled on the couch and slowly pulled each leg out of her leggings, before dropping them and her underwear on the floor.

He kneeled between her legs, looking at her, now naked from the waist down. And he exhaled, seeming so content as he laid back down between her legs. He grabbed both legs and lifted them up so that they rested on his back. Easier access.

He started off by planting soft, warm kisses on the insides of her thighs. She was already leaning her head back and exhaling deeply as she closed her eyes.

It felt so good.

And then she felt his tongue.

She gasped and her eyes flew open, wanting to see everything he was doing.

He ran his tongue up, then down again slowly, making sure she felt everything.

He kissed, and then sucked her clit into his mouth, playing with it a little bit while she squirmed in his grip.

He was calm, however. Almost at _peace_.

He laid there on his stomach between her legs, and he and his mouth _worked_.

Sometimes this was how he was. They could be completely content doing something else, something _not_ sexual.

And then he'd randomly decide he wanted to play, and he'd do whatever the fuck he wanted to do to her. God knows she would let him. He was always welcome.

He flicked his tongue perfectly over and over, looking up to meet her eyes while he did it. Looking at her, to make sure she was feeling amazing.

She was.

She clutched at his hair, feeling as though she didn't have enough to hold onto. She whimpered quietly as she felt the pressure building in her abdomen.

The sounds she made caused him to move his mouth faster than he had been. A lot faster.

Her body started to shake, and her breathing was out of control. They both knew it was coming.

She held his face tight to her core while he kissed, licked, and sucked his way through her orgasm.

She finally fell back on the couch, exhausted, letting her legs fall off his shoulders, too.

Her chest rose and fell quickly while she tried to regain her bearings.

He kissed his way up until he neared her face, pecking her lips and baiting her into a makeout session that made her taste herself on his mouth.

But she was dead tired after that. He had outdone himself. Whew.

She wasn't sure if it was just her body that was tired now, or if she'd had a long week and she just needed to sleep. But she certainly didn't feel up for anything after that.

She carried her clothes in her hand as he walked behind her to his bedroom, hand on her bare ass the entire way, of course.

She giggled, leaning into him as much as she could while she walked.

And they had their fun, as always. But as soon as she hit that pillow, she was out like a light.

That is, until about 3 am.

At first, it just felt a little uncomfortable. A dull ache in her stomach. She could get through it and go back to sleep.

But after a little while, she began to fret.

She tried to slowly move away from Fitz's sleeping body, because being that close to him was only making her warmer, and far more uncomfortable.

She could feel the sweat running down her neck.

And then it hit her: the realization that she had caught the flu. Because she got that feeling in her stomach.

The feeling where she knew she had to get her ass up and out of that bed as fast as she could and hightail it to the bathroom before she threw up on her innocent boyfriend.

"Oh Jesus," she whispered, as she got up as as carefully as she could.

She sped walked to the bathroom and barely made it to the toilet before puking her guts out.

It was...disgusting. And awful. And she knew she would not be able to eat Ivy Wok for a good long while after that. Ick.

Thank god she could see well enough in the dark to have found the toilet, because she sure as hell did not have time to turn on the lights.

She curled over on the toilet seat and groaned, feeling absolutely awful.

And then she felt it coming again.

Fitz must have heard some of the commotion, because she could faintly make out the sound of him behind her while she wretched.

"Olivia?" a tired voice asked. "Are you oka—"

But then he saw.

"Oh, _shit."_

He ran up behind her and held her sides as she kneeled in front of the toilet.

He then took over for her and held her hair back. She'd been trying her best to do it herself, but she had so much damn hair.

He smoothed the tightly coiled curls out of her face and rubbed her back as she panted, leaning on the edge of the toilet.

Fuck.

"Oh baby," he whispered, continuing to rub her back.

She groaned, feeling so incredibly week in a matter of seconds.

He gently pulled the hair tie she had on her wrist off, and started to smooth back her hair.

It took him quite a while to do it, given that she had so much hair and he probably didn't have the slightest clue how to control it all. Plus, she could tell he was trying to be gentle, and not hurt her scalp.

But he finally managed to pull it back into a somewhat-ponytail. At least it was out of her face.

She just leaned her forehead on her arms on the toilet while he did it, not having the energy to move.

"I'll go grab you some water okay? You can wash out your mouth," he whispered.

She nodded.

"You'll be okay?" he asked. She nodded again. Not like she was going anywhere.

She heard him make his way quickly out of the room and into the kitchen, where he got some water and brought it back to her.

She swished it around, and spit it out in the toilet, before it had the chance to make her gag, thank god.

He reached out and flushed the toilet from behind her.

She felt a little better now that she had thrown up, but she still felt dreadful.

"Do you wanna come back to bed?" he whispered.

She nodded.

"Okay. One, two—." He lifted her up from underneath her arms, and she clung to him while he carried her back to bed, as well as her glass of water.

He laid her down on her side of the bed, pulling the covers far down so she wouldn't get hot.

"You need to sip on your water, you're already really dehydrated I'm sure," he said.

She did the only thing she could do; nod.

She felt gross. So gross. All while he was now up, taking care of her in the middle of the night.

He left the room and came back again with a bucket. Oh great. She'd had lots of experience with vomit buckets this week, and now it was her _own!_

"It'll be right here okay?" he asked, putting it right next to her on the floor. She nodded.

She rubbed a hand down his arm as he kneeled next to her, whispering, "thank you."

"You're welcome. You should really try to sleep if you feel like you can. Sometimes it's easier right after you get sick, because you feel a little better. Try, okay?" he asked.

"Okay," she whispered.

"I'll be right here with you."

She felt him get into bed next to her, and he certainly didn't snuggle up to her. She wouldn't have let him. If there was any way he could escape this without getting sick, she wanted him to.

But he still remained somewhat close, wanting to let her know he was right there with her.

And despite how gross she felt, she was able to get some sleep after that awful wake-up call. She was in and out until around 7 a.m., when she really woke up.

At first, she thought she was feeling somewhat decent. But then it overcame her suddenly, just like it had the night before.

She instantly sat up and leaned over, emptying her stomach once more into the bucket beside her.

 _Gross._

Fitz heard it all, and was instantly sitting up behind her with a hand on her back.

She didn't throw up a lot that time. But she still wondered how she even had anything to throw up at that point. But that's always how it seemed to work with the flu. There was always something to throw up.

"Oh my god," she groaned.

"You feel a little better now?" he asked, rubbing her back.

"A little," she nodded.

He scooted off the bed and bent down to grab the bucket.

She winced. "I can do it, Fitz, you don't have to, it's disgusting," she said.

"Babe, it happens. Just let me do it, you stay," he said, putting his palm out.

She stayed, but reluctantly. "I'm sorry," she groaned.

"You don't need to apologize for being sick, Olivia," he said, bringing the bucket to the bathroom.

She felt so, so weak. She didn't even respond, she just laid there, curled up in a ball.

He came back and put the now clean bucket next to her, and started to undress.

She did have energy to say something then.

"Hey. Turn around," she said.

He turned around, revealing his now naked front side.

"Okay. Thanks, that's what I needed," she said weakly.

He laughed, starting to get dressed. "You continue to amaze me."

She gave him a thumbs up.

"I'm gonna go out and get you some things okay? You just stay there in bed," he said, grabbing his wallet.

She nodded tiredly.

"I'll be back. I love you."

"Love you," she whispered.

"Love you...so much," she added. But he had already gone.

She tossed and turned for awhile, trying to go back to sleep if at all possible. But for once, it wasn't her stomach keeping her awake. It was the fact that she really had to go to the bathroom.

She didn't even want to try to get up, but she also didn't really see any other options. So she slowly sat up and then stood, not wanting to get up too fast in her current state. And she thought she was doing pretty good, as she slowly made her way to the bathroom.

And she was doing good, until she got lightheaded.

"Fitz...Fitz—" she called out. But she knew he wasn't there.

She panicked, wondering in that split second if she should sit down right there in the bathroom or try to make it back to bed.

But she didn't have time to decide before her vision clouded, and everything went black.

* * *

Fitz walked in the door with his grocery bags. He took off his coat and boots, and dug out some of the things he wanted to bring to her. He poured some Sprite in a tall glass, and put some of the crackers on a plate. He doubted she'd want to eat anything at all, but he wanted to give her the option because he knew she was already very weak just after one night.

He brought the plate and the glass into the bedroom, only to find that she was not in the bed.

"Olivia?"

He looked all around the bedroom, but found no Olivia, and received no answer. It wasn't until he looked through the doorway of the bathroom that he got his answer.

The plate and glass fell from his hands in shock, the glass shattering against the bottom of the bed frame.

"Olivia!"

His heart pounded against his chest as he looked at her unconscious body, lying on the tile floor, blood visible near her head.

He raced to the bathroom, kneeling down and turning her over gently.

"Liv. Liv."

Nothing.

Blood ran pretty heavily from her nose, which he was honestly quite thankful for. He worried, at first, that it had come from a gash in her head.

He wiped up the blood and kneeled above her, holding the tissue to her nose.

He couldn't feel his hands. He could barely feel anything, save for the rapid beating of his heart in his chest. All he felt was sheer panic, just at the sight of her.

His actions showed calmness, but inside, he was still panicked.

It helped when she came to.

Her eyes opened and she looked around, confused at first.

She met her boyfriend's worried eyes, and immediately grasped what had happened. She remembered being alone, calling out his name, not having enough time to get back to bed.

He leaned his head down on her stomach, breathing deeply in relief as he wrapped his arms around her little body.

"Oh my god, Olivia. You scared me half to death."

"Sorry," she whispered, almost wanting to laugh a little bit.

And she kind of did, despite feeling dreadful and still a little faint.

"Don't you dare laugh. I told you to stay in bed!" he exclaimed.

"I had to pee!"

"You should've waited for me, you crazy girl I would have...I don't know, carried you there!" he said.

"I thought I could make it," she whispered. "I was very wrong. I won't do that again I'm sorry."

She ran her fingers through his hair, comforting him even though _she_ was the one who had just passed out!

His grip around her was so tight, so she could tell she had really scared him.

"My nose hurts like a motherfucker," she said.

He chuckled against her chest, lifting up his head.

"Yeah," he said as he examined it. "You bonked it pretty good. But it's about done bleeding."

"I need to sit up," she said, starting to sit up.

"Woah, woah, woah," he said. "How do you feel?"

"I feel okay, I can sit up," she nodded.

He kept a hand behind her as she sat up slowly, keeping the tissue against her nose.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yes," she nodded. "I still need to pee."

He shook his head and laughed. "Alright. Come here."

He lifted her up from underneath her legs, and her arms, and carried her over to the toilet, which was behind a separate door.

She just stood there, waiting for him to leave. But he didn't.

"Baby...I can go to the bathroom on my own."

He looked at her like she was crazy. "Hell no. You cannot be _trusted_ on your own."

She shot him a look, but nodded. He was probably right.

"Fine, turn around."

He cocked his head to the side. "You're kidding, right? My mouth was just down there less than 24 hours ago," he said, gesturing...downward.

She shot him another look.

"Fine." He turned around while she used the bathroom, and as soon as she flushed, he turned back around and picked her up.

He was obviously a little flustered now, because he didn't let her go anywhere on her own two feet. He walked her over so she could wash her hands, and walked her over to the bed.

Past a bunch of broken glass.

"What happened here?" she asked, looking at the glass on the floor and the crackers everywhere.

"Oh nothing, I just almost had a heart attack."

She gave him a sad look. "I'm sorry I scared you."

"It's alright. I'm just glad you're okay."

"I am okay," she nodded.

He laid her down on the bed and got up to clean up the broken pieces of glass.

"Be careful," she said, straining her neck to try and watch what he did.

"I am, I am" he replied.

She watched as he left the room and later came back with more crackers and another glass of what looked like Sprite.

"You don't have to eat if you don't want to, but if you're feeling bold you should try," he said, setting it down on the nightstand next to her.

"Okay," she nodded.

He put his hand on her thigh, looking down at her.

"I should go home," she said.

"Liv, you can't even make it to the bathroom on your own. You're not going home, you're staying here with me," he said adamantly.

"You're gonna get sick," she said sadly.

He sighed. "I know. But it's okay."

"It's not," she said.

"Yes it is. I'll be fine, I'm a big boy."

"I'm a big girl," she said, eyeing him.

"You are. But I don't want you to pass out and hit your head or something. I don't think my heart could take that."

"Oh, baby. I'm just fine you don't need to worry so much," she said, rubbing her thumb over his hand.

"Look who's talking," he replied.

"Touché," she nodded.

"Just try to rest, okay," he said.

"Okay." And then she blew him a kiss.

He smiled and pretended to grab it, and touched his lips. What a cutie.

She was in and out of it for a good portion of the day. She ate a little bit, and it turned out to be okay. At least for a little while...

But later in the day, while Fitz was on the phone with one of his buddies, she threw up what she'd eaten.

And she gave Fitz a thumbs up from the bed, trying to tell him she was okay as she leaned over the mattress towards the bucket after she'd thrown up.

But she was not okay. Very, very not okay.

She tried to tell her mind it wasn't going to happen again, but that sure as hell didn't work. She tried to sit back up before it happened again, but she couldn't do that either. She felt helpless. And that was the last thing she remembered before the world went dark again.

But Fitz happened to be looking at her just before that.

His buddy Matt had asked him something just a few moments ago. But what he said didn't register with him, because he could see Olivia trying to fight it off, trying to sit back up but failing.

"Grant?"

"Uhhhh—"

His eyes widened as he fully realized, and beelined over there.

"Uhhh—Matt, I'm gonna need to call you back. My girlfriend's fainting into a bucket."

He didn't even wait for Matt's answer. He tossed his phone on the bed and made his way over to her side, reaching out and catching her before she fell off the bed towards the bucket she just threw up in.

Her body was limp in his arms as he laid her back down on the bed, smoothing the few loose curls out of her face.

It didn't take her very long to come to.

Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at Fitz, already clinging to his arm while her hands shook.

Her breathing was unsteady at first, and she looked absolutely exhausted to him. He felt bad. He'd passed out before, and knew it was a scary feeling. She seemed used to it by now, but still.

Poor thing.

"I tried so hard," she whispered.

"I know you did. I was more prepared this time," he replied, laughing slightly.

She groaned, putting a palm to her face.

"I really cannot leave you alone now can I, pretty girl?"

"Yes, god yes you can. Please, I don't need to take over your weekend with this," she said.

He laughed. "Babe, what else do I have to do this weekend? My weekends are for you. All of them. They're all so that I can see you."

She sighed. "I feel so bad, Fitz."

"Quit feeling bad and start feeling better, would you? I really don't like sick Olivia, she scares the hell out of me."

"No, I meant I feel bad about this. Well...and I also feel like shit, too yes. But that's beside the point right now."

"I know what you meant. But I'm your boyfriend. I'm always going to take care of you, you know that. There's no need to feel bad."

She nodded, starting to feel short of breath from talking so much. She could feel the sweat on the back of her neck and all around her hairline.

Being sick sucked.

But she managed to get through the day, never passing out again. She did throw up a few more times, though. Yippee.

That weekend was nothing short of awful.

Fitz was sweet, and helped her as much as he could. And on Monday, there was no way in hell she would make it to class.

She was still weak, dehydrated, and tired, from all the hours of sleep she'd lost.

He was still raring to go on Monday morning, which she was thankful for. So far, he hadn't gotten sick. She was hoping his strong immune system could keep it away, because she would feel absolutely terrible if and when he got sick.

He seemed to be preparing for it, anyway. But she'd still feel bad.

She was wide awake in the morning, watching him get ready for class.

And man, he took a long ass time to get ready.

From the hour he took to workout, to the shower time, to the getting dressed, to the hair.

The hair was a big one, it always needed to be perfect.

But it was amusing. And he looked really good, through all of it.

He disappeared into the kitchen for a little bit to eat, but came back with a plate of toast, a banana, and a glass of water.

"Thank you, sweetheart."

"You're welcome. Anything else you need?"

"No, no. You go, I don't want you to be late."

"Okay. I'll go over the PowerPoint with you when I get back so you don't miss anything," he said, rubbing her arm.

"Okay. Thank you. And thank you for the food," she said.

"You're welcome. I'll be back as soon as I can. Rest up and please be careful, okay?" he asked.

"I will. I'm doing better today," she nodded.

He nodded, seeming satisfied.

"I love you," she whispered, kissing her fingers and pressing them gently against his forehead.

"I love you. See you soon."

And then he was gone.

She actually felt a slight growl in her stomach, which she knew was a good sign. Thank god. She needed this flu to be over, it had really kicked her ass.

She started to eat, only to realize that there was a note underneath the plate.

How could she have forgotten.

It had become a little thing of theirs. Every morning that she spent at his apartment during the week, when they both had class, he'd leave a note for her.

A little something funny or cute, a quote he found, anything really. It was quite adorable if she did say so herself. But then again, he always was.

Today was a bit unusual, considering she was staying home all day. But he still found a way.

She smiled as she read the note.

 **My dear (sick) Olivia,**

 **You have no idea how fast my heart races when I see you.**

 **Or...when I see you unconscious on the floor with blood coming out of god knows where.**

 **Thanks again, for that. I swear to god I have never been that terrified.**

 **Feel better baby. I miss healthy Olivia.**

 **See you soon.**

 **-Fitz**

 **P.S. I love you**

She smiled and opened the drawer in her nightstand to put it with all his other notes. He didn't know, but she'd kept them. She had them all together with a rubber band, and hidden under a few things in the drawer.

She read the one he'd left for her last week, before she put the new one with them. That last one had almost made her cry. It was short and simple, but it had a lot of meaning to it.

 **My dear Olivia,**

 **You're the reason why I'm smiling again.**

 **I don't know what I would do without you.**

 **See you soon.**

 **-Fitz**

 **P.S. I love you**

She looked forward to them each and every day that she was here. Maybe they meant so much because they were just cute and sweet. Maybe it was because they could both use a little happy in the midst of their hiding. Or maybe it was just because she'd always just loved it when he wrote for her, and he knew that.

He seemed to like it too. To know she got excited about them.

She tucked it away in her stash of notes and returned to her plate of food, which tasted quite good, actually.

It felt so nice to finally eat something and feel like she wasn't going to throw it up twenty minutes later.

And she didn't.

She even got up and went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth on her own.

She desperately wanted to shower, but she thought she should wait for Fitz for that, just to be safe.

He finally came home around 1:00 that day, far earlier than normal, and she was so excited. Excited to tell him she was doing better, and excited just to see him.

She heard fast footsteps coming down the hallway, and as soon as he appeared in the bedroom, she greeted him happily.

But he put his palm up, indicating that he needed a moment, before he disappeared into the bathroom.

And then she heard the familiar sound of vomiting...

She put her hands up to her mouth, feeling so sorry for him.

The toilet flushed and the sink water ran for a few moments while he presumably washed his mouth out.

And then he appeared, leaning against the doorframe as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Fuck."

"I'm so sorry," she replied.

"It's okay...I knew it was coming. I'm just glad it didn't hit me until now because I had classes to teach today."

He started taking off his clothes immediately, putting on much comfier clothes. She didn't blame him. She certainly wouldn't want to be in dress clothes feeling how she'd felt this weekend.

"What about the next couple days?" she asked.

He sighed. "I might have to cancel if Sammy can't cover for me. I rarely miss class unexpectedly, this isn't usually an issue."

"Well...do you think he can?" she asked.

He nodded. "Probably. I don't know, I'll just have to—"

He cut himself off mid-sentence and disappeared into the bathroom.

Disappeared to throw up again.

After getting himself situated again he came out into the bedroom, acting like nothing had just happened.

"I'll have to text him and see," he said.

She looked at him in shock.

"You come here right now and lay down. Stop thinking, stop working. You just—what the hell! Come here."

He raised an eyebrow. "Liv, I'm fine?" he questioned.

"You're not fine. Come here and lay down or you're going to pass out, too."

He sighed and got into bed with her, pushing the covers all the way down.

"Good. Now where's your phone?"

He glanced at the shape of it in his front pocket.

She swung her leg over his waist and dug around in his pocket for the phone.

Given that he was wearing gym shorts...she felt more than the phone. And perhaps it was on purpose...

He shot her a look.

"If you think I don't have the energy to get it up right now you're sorely mistaken."

"Oh, shhh," she replied, looking through his phone.

She found Reston's contact and hit message.

"Okay, tell me what to say," she said.

"Baby, I can do it."

"No. You just lay there and tell me. I'll do it for you."

"What else will you do for me?"

Her eyes looked around the phone at him.

"Are you seriously turned on right now? You have the flu."

"Does that even correlate?" he asked.

"Well," she said, looking downward at his crotch. "Judging on what I see right now apparently not."

"It's your fault," he shrugged.

"Right, it's always my fault," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Yes that's true," he nodded.

"Tell me what to say, weirdo," she giggled.

"Just ask what his schedule's looking like tomorrow and if there's any way he could cover my IP lecture at 12:40 because I'm sick."

"Perfect, thank you."

"Mhm."

She sent the message and looked back down at Fitz.

He was extremely pale and already beginning to sweat.

"You don't look very good, baby."

He nodded, closing his eyes. "I don't...feel very good."

And just like that it seemed all his wittiness and playfulness was gone.

She got up and put the bucket on his side of the bed, and went to grab him some water.

So, she went from caretaker to patient, to caretaker again.

She laid in bed with him for most of the day, cuddling him and rubbing his back.

He laid his head in her lap and slept, while she enjoyed the first time in three days that she felt okay.

She raked her fingers through his hair while he slept, breathing softly and quietly.

"I love you so much, Fitz," she whispered.

He, of course, didn't flinch. He was out cold.

"And I'm really sorry I got you sick," she added, brushing the curls off his forehead. "But I'll be right here with you."

She just hoped he didn't feel too bad. He certainly looked perfect still.

His body seemed to handle the flu a lot better than hers had, but he was still physically drained.

So the awful weekend extended into the week, too.

But she was still as thankful as ever, because sick or not sick, she knew she always had the best guy by her side.

* * *

Ick!

I actually always wanted to do a flu chapter because it's something different, and it really does happen. Especially to couples...one's sick and then so is the other.

Also, my family is a whole bunch of fainters when we're sick with the flu. If any of you are, too, you know Liv's struggles! It's awful!

And scary, we feel you Fitz.

I'll have to see how this next week goes for me. My finals are coming up, so this may be the last update for a little while. It also may not be, though. It just depends.

I hope you liked the chapter, even though it did involve lots of sickness!

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	67. Take My Time

"Olivia! I'm leaving!"

Olivia set her makeup brush down and made her way out to the living room.

And there Abby was, looking flawless as usual.

"Okay, okay! I see you! Damn!" Olivia said, giving her the look over.

"Do I look good?" she asked hopefully.

"He's gonna wanna take your clothes off right there in the restaurant," Olivia nodded.

"Oh perfect that's exactly what I was going for," she said excitedly.

Olivia laughed. "You're golden. Go have fun, I'll see you tomorrow!" she said, giving her friend a quick hug.

"Thanks, Liv, see you tomorrow. Have fun with pretty boy and tell him hi for me."

"I will. Bye!" Olivia exclaimed, giving her a wave.

"Bye!"

"Oh wait—wait," Olivia said, stopping Abby as she opened the front door.

"Sexy underwear?"

Abby nodded. "Of course. You?"

"Always."

Abby smirked as she wiggled her fingers and left Olivia to herself in the apartment.

Olivia happily walked back to her room to finish getting ready.

It was Valentine's Day.

She _loved_ Valentine's Day.

Being their careful selves, they weren't going out to dinner at a restaurant. Fitz was cooking her dinner. However, he insisted she dress up anyway, so she could still feel like she was out on a real date.

Her heart had melted when he told her that. She'd told him it was okay, they didn't need to dress up. But he still insisted.

So, there she was, getting all dolled up for their Valentine's Day dinner. And she was so excited.

She finished up her makeup, which she'd done fairly bold tonight.

She wore a black fitted dress, and heels to go with.

She would change up her jewelry to go with the outfit, but these days, she had a really hard time straying away from the things she wore every single day.

The leather bracelet, which was now so warn and faded, but so dear to her heart. The infinity ring she wore on her left index finger. And the pandora necklace she'd gotten from him for Christmas.

She was always decked out in her Fitz jewelry. Always.

She decided it was okay to keep it all on, and not switch it out. After all, she wasn't really going out to dinner. And even if she were, who the hell cared. It was Valentine's Day, and she was wearing all the jewelry from her Valentine.

Of course, she had called her other Valentine on the phone earlier that morning. Her dear dad, her first and forever Valentine.

They talked about when they'd do their annual Valentine's Day dinner. As usual, it would have to be over spring break. Very late, but at least it would be something. Better late than never.

He also made sure everything was going smoothly in Connecticut. She assured him that it was, and that they definitely saw each other less because they were being so careful. That Fitz was honoring the promise he had made to him. That they were doing okay, but it was really very hard for them.

Her father was kind, but strict with her still, telling her to continue to be careful. Telling her to be smart and remember that her education was insanely important. She assured him that she would.

Today had been her last day of class for the week, as she had Fridays off. It was really nice, and she often tried to stay at Fitz's to enjoy a long weekend with him. Sometimes their weeks got so busy that they didn't see each other as much as they liked to at night.

Sometimes only once a week.

She had tons of homework. He worked late sometimes. She hung out with her friends, too, and he hung out with his.

It was hard. It was really, really hard.

But they made it work. Weekends were their saving grace.

And tonight. They'd been looking forward to tonight for a while.

She decided her makeup was done, and fixed her hair up a little bit more.

It was in its natural state, which she enjoyed very much for sure. It felt healthier natural, and she knew that it was.

But it was for him.

The entire outfit she had on now was for him. Herself, too. But mostly, she wanted to look beautiful for her boyfriend. She wanted to make his eyes wander. She wanted to make his hands wander. Just like she knew she could.

Her hair looked perfect, so she got up and checked out the whole look in her full body mirror.

She looked like she was going on a fancy date, which is what she was aiming for!

She grabbed her coat and headed out to the living room, shutting off all the lights and locking the front door behind her.

When she got to his apartment, she opened the door and immediately smelled the amazing scent coming from the kitchen.

What it was, she had no idea, but it smelled fantastic.

And man... _he_ looked fantastic.

"Fitz," she said, over the loud noise of the exhaust fan above the stove.

He turned his head at the sound of her voice and smiled brightly at her.

"Baby, hi," he said, immediately coming over to her.

He grabbed her coat and couldn't help but stare.

"Wow."

She smiled. "Wow _yourself,"_ she replied.

"No, seriously...wow. You are...stunning."

She felt the color rush to her cheeks as she blushed.

"Thank you! You're pretty stunning yourself," she said, running a hand down his sleeve.

"Thanks. Happy Valentine's Day," he said, leaning in to peck her lips.

"Mm, Happy Valentine's Day," she replied, kissing him back.

He had a hold of her hand and brought her over to the bar top where had had wine open.

He poured a glass for her, and refilled his.

"I'm just about done," he informed her, going back to the kitchen.

"Alright well no need to rush, sweetie," she said.

She admired him as he walked back to the kitchen.

He was wearing a suit. Not a full suit. He put his casual spin on it, leaving the top buttons of his dress shirt undone and the suit jacket open.

They were both dressed very nicely, and all in black, save for his white dress shirt.

Damn, he looked so good in a suit.

And all the cooking he was doing made it even sexier.

He looked to be just about done as he got their plates out.

Lemon chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes from scratch, and rolls, fresh from the oven. Yum.

"Fitz this is amazing," she said.

He smiled. "Good, I'm glad, baby."

"You've outdone yourself," she said, nodding appreciatively.

She could see the pink in his cheeks as he smiled back at her, thanking her.

He was so cute.

And sexy as hell.

They sat at the table together, very close to each other as usual.

He kept a hand on her thigh for most of the meal, leaning in as she talked and letting their bodies touch.

They talked for hours.

Not even thinking about cleaning up the kitchen, or bringing their plates to the sink. Just looking at each other, and talking.

A comfortable silence fell over them as they sat. They smiled at each other, happy to be in each other's presence.

And then he leaned in to kiss her.

She kissed him back, making eye contact with him after he pulled away.

He stood up and pulled on her hand, indicating he wanted her to come with her.

She took his hand and followed him as they headed down the hall.

He led her into his dark bedroom, and turned on a single lamp and sat down.

"I know we said no gifts," he nodded, opening his nightstand drawer.

She gasped. "Fitz, you didn't," she whispered.

"I know, I'm sorry. I couldn't help it. They were just…so beautiful," he said quietly, pulling out a small box. And immediately, she knew it was jewelry.

This man and his jewelry gifting!

She sat down and took the box, opening it to reveal a pair of beautiful diamond studs. Nice sizable ones too.

She opened her mouth in awe and looked at his smiling face. "I know you're probably sick of jewelry by now and I promise I'm done. I'm sorry, I just really wanted to get these for you."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Are you seriously apologizing?" she asked.

He laughed. "Do you like them?" he asked.

"I love them Fitz. I _love_ them. I will wear them every day," she said, starting to take them out of the velvet holders.

He sighed happily. "I love when you wear the things I got for you. It makes me happy," he confessed.

"Well good news, look at this," she said, now showing him everything she had on.

Earrings, her necklace, her bracelet, and her ring. She was decked out.

He smiled and nodded in approval. "You don't have to wear them all at the same time," he chuckled.

"I know. But I'll be wearing a combination every day, you can be sure of that," she replied, smiling at him.

"Well good. I'm so happy that you like them," he said.

"I love them, thank you so much. Even though we did say no gifts, mister," she said, pointing at him.

"I know, I know. Just this once I broke the rule," he promised.

She smiled, swinging her leg over his lap and leaning her head against her chest.

"Happy Valentine's Day," he said quietly into her ear.

"Happy Valentine's Day, baby," she said back, tightening her grip on him.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you more."

He gave her a frown. "No."

"Yes," she giggled.

"Don't make me do it," he warned.

She smirked. She always did this and she always regretted it after.

"I love you... _more,"_ she said again.

"That's it."

He grabbed her sides and flipped her onto her back next to him on the bed and was instantly finding her most ticklish spots.

She was a wimp, she barely lasted ten seconds before she was laughing uncontrollably. "Okay, okay!"

He shook his head at her. "You just never learn, do you?" he asked.

She shrugged. "If I'm not learning...you must not be a very good professor."

He scoffed. "Are you _trying_ to make me tickle you again?" he asked.

"No, no, no, please no," she exclaimed, shielding her body. That had him laughing.

"I'm not even touching you!" he chuckled.

But she would still flinch, and start laughing if he got close.

"This is a fun game," he said, putting his finger within inches of her and watching her squirm. She would never understand how that made her laugh, even without him touching her.

Fake tickling. It was just as bad, she swore it!

"Stop, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" she giggled, pushing on his arm. "You're the best professor I've ever had and you know it."

He smiled. "Is that because I buy you presents and cook you dinner?" he teased.

"You do give the best presents and make the best meals, I'll give you that," she nodded with a laugh. "But no. You're everyone's favorite. There's a reason you're ranked so high and there's a reason you're here at Yale. You know that. I mean, you'll never admit it but I know you know that."

He smiled a little bit, clearly appreciative of what she had said. But of course, he shrugged it off, in typical Fitz fashion.

And after he shrugged it off, he swung his leg over her waist and intertwined their fingers against the bed.

And then he leaned down to kiss her.

She could tell, just by the kiss, that more would follow.

His lips were desperate, his tongue begging to be let into her mouth.

They made out slowly, letting the hands wander for a little while before the clothes finally started to come off.

And then he was rolling his hips, entering her slowly again and again, letting her feel every wonderful inch of him for as long as they both could stand it.

They hadn't even bothered to get under the covers, or lay in the _correct_ way in the bed.

They were sideways at the foot of the bed, making passionate love as though they hadn't in a long time.

And sometimes it did feel that way to them. With how busy they were, with how careful their situation required them to be, their bedroom activities sometimes felt like stolen moments whenever they could manage to find time.

There certainly wasn't lack of passion, that was for sure. In fact, given their situation, Olivia had noticed that their passion had only skyrocketed in bed.

That was definitely a plus.

And that night was no different. It happened twice in bed, and once more in the shower afterward.

After that, they were about as exhausted as they could be.

They cleaned up their dinner in the kitchen, and after that, they were out like a light together.

* * *

The next morning was Friday. Olivia had plans with her friends later, but after that, she was definitely coming back to be with him.

Weekends were for them. Weekends were the only time they could truly count on to be together.

Often times she would hang out with her group of friends if they had plans, but that would never deter her from coming back when they were done.

And Fitz had his friends, too, that she didn't want to get in the way of.

Logan and Aliyah, for one. Cyrus, when they both had time. Reston every once in awhile.

For the most part, though, they liked to be together on the weekends.

And for Olivia, Friday was the weekend. Best schedule ever.

She woke up early, though, anyway, as she often did. Her sleep schedule was pretty consistent, so when she woke up just as Fitz was getting up, she wasn't surprised.

She felt him loosen his grip on her body and sit up, so she rolled over and looked at him.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, facing away from her.

He wasn't wearing a shirt, so the view of his back as he hunched over and rubbed his eyes was glorious.

She flipped onto her stomach and reached out to rub his back. His fair skin was warm and soft, as it always was.

He lowered his head even further and let her rub it, making it very clear that it felt nice.

"How'd you sleep, sweetheart?" she asked.

"Alright. How about you?" he asked.

"Pretty good. How's your day today?" she asked.

"Just one class and a meeting, not too bad today. But I need to go in and get a little more work done to get ahead before the weekend," he sighed.

She sat up beside him and continued to rub his back. "Don't work too hard, baby," she said, kissing up his shoulder.

"I know. Just been busy lately," he said, running a hand through his curly hair.

"Well take breaks every once in a while, okay? Text or call me if you want, you know I'm free on Fridays," she said, linking their arms and leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I do know, and I love that," he nodded.

She put a single finger underneath his chin and turned his head towards her so she could kiss him. He immediately smiled after her kiss and leaned back in for another.

"I'm gonna go hit the gym okay?"

"Okay. Run lots, get sweaty," she said, pecking his cheek.

"I will," he nodded.

He got changed and left for the gym, while she laid back down and enjoyed her free morning in bed.

But eventually, she got up so that she could make him some breakfast for when he got back, as she tried to do on Friday mornings when she was there. He was always hungry after his workouts. She swore he could eat three meals in the morning if he really wanted.

So, she made him lots of scrambled eggs, buttered two slices of toast, cut up an apple and brewed him his coffee.

It would allow him to take his time a little more while he got ready.

He was very pleased when he got back. "You're the best. Thank you, baby," he said, kissing her forehead.

She smiled and accepted his kiss, before fixing her own plate with a lot less food than he had.

They ate together, enjoying each other's presence before he had to take a shower and get ready to go.

She lounged in bed and watched him get ready.

As always, it was quite the process for him. Sometimes she swore he took longer than her to get ready for his day.

But she wasn't complaining. With the way he looked every day, he could take as long as he needed. Mmm.

When he was ready to go, he walked over to her and leaned down to kiss her, putting both hands on either side of her on the bed.

He pulled her upper lip into his mouth and sucked on it gently, letting his tongue trace her lip briefly before he pulled away.

The scent of his minty breath, and his cologne mixed together wonderfully, and she pulled him in by the collar of his dress shirt to make him stay longer.

He chuckled against her mouth. "Baby I have to go," he murmured against her lips.

"Mm-mm" she murmured back, letting her tongue slowly brush his.

"Mhm," he moaned, letting his tongue tangle with hers again.

And so, a little makeout session began on the edge of the bed.

"Livvie," he finally cut in, pulling away and catching his breath.

She sighed, not even wanting to let him go. But she did.

"I'll be back later," he whispered, pecking her lips lightly a few times more.

"Okay," she whispered.

"I love you, pretty girl."

"I love you too."

And off he went.

Olivia cleaned up a little around his apartment just so he'd come home to a clean place.

Which, he did, later in the day.

She didn't have plans with her friends until later that night, so she spent time with him until she had to go.

But she came back after, as planned, and had a great night with him.

And a late night, at that.

The rest of the weekend went by just the same. They did the work that they needed to, they hung around and watched their show, and they spent lots of time in bed.

But apparently, the time spent in bed over the weekend wasn't enough for either of them, because Monday morning certainly proved to be interesting.

She awoke with a start, feeling as though she was running late.

And she immediately felt his presence next to her, which was a red flag.

Considering how bright it was outside, he definitely should have been up by now.

She checked the time to see that it was already past eight.

She had time, but he didn't.

"Baby," she whispered.

Nothing.

She gently rubbed his arm, planting soft kisses on his cheek.

"Fitzgerald Thomas," she said quietly.

"Hmm," he replied sleepily.

"You need to get up," she said.

His eyes flew open and he checked his clock.

"Oh fuck," he said, sitting up immediately.

"You're alright you still have time, you may just need to save your workout for tonight," she said.

"Did you hear my alarm?" he asked curiously.

She shook her head.

"That's annoying," he said, rubbing his eyes.

"It is. But it's okay because your awesome girlfriend was here to save the day," she teased, kissing his cheek.

"True that, thank you," he said.

"You're welcome," she nodded.

But he just continued to sit there, letting her rub his back and his arms.

"You gonna get up?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. That just feels good," he whispered, closing his eyes and ducking his head.

So she kept it up. He was already later than normal so she figured it was fine.

She scratched his back and rubbed his neck, giving him a little morning massage.

He was so tense. She could feel the knots in his shoulders that made her wince.

They were worse than hers, and she tended to be a stressed person during the week.

"You're so tense, Fitz," she whispered.

He groaned when she massaged a particularly knotty spot. "I try not to be," he said quietly.

She got behind him and worked on his shoulders a little more, pressing soft kisses to his bare back as she did so.

Every time she got a view of his bare back, it was always a treat.

His shoulders were so broad, and his waist was much thinner.

He had his knees bent on the bed, which his arms resting on his knees. So she could see the muscles stretching under his skin in that position.

She massaged as much as she could, even continuing when her hands started to get tired.

Eventually when she reached his sides, she just wrapped her arms around him, feeling his front side.

First, his pecks. Then his abdomen, which was wonderfully chiseled beneath her fingertips. She leaned her face against his back and closed her eyes, letting her hands wander on this fine morning.

He didn't even say anything, she could just hear and feel his steady breathing.

And then she decided it was a pretty good time to slip her hand in his gym shorts.

She was hugging his body tightly from behind, so she didn't need to reach far.

She just slowly let her hand move down his abdomen, and under the waistband of his shorts.

She wrapped her hand around his length, only to find he was already a little bit hard.

Whether that was because it was morning, or because she'd spent a good amount of time feeling him up before that, she didn't know. But she wasted no time in making him harder.

He still hadn't said anything. He just leaned his body backward a little bit into her, which let her know that he didn't want her to stop.

She stroked him slow.

Agonizingly slow, if she had to guess, based on his breathing.

"Do you want me to?" she whispered, pressing little, wet kisses to his neck. She sure as hell wanted to.

"I don't know if I have time," he whispered.

"That's not what I asked."

He let out a deep breath.

"I'm gonna be late but I don't care, just keep going," he breathed.

She continued her passionate assault on the side of his neck, using her other hand just to rub his body, while the other one continued up and down his hardened length.

"Faster?" she asked.

"No," he whispered. "Just like that."

So just like that it was.

She didn't alter anything, she just did what she knew he liked. She circled her thumb around his wet tip, and stroked him until he started to shake.

She held onto his side with one hand, while continuing her slow movements with the other until she felt him start to come.

His body jerked while he moaned her name, and she felt the warm liquid on her hand.

He sat there panting while she slowly pulled her hand from his shorts and kissed his shoulder.

She got up and went to wash her hand off, planning to come right back. But he was instantly behind her as soon as she dried her hands.

"Fitz, what are you—"

He instantly pushed her up against the wall just outside the bathroom, and slid his hand in her shorts.

The breath hitched in her throat at the sudden contact.

"My turn."

He was instantly playing with her clit with one finger, and prodding her entrance with another.

"You're going to be late," she said.

"I don't care. Take them off," he said, nodding at her pajama shorts.

Her fingers were instantly pushing them down her thighs and stepping out of them once they hit the ground. And she just stood there, half naked against the wall with her boyfriend's finger now deep inside of her.

She leaned her head against the wall and let him do whatever he wanted. She wasn't afraid to admit that giving him a handjob turned her on. So, she was pretty wet by now and his finger slid in and out of her with ease. Which made it much easier when he inserted another finger.

She sucked in a breath and pulled him closer to her, even though he was pretty much as close as he could be already.

He leaned his head against her forehead while his wrist moved up and down quickly between their bodies.

She watched his hand move in pleasure. It felt so good. He made her feel so good, all the time.

"Come for me," he whispered, pressing kisses to her neck.

She swallowed hard and let her breaths come out unsteady and fast as she prepared, because she could feel it coming.

She clutched onto his arm as he thrust his fingers in and out of her until she came.

He bit his lip and watched her shake against the wall, while he kept his fingers moving.

He didn't stop until her body calmed. Only then, did he pull his completely soaked fingers out of her body.

"Oh my god," she moaned, letting out a deep breath.

She looked down at the bulge in his shorts again, after that fun activity.

"Come on," she said, tugging at his shorts and pulling him towards the bathroom.

"Oo, what are we doing?" he asked with a laugh.

"Saving time and water, and having sex."

"I am on board with this," he nodded as she turned on the water.

"We're gonna have to make it quick," she said, stripping off her shirt and getting in.

"We're already going to be cutting it close, might as well let me take my time."

She smirked at him as he stepped in behind her and nudged her towards the wall.

Yeah, he took his time.

* * *

They cut it really close.

Fitz walked into the auditorium first, with about a minute to spare.

However, he had to skip his workout and he didn't get a chance to have breakfast, which would probably bite him in the ass later.

They decided Olivia should walk in later, just because students were late way more often than professors were.

So, she walked in five minutes late and met his eyes as she found her seat with her group for the class.

It all turned out fine, but it wouldn't have been necessary.

But it had still been worth it.

Her group members waved to her as she sat down, and she waved back, apologizing for being late. She whispered to them that she woke up late.

Yeah, that was a lie.

She hated lying to her friends. It wasn't like her and it felt wrong. But her relationship with Fitz was also wrong. So she had to make the sacrifice.

And her group members were people she considered friends.

They'd gotten to pick groups, and they'd all kind of been sitting next to each other the day they picked groups, so they decided to stick together.

There was Katherine. She was a loud-mouth, but really funny and got along with everyone. Then there was Andrew. He was kind of nerdy, but super nice.

Then there was Max. He was the complete opposite of Andrew. Olivia could already tell that Katherine had an insane crush on him, as she assumed a lot of girls did. He was good-looking, so she understood. But he was annoying, and didn't always take his work seriously. Very smart, yes. But still annoying.

And lastly, there was Teagan.

Teagan was Olivia's favorite. She was quiet, very smart, and one of the nicest people she'd ever met. They'd clicked pretty much right away, so that's who Olivia tended to sit by each day, and who she stuck with.

She didn't really know much about her, besides the fact that political science was her major and that she was the same age as Olivia, which was uncommon. She hadn't met a single other junior in the class, they were all seniors. So it was nice to have that in common with someone else.

Class went well. Fitz was cute up there, but that was nothing new.

And the rest of the day went well too.

At least, until later.

She told him she'd come over again that night, just because it worked better for her schedule that week to stay Monday rather than Tuesday.

And as they made dinner together, Fitz got a call.

He pecked her cheek as she stirred the sauce in the pan for their pasta, telling her he'd be right back.

She nodded at him as he went down the hallway to answer the phone in a quieter place, as the exhaust fan was on in the kitchen.

She stirred the sauce and the pasta contently, humming along to a song that was stuck in her head.

Fitz was gone for longer than she expected him to be, which she thought was odd, but she didn't think much of it, really.

Until he came back, walking slowly into the kitchen.

She turned to look at him. "Who was it—"

But then she saw the look on his face.

Something was wrong. She had no idea what, but something was _definitely_ wrong. He looked blank, like he had no idea what to do or say.

"Oh, baby what is it? What's wrong?" she asked worriedly, stopping what she was doing.

He just stood there, setting his phone gently on the counter and removing his apron slowly. His facial expression didn't change. He looked lost.

"Fitz? You're scaring me. What happened? What was the call about?"

He looked up at her and swallowed hard.

"It's my dad."

She looked at him confused. "Your dad? What about your dad?" she asked.

"He's dead."

* * *

Woah...

I bet y'all weren't expecting that.

You'll have to see how they handle this. You may just like it...as weird as that sounds.

Hope you enjoyed.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	68. Malibu

"You sure you'll be okay? I can cancel. Tell them I can't make it tonight," Olivia offered.

"Livvie, no, please go. I'm just fine. I'm just going to be packing all night. I'll see you later, go have fun," he said, pecking her cheek.

She looked at him with regret.

"I think I should stay," she nodded.

"Olivia. _Go."_

She let out a breath, still unsure of what to do.

"Baby. I'm fine. I'll still be here when you get back. We'll be together all weekend," he assured her.

"Okay...but I'm not staying long. I'll be back in...two hours," she said.

"You don't need to worry so much about me. I'm okay. I've always been okay," he replied.

She nodded, although hesitantly. But she gave him a long hug and finally left.

She had plans with her friends on this Thursday evening, which she was excited about. She was excited to finally meet the girl Huck was dating. He was really private about her, and finally wanted to introduce her to all of them. But that was about the only reason she was going, and she didn't plan to stay long.

It seemed dumb, considering what was going on with Fitz right now.

On Monday, he'd received the call telling him his father had died. A heart attack.

Out of the blue. So sudden.

That night had been so odd.

He hadn't shown any emotion at all, which wasn't like Fitz at all. This was the first time in her life that she could _confidently_ say that she couldn't read him.

He didn't want to talk about it, and she didn't want to push him either. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable, she didn't want to force him to talk about it. He'd talk about it when he was ready to.

But since that night, when he'd carried on with no emotion, nothing had really changed.

He was different. He wasn't Fitz.

She thought he was tense before, well now was a whole different story. He was stressed, dealing with the funeral planning. He was doing everything on his own. He had nobody to help him.

She helped him in every way that she possibly could. But in regards to family, he was all that was left, save for a few distant cousins or so.

However, the funeral would still have to be quite the production, according to him.

And that's why she couldn't go with him.

She said there was no way in _hell_ she'd let him fly out to California alone, and deal with it all without anyone by his side. And he appreciated that, telling her she should fly there with him.

But she couldn't go to the funeral. There'd be some press, given his father's popularity there in California, and everything he'd done as a governor and senator.

There'd be people there that couldn't see him with Olivia on his arm. This kind of public place, even so far away from Connecticut, was not the kind of public place they could be seen together in.

She hated it, but it was his decision. His decision to be careful, and she knew that he was probably right.

He assured her that they could be out and about together at other places no problem when the attention wasn't on him.

His father's funeral was just not one of those places.

So, she'd gradually been packing her bag this week, for their weekend trip to California. Luckily, she wouldn't have to miss any classes, and Fitz would only miss Friday. The visitation was on Friday afternoon, and the funeral itself was on Saturday morning.

She'd called her parents and told her everything. They were shocked, and sad to hear the news for Fitz, and agreed she should be there to support him.

They even offered to see if they could rearrange their schedules to make the trip as well, to support him. But he assured them over the phone that on such short notice, it wasn't necessary to fly across the country, even though he appreciated their offer so much.

Olivia was happy they'd made the offer too. If that didn't show that they accepted him, she didn't know what the hell did.

Her parents still made sure to tell her to be careful. She told them that she, of course, would.

Sad thoughts swirled around in her head as she made her way up to Harrison and Huck's apartment for their hangout.

She had to lie to them, telling them she was going home for the weekend.

She obviously couldn't disclose that she was going to California. Only Abby knew that fact.

The hangout, overall, was pretty mediocre.

That is, until Huck showed up with his girlfriend.

Olivia didn't see her at first, in the mix of all her friends going to introduce themselves.

So Olivia got up from the couch and went to go meet her too, the only real reason she was there.

And then she stopped, seeing her face.

"Teagan?"

Teagan turned at the sound of her name.

"Olivia?"

"Oh my gosh, hi!" Olivia said, giving her a quick hug.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Huck asked, letting go of Teagan's hand.

"Yeah! We're in the same group for Foundations of Political Theory!" Teagan exclaimed.

"She saves me from having to deal with loud Katherine and annoying Max by myself," Olivia giggled.

"Seriously. Wow, you're the Olivia of Huck's friend group! I didn't even make the connection," she said.

"I _am_ the Olivia of Huck's friend group," Olivia said with a laugh. "Wow, small world, that's crazy."

A really small world. Maybe this hangout had been worth it after all.

Teagan was her favorite. Olivia noticed that she wasn't as quiet as she normally was in class, now that she was with Huck.

Huck seemed to have a calming presence over her, which she thought was absolutely adorable.

She was still her quiet self, but she opened up a little bit.

Olivia was sad to tell her goodbye, even though she was happy to get back to her boyfriend. And she had to lie to her too, when she asked why she was leaving so early.

Man, lying to Teagan, the nicest person on the earth, _sucked._

She waved to all her friends after about two hours, and told them she'd see them next week.

And then she left.

She sped back to Paxton Hills, wanting to get there as fast as she could.

But when she got to the apartment, she still found a sad sight.

No TV on, no happy guy singing to music. Just a guy packing in complete silence, with only one lamp on, and a scotch in hand.

"Baby...you okay?" she asked, as soon as she entered the room.

He turned. "Oh hi, Olivia. Yeah. I'm almost done packing. How was your hangout?"

"It was good. You know Teagan? Teagan in my group in class?" she asked.

"Um...the shorter brunette with glasses?" he asked.

"Yes."

He nodded.

"She's Huck's girlfriend! I didn't even know. They're so cute," Olivia said.

"Oh that's very nice. Small world," he nodded.

"That's what I said. So how are you doing? How can I help?" she asked, going to wrap her arms around him.

"No need. I'm pretty much set," he said.

"Okay. Well...how about any last minute planning? Anything else I can do?" she asked. "I can call someone if you need me to. I can do whatever you need."

He shook his head. "Everything's all good."

She sighed. "Fitz, are you sure?"

"Olivia, I'm sure. Promise."

She nodded slowly, loosening his grip on him.

"Well how about otherwise? Are you...doing okay besides...the stress of planning?" she asked.

"Yeah."

Same old answer.

"Okay. I just want to ask. I don't want to sound like a broken record, I just...I'm worried about you."

"You don't need to be," he said.

"But I am, Fitz. I am."

"Nah. My asshole father just died, it's fine. The world's a better place now."

She opened her mouth in awe. _"Fitzgerald."_

"Don't Fitzgerald me."

"You don't mean that, I know you don't," she said, looking at him sadly.

"Well what if I did?" he asked.

"You don't. I know you," she said.

He sighed and left her grip, heading to the bathroom to brush his teeth. "I don't mean that," he admitted.

But she still worried. He was not himself, at all. And she knew deep down he was hurt and he didn't know how to express it, given that his father was indeed, kind of an asshole.

It had been so sudden. He had no closure. He hadn't even talked to him in months. Hadn't had a good conversation with him in years.

Olivia knew that must be hard to process. So she gave him his time.

He was quiet. She snuggled up to him in bed, and he didn't turn away. But he didn't wrap his arms around her, he didn't tangle their bodies in every way imaginable like they normally did.

He just laid there, looking up in a blank stare while she cuddled him.

She knew they had to be up insanely early. But he wasn't closing his eyes. He was staring at the ceiling. So she thought she'd give it a shot.

"You know...if you want to take your mind off things..."

He looked over at her, their noses touching.

"Okay."

She propped herself up on her elbow, giving him a serious look. " _Okay?_ Fitz, no. Only if you want to," she said.

He looked at her funny. "I always want to."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm being serious!"

He sighed, getting on his knees and starting to tug at her pajama shorts.

"What are you doing?" she asked with a giggle.

He stopped. "We're having sex. Come on. Off," he said, gesturing to her shirt and pulling her shorts and underwear all the way down.

"Fitz, no if you're not in the mood then I don't want to. It was just a suggestion."

He opened her legs, kneeling between them and looking down at her.

"Liv, if I didn't want to, I'd tell you. And if you really don't believe me..."

He pulled the waistband of his shorts down far enough to where his length came free. He was hard. Turned on, clearly.

She couldn't help but smirk. "Did you just do that to yourself to prove a point?" she asked.

He scoffed. "What do you think I'm sitting here trying to get it up, myself? No, woman, you're laying there half naked with your legs spread. You turn me on and I wanna have sex with you so take off your freakin' shirt, I want you naked."

This was the most emotion she'd gotten out of him all week! Progress!

She smiled. "Is this...sexually frustrated Fitz? I like him."

He shot her a look, and grabbed his stiff length, pulling his shorts over himself again.

Her eyes widened. "No, no, no, okay okay, I'll take off my shirt, I promise," she begged, sitting up and stripping off her shirt.

And for the first time that week, she heard him laugh.

She admired the sweet smile on his face, and cherished the sight. The sight that was normally so common, but hadn't been recently.

She laid back down, completely bare beneath him as he rested each palm on either side of her, eyeing her body slowly.

He wasn't wearing a shirt. But he was still wearing those damn gym shorts, which were now doing nothing to hide what was underneath. She could see the entire wonderful outline.

He rubbed up against her, watching her face contort in pleasure.

"See what you do to me," he whispered as she ran a hand down his hard length through his shorts.

"I want you," she pleaded, slipping a desperate hand in his shorts and starting to stroke him.

He closed his eyes at the contact, slowly lowering his head while she moved her hand up and down on him. He just kneeled directly above her, biting his lip.

A moan escaped his lips as he kneeled there, surrendering all control. Because she had him.

Too easy.

Well, that's what she thought anyway.

He lifted up one of his hands and immediately palmed her core, slowly inserting a finger.

She was caught off guard, but she let it happen. She couldn't help but watch as he moved his finger in and out of her with ease. She could hear how wet she was, and it definitely turned him on because he only continued to harden in her grip.

He looked down at what he was doing, slowly licking his lips. "Don't come," he whispered.

She laid there helplessly as she continued to stroke him.

"There's only so much I can do when you're fingering me," she giggled.

"I know I know. Just hold on, not yet. I want to feel you first," he whispered, pulling her hand out of his shorts and yanking them off.

She could have almost cried in relief.

She opened her legs and prepared for him, biting her lip.

He smirked at his girlfriend, spread out before him while he kneeled there. "Wider."

She let out a shaky breath and opened her legs as wide as they could go. He guided his length toward her entrance and then held onto the backs of her upper thighs.

She whimpered at the feeling of him entering her. First, just the tip, lingering like that for a moment, before pushing in further.

And then it was a steady rhythm. A wonderfully steady rhythm.

She closed her eyes, focusing on keeping her legs as wide as she could while he plunged into her.

Oh god it was good.

She didn't want it to end, she kept her orgasm at bay for as long as she possibly could.

But he knew when she got to that point.

"Come, baby," he whispered.

He didn't have to ask twice, she let it overtake her.

And she felt him come inside her simultaneously, finally letting himself succumb to it too.

Their moans filled the air while he pumped in and out of her until they were both done.

She laid there on her back, slowly closing her legs and laying them back down on the bed while she panted.

"Holy fuck," she breathed.

He collapsed on her stomach, resting his head dangerously low on her body, past her belly button. He placed soft kisses all around the area while he caught his breath too.

"Maybe…that'll help you sleep now," she whispered, letting out a little laugh.

"Sleep?" he asked, as if he had never heard of the word. "No."

She raised her eyebrows at him, and watched as he panted against her skin, lowering his head and pressing kisses to her clit. She ran his fingers through his hair, certainly not telling him to stop.

"Well I know you've just had some trouble sleeping this week and we have to be up pretty early tomorrow. I thought you'd want to try," she said with a little laugh.

He shook his head. "Nah. I wanna go down on you first."

He pulled her clit into his mouth and sucked, letting his tongue flick in whichever ways it wanted to.

"And then I want to do what we just did again."

And after that simple statement, he opened her legs more and continued.

He had his arms wrapped around her thighs, holding them open contently while he pleasured her.

She watched him. Just watching him was a turn on in itself. Plus, at least he was being vocal about something.

His curls fell slightly over his eyes, which were closed. His lips slowly dragged over her skin, while he ran his tongue up and down the middle.

He'd switch between flicking his tongue, dragging it slowly, or shaking his head back and forth and letting that do the work.

But then he places a few kisses there, before pulling away and replacing it with his fingers.

He rubbed a couple fingers over her clit, which was wet from his mouth. And then he guided his length towards her and pushed in again.

He used both to his advantage, and both had her moaning loudly.

So overall, maybe her plan of making him tired didn't work that well, because they certainly didn't sleep much that night.

* * *

They were up bright and early for their flight, which would be _long._

Fitz booked one with no layovers, which was really nice. But it was still over six hours in a plane.

But the three hour time difference helped.

They took off at 7 a.m., but because of the time difference, landed in Los Angeles at 11 a.m., when it really felt like 2 p.m.

They took a cab to his home in Malibu, which took less than an hour.

She was in awe of the place. It was very secluded, which she liked. And it was...a mansion. A straight up _mansion_.

They walked up the brick driveway, which was only accessible through a gate.

"Oh my god," she breathed, clutching his hand.

He used his key to enter the house, and led her along with him. It was magnificent inside, too.

"This is...absolutely beautiful, Fitz," she said, looking around in awe.

He looked around as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.

"I hate this fucking house."

She turned to look at him in disbelief. "What did you say?" she asked.

He turned towards her, and reached past her to hang the keys on a hook.

"I _said_ I hate this fucking house," he repeated. "It's beautiful, it's a good location. But it's not our house. It's...some replacement because _Mellie_ lives in our house. The house my mom and dad built. My family house. This house is...not that."

"In Santa Barbara," Olivia said.

"Yes," he nodded.

"I understand that...but this house is still very nice," she said.

"I know. I'm not trying to be...I probably sound like an entitled asshole. I'm sorry. God, I'm so sorry. I don't mean it, I don't. I'm just..." he sighed, sitting down in the chair in the entryway. He rubbed his eyes and kept his face in his palms.

"You don't need to apologize," she said, coming to sit on his lap. "You can say whatever the hell you want to say right now. You _are_ entitled to that right."

He sighed, wrapping his arms around her.

"So...this house. What happens to it?" she asked curiously.

"Well. I've been in contact with the executor of his will. I didn't even know he had a will yet. But considering he didn't ask me to be the executor...I'm assuming this property will be sold soon. I'll have to see once I go meet him at the court on Sunday."

"What if he left it to you?" she asked.

"I doubt it," he said, shaking his head. "But...if he did, I'd sell it."

"Yeah?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yes. I don't like coming here, Livvie. I would have no use for a home here. That way I could...I could put that towards our house. And...our cabin."

She smiled and looked around. "Somehow...I don't think you need that money," she said with a laugh. "But that's very thoughtful of you, baby."

He nodded, and let out a sigh. "I...don't. I don't need it. Which is fine, because he wouldn't leave this for me, anyway. I think he would rather leave it to his favorite Starbucks barista than me."

That had Olivia fighting back a laugh. She really wanted to laugh...

She laughed.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said, covering her mouth.

But then he laughed too, and a big smile spread across his face.

Man, what a beautiful sound.

"It's true," he chuckled.

"I seriously doubt that! You're his son!"

"No, Liv, I'm serious. That barista, his favorite one. I think that was my dad's favorite person these days," he said with a laugh.

"So your dad was a Starbucks guy, huh?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, big time. More so than me, even."

"Wow. Well I know where you get your love for coffee from, then," she nodded.

"Yeah. Thank god that was about the only thing he passed onto me. I mean besides the love for politics. But...we still weren't the same in that way," he explained. "Oh. Well maybe the hair too. He had a lot of hair."

She couldn't help but laugh.

"Seriously?" she asked.

He looked at her funny. "Yeah, seriously. Have you never seen a picture? He had a full head of hair, at 70 years old. Bright white. Wavy. Pretty long."

"I've never seen him. Will you show me?" she asked.

"Yeah. Come on," he said, patting her thigh.

He gave her the official tour of the house, which Fitz didn't like apparently. But it was stunning, and they'd still be staying there for the weekend.

He showed her some of the pictures that his dad had set out. There were very few, but there were some.

One with his golf buddies, according to Fitz. He said it must have been pretty recent, because that was an accurate representation of what he looked like.

Fitz had been right. Lots of hair. At least he gave Fitz that.

There was a picture of their family when Fitz was really young, probably around five. He was absolutely adorable, first of all.

His hair was as curly as ever in the picture, but much lighter. More of a dirty blonde at that age.

And his mother. Well, she was _gorgeous._

And she realized that the two were practically identical.

Her curly brown hair fell to her shoulders. Her eyes were the same blue as Fitz's. She could see it, even in the photograph. She had a strong jawline, as did Fitz.

She wasn't a tall woman, just average, it looked like. Fitz's dad looked really tall, which she assumed was where he got his height from.

But mostly, it was all his mother. Spitting images of each other.

Even still though, in that old picture when his parents were young, she could see Fitz in Gerry. In the photo, Gerry was about Fitz's age right now. So it was visible to her.

"Well, I'm just going to say it. I can see now why you look the way you look."

He laughed. "Is that a compliment?" he asked.

"Yes. Your parents are gorgeous, so it's no wonder that you are gorgeous."

"Thanks, baby," he chuckled.

"Oh you, sir, are very welcome," she nodded, studying the pictures.

"Come on. I'll show you the storage room. We have more there," he said.

"Oh goodie," she said happily.

So they went to the storage room, which had tons and tons of boxes.

His father really didn't put many things out, which seemed odd.

Many of Elle's things were in the room, too. And some of which, Fitz seemed not to know about.

"I'm taking some of these things with me," he said.

"You should baby," she nodded, looking through a box of pictures.

"I guess…I didn't know he had all of her things down here. He used to keep them in a storage locker when we still lived in Santa Barbara. He must have…changed that. I haven't even seen some of these things before," he said, digging through a box.

She stopped looking through the picture box.

"Oh. Well…maybe you should look through them…on your own. I don't want to overstep," she said.

"Oh no, Liv, that's fine. You can look through them. But maybe…we can look together later. When I get back," he said.

"Sure. Do you have to go soon?" she asked.

"Yeah. I should start getting ready. Here, we can take this box up with us. You can look through it while I'm gone and dig out all the good pictures for me," he said with a wink.

"Oh I love that job!" she exclaimed.

They brought the box up and went up to the guest bedroom that was his, when he stayed there. It was huge, with its own bathroom and walk-in closet and everything.

And before they knew it, he was ready to go.

"Are you sure I can't come with?" she asked.

"I'm sure. I'm sorry...it's not how I want it. But I'll be back before you know it," he assured her. "I'll bring some food back after too."

She sighed. "Okay. Just…be your wonderful self. You'll do great. I'm so sorry you have to go through this alone."

"I'm not. I'm coming right back to you after," he nodded.

"Please do that," she said, leaning in to give him a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too."

And then he was off, in his suit and tie.

Since he was kind of the center of all the planning, he had to be there early, and he'd be gone for quite a while, till after dinner.

So she was on her own in this big, beautiful house. She decided to work on some of her homework, since she had her computer along. After that, she'd look through some of the pictures for Fitz.

But first, she wanted to FaceTime Abby. With the time difference, she knew she'd be done with class by now.

She answered happily. "Hey, Liv. Is everything going okay?" she asked immediately.

"Yeah, so far. He's been doing better since we got here. I think he's just ready to be done with it all, you know? He's done so much this past week," Olivia explained.

"Yeah I get that. So he's holding up okay?" she asked.

Olivia sighed. "I think so. He's still not…Fitz. But he's doing as well as to be expected. I think he's just…confused. And a lot of other things. He had such a weird relationship with him."

"Yeah, it sounded like it. Well give him my best again," Abby said.

"I will, thanks, Abby," Olivia nodded.

"No problem. Where are you? Some sort of…Californian…expensive ass hotel?"

Olivia laughed. "Oh no. This is his house here."

Abby's jaw dropped. "Pardon?"

"Yeah…he fucking hates it. Which, he explained and I understand. But…it's very nice," Olivia said.

"Um, _I'd_ say so. Show me more, let me see."

Olivia flipped the camera and showed her the living room and some of the kitchen. Just as much as she could show her from her spot on the couch.

"What the!" Abby exclaimed.

"I know. It feels kind of weird to be staying here but…I feel like I also shouldn't be complaining, either."

"Yeah, Jesus…I thought the fact that he lived at Pax was impressive. I guess I didn't know about the damn mansion."

"Well I barely knew. He's so private about this stuff."

"Yeah well he's clearly good about being private…the man was a fucking governor and he somehow manages to erase that from his daily life," she said with a laugh.

"True. Along with the fact that he's dating his student."

"Wow, yeah…he's got a talent," Abby said.

"Apparently," Olivia nodded.

They talked for a little while before she let Abby go and worked more on her homework. She didn't do all of it, considering she'd need something to do the next day while he was at the funeral.

Just another place that she couldn't go. It really made her sad, and she knew it made him sad too.

Looking through his family pictures proved to be a lot more fun. And that's what she did until he came back.

* * *

Fitz stood at the front of a church, next to his father's open casket to greet guests as they came to shake his hand.

He didn't know almost 90 percent of the people in this damn place. They all told him how sorry they were about his loss, and talked to him as if they were good friends.

Some of them, he did know, from his time as governor. It was weird seeing them again, after he'd left it all behind. It had been many, many years since he had seen most of them.

They all asked about his work now, and how it was going. They asked about a lot of things. And he gave them the standard answer, that everyone gave in this situation. That he was good. That everything was good.

Everything wasn't really good. He felt a lot of things, and he wouldn't describe them as…good.

Eventually, he even interacted with his ex-wife.

She gave him a hug, which he accepted. "I'm so sorry, Fitz."

"Thank you, Mellie. I'm sorry too. I know you were close with him."

"I was. He was a good man," Mellie nodded.

Fitz nodded, wisely choosing not to reply to that comment.

"Who's this?" Fitz asked, gesturing to the man behind her.

"Oh, forgive me. This is Neil, my fiancé. Neil, this is Fitz. My…ex-husband."

Fitz nodded. Seemed odd…but good for her.

"Hi, Neil, it's very nice to meet you," Fitz said, shaking his hand.

"Likewise. My condolences to you and your family," he said, giving him a nod.

"Thank you," Fitz nodded back.

But as time passed, he could tell that Neil didn't like him already. Mellie chatted with him as long as she possibly could in the line of people waiting to greet him. Which, he wouldn't like either if he were in Neil's position. He felt bad for the guy.

Good luck with her, dude.

And eventually, the line of people kept moving. More people he didn't know. More of his father's friends. More of his father's colleagues.

Far-right Colleagues that weren't fond of him, if he had to guess.

He hadn't been the extreme right that they likely wanted in the governor's mansion during his time there. He wasn't his dad.

But they still chatted with him, nonetheless.

And after three hours of nothing but talking at the visitation, he was exhausted.

He talked with the funeral director and made sure he had the plans set for the next morning.

And then he was out of there.

That church freaked him out.

He picked up dinner on his way back. He drove his father's third car, the one he used whenever he was there.

It was a nice car. A black Mercedes.

He still liked his car in Connecticut better.

And he finally got back to Olivia. Thank god.

"Livvie. I'm back," he greeted, as soon as he entered the house.

He heard a happy gasp, and quick footsteps through the living room.

He almost had to laugh. Oh that sweet girl.

She walked up to him and gave him a hug. "How did everything go?" she asked.

"Alright. I'm tired."

"I'm sure. Well here, let me fix your plate then. You just go sit down," she said.

"Babe I can do it it's okay. What did you do with your afternoon?"

"Waited for you to come back."

He let out a little chuckle. "I love you."

"Ditto," she winked. "Let's eat."

"Let's," he nodded.

They ate their burgers and fries in the kitchen and he told her about it, at her request. She was very concerned, she made that clear. He thought it was sweet.

"So just a bunch of boring politicians?" she asked.

"Yeah. And people I didn't know. And...Mellie."

She nodded. "I figured she'd be there. How...did that go?"

"It was weird, I don't know. I kind of felt like she was closer to him than I was. She had a fiancé. He was...I don't think he liked me."

Olivia nodded. "Well...his fiancée's good looking, high-profile, ex-husband? I wouldn't like you if I were him either."

He nodded. "Well, overall it was fine. Just...tiring. And...seeing my dad. It was...I don't know," he said, running his hand through his hair.

She reached out and held his hand across the table.

He gave her a reassuring squeeze and half a smile.

"Well when we're done eating we can look through some of the pictures I found for you," she said with a smile."They'll cheer you up."

"Okay," he nodded.

So they finished their dinner and moved to the living room, to look at pictures and some of the boxes she'd brought up of his mother's things.

"Oh that was sweet of you, Liv. Thank you."

"No problem," she nodded. "I didn't bring them all up yet, some of them are really heavy."

So they looked through everything.

She was happy to see that some of the things made him smile. Anything to make him smile right now, she would take.

He looked through a lot of the family pictures, that she'd sorted out.

He was quiet for a while, flipping through them.

Until he spoke up.

"These make us look like such a happy family. Him and I."

She looked up at him, waiting for him to say something else.

"What a joke."

"Fitz," she said, grabbing his hand.

He shook his head, looking down at the floor.

"He's the reason we weren't happy. He sh-shut down. He...he got cold on me," he said quietly, his voice shaky.

He seemed to be trying to convince _himself_ of it. Not Olivia.

"He was the reason. I...tried for him. I tried so hard to be what he wanted. And—it was never enough. I was never enough. I was the problem. What if...I was the problem," he said, wiping his eyes.

She scooted closer to him and held his hands in hers.

"You were not the problem, Fitz. You were not. You know that," she said softly.

"I don't know anything! I don't...I don't get it. I don't understand, Olivia," he said, starting to cry. "This doesn't make any sense. He's just...he's just gone. I haven't seen him in over a year and now he's just gone?"

She fought back tears just at the sound of him crying now, expressing his confusion. But she let him keep talking, because he hadn't until now.

"I didn't reach out. On Christmas. I didn't, Olivia, I didn't," he cried. "He started to expect my calls. And I didn't call. I didn't call him."

Her lip quivered as she held in her own tears of sadness, bringing his head to her chest.

"You were a great son. You did the best that you could do," she whispered. "You are so good. Your heart is so good. None of this is on you, Fitz. None of it."

He sobbed into her shirt, clinging to her small body.

"This wasn't supposed to happen. We didn't get along. We didn't but—he wasn't supposed to die? I didn't even—get to say goodbye. I would have—wanted to at least do that. I didn't get to...introduce him to you. He was supposed to meet you. He was supposed to—meet the woman I love," he said, taking deep breaths between his sobs.

Tears did stream down her face now, listening to him. It was awful. Absolutely the most awful thing she had ever experienced in her life.

"I know, sweetheart, I know," she nodded, holding his head in her hands. "Look at me," she said gently.

He slowly looked up at her, seeming embarrassed to do so.

His whole face was red, and his blue eyes were filled with tears, that continued to run down his sad face.

"He loved you. No matter what, he loved you. And he knew that you loved him too. You flew here for _years_ to see him every holiday. You did that for him. He _knew_ that. You may not have gotten along, and that's okay. That happens. But you were his son. His only son. And he was proud of you. Of everything you are today. I know that. And I think deep down you know that too," she said, sniffling a bit. "Who wouldn't be proud of you? You are the most beautiful man I have ever met. Inside and out. You are everything."

He blinked his eyes a few times, letting the tears roll down his cheeks as his lip quivered.

It was the saddest she had ever seen him. The normally happy, smiley guy was nowhere in sight. He hadn't let it out yet, and here it was.

And it killed her.

She reached across their bodies to the coffee table to grab her mini package of tissues in her purse.

She pulled a few out and wiped his tears away, kissing spots here and there on his cheek.

He clung to her sides, letting her do it.

She got on his lap and wrapped her arms and legs around him, letting him lean his head into her chest in a hug.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry, baby," she whispered, running a hand down the back of his head.

He sniffed and let out a deep breath, closing his eyes against her chest.

She looked down at him as she sat in his lap, with his head pressed against her. His long eyelashes were wet, and his face was still really red. And sad.

"I'm sorry. I'm being...this is ridiculous," he said, wiping his face with his palms.

"Don't you dare apologize, Fitz. You can cry. You can scream. You can rant. You do whatever you need to do, and I'll be here every step of the way, okay? I am always here with you. Always."

He looked at her contently, and then leaned in and kissed her without warning.

It was a desperate kind of kiss. One that seemed to say thank you without actually saying it.

They had both been crying, so it was wet in many ways.

He pulled away and tucked his head in her shoulder, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love _you,"_ she whispered, rubbing his back. "You okay?"

He nodded slightly into her shoulder. "Yeah. I'm okay."

"It's okay if you're not. It's okay to not be okay," she assured him.

"I know. But I'm okay. Just…a little confused and sad, but I'm okay."

"Okay. Well I have some news. Today I was thinking…" she began.

"Oh jeez," he said.

She laughed. "No, no. Just listen."

"I'm listening," he said, wiping his nose.

"I looked up a schedule. A very specific schedule of a certain team. A…hockey team."

His eyes widened.

"You didn't."

"I did. I so did," she nodded.

"Livvie what did you do?"

"I maybe saw that the Los Angeles Kings, my boyfriend's favorite team ever in the history of…teams, was playing tomorrow at 2 and I maybe, just maybe, got tickets."

"What?!"

She smiled brightly at him. "I know it's cutting it close, with the funeral getting done around noon, but I thought it would be fun, and it would lift your spirits a little bit. We always have planned to go to a Kings game when I came here, I know you wanted to take me. So I thought…I'd take you! But…I totally get if you won't feel up to it tomorrow. I can resell the tickets, it's not too late—"

"Will you shut your pretty mouth? Of course I want to go with you," he exclaimed.

"Yeah?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. It will…it will be a good way to…get my mind off things," he nodded.

"I thought so too," she said with a smile.

"You didn't have to do that, baby. I know those tickets are expensive, you shouldn't be spending your money on things like that for me."

She shrugged. "Well, let's just say it's your late Valentine's Day present."

"We said no gifts!"

She scoffed. "Oh, like _you_ followed that rule!" she said.

He bit his lip. "Fuck. I didn't think that argument through very well."

"No you didn't, I win," she said, kissing his cheek.

"Well thank you. That means so much to me, Livvie. To see them play in person. I haven't in a long, long time."

"I know you haven't. So they better fricken win for you tomorrow or I'm gonna call Abby and order a can of whoop-ass to be sent to their locker room."

He laughed again. She smiled, seeing his sad eyes gradually become happier.

"I think they'll win. I'm feeling it."

"I think so too."

He sighed and sniffed again. "Well. I think I better get to bed. I gotta be up early."

She nodded. "Okay. Let's go," she said, patting his chest.

They made their way up to his bedroom, shutting off all the lights in the big house.

And in no time, they were out like a light.

* * *

The next day flew by in the blink of an eye. Olivia woke up to see him off for the funeral, wearing a different suit and tie today. He looked very classy and handsome, and she made sure to tell him.

She again told him how sorry she was that she couldn't go with him, and how desperately she wished that she could.

He assured her that it was okay, and that it was for the best that she not come.

And off he went.

Olivia did some more homework while he was gone, which was for less time than the previous night. He went a little early to the church to make sure everything was set, and then there was a 45-minute church service before the formal burial.

Fitz went through a lot of the same thing he went through the day before, but on a little less of a scale. There were still an insane amount of people at the funeral though, just as he planned for there to be.

It was sad. But it was a good service and burial.

He avoided Mellie at all costs after everything was said and done. She was bawling at the cemetery. He felt bad, but he didn't feel the need to go comfort her. So, as soon as he felt he had stayed long enough, he headed back to Olivia.

And a little later, they enjoyed the Kings game together.

It wasn't as full as the Capitals game had been. Afternoon games sometimes had less of a crowd. But it was still a great one.

The Kings played the Flames, of Calgary.

And the Kings won. It was a fantastic game, ending in a 4-2 victory for Los Angeles. Olivia was impressed with the atmosphere. It was just as amazing as Fitz had described. And she could tell he was happy there, and that's all that mattered. She was also happy she didn't have to order a can of whoop-ass.

When they returned to the house later that night with dinner once again, they relaxed in the living room and watched some TV.

It was a laid back night in, after the packed day they had together, particularly Fitz.

She hoped all the negativity had run its course. Because she was sure Fitz had had enough of it. Certainly way more than he deserved. Smooth sailing from now on would be ideal.

But apparently, that wasn't what the universe had in mind for them that night.

There was a knock on the door.

Fitz raised his eyebrow. "Who the hell could that be," he said under his breath.

She started to get up, but he grabbed her arm. "Wait, Liv…no."

She tilted her head at him. _"Really?"_

He grimaced and nodded. "Really. Careful, remember?" he asked.

She sighed and nodded. "Right. Do I have to hide, too?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No. Just…stay here, where whoever that is can't see you. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I know it's awful," he said.

"It's okay. It's for the best. Go," she nodded.

He kissed her cheek and headed to the entryway to open the door.

She listened in from the living room, immediately hearing a woman's voice.

"Hi, Fitz."

Olivia was confused. She had no idea who the woman was, but clearly they were on a first name basis.

"Uh…hi. What…what are you doing here? How did you know I was staying here?" he asked.

"I just assumed. Good thing I remembered your gate code."

"Yeah…right. What are you doing here, Mellie?"

Olivia's head jerked up. It was Mellie? Oh _hell_ no.

"I just thought…you could use a friend tonight. I thought we both could. I brought our favorite," she said.

Olivia's mouth opened in awe.

"I appreciate that but…no thanks," Fitz replied.

"You're going to turn down a bottle of Glenfiddich? Really? That's not like you," she said with a little laugh.

"Mellie, you need to go."

"Oh come on. It could be like old times. We could have a little fun. Like we used to," she said, sounding very sultry.

Olivia's eyes narrowed, and she had to do everything in her power to keep her ass on that living room couch.

She'd seen pictures of the woman. She thought she could take her. Seriously.

But she stayed put, pushing the insane annoyance aside in the name of…carefulness.

"No. What the—for god's sake, I'm not single and you're engaged?"

"You're not single?" she asked.

"No, I'm not. You need to go."

"I didn't…I didn't know you were with someone."

"Hm, well did you know that _you're_ with someone? You know. Engaged. To be married?" he asked.

"Yes, Fitz. Thank you for pointing out that I'm not a saint. I just thought...I thought you could use a little fun tonight."

"Well you thought wrong, Mellie. Please leave. I don't want to have to ask you again."

"Hm. Whoever she is…she must not be a good lay. You need to...lighten up!" she said, her voice starting to fade as she presumably walked away.

That was followed by the front door slamming, and the words, "fuck you."

He walked back into the living room, meeting Olivia's look of disbelief.

"Did you…hear all that?" he asked nervously.

"Uh, yeah."

"I'm sorry, Liv. I had no idea…that was not okay. I'm sorry you had to hear that."

Olivia sighed. "What a pleasant woman. Comes to your house the night after your father's funeral to…have a little fun," Olivia quoted. "Classy."

He sighed, coming to sit by her. "I'm sorry," he said again.

"It's fine. It's certainly not…your fault.

"She's not normally like that. She's a decent person..she's just…grieving? I…guess?" he said, kind of in question.

"You're not defending her right now…" Olivia said.

His eyes widened. "No—what? No, not at all. I'm just…as surprised as you are, is what I meant."

She nodded, wincing at their conversation that replayed over in her head.

It made her want to throw up.

"So…you and her. I mean..you two were…" she began, not even able to form the full sentence.

"We were…what?" he asked.

"Intimate."

He exhaled deeply, scratching his face. "Yes."

Olivia nodded. "I'm not…I mean I'm not upset or anything. You were married to her and it was well before me. I just didn't know, with a political marriage. I didn't…I was just curious.

He nodded. "It never meant anything, Olivia."

She nodded, although that didn't really...help.

"I was married to her for seven years. It was _not_ often. It just…sometimes it would just happen," he explained.

"Fitz, I understand. I get it. You don't need to…I get it. I'm not mad," she said.

He nodded back. "If it makes you feel better…she was so wrong. You're a great lay," he said with a little smile.

She shook her head. "Not helping the awkwardness, Fitz." Although, she couldn't help the little smile that appeared on her face, too.

"Sorry—sorry. I'll stop talking."

"You can keep talking," she said.

"Okay. Why is this awkward? Should this be awkward?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I think it depends on the situation. This is a weird situation."

"Aren't all of our situations weird?" he asked.

"Touché," she agreed.

"I'm sorry," he said again.

"Fitz, why?" she asked.

"Because. You can't even show your face for god's sake and you have to sit there and listen to something like that? God, I'm just ready for this semester to be over. I'm just ready to be done with this shit, it's ridiculous," he said, sitting back down and putting his hands to his face.

She got up and scooted closer to him. "We signed up for this," she said, patting his arm. "I'm used to it by now."

"Yeah, you just shouldn't have to be."

"No. But that's what happens when you break the rules. You gotta make some sacrifices," she said.

He nodded and sighed. "Yeah."

"Come on, let's get to bed. You have a meeting early tomorrow."

"Okay," he agreed.

So yet another day in California had come and gone.

* * *

The next morning passed just as quickly as the previous morning had. Only, Olivia spent it bringing up the rest of the boxes she'd set aside the previous day. They were heavy, so she could only bring up one or two at a time. It was a slow process, but it was worth it, because they were labeled with his name, and it was definitely not Fitz's handwriting.

So she opened them, just to see what exactly was making the boxes that heavy. They weren't even big by any means, but they still had some weight to them.

And what she found inside was something she had not expected at all. But it also made her insanely happy. Because she had known it all along. She had known, more than he had.

She was in awe. But maybe not in as much awe as he was when he got home from his meeting with the executor.

He walked into the house, and draped his light jacket over the kitchen chair, moving slowly.

"Baby?" she asked. "What is it?"

He came into the living room and put his hands on the back of the couch, leaning on it slightly.

"I'm so confused."

"Why? Did your meeting not go well?" she asked, resting her arm on one of the boxes as she sat on the floor.

He shook his head. "Oh…it went…well. Oddly well."

She waited for him to continue.

"He left me…everything."

Her eyes widened.

He nodded at her. "Everything, Liv."

"So…this house?" she asked, putting her hands up to her face.

 _"_ _Everything."_

"Oh my god, Fitz. I don't know...what to say," she said.

"Yeah…I don't either. It doesn't make any sense."

She couldn't help but smile. "Yes. Yes, it does."

"It doesn't though? He…couldn't stand me. Even when I was governor. Even when I lived my life for _him_. It was never good enough."

She smiled, waving him over.

"Come here."

He looked at her in confusion.

"Get your hot ass over here. There are some things you need to see."

He walked slowly over to her spot on the floor, surrounded by boxes of pictures, memories, and the ones she had just brought up.

She could immediately tell that he had never seen them before, as he likely read his name on all the boxes.

"What are these? Where'd you find them?" he asked.

"Behind all your mom's things. It seems to me your father was really not good at expressing things. But…that doesn't mean he didn't feel them."

Fitz looked through the box titled "Fitzgerald 2015"

It contained tons of newspapers. The Yale Daily News, the student newspaper.

She didn't know any students that actually read it. But here it was, in large numbers. All of them, subscribed to by Fitzgerald Grant II.

And all of the papers had something in common. They all contained his son.

Fitzgerald Grant III.

Whether it be his new professor profile in 2015, his yearly rankings updates, interviews he'd given for journalism students, his input in the politics section of the paper, or the many, many quotes he'd given during election seasons.

There was a Fitz box for the last four years, while he had been at Yale. Not to mention the boxes his father had of Fitz's political career, similar to the ones Fitz had at his own apartment.

"He cared," Fitz whispered.

"He cared," she nodded, rubbing his arm. "He cared, Fitz."

He looked down at the floor, closing his eyes tightly and putting his hand on hers.

She leaned in and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. And he immediately did the same, starting to cry into her shoulder.

But this wasn't a confused, sad breakdown. It was a few tears of relief. Relief that things maybe weren't what they seemed. Just relief.

She rubbed his back and held him tightly.

For Fitz, it had been a great weekend. An odd one. But a great one. He was going to have a lot of things to take care of from the other end of the country, with everything his dad had left for him. But he was honored.

He was still confused as to why it had happened. He was still hurt. And he still felt as though he had never gotten a chance at a normal family. At least since he was very young.

But after this weekend, he felt better. He felt some closure. And he knew he still had a family. His new family, the one he already loved more than anything.

And here in California, he'd found everything he needed.

* * *

And there you go.

That was quite the weekend. I felt terrible for Fitz, I cried a few tears for him. I hated myself for doing it, but it was actually one of my first ideas, way before I even started the story. Sorry Fitz :(

But it was good for him. He learned more about his father this way than he had when he was alive.

I hope you liked their weekend away. I know it wasn't a picture perfect weekend in California, but it was a necessary one.

Plus, spring break is next, anyway :)

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	69. You're The Best Option

"Olivia, what do you think?" Katherine asked, looking to Olivia.

Olivia sat in thought. "I think…we should go with Max's idea."

"Yeahhhhh, baby, let's goooo!" Max yelled, way too loudly.

They were met with a bunch of hushing and shushing.

They were in the library, after all.

"Fucking hell. Seriously, Liv? _His_ idea?" Katherine asked, pointing to Max.

Max just smirked. He sure loved attention.

Olivia nodded. "I know, I know. It's just…it's a good idea," she shrugged.

Teagan nodded. "I agree."

Max threw up his arms in disbelief. "I even got Teagan's approval. Well, Jesus Christ, I might as well just run for president now."

"Please do, even you'd be better than the one we've got now," Andrew piped up.

"Hey now," Katherine said. "Politically neutral in this class, remember…"

Everyone looked at each other silently, before they all burst into laughter.

"Politically neutral, my ass, our president sucks donkey balls," Max chuckled.

"Agreed," they all said.

"Colorful language, my friend," Andrew said with a laugh.

"Politicians are allowed to be colorful," he said, giving a dramatic bow.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Yeah, remind me never to vote for you. For anything. Ever."

He shot her a look. "Hey. You were all about my project idea before and now you're saying you won't vote for me?! Olivia…my feelings are hurt," he said, clutching his chest.

"Oh, like you even have those," Olivia said with a laugh.

He scoffed. "Fine. Then I'll stop with my idea brilliance."

"Good. We've got the one we want already so now you can just keep your mouth shut," Andrew nodded.

Everyone laughed.

Andddd they all got shushed again.

"Okay, this is not an idea place for a project we need to be constantly collaborating on. We should go somewhere else so we quit disturbing these people," Teagan whispered.

"Teagan…this is why I love you. Always the voice of reason. I agree, and I think we should take a break first," Max nodded.

"To do what?" Olivia asked.

Max shrugged. "I don't know. Let's go get food or something I'm starving."

Andrew nodded. "I could eat too actually," he said, raising his pencil.

All the girls looked at each other for confirmation.

"Alright, alright but I'm not drivin'," Katherine said.

"I'll drive," Olivia offered.

"Yes. See, this is why you're our team captain," Max nodded, patting her shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Olivia said.

"I think I'm the team captain," Katherine reasoned.

"You can have the position, I don't need it," Olivia said with a laugh.

That made Katherine happy.

They all piled into Olivia's car, which was a tight squeeze. But it worked.

"Alright, where to, Max?" she asked, pulling out of the library parking lot.

"Hmmm…how about Ivy Wok?" he asked.

Olivia wanted to throw up just at the mention of it. She'd still never gotten over the last time, when she'd gotten the flu. Ever since, it had been very unappealing.

"Um...no, anywhere but there," she said.

"The hell!" he exclaimed.

"Hey, my car my rules, dude."

"Okay, okay. How about Panera? It's by Target and I want to go to Target," he said.

"What is she, your chauffeur now?" Katherine asked.

"Sorry, sorry. I mean _if_ it's alright with Olivia," he added.

She nodded. "Yes, Max that's fine. Panera good with everyone?" she asked.

They all agreed. So Panera it was.

They ate their Panera, which really did hit the spot. Olivia ordered soup and salad, a good dinner, she thought.

And then they made a quick stop at Target for Max.

But it turned out to be much more than a quick stop.

They walked the aisles, laughing their asses off at Max for the first thing he picked up.

A cucumber.

Just a single freaking cucumber.

"What the fuck do you need a cucumber for?" Katherine asked, doubling over in laughter.

They were all dying of laughter, drawing lots of attention to themselves.

"My roommate wants it for some recipe, shut up you dumbasses, you're making everyone look over here!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, since when do you not want attention?" Teagan asked.

Olivia patted her back and laughed. Good point.

"Teagan, come on. I thought we were buds?!" he asked.

She just shrugged and laughed.

"I'll show you guys the stupid text," he said, pulling it up on his phone and letting everyone see it.

And there it was, a legitimate text from his roommate.

Still funny though.

And then thye continued through the store, each of them finding something they wanted at one point or another and throwing it in their communal Target basket.

It was really quite funny. Olivia picked up some more chapstick, which was really for Fitz because he'd been using hers for weeks now, and also some chocolate.

Just cause why not.

But then their night got even more interesting.

They were just walking along, looking at all the deals they possibly could, until Katherine gasped and started speaking in a hushed whisper.

"Guys, guys, oh my god, look who it is."

They all looked where she was subtly pointing and caught sight of the man. They all knew exactly who she was pointing to, because they all _knew_ him.

Some more than others.

One in particular, who happened to be in love with him.

The breath hitched in Olivia's throat as she caught sight of her boyfriend looking at the lemonade through the glass doors of the drink section.

That's funny, he was shopping for her and her four group members didn't even know it.

"Ahhh, oh captain our captain. Come on guys let's go talk to him. Get on his good side. You know, more than we already are," Max said, gesturing for them to follow.

Katherine smiled and happily followed.

Teagan seemed to be sneaking glances at Olivia, and Olivia just smiled back at her to appear normal.

So she followed her group members to go to "talk to him".

Oh Jesus.

"Professor Grant, what's up!" Max said.

Fitz turned at the sound of his name.

"Just thought we'd come say hi, you know, as your favorite group and all. Group eight," Max chuckled.

"Oh well hello guys and gals," he said, eyeing them all with a smile.

She could tell the minute he met her eyes that he was completely caught off guard to see her there.

But he hid it well.

"Let's see...Max, I know you. Teagan, hi. Andrew...Katherine. And Olivia. How'd I do?" he asked.

"Wow!" Max exclaimed. "That's impressive."

It was pretty impressive. He had about 300 students in the class and he'd managed to get all their group members' names. Well...one wasn't so hard.

"Ah well I try hard with that. What are you all...up to at Target? Certainly not group work I hope," he said with a laugh.

"Well, we _were_ working. And then Max demanded food. And Target. See, look at his cucumber," Katherine said.

"What?" Fitz chuckled.

Which made them all laugh.

Max proudly took out his cucumber. "It's not _my_ cucumber, it's for my roommate, Trey. Aren't I a good friend?" he asked.

"You are a _great_ friend. Is all that also for the roommate?" Fitz asked, pointing to the endless junk they had in their communal basket that Max was holding.

"No, no. This is our group basket. You know, teamwork," Max explained.

"Yeah, see. I'm the fun group member, buying the container of cheese balls," Katherine piped up.

Fitz laughed. "That _is_ pretty fun."

"Mhm, see Liv, you need more than chapstick and chocolate, girl," she said, turning to Olivia.

Olivia nodded, deciding to have a little fun with this.

"Ah, well see the chapstick isn't even for me. It's also for one of my friends, like Max's cucumber," she said, looking at Fitz.

"Is that right?" Fitz asked, smiling at her because he had caught on.

"Yeah that's right. He steals mine all the time. He needs his own," she nodded. "I thought I would...be a really good friend tonight."

"You certainly must be a _very_ good friend," Fitz said, giving her a quick look over.

"Well," he said, looking around and clearing his throat. "I better get going, _group number eight,"_ he chuckled _._ Have fun with your...team shopping."

"Oh we will," Katherine nodded.

"Thanks for saying hi. Bye now," he said, giving them all a wave as he began to push his cart to the registers.

Olivia watched him walk away sadly.

Bye, baby. See you soon.

"He's a cool dude," Max nodded.

"Yeah he's my favorite professor," Andrew agreed.

"Mm. Great to look at too," Katherine said in appreciation as she watched him walk away. "Nice ass."

Olivia winced. Katherine hadn't been super bad about that this semester. Certainly not like some of the other girls Olivia had sat by before. But she still made the occasional comment about Fitz's appearance, and it still added up.

"Oh yeah why don't you go tell him that," Max winked.

"Oh shut up," she shot back. "You're just jealous because you don't have a nice ass."

He scoffed. "The hell you talking about? I have the world's greatest ass."

"Nah, prof's is better," Katherine teased.

Olivia knew Katherine was like this. She also knew Katherine had a thing for Max and tried to get a rise out of him on purpose. But she was still annoyed as hell at this conversation.

"Teagan, Olivia, come on don't you agree?" she asked.

Olivia and Teagan nodded along mindlessly.

"Oh come on, more enthusiasm than that!" Katherine exclaimed.

Olivia could feel Teagan looking at her.

"Katherine, enough already," Teagan said.

Katherine scoffed. "Fine. Just trying to have a little fun, jeez!" she shrugged.

Olivia desperately wanted to thank Teagan for that. But she thought that'd be suspicious. What would she say, "hey thanks for telling her to shut up about my boyfriend"?

Yeah, that wouldn't work.

But when Olivia looked at her, Teagan gave her a reassuring smile, and a bit of a nod.

As if to say, "I got you."

Olivia smiled back, trying to be nonchalant.

Odd.

They finally left Target, deciding to call it a night and work on things over break a little more.

Olivia dropped everyone off at the library again, or at least everyone except for Teagan, who didn't have a car.

So Olivia offered her a ride, considering she was going to see Huck anyway and that was about as convenient as it got.

The drive was filled with talk of group work, and then a comfortable silence.

Until Teagan spoke up again.

"I'm sorry. You know, about Katherine," she said. "She really is just a loud mouth. All she's ever trying to do is make Max jealous."

Olivia turned to look at Teagan, trying to appear very casual. This was weird.

"Oh...yeah for sure, I know," Olivia nodded. "She, uh...she certainly is something."

Teagan nodded back. "That's one way to put it."

"Do you think Max knows she likes him?" Olivia asked.

"Oh yeah, big time. I mean...it's Katherine, she's not exactly subtle. About anything," Teagan giggled.

"True that," Olivia said with a laugh.

Teagan swallowed hard. "Just...you know, remember that. She doesn't have a filter, she says whatever comes to mind. Don't listen to her, Liv."

Olivia nodded slowly. "Right...yeah. She doesn't—really bother me...or anything," she said.

That wasn't exactly true. But how could Teagan know it wasn't true?

Olivia parked the car and cleared her throat. "Ready to...uh, go in?" she asked.

"Yeah, for sure, yeah," Teagan nodded.

So they made their way up to the fourth floor where Olivia and Huck both lived.

"Well thanks so much again for the ride," Teagan said, giving her a wave as they stood outside Huck and Harrison's apartment.

"Oh no problem, really. It was...very convenient," she giggled.

Teagan smiled. "Have a good break, Olivia."

"You too Teagan, I'll see you in a week," Olivia replied, starting to walk towards her apartment.

"Bye!"

Olivia closed her apartment door behind her, shaking off the strange conversation she'd had with Teagan.

"Liv? Shit I thought you weren't staying here tonight I planned to stay at David's," Abby said, walking in from the hallway.

"Oh, no no I'm not. I just came to drop Teagan off at Huck's and get some more of my clothes so I can pack my full bag at Fitz's," she explained.

"Oh okay good, because I was just about to leave," Abby replied.

"Well come give me a hug you weirdo, I'll miss you next week!" Olivia said, opening her arms to her.

"Aww, softie, come here."

The two friends embraced and talked about when they were coming back.

"I might come back early, I'm not sure yet, though," Abby said.

"Yeah, my group didn't get any shit done tonight so we may have to meet sometime next weekend, I don't know. We wanted to be farther into this project by the end of spring break than we are right now, it's due in two weeks. So…fuck that," she said with a laugh.

"Gross. Tell pretty boy to lay off the projects why don't ya?" she teased.

Olivia laughed. "That's all this class is, unfortunately. Lectures. Projects. Literally, that's it. Oh, and a final of course because what would a class be without a nice, big ass final."

"College is overrated," Abby said, rolling her eyes.

"True that. Alright well I'll see you later, have a good break," Olivia said.

"You too, Liv. See you!"

"Bye!"

Olivia gathered her things and headed over to Fitz's apartment, excited to see him. Even though he was going to be in Virginia for part of the week with her. But oh well, she still got excited.

She walked in with all her things, and instantly dropped them on the floor in the entryway.

"Whew. I come with a lot of baggage."

"Yeah, that's true," she heard from the bedroom.

She scoffed. "Hey!"

Which, was then followed by laughing. "That was funny," he said to himself. And then he kept laughing at himself.

It really was a contagious laugh so she laughed as quietly as she could so he wouldn't hear her.

"You're laughing I know you are," she heard.

"Oh you shush!" she giggled.

"You know I'm kidding, you crazy girl," he said, emerging from the hallway.

"I know I know. Hey, long time no see," she said, pointing at him.

"Yeah, really. Did you get everything you needed with your group at Target?" he chuckled.

"Uh-huh. In fact…" she said, reaching in her purse. "Here you go, you chapstick stealer," she said, tossing it to him.

He easily caught it with one hand and opened it.

"Oh. Good. Now I can properly thank you for it," he said with a smile as he put some on.

He ran towards her and lifted her, spinning her around.

She broke into a fit of giggles at his sudden action and held on to his shoulders for dear life. And then her back was against the wall and his lips were on hers.

Yeah, it was a proper thank you, alright.

She laughed against his mouth as he pecked her lips a few more times for good measure.

"Good, now I'm wearing your chapstick too," she said, smacking her lips.

"Twins," he whispered with a smile.

She giggled and rubbed her nose against his. "I saw you picking out my lemonade at the store."

He scoffed. "What are you talking about? That's for me."

She opened her mouth in disbelief. "How dare you," she whispered.

He chuckled and kissed her nose, before letting her down.

"I'm just kidding, I would never. You want some?" he asked.

"Sure, that sounds good," she nodded, taking off her coat.

He immediately picked up all her bags and started walking to his room to put them there first.

"Baby I was going to do that," she said.

"Too late, look at me I'm doing it," he called out behind him.

"Thank you!" she said.

"Uh-uh," he replied.

He came back and they both had a glass of lemonade, chatting a little bit.

"I had a strange experience at Target today," she said.

He nodded. "Yeah, you saw me and had to pretend I wasn't the best boyfriend ever in front of your friends."

She giggled and nudged his arm. " _Besides_ that, I mean. Teagan...it seems like...I don't know exactly. She seems to kind of be like...on my side or something."

He raised an eyebrow. "On your side about...me?"

"Yeah. It's hard to explain. It's like she's trying to tell me she knows and that she's looking out for me. But maybe I'm crazy and I'm picking up on something that's not there. Maybe she just thinks we're friends and I have a crush on you, I don't know."

"Well what did she say?" he asked.

"Okay, so you know Katherine? Well, she's got an insane crush on Max. And she likes to make him jealous. And...you're hot so it gives her the perfect opportunity."

He shook his head, laughing to himself a little bit. "Okay...continue."

"Basically she's said some things about you before, which I'm sure Teagan's noticed. And then tonight she said you had a nice ass and she wouldn't shut up about it—"

"What?" he interrupted with a laugh.

"Uh-huh. So she kept asking Teagan and I if we agreed and Teagan essentially told her to shut up. That was kind of funny," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Teagan did that? She seems so quiet," he said.

"I know! And then I gave her a ride to Huck's apartment and she was telling me, 'don't worry about her, Liv.'"

He sat there in thought. "Hmm. That's weird."

"Yeah. So I don't know. I wanted to tell you about it," she replied.

"Well thank you, I'm glad you did. I guess...I just don't know what to do about that."

"I don't either. I don't want to say anything to her because what if she really doesn't know and I have it all wrong? I don't know."

"I guess...we'll have to keep an eye on her. I'm not sure what else we can do at this point," he sighed. "I certainly can't talk to her either."

"Yeah. I think I'm going to have to meet them all to work on our project next weekend so I can see how she acts with me then," Olivia said. "Maybe...I can get her to tell me what she thinks she knows. It'll be better than us fretting about it for the next few months."

"Okay. Thanks for doing that," he nodded appreciatively. "Are you fretting about it now?"

She shrugged. "Honestly...no. It makes me a little nervous, obviously. I certainly don't want this all to come crashing down because of one student who I thought was my friend. But...she _is_ my friend. She's very sweet and...I trust her. I do."

He nodded. "Well, I trust you so...I trust her too then."

She nodded, giving him a reassuring smile.

"So we'll probably come back a little early from your house then?" he asked.

"Yeah. Our group hasn't been efficient enough so we're going to have to sacrifice some of our spring break and grind it out. _Thanks, professor,"_ she teased.

"Hey. I'm tough," he shrugged.

"You _are,"_ she nodded with a laugh.

They talked a little more about their travel plans this week, too, just to make sure they had everything set.

Fitz was going to use the opportunity of spring break to fly out to California again to take care of some things that he'd been waiting for the chance to do since his last visit there.

His home in California had already sold. Once it was put on the market, it was sold fairly quickly. It seemed the Grant house was much desired there. Just...not to him.

He'd had to hire quite a bit of help there to clear out the house. He still had some work to do himself, but that's what he was going there to finish up.

Many of his things would be shipped back here for him, because there were a lot of things that he'd wanted to keep. Nothing too large, all of that he sold.

But the small things. The little memories that he couldn't replace. Pictures. Paintings, that his mother had done. So many little things.

He'd already done the hard part of settling his father's estate, and the executor of his will had helped him with that. Notifying the many businesses of his father's death, banks, credit card companies, the post office, everything his father was affiliated with. Which, was a lot, given his status in California.

Paid some bills, dealt with taxes, everything. He'd dealt with all of that long before now, and had been able to take care of a good deal of it here in Connecticut. He'd only made one weekend trip to California since his death, and this would thankfully be his last trip there, at least for his _father's_ business. If he went again, it would be for fun. It would be a trip with Olivia, or something. It wouldn't be stressful, it wouldn't be sad. It would be nice.

But for now, bon voyage.

As for the money. It was…insane.

He'd always been grateful for the things he had, no matter what. He was lucky, he knew that. His job now as a professor certainly wasn't for the money he made. It was for his love of it.

So he'd had money before. A lot.

But now was a whole different story. He was all that was left of his family now, and he'd inherited _everything_. Sold a few cars and a house on top of it, no big deal.

It'd been in the back of his mind ever since. Not the fact that he had it. Just the fact of…what now?

He and Olivia hadn't really had a conversation about it yet. They'd talked about it. But they hadn't _really_ talked about it. In detail.

So later that night, he brought it up.

He kneeled over her ass, pushing hard into the muscles on her back. She was tense and he was trying to relieve some of the dull pain she was feeling.

"How come you're so stressed baby?" he asked, working harder on a particularly knotty spot.

"Oh, ow, ow," she murmured into the comforter.

"Sorry, sorry," he winced. "I gotta do it hard."

"I know, keep going," she nodded. "I don't know. Just…mid-terms and projects. This time of year is kind of stressful. It's nothing major, or anything. I'm all good," she assured him.

"I'm sorry about that," he said regrettably.

"No, it's okay, don't be sorry," she said.

He pushed his palm into her upper shoulder. He pushed hard, and he felt bad. She was so small and he was much bigger, so it felt like he was really hurting her. But, to get the knots out he did have to do it hard, so he kept up.

"Take this off," he said, pulling on her tank top strap.

She shrugged the spaghetti straps off and pulled on it as best she could, given that she was laying on her stomach.

He pulled it the rest of the way for her and tossed it to the ground.

Then he unclasped her bra with a single hand and pulled the straps down. He reached under her and pulled it from her body, tossing that away too.

He worked on her middle and lower back too, now that he had more access.

She had been reading before for one of her classes. But now she had her head down on the bed. He could only see the left side of her face, but from that left side, she looked pretty relaxed, and he knew it probably felt good.

Her eyes were closed and she was breathing softly, letting him give her a massage.

He smiled. She was so beautiful. How did he get so lucky?

He leaned down and pressed soft kisses to her shoulder, letting his lips longer there longer than necessary.

Her beautiful skin was so soft under his hands, and under his lips.

He hated to disturb her relaxed state. But he just had to get it out.

"Livvie," he said quietly.

"Hmmm," she murmured.

"Can we talk about something?" he asked.

"Ya," she whispered, not opening her eyes.

He chuckled. "Baby, are you listening?"

"Yes I'm listening, I always listen. I'm a great listener who listens," she murmured.

"Okay. It's about my dad. It's about what he left me."

Her eyes opened and she lifted up her head for a second, then laying down on the left side of her face. "What about it?" she asked, now looking up at him.

He kept massaging her back, thinking of a way to word it.

"Well. I just…I wanted to know what you thought. We haven't really talked about it, you know? About…our options."

"Options?" she asked.

"Yeah," he nodded. "You know that they're there."

She bit her lip. "Yeah. They are."

"See, like...we could...we could go to the Bahamas. And...live in a beach house for the rest of our lives and never come back," he said, leaning his face down by hers.

She giggled. "What about my parents?"

"Oh, we'll buy them a house too, they can come with," he shrugged.

Olivia smiled. "Oh I'm sure they'd love that," she teased.

"Mhm. Or...we could travel the world. Never buy a house. Just...live wherever we go," he said, continuing to massage her back.

"Mmm. That's a nice option," she nodded, giving him a smile.

"Thanks, I thought so. Or we could buy a houseboat. That's two in one right there," he nodded.

She laughed again. "That _is_ two in one. These are all great options."

"You wouldn't have to work. Ever. You don't ever have to."

She nodded, but she didn't say anything. She just laid there in thought.

"I don't have to. I could quit tomorrow," he said. "We could be free."

She sighed. "You could have quit before now. You could've quit a long time ago."

He paused. "Do you wish that I had?"

She raised an eyebrow. "The hell? Fitz, no. All I've ever wanted is for you to do the job that makes you happy, you know that. What I meant was...we both know you've never needed the money from this job. That's what I meant."

He nodded. "Yeah. But...before you didn't want me to _lose_ my job. That's different than me quitting."

"Yeah. But I know you don't want to do that," she replied.

He sighed, starting to massage her sides now.

"What I'm supposed to want is...to quit my job. _You_ wouldn't ever have to work. We could live wherever we want to live. We could have...whatever we want. That's what I'm supposed to want," he said. "Right?"

She nodded. "I think that's what a lot of people would want, yes."

He bit his lip, rubbing his hands down her soft skin. "Well, what do you want?"

"I want you."

He smiled. "You have me already. What else?"

She laid there in thought. "I want...you to be happy."

He leaned down to look at her face to face. "Baby. For _you_. What do you want for you!" he chuckled. "You are so sweet, but...be selfish. Be as selfish as you could ever be right now and tell me everything you could ever want. Besides what you've already said."

She grimaced. "Okay..." she began. "But...you already know everything."

He sighed. "Really?"

"Yes! All this money doesn't...change that. We've had a plan for a long time."

"Well tell me anyway. Tell me everything again," he said.

"A pretty house. With you," she said.

He nodded. "Okay. What else?"

"Our cabin," she said with a smile.

He couldn't help but smile. "I like that, yes," he agreed. "Keep going."

"A big, fluffy dog."

He chuckled. "Uh-huh."

"A job. My job at the Hartford."

He nodded. And then he smiled to himself. "As you should. You earned that job."

"Yeah," she said. "I understand that I don't...need to. I get that and I'm so thankful that I have what I have. That we have what we have. But I did earn that job. I earned it and I want to work there. I want to use the degree that I'm working so hard for. Not everyone has the chance to go to college, and I am privileged enough to have the chance. So...I'm going to make it count. I want to work. I want to make my own money. I'll feel...weird if I don't, you know?" she asked.

He nodded. "I totally know. I get it, and I'm so proud that you want to," he nodded.

"Like you said, we're probably supposed to want...much bigger things than this. But...so what if we don't? What's wrong with our little world here in New Haven? I like what we have now. It's hard. It's tiring. We're not free. But we will be so soon, we just have to get through a few more months. I think that's a small price to pay if we're getting what we want. It's worth the wait. Right?" she asked.

He sighed in relief, leaning his head down on her bare back.

"Thank you."

"For what?" she asked.

"Just...I'm happy that you understand and feel the same way. I don't want to quit my job, I don't want to move to...the freakin' Bahamas or live in a houseboat or out of hotels. I want you to do what makes you happy, too. And...I wanna live here, and I wanna live with you."

She started laughing. "We're you afraid I was gonna shoot that idea down or something? That's what we've always planned, baby."

"No, I know...I just hoped you didn't think I was...lame, now that...there are options that a lot of people would probably choose in an instant"

"Oh I definitely think you're lame," she said casually.

"Hey!" he exclaimed.

She giggled. "Payback for the baggage comment earlier."

He nodded. "Alright, that's fair."

"Babe, if what you want is considered lame, then what I want would be considered lame too. But it's not? As long as we're happy, who the hell cares? If other people think we're lame, _cool_. I'm gonna keep being lame with you then because...these past two years. They've been the best of my entire life. So bring on the lame. If I'm with you, life is great. You talked about all our options. Well, you're the best option. Plain and simple."

He smiled. "You're the best option, too."

"Hell yeah I am," she giggled.

He patted her sides, rubbing her soft skin.

"Oh...I thought of something. Something that I wanted. You know when I was trying to be really selfish?" she asked.

He chuckled. "Okay, fire away. Anything."

"Okay...you know those Ninja blender things?" she asked.

He paused. "Yes..."

"I kinda really want one."

He burst into laughter, leaning his head down on her back.

"Why are you laughing?" she exclaimed.

"You can have anything in the world and you choose a blender?!" he asked, still laughing his ass off.

"Well I don't know they're kind of expensive!" she exclaimed.

He was still laughing.

"You are so cute, I love you."

"I love you too, stop laughing at my blender idea!" she said.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I think we can handle your blender, baby," he nodded, patting her back.

"Thank you. Sandra has one and she makes smoothies for breakfast a lot. She's made me one, that Ninja blender makes some damn good smoothies and it makes 'em fast," she nodded. "So...we're making smoothies."

"That's a great idea. Not very selfish but...that's you. I love you for that."

"Well do I need a Ninja blender? No. I just want one. See, kind of selfish."

He smiled, laying on her legs but propping his elbow up on the bed. "And so a Ninja blender you will get."

"Thank you," she giggled.

"Mhm," he replied.

He laid there, rubbing his finger down her bare back.

"Hey. You were very right, by the way. What you said about college. It's seen as a necessity but priced as a luxury. And who knows what it'll cost to go to college when...our kids go," he said.

She looked over at him and nodded. "Yeah. It's so bad," she said, letting out a sigh.

"I think...that will be one of the proudest moments for us. Being able to...put our kids through college. Explaining to them what it means to be able to do that, and...come out debt free. It's a big thing."

She smiled, rubbing his arm. "And if you pass your brains on to them...they might be going for free anyway," she said, pecking his cheek.

He smiled, the color rushing to his cheeks.

"No, no. Your brains, all yours."

She shook her head. "I'll argue with you, mister."

"Okay let's go I'm ready," he said, pretending to stretch.

She laughed, laying her head back down on the bed.

"There's something else," he said.

She lifted her head back up, propping it up with her palm. "What else, sweetheart."

"I was thinking...and doing some research. I can't help what happened to my dad, or anyone else who's passed from heart problems. But I can help the cause. I was thinking about donating. The American Heart Association, in particular. You know, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. And...cardiovascular disease kills someone every 38 seconds, I read. It's just...it's awful. And I want to help."

She looked at him in awe, letting him talk about it.

"What do you think?" he asked.

She leaning in and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against her shoulder.

"I think you are an angel."

He ran a hand over the top of her hair, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"So you think it's a good idea, too?" he asked.

"It a wonderful idea. Not everyone can contribute money to causes that are so important, and...every dime counts. I think it's wonderful that you want to do that with your money. And I love you so much for who you are."

He shrugged. "I should've done it before. I should've...done it without thinking. I feel bad that I'm only now doing it. After...it's impacted me personally. I just feel bad. You have to do something about the things that don't directly affect you and I didn't do that."

She turned on her side. "Fitz. There are a lot of things in this world that don't directly affect you. And I mean...a _lot_ of things, which I know you know. It's so nice to hear you say something like that and I'm so happy you recognize it but you're being way too hard on yourself here," she reasoned.

He nodded. "Just...I want to help. Really bad."

"And I love you for that," she nodded.

He smiled at her, and leaned in for a kiss.

Which, she prolonged as long as possible.

He rolled her over onto her back, running a hand down her chest. She'd been half naked for quite a while now so her skin was bare underneath his fingers.

"How's your back feel?" he whispered.

"It's a little better," she nodded.

"Want me to work on it some more?" he asked.

"No, baby that's okay. You've been at it for a while," she said.

He shot her a look. "Flip over, woman."

"No, really, you've done enough, it's okay!" she assured him.

He shook his head and leaned down, placing kisses on her chest. That had her thinking he listened to her.

He kissed both breasts. Nice soft little kisses. And...then he flipped her over.

She giggled. "Fitz!"

"Olivia!" he replied, swinging a leg over her body and kneeling above her again.

He sat back on his heels, rubbing her back.

His hands together essentially covered the entire width of her back. She really was so small.

So he was more gentle now, mostly just doing it to relax her again. And it worked.

She laid there, unbothered, in such peace.

He escalated his massage, reaching underneath her body to her breasts every once in a while, and working his way down her hips.

She still wore jeans. So he slowly reached underneath her and fumbled with the button and zipper.

She just laid there, so relaxed.

He pulled the tight jeans down her body, removing each leg. And then she was left in just her underwear.

They were purple, with lacy borders. Very Olivia.

He started rubbing her hips, running his fingers over her ass and down to her thighs.

More massaging. This time, her legs. They were smooth, and soft.

She really was just the most gorgeous thing he'd ever seen, and she wasn't even trying.

She looked as though she didn't have a care in the world.

He made his way back up her legs and to her ass. A butt massage...that had to be feel good right?

From the way she was reacting, it all felt good. So he didn't stop.

But he wanted the underwear off. He wanted nothing but her naked body and his hands.

So he slipped his fingers underneath the waistband and started sliding them down.

He had to reach underneath her body to grab them from there too. But they were off her body and on the floor in no time.

She didn't say a word. She just let him do what he wanted to do.

It was for her, after all. Although, Fitz was thinking this was pretty enjoyable for him too.

He sat back on his heels and admired his girlfriend's body.

Her caramel skin, no flaws in sight. The curve of her back. Her dainty little hands, resting on the bed, fingernails colored a bright red. Her ass, which he was kneeling directly above. It was nice. Toned, firm. Nice size for him to squeeze, especially when she was least expecting it.

That always made her laugh. And he'd do anything to hear that sound.

But right now, he wanted her to be content.

He let his hands wander, moving over every inch of her body. Reaching underneath, tracing, massaging.

He couldn't help it. He slowly extended his body, hovering on top of her as he kissed her skin. Her neck. Everywhere.

Her eyelid slowly opened, making eye contact with him as he pressed kisses to her upper back.

He maintained eye contact while he ran his hand down her back, not stopping until he reached her entrance.

He looked at her to see if it was okay. If she wanted him to, if she was feeling up to it.

She just laid there looking at him, waiting for him, it appeared.

So he slid a finger slowly inside.

She instantly closed her eyes and let out a breath.

He let his finger linger inside her for a moment, while she adjusted.

And then he pulled it out and pushed it back in, settling in on a nice rhythm.

She was slick, and warm around his finger. He liked it, and he knew she certainly did.

She didn't move much, besides the involuntary widening of her legs. She did that, likely without even knowing.

She clutched his arm the second he added another finger, and she let out a moan.

Her breathing was quickening, as was his own. He was quiet, but he couldn't deny the fact that being intimate with her in any way made his heart beat fast.

Not to mention, it aroused him.

His erection was making its presence known through his gym shorts. Gym shorts were really just way too thin.

He was content to ignore it, though, and make her come a few times with his fingers. He was good at that and he liked feeling her with his hands.

But she had other ideas.

"Take off your shorts," she whispered.

His fingers paused inside of her as he looked over at her.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Yeah," she nodded.

He pulled his wet fingers out of her and immediately undressed himself.

The shirt, the shorts, the boxers, all gone within a matter of seconds.

He guided his stiff length towards her entrance and slid inside her with ease.

He gave her a little time. But she was ready for him.

He picked up his pace, allowing himself to fill all of her while she clutched the covers underneath him.

She was panting now against the comforter, no longer in her relaxed state.

She felt good alright, but this was a way different type of good.

He kissed her neck and reached under her body to touch her breasts while he pumped in and out of her from behind.

But she was close, he knew her body like the back of his hand.

"Just hold on, baby, hold on," he pleaded, willing himself to get there faster. She'd had a bit of a head start and they'd even been going for a while now.

She whimpered, gripping his hand hard trying to keep her orgasm at bay.

But she couldn't keep it at bay for long. "Fitz—" she moaned.

He exhaled deeply and rolled his hips faster as she started to shake underneath him.

Her walls clenching around him sent him over the edge, and he groaned in pleasure as he came inside her.

His hips slowed, and he collapsed his head onto her back, not even bothering to pull out yet.

"Was that...your plan all along?" she giggled.

He chuckled. "No. I swear," he panted.

"Right. You just took off all my clothes for fun," she added with a laugh.

He slowly pulled out of her and scooted up, laying his face by hers.

"Yeah. I love your body," he whispered.

"I can tell," she smirked. "Thanks for the wonderful massage. Next time it's your turn."

His eyes widened. "Mmm, intrigue."

She smiled. "Mhm. I give the best massages. Especially when there are no clothes in my way."

"Is that right?" he asked with a smile.

"Yeah that's right. And...some body parts get more attention than others."

"Ahh. Like...my ear?" he asked.

She laughed. "Yes, exactly what I was getting at. Your ear."

"Sounds like a one of a kind massage, Liv," he nodded.

"It will be," she giggled.

He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

"I can't wait to see you later this week. And your parents. I can't wait."

She scooted closer and snuggled up to him.

"I can't wait either."

* * *

Woo!

Okay, I know I told y'all that this chapter would be spring break and that was the plan. But I ended up going way more in detail than I expected to, which I hope doesn't make y'all mad, lol! But I'm sorry about that, regardless.

The next chapter really _will_ be spring break, which will be a nice little break for them, even if they only have a few days together in Virginia.

What'd you think about this chapter? As always, let me know.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	70. Friend Drama

Fitz lounged on the balcony of his Malibu home, absorbing the wonderful sunshine.

Well, it wasn't exactly his anymore. But, he still had a day left with it, clearing it out.

He was taking a break now. It had been about fifteen minutes and he could already feel that he had gotten some sun. If Olivia were here, she'd be on his ass for not wearing sunscreen.

Yeah, she was right, too.

He missed her. They were on their fourth day of being apart. Which wasn't bad at all, but he always missed her anyway.

He was spoiled to have her. She was what some people would call clingy, perhaps. She wasn't crazy about it or anything, obviously, they had gone months without seeing each other before and it was always doable. But she still made it very clear she always wanted to be with him. Always.

He never once had felt that she didn't want to be with him. When they were together, she was always near him. Always in close contact, always holding on to him in some form.

And that spoiled him. After all those years he spent alone after returning to Connecticut, he was pathetic on his own now.

All he ever wanted was her company. Even if, god forbid, they were arguing. He'd still take it. That was better than not having her with him.

That's how he knew he couldn't live without her. It's how he knew that she was the only one for him.

He would always choose her, over everything else in life. It would always be her.

And thankfully, he'd get to see her tomorrow night, when he landed in Virginia.

But for now, he had some more work to do.

He got up and felt the sweat running down his back. So he took off his shirt as he went back into the home.

It was essentially empty now. It still had to go through cleaning, which would happen tomorrow through a crew he'd hired.

But everything was about done with.

He had some loading up to do still before he was done. Things he wanted to be shipped back to Connecticut for him, since he was going directly to Virginia tomorrow.

So, he tossed his shirt over his shoulder and went out to the front to keep loading.

* * *

Olivia sat in Sandra's bean bag chair, texting Fitz and talking to her friends at the same time on that fine Tuesday night.

"I'm telling you guys. It's weird, I don't know," Olivia shrugged.

Stephen sat there in thought and shot a glance at Sandra on the couch.

"So you really think she knows?" Stephen asked.

Olivia shook her head. "I don't know. My guess is she thinks that we're friends and she assumes I have a crush on him or something. I don't fucking know," she said. "I mean, that's a fair assumption, half the damn campus apparently has a crush on him."

"I certainly have a crush on him," Sandra nodded.

Olivia laughed. "Well you're fine, you're Sandra."

"What's this girl's name again?" Stephen asked quickly.

"Teagan."

"I like her name. Is she cute?" he asked.

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Stephen she has a boyfriend, who happens to be one of my good friends, _and_ she lives in Connecticut," she said with a laugh.

Stephen nodded. "Dammit."

"What's wrong, that sorority girl didn't work out?" Sandra asked, almost a little sassily.

"Her name was Georgia, Sandra."

She put her hands up in defense. "Sorry, I couldn't remember. All I could remember were all the bikini pictures she posted on Instagram."

"Yeah well...I'm sure she was no worse than Connor. The master of the _beer bong,"_ Stephen said dramatically.

"What's he got to do with anything?" Sandra asked defensively.

"You come at my girls I come at your dudes."

"Okay, okay, come on guys. Both Connor and Georgia were nice people," Olivia reasoned.

Her two friends mumbled underneath their breath.

"What's going on with you two?" she asked.

"Nothing," they both answered in unison.

Yeah, nothing her ass.

But she just raised her eyebrow at the two of them, giving them a strange look.

"Okay...I feel somehow responsible for starting this...I'm sorry," Olivia said.

"No, you didn't start anything, Liv. It was Mr. 'I like her name, is she cute?' over here who started things," Sandra said.

"Oh okay, but you still get a free pass for saying you have a crush on Liv's professor, lawyer boyfriend? Hmm, seems unfair," Stephen shot back.

Olivia looked between the two of them in disbelief.

"Okay, Teagan's unavailable, Fitz's unavailable...there, problem solved. What is with you two tonight, seriously? Is everything okay?" she asked. "I'm just confused."

"It's fine," Stephen nodded. "Yeah, fine," Sandra agreed.

"Okay..." Olivia replied skeptically. She was kind of hurt. Something was clearly going on here and they were keeping it from her.

"Anyway, Liv. I'm sure you and Fitz are just fine. You're always careful and you seem like you're being even more careful this semester," Sandra said.

"Yeah. We are," Olivia nodded.

"I have faith in you guys," Stephen added.

"Well thanks, guys. I think I'm gonna get going though. I'm kind of tired and I told Fitz I'd call him tonight. I'll see you both tomorrow though?" she asked.

They both nodded.

"You're alright now...right?" she asked, looking at the two of them concernedly.

"Yeah. We'll probably just...watch a movie or something," Sandra said.

"Okay. See you guys tomorrow. Bye."

"Bye, Liv."

And she was out the door.

She started driving home, thinking her friends had been weird with each other tonight. Way weirder than they ever were.

But their weirdness must have distracted her, because she realized she didn't see her wallet with her in the front seat.

She'd see them tomorrow, she could get it then. But she was three minutes into her drive, so she just decided to turn around and go get it. Nobody liked to be without their wallet.

She ran down the hill on the side of Sandra's house, heading to the back door that she always used. It led into Sandra's basement, where they all hung out anyway. It was the friends door.

And as soon as she reached it, she paused, looking in through the glass panes of the door.

And...what the FUCK?!

She watched as Stephen held Sandra in his arms against the wall, their lips crashing together eagerly.

It was only then that she realized certain pieces of clothing were undone, and Stephen was thrusting upward...

"Oh—oh okay, okay, _wow,"_ she whispered, immediately turning away at the sight. She slowly walked up the hill with a hand over her mouth.

That explained some things.

She immediately got in her car, rubbing her hands together to warm them up from the chilly air, and pulled out her phone to FaceTime Fitz.

He did not take long to answer.

"Hi baby," he said happily.

She felt bad because she couldn't even greet him back, she was too in shock.

"Fitz!" she yelled, starting her car so that it would warm up.

"Olivia!" he yelled back.

"I just almost walked in on my friends FUCKING," she exclaimed.

He raised an eyebrow. "What?!"

"Um. Yeah. Stephen. Sandra. Making out against the wall. Clothes undone. _Fucking_. I'm blind, I am literally blind, I can't believe I just saw that. Oh my god."

"Wait, Stephen and Sandra? Aren't they just friends?" he asked.

"Friends who have _sex_ apparently!" she exclaimed.

He started laughing. "Aww, remember when we went through that phase, baby?" he asked.

"Yes I do, actually," she said with a laugh. "But we sucked at being friends, we could never do it. Stephen and Sandra have been friends since kindergarten. We _all_ have been. All they've ever _known_ is how to be friends?" she questioned.

"And now they know how to do something else, too," he winked.

"Yeah but what the fuck!" she exclaimed.

"Does it make you upset?" he asked.

"No, not really but...I'm just confused? They _were_ acting really weird tonight. Almost...kind of jealous with each other? But obviously I didn't think this was why. Why would I ever think this was why. They're just...they're friends. Or— _were_. I'm just wondering why they haven't told me. Sandra in particular."

"Well maybe they're afraid to, or they don't know how. Or they don't even know what's going on between them and need to figure it out themselves, first," he replied.

Olivia nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I can't really talk. I kept my relationship with you from them both for quite a while. Stephen for a _really_ long time. I don't know, this is just crazy! If they're happy, I'm happy. I'm just kind of annoyed that I can't get my wallet," she said with a laugh.

"Your wallet?" he asked.

"Oh right. Well I forgot it in her basement, so I went back to get it. Only I did _not_ get it because that would require notifying the two people fucking against the wall that I was there," she said. "They said they were going to watch a movie. Well let me tell ya, they were not watching that movie," she giggled.

"Well, look at the positives. You got a free show," he teased.

She scoffed. "Ew, _Fitzgerald!_ It's my friends, that's not a show!" she exclaimed.

"Liv, I'm _kidding,"_ he chuckled.

"You could give me a show tonight if you wanted though," she smirked.

He gasped, covering his phone camera with his hand.

"Liv, shhhh. The government probably heard you say that, don't embarrass me."

She burst into laughter. "Hey, government. One time last summer on FaceTime, my boyfriend and I took off our clothes and then he—"

"Olivia!"

She laughed. "It's okay, Fitz. Everyone's done it. Plus, if you're so worried the government can hear us, they can probably see us too. They probably saw your—"

"Ahhh no!" he yelled.

She just laughed. "I can rile you up so easily, you know that?"

"Don't be mean," he said with a frown.

She scoffed. "Oh I would never be mean to you. Look at you, how could I be mean to that face."

"My thoughts exactly," he nodded.

"Speaking of your face...is that the crappy hotel lighting or are you really that tan already?" she asked.

"I've gotten some sun," he shrugged.

"Sunscreen?" she asked.

"I can't remember," he said with a smile.

"Oh is that right? You can't remember whether or not you wore sunscreen?" she asked.

"That's right," he nodded.

She shot him a look.

"No, dear girlfriend, I did not wear sunscreen. Please don't punish me, I'm so very sorry."

"That was convincing," she giggled.

"By the way, this hotel lighting isn't crappy, it makes me look flawless," he stated.

She leaned her head against the steering wheel and laughed. "You are so weird."

"Well I gotta spice myself up somehow, otherwise I'm just a boring, old white guy."

"Fitz, no, take out boring and old. You're white as hell but you're not boring or old," she giggled.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, so...I gotta spice myself up somehow, otherwise I'm just a white guy."

She listened to the sentence and then tried not to laugh. She really sucked at not laughing.

She laughed, and then he burst into laughter with her.

"Gee, thanks Liv, that made it 100 percent better," he chuckled.

"Yeah I really didn't think about that before I said it," she said with a laugh. "You don't need any sprucing. You are perfect the way you are. Weirdness included."

He put his hand to his chest dramatically. "Really means a lot, Liv, thanks."

"Oh you're so welcome. Okay I need to drive home now so you're just going to...chill in my cup holder," she said, putting the phone down.

"Okay well please drive slow. I'm not wearing my seatbelt."

She laughed, putting her car into drive. "Will do, babe."

She made the drive home and brought Fitz up to her room. Her parents had already turned in for the night so she decided she'd go to bed too, since she was tired.

She assured Fitz she'd be there to pick him up from the airport tomorrow and that she couldn't wait to see him.

Olivia was still very confused about Sandra and Stephen, but she didn't really know what to do.

Whether she should bring it up with them or not. It wasn't her business, but they were still her best friends. Oh well, that was a problem for another time.

Because she fell asleep quickly after another day at home.

* * *

The next day passed quickly for both Olivia and Fitz.

Fitz got everything situated in California before he caught a cab to the airport. It was a little bittersweet to be leaving.

Who knows when he'd be back next, if ever.

It really wasn't so bad when Mellie didn't know he was there. That way she never bothered him and he could have some peace. But it still gave him a weird feeling in his stomach, because of his father.

He thought about him a lot now. How much he wished he would have called him over Christmas. How much he wished they could have set aside their differences and just...be normal.

But he was beginning to accept it now, that he was gone.

Either way, he was ecstatic to leave, and go to Virginia. At least there, he had three people that had always been straight with him, and that he genuinely knew cared for him.

Olivia, on the other hand, slept in a little bit, and then had her friends over for a while. They were getting in all the time they could, because Olivia wouldn't be returning for the summer.

It was sad, amongst the three friends. But they'd make it work, and they all assured they'd make visiting work in some way.

Sandra and Stephen acted more normal that day, but Olivia couldn't deny that the image of them was burned into her brain.

Ew.

But she still wasn't going to bring it up. Not yet, at least. So when they brought it up themselves, Olivia was _not_ expecting it.

"Liv," Stephen said, as they all sat in the living room.

"Yeah, yeah," Olivia replied.

"We wanted to talk to you. About...last night. The way we acted."

Olivia's eyes widened. Oh shit.

"Yeah...we were being immature and dumb. But there's a reason," Sandra sighed.

Olivia sat there, waiting for them to continue and hoping and praying to god that this wouldn't be too awkward.

"Stephen and I, uh...we're. We've been..." Sandra stuttered.

"I know," Olivia said, saving her.

They both looked at Olivia in confusion.

And Stephen shook his head. "No, Liv. I don't think...no it's...I don't think you know what we're trying to say."

Olivia nodded. "Oh trust me. I know. I _definitely_ know. My eyes will never let me forget."

They looked at each other nervously.

Olivia laughed a little bit. "I uh...last night. I forgot my wallet in your basement, as you know. Well, before I texted you today to bring it, I went back to get it myself. Only I did not get it because I didn't want to...disturb you two."

Stephen scratched his head and Sandra opened her mouth in awe.

"Well shit," Sandra said.

Olivia laughed. "Yeah..."

Stephen sighed. "We've been wanting to tell you but we haven't told...anyone. We didn't really know...what it was we wanted to tell."

Olivia nodded. "I understand. I really do, trust me. So...what is it that you want to tell?" she asked with a smile.

Sandra smiled, looking at the floor. "He's my boyfriend."

Stephen nodded and smiled. "As of this morning. I _am_ her boyfriend."

Olivia gasped. "You guys! That's great news! This is...great news...right?" she asked.

They both nodded. "Yes."

Olivia sat back in her chair. "Sooo how did this come to be? Friends of sixteen years turned lovers, I must know."

"Remember New Year's Eve? When we went to those parties together?" Sandra asked.

Olivia nodded.

"That night," Stephen said.

Olivia nodded in approval. "Hmm. Looks like I was not the only one who got some that night."

They both laughed. "Yeah...we're sorry we didn't tell you sooner. Ever since then we've just been trying to figure out what we wanted. We've gone after other people. Tried to deny that what happened felt right. We just needed to figure out what...was going on. And we figured it out. You deserve to know," Sandra nodded.

"Yeah we don't want you to think that we're going to ditch you or anything like that. That is not going to happen. We're all best friends. We always have been," Stephen added.

Olivia nodded. "Well I am the one that feels like I'm ditching you guys. This summer, I mean. I'm happy that you'll have each other. And I'm happy that you're both happy. If you're both happy, that's really all that matters. Don't let anyone tell you different. Ever."

They nodded. "We've got some learning to do. We're still trying to figure out how to do this. But we're happy," Sandra said with a smile.

Stephen smiled at her and nodded back.

So what started as something completely surprising and odd, turned into something much happier that afternoon.

The whole thing had still come by surprise to Olivia, no doubt. She'd never suspected anything romantic between the two. But sometimes that was how it went.

You never know until you try.

But she was happy for them. Their happiness was really what she cared about.

And finally after her friends, the two lovebirds, left around 4, it was time to go pick up Fitz.

She waited for him in the pick-up area of the airport and waved at him through the windshield when she first saw him.

He pulled a small suitcase behind him and he was wearing a baseball cap. He looked so cute.

He put his suitcase in the back of her car and got into the passenger seat with a big smile on his face.

"Olivia," he said happily, leaning in to kiss her.

"Hi, baby. I missed you!" she exclaimed.

"I missed you too!"

"Wow you are...way darker in person, oh my god," she giggled.

"Mhm that's 'cause I went on a tropical vacation without you," he teased.

"I mean, essentially! California is a way better spring break destination than Virginia, I'm sorry," she replied, rubbing his arm.

"Are you kidding me? I couldn't wait to get here."

"Aw, really?" she asked.

"Really. I like it here."

"Good, I'm so glad," she said.

They made their way back to Olivia's house, chatting about their first few days of break without each other, including the Sandra and Stephen news.

And when they entered her home, they were greeted fairly quickly as her parents were right there in the kitchen.

"Ahh, Fitz!" Maya exclaimed, going to give him a hug. "You look like you got some sun!" she added with a laugh.

"Maya, hi!" Fitz said, returning the big hug. "I definitely did," he chuckled.

"Eli, good to see you," he said, extending a hand.

"Likewise, Fitz, Likewise. How was the flight?" he asked.

"Really good. A little long but otherwise no complaints," he nodded.

"Good. How was California? Did everything go alright?" Maya asked concernedly.

Olivia smiled to herself, looking down at the ground.

So many questions already for the poor guy. But questions showed care.

"You know, it really did. Everything is taken care of for the most part now. It's all happened kind of fast so it's been busy for me, that's for sure. Olivia can attest to that. Just have some things to sort back in Connecticut now. But...that's a good thing," he nodded.

"Well again we are so sorry for everything you've had to go through this past month," Maya said regrettably.

"Indeed," Eli nodded, patting his back.

"Thank you. It's getting better. Olivia's been...amazing to me," he said with a smile, looking over at her.

She smiled and linked their arms, leaning her head on his bicep.

"Yes, we were very glad Olivia was able to make it with you there at least once," Maya replied.

"Me too," he said, kissing her temple.

"Well come on in, please," Eli said, gesturing inside.

So, in they went.

They brought Fitz's things up to Olivia's room, lingering up there for a moment to give each other a proper greeting that wasn't constrained by being in a car.

And they all had dinner together, chatting about how the semester was going.

Her parents weren't shy, asking how careful they were being and how they were dealing with their situation. They were very open with her parents, answering all their questions and explaining everything, including how careful they were being. They did not, however, mention Teagan. That was a problem they needed to figure out on their own first.

After opening a couple bottles of wine and retiring to the living room, that first night went fast.

They cherished every second that they could, given that they would likely head back to Connecticut on Friday or Saturday.

But eventually, the night came to an end and they all went up to their respective rooms after they got ready for bed.

As soon as Olivia closed her door for the last time that night, he instantly picked her up and slung her over his shoulder, which resulted in quite a laughing fest from Olivia.

He dropped her gently on the bed and climbed on top of her, looking down at her with a smile.

"Well aren't you just full of energy tonight," she giggled.

"It's 7 p.m. California time. I'm not ready to sleep," he shrugged.

She groaned, closing her eyes. "Don't hate me then, because I'm tired," she said.

"That's okay I'll wake you up."

She giggled as he scooted her up the bed and pulled back the covers. He immediately slid a hand in her little pajama shorts. They always killed him.

"Fitz," she giggled.

He started teasing her with his fingers. "What?" he asked.

"I can't, I'm too tired," she whispered, snuggling up to the pillow.

"I'll do all the work," he whispered, kissing her nose.

"Mmm," she moaned, her eyes slowly closing.

He played around a little, seeing that she was very clearly pleasured, but also fighting to keep her eyes open.

He thought the slow, massaging circles would feel good enough to wake her up.

Yeah, or good enough to put her to sleep.

"Liv...?" he questioned.

There was a faint groan that escaped her lips. But it was barely there.

"Babe."

Nothing but soft breathing.

He laughed quietly to himself, pulling his fingers out of her shorts slowly as not to disturb her.

He pulled her underwear and shorts back in place, patting her tummy. "Alright, alright. I'm a little offended, but you're a pretty sleeper so I'll let it go," he whispered.

He reached over her body to turn the lamp off by the side of her bed, and then pulled the covers over the both of them as he snuggled up to her.

"Sweet dreams, pretty girl."

* * *

Olivia's eyes fluttered open, taking in the sun shining into her window.

She stretched her arms out, and let out a quiet yawn.

He was still holding onto her from behind, dead to the world.

She ran her fingers over the tops of his hands.

The light layer of hair on his hands tickled.

His hands were dark, too, just like his face. He slept fully clothed when they were here in her parents' house, so she couldn't see his chest. But she assumed it was dark, too, if he had been loading things shirtless.

His arms were certainly dark, and the hair that lightly covered his arms and hands was slightly bleached from the sun.

Cute.

She traced the veins on his left arm, which was wrapped tightly around her front side.

"Mmm," he moaned sleepily. "Tickles."

She smiled, bringing his hand up to her mouth and pressing kisses to his skin.

"Sorry," she whispered.

She received another sleepy murmur that she couldn't really understand.

"Oh yeah?" she giggled.

"Yeah," he nodded.

She knew he was still on California time and was probably very tired. So after a little while, she slowly slid out from underneath his grip and tried not to wake him.

She watched him stir a bit before he went still again.

He really was tired.

So she thought she'd go get a quick workout in so she could be ready to make him some breakfast when he got up.

She changed into her workout clothes and went to have a bowl of cereal before she ran on the elliptical and lifted a few light weights.

It always felt good to get a sweat going.

And when she chugged a glass of water upstairs afterward, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

She gasped. "Is that my boyfriend?"

"No," he said in his best high pitched voice.

He tried but his voice cracked a little bit, which resulted in both of them laughing.

"Well that didn't work," he chuckled, returning to his normal deep voice.

He emerged through the doorway, coming directly over to her and wrapping his arms around her.

"Oh, I'm sweaty, I'm sweaty," she giggled.

He leaned his head on her shoulder, squeezing her tighter. "That's okay."

"You gonna work out? I'll make breakfast for you so it's ready when you're done," she said.

"Yeah, I am actually. Thank you, Liv, that's very sweet," he replied.

"Mhmm. You want coffee?" she asked.

"I can make it baby, you go sit."

"Hmm, actually I'm going to shower quick. And...then I'll make breakfast when I'm done and it'll be nice and hot for you."

"Well look at you this morning," he said, giving her a wink. "Taking care of me and such."

She smiled. "You know I like making breakfast for you. You're the dinner master, I gotta make up for that somehow," she giggled.

"I'm the dinner master huh?" he asked, looking down at her.

"Mhm. You're master of a lot of things."

"Well apparently I'm not master of seducing my girlfriend because I legitimately put her to sleep last night," he chuckled.

She put her hands up to her mouth and grimaced. "Oh...I forgot about that. I'm sorry, I was so tired!" she said apologetically.

"It's okay," he chuckled. "Probably not the smartest with your parents down the hall, anyway."

She nodded. "True. But...they're at work today. _And_ tomorrow," she said with a smile.

"Yes they are," he nodded.

"Sooo...go get your workout in so I can make it up to you faster," she winked.

"Yes ma'am," he nodded, pecking her cheek.

She showered while he worked out, and then by the time she was finishing up breakfast, he was done.

He came up with a sweat-soaked shirt, craving some water.

"How was it?" she asked, flipping the pancakes one last time.

"Good. I think I'll run on the trails tomorrow though, like we did in the summer. I just like running outside better when it's an option."

"That's a good idea. I'll come with you then."

"You hate running outside," he chuckled.

"Yeah but I'll do it for you," she shrugged, loading up his plate.

"I don't know how I got this lucky, truly," he said, smiling at her.

She gave him a wink and went to pour him some more coffee.

As usual, he ate everything she made. That man after his workouts...he'd just keep eating.

And afterward, he headed up the stairs to shower, and she followed.

"Hey," she said, as she stood in her doorway.

"Hmm?" he replied.

"Don't bother getting dressed after your shower."

He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "You got it."

She waited for him in her room, lounging on her bed while scrolling through her emails.

She eventually heard him turn the shower off, and then come into her room with a towel wrapped around him, and water dripping down his chest.

His damp curls hung loosely in his face, which made her smile.

"Come here," she said, patting the bed.

He walked over to her and got in bed, towel on and all.

She kneeled over him, using the end of the towel to dry his chest a bit more.

He laid there and smiled, resting his arms underneath his head in a relaxed state.

She tugged a little more on the end of the towel and unraveled it, revealing his whole body to her.

His whole gorgeous body.

She ran a hand down his chest, admiring how the muscles felt beneath her fingers.

She had guessed right. His chest was dark, and the hair on his chest was bleached slightly.

"You want this towel off the bed?" he asked, gesturing to it, still underneath him.

"No. I'm gonna need it at some point."

He licked his lips, looking up at her. "Hm."

She smiled. "Turn over."

He flipped over and laid his head on his arms, closing his eyes.

And she gave him the best massage that she could, like she said she would. She couldn't do it as hard as he could. But she could tell that he was still relaxed.

She spent some time on his neck, and his shoulders. They were always a little bit tense, but she was happy that he gradually seemed to be better with that.

She worked on his arms, and he purposefully lifted up his hand for her. She giggled, taking his hand in hers and starting to massage it.

He liked hand massages, which was a bit funny to her. But she supposed it felt good just about anywhere.

"Other one?" he questioned, lifting up his left hand.

"Yes, other one," she nodded with a laugh.

She caught a whiff of his hair, and raised an eyebrow.

"Did you use my shampoo?" she giggled.

"Possibly."

She shook her head and laughed. "You smell like Pantene."

"Pantene… _curl perfection,"_ he nodded, which only made her laugh more. "My travel one ran out."

"Ahhh. Well, the curl perfection has done your hair well," she said, lifting up his curls with a few fingers.

"It's going to be crazy when it dries," he chuckled. "I didn't put any product in it."

"Good, let the curls run free!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah…or I'll wear a hat."

She gasped. "My dreams are crushed."

"Okay, okay," he nodded. "No hat."

"Oh good," she said with a smile. "Okay, turn over again."

He flipped over onto his back, smiling up at her.

His chest got a bit of attention, but that wasn't where she was wanting to touch him.

She slowly slid a hand down his abdomen. And she didn't stop.

He watched her hand, letting out a quiet breath.

She stroked his length, not fully taking him in her hands yet. Just a few fingers, skin on skin. It was certainly enough to make him hard.

She liked to tease him. He liked to tease her just the same, so she didn't feel too bad.

His body was calm, save for his hands. He was fiddling with the sheets, trying to distract himself from the wonderful, yet completely agonizing feeling of being teased.

But a massage was a massage. She wasn't going to just jerk him off and be done. Nuh-uh.

However, she wanted to stay true to her word, and give certain body parts more attention than others.

And that's what she did, but she drew it out as long as she could because she could tell that it relaxed him.

He didn't utter a single word the entire time. He just laid there with his eyes closed, taking deep, slow breaths.

That all changed the second she started trying to make him come, though.

Then he was clutching the bed sheets, breathing fast and not at all still beneath her.

She stroked him fast, letting his own moisture help her with that.

It didn't take him long to finish, after the almost hour-long massage she gave him while he was completely naked.

He came into her hand, which was where the towel came in. Thinking ahead was always helpful.

She still went to the bathroom and used a little water to clean up.

He just laid there, completely relaxed on her bed. And still completely naked.

"You just stay right here for however long you want. No need to get dressed," she said, coming to lay by his side.

He smiled, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her into his body.

He kissed her temple and leaned his head against hers. "Thanks for that."

"Always a pleasure," she giggled.

He sighed, hugging her tighter. "I love you."

"I love you too, Fitz," she said, brushing the curls off his forehead.

"Like a lot," he added.

"A _lot,"_ she said with a smile.

She leaned in and kissed his lips, lingering there for a moment before taking his upper lip into her mouth.

It turned into a little makeout session as he ran his hands down her body while she laid beside him.

Until her phone rang and disturbed their fun.

She reached over to the nightstand to grab her phone and looked at the name in confusion.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"It's...Teagan?" she questioned.

"Hmm...I wonder what she wants."

She put a finger up to her lips, signaling for him to be quiet, and he nodded.

"Hello?" Olivia answered.

"Hey, Liv!" Teagan said.

"Hey, Teagan what's up?" Olivia asked.

She was honestly a little nervous.

"So Andrew wanted me to ask you when we should meet this weekend? He needs to know soon I guess because he's gotta buy a ticket and catch a bus depending on when, so I just thought I'd call you quick. Katherine and Max certainly won't be any help and they live in Connecticut anyway, so they can be more flexible."

"Oh yeah, true," Olivia nodded, looking at Fitz. He could hear the conversation, and seemed to be sighing in relief that it was just about group work. "Well Andrew certainly doesn't have to catch a bus back tonight or anything. I think...you know, Sunday is fine."

"Yeah okay, that's what I was thinking too. I don't want to have to cut our spring break too short. Although we did kind of bring it on ourselves," Teagan replied.

Olivia nodded, looking at Fitz who was shaking a disciplinary finger at her. She had to hold back a laugh.

"Yeah, we did. But Sunday isn't too bad. I think I'll probably just come back Saturday night so I don't have to get up so early Sunday and drive five hours," Olivia said.

"Oh yeah, good idea. Alright well, I just wanted to call you quick and check. I'll text the other two bozos and let them know the plan," Teagan replied.

Olivia laughed, and was just about to respond, before Fitz sneezed.

She winced at the sound and cleared her throat nervously. "Uhh...well anyway, thank you for calling, glad we got the plan set. I'll see you Sunday?" she questioned.

"Yeah, for sure. See you Sunday! Bye, Liv."

"Bye, Teagan."

Olivia hung up and looked at Fitz nervously. "Bless you."

He grimaced. "Thanks...all men sneeze the same, right?" he joked.

She shook her head with a laugh. "No. But hopefully that's what Teagan thinks."

He laid his head back on the pillows. "I really hope a sneeze doesn't decide our fate..."

She laughed, laying her head on his chest. "I think we're fine. A sneeze can't be proven. Even though yours are quite powerful."

He chuckled. "I don't know whether or not to be offended."

"Well it's not a bad thing!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, not all our sneezes can be small and cute, Liv."

She giggled. "Mine are small but they're definitely not _cute."_

" _Yes_ they are. 100 percent, very cute."

" _You're_ very cute," she said.

He smiled. "Ditto."

She snuggled up to him and looked at the ceiling, hoping and wishing that nothing would come crashing down this semester.

The whole Teagan thing made her a little nervous, even though she did trust her. She just didn't want to let her guard down any more than she apparently already had with her.

She looked forward to talking with Teagan on Sunday when they all met up, because she was going to see if she could get it out of her. She didn't want to be nervous about it.

At least if she knew, then Olivia would know she knew. She just didn't want any uncertainty.

But before Sunday came, Olivia and Fitz had a good time in Virginia together, and with her parents.

They had dinner on Thursday night, a nice meal that Eli made. And Friday, with her parents at work again, they had a little more fun. Or...a lot.

But the weekend passed fast. It always did, in Virginia, because they had a lot of fun there.

Before they knew it, they were saying goodbye to Olivia's parents and getting in her car to drive back to New Haven.

Olivia drove for a change. It was her car, after all, and she was going to drop Fitz off at his apartment when they got there.

She had laundry to do after the break and it would just be easier to get everything settled in her own apartment.

The drive was the same as usual, a little long. But it was better with him in the car with her.

He held her hand the whole drive and played his music through her speakers.

But eventually, she took the exit to his apartment.

"Maybe I'll see you tomorrow baby," she said, squeezing his hand.

He leaned in and pecked her lips. "Okay, sounds good. Love you."

"Love you too."

She drove back and brought all her things up to her apartment, which she needed two trips to do.

And she started some laundry and made herself some grilled cheese for dinner.

She was being productive, which was interrupted by Fitz texting her.

 **Fitz: Hey. Question.**

 **Olivia: Fire away.**

 **Fitz: How many cars are in the parking lot of your apartment?**

Olivia raised an eyebrow and went to look. It was pretty empty, but she counted.

 **Olivia: Four. Why?**

She stared at the message screen, waiting for him to respond. And it took him longer than it had for any of the other messages. But he finally did.

 **Fitz: I'm coming over.**

She stared at the screen in confusion.

 **Olivia: What?!**

 **Fitz: Yeah. I miss you.**

She started laughing.

 **Olivia: You just saw me!**

 **Fitz: That really doesn't correlate in my book, I can miss ya whenever I want.**

 **Olivia: That's fair.**

 **Fitz: If you don't want me to, I won't.**

 **Olivia: Well let me just finish up some things and get dressed again and I'll come over. It's safer.**

 **Fitz: Babe, no. Just let me. It's spring break, there are four cars there. Just let me.**

Olivia wanted to. It just seemed like a risky thing to do simply because he missed her. But she supposed he had a point. It was still spring break.

 **Olivia: Hmmm okay. You've convinced me.**

 **Fitz: Omw :)**

She smiled and put her phone down, going to finish up folding her laundry.

She just got done putting her things away when she heard a knock.

It was crazy the way her heart beat faster just knowing she was going to see him.

She opened the door to a smiling Fitz, who walked right in and gave her a kiss as she shut the door.

"Hi."

"Hi," she said back.

"This place really is creepy over break," he said. "Way too quiet."

She nodded. "Yeah...it's eerily quiet sometimes, you're right."

"Well," he said, taking off his jacket and his boots. "We could go make some noise."

She smirked at him. "Ah, I see so this was a _booty call."_

He scoffed, moving closer to her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I don't know, are you normally in love with your booty calls?" he asked, moving them backward toward the kitchen and hallway.

"Hmm...well—"

He lifted her up and slung her over his shoulder, smiling at the sound of the uncontrollable laughter he had just created.

"Fitz!" she giggled, smacking his ass as that was really the only thing within her reach.

He patted her ass too, as he carried her on his shoulder to her bedroom.

"You touch my ass I'm gonna touch yours," he said, which made her laugh even more.

And also, made her smack his ass more.

"Ow!" he exclaimed.

And with that, he tossed her on the bed, crawling right on top of her and silencing her laughter with his lips.

They made some noise, that was for sure.

So much that they wore themselves out pretty good.

They laid snuggled up together in her little bed, which was way too small for him.

But it was nice, all the same.

"You gonna go soon?" she asked.

He sighed. "Mmm, it's only seven. I'm not leaving yet."

"Good," she whispered, pecking his cheek.

He smiled. "You want some water? I'm gonna go get some."

"Sure," she nodded.

He kissed her nose lightly and pulled back the covers, standing up to find his clothes.

He put on his boxers and joggers and left the room.

He poured them both a glass of water, planning on bringing them to her bedroom.

Before he heard a sound at the door.

He didn't even have time to react, before the door was opening.

"Oh, Abby, it's not even locked. Is someone here?—"

Fitz's eyes widened at the sight before him.

It was a student. He had seen him in Olivia's pictures. It was Harrison, if he remembered the name correctly.

He had been looking back behind his shoulder slightly, likely talking to Abby, if Fitz had to guess. Before he turned and saw a shirtless Fitz, standing in the kitchen alone.

Fitz's mouth was open slightly in fear, slightly in disbelief that this was actually happening.

Not only was Harrison looking him over with a distasteful and shocked look. But Fitz heard tons of footsteps and voices coming down the hall, too.

He didn't know what to do. He had no options here. Absolutely none.

And then to make matters worse, Harrison asked the question.

"Who the fuck are you?"

* * *

...

So that just happened.

So much friend drama going on right now, between Stephen and Sandra, _and_ her friend group at school.

How do you think this is going to play out? I'm sure this was not at all what you expected.

Prepare for *some* shit to go down. _Some._

The next chapter will be interesting. You should look forward to it though, I'll tell you that!

Hope you enjoyed.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	71. Minus The Shiner

"Who the fuck are you?"

Fitz stood there, still unsure of what to say or do. He could feel his hands shaking, which he tried to hide. He was terrified, there was no other word to describe what he felt. This couldn't be happening.

"Okay…just…okay," he said, putting his hands up in defense to Harrison, who seemed to be inching closer to him suspiciously with each second.

Fitz tried to peek around Harrison through the doorway. He could hear tons of people coming closer. They were almost here. Who they were, he had no idea. One of them had to be Abby. But all he knew for sure was that he and Olivia were screwed. Officially screwed.

He wished he and Olivia had locked the door. That would at least have given him time to bust his ass to Olivia's room and hide potentially. But either way, Harrison would have gotten in. He had the key in his hand, which Fitz assumed Abby had given to him.

" _Who_ the fuck _are_ you? What are you doing in my friends' apartment?" Harrison asked.

Fitz was pretty sure trying to explain everything right then and there was not going to work out, given the group of people coming and Harrison looking at him like he was a damn murderer or something.

But he thought he'd give it a shot, at least. He was about to say something again, when a bunch of students showed up in the doorway, a few feet behind Harrison. Fitz had a brief moment to look at all of them. And all of them, he was pretty sure he recognized. They were Olivia's friends, he was pretty sure. There were so many of them.

And there was only one face he knew for sure he trusted.

He made eye contact with the redhead, who looked utterly shocked, like him.

But he only had that brief moment, to look over all of them. Because then Harrison's fist was making hard contact with his face.

"No!—" Abby yelled, going to grab Harrison's arm. And to Abby's surprise, Teagan was just as shocked, and went to grab Harrison's other arm.

Abby looked over at Teagan in that brief second, seeming as though they were on the same side here.

Fitz stumbled back, completely surprised by the blow.

He held onto the barstool for support, clutching his eye.

"Oh man, not the pretty face," Abby winced, looking at Fitz regrettably.

Olivia, on the other hand, was just coming to the kitchen to see what the hell was going on.

She'd heard the door open and a man speaking right away. A man speaking that wasn't her boyfriend. It was too quiet at first to tell who it was.

But she had jumped out of bed to put at least some form of clothing on. She had been wearing leggings before she and Fitz had taken everything off. And those took way too long to put on.

So she put on her underwear and Fitz's shirt, which hit her mid thighs anyway, and ran out of her room.

But as soon as she reached the hallway and looked out, she saw Fitz being knocked backward, and heard a distinct yell from Abby.

Her eyes widened as she watched Fitz regain his bearings, and saw Abby and Teagan shielding Harrison from Fitz in some form.

And there were all the rest of her friends, there in the doorway.

Huck, David, Quinn, and Charlie.

All watching the scene unfold in confusion. This was _not_ good.

She ran up to Fitz, trying to see if he was okay.

"What the hell is going on?!" she yelled, not at all quietly at Harrison in particular.

"Olivia?" Harrison asked, looking at her in confusion. He clearly did not know anyone else was there.

"What did you do to him?" she asked angrily, looking over Fitz's face.

"Well who is that?!" he yelled back, pointing to Fitz. "What...the?" he added, looking at both of their half-clothed states. Particularly Olivia, who was wearing no pants and a man's shirt.

Olivia held Fitz's face in her hands, already seeing the red mark surrounding his left eye. "I'm fine, baby, I'm fine," he said quietly, holding on to her and the bartop.

 _"_ _Baby?_ Oh...shit," Quinn said, looking at the two of them.

It was clear that between the group of friends, everyone was still utterly confused, though.

Except for two of them. Abby, of course. And one more person.

"Wait…you guys didn't know?" Teagan asked.

They all looked to Teagan in surprise, while Olivia and Fitz looked at each other and winced. So Teagan had known.

"What do you mean we didn't know? What don't we know? What do _you_ know?" Huck asked his girlfriend.

"Yeah, what the hell?" Harrison asked.

"Wait…I know you!" David said, pointing at Fitz.

"Who is he?" Charlie asked.

Abby looked at Olivia apologetically, who looked down nervously.

There was no way out of this chaotic mess at this point. She had no idea how she could possibly lie her way out of this one.

"Alright. Come in, all of you. Shut the door," she said before any of them could say anything else.

They all slowly entered, shutting the door behind them.

"Can we let you go? Are you gonna fricken punch someone else?" Abby asked Harrison.

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. Abby nodded at Teagan, and they both released him.

He rubbed his right fist, which was a bit red too.

They all gathered in the living room, sitting down and waiting for what appeared to be some big reveal.

Olivia sighed. "Well I'm going to go put on pants," she said. She grabbed Fitz's hand. "And you're coming with me so you don't get fucking assaulted again."

"Okay, I thought…I thought he was—" Harrison began.

But Olivia and Fitz headed down the hallway to her room. She didn't want to hear it from Harrison. She was annoyed as hell at him.

Fitz followed her silently to her room and watched as she immediately led him toward the bed for him to sit down.

"Let me see you," she said, brushing his hair out of the way gently.

He grabbed her arms. "Olivia. I'm okay," he assured her.

"Bullshit, your eye is as red as Abby's hair."

He sighed, putting his face in his hands in defeat.

"I'm so sorry. About Harrison," she said, reaching out to grab his hand. "That was uncalled for."

"Liv, I don't care about Harrison. I care that they know. They're going to _know_ now. This is all my fault."

"It's my fault too. I should've just...gone to your apartment like I said. I knew it was risky."

"I told you no. It's my fault. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Liv," he replied, watching her put on her leggings. "I will take the fall. I will...I don't know. I'll make sure none of this goes on you, okay? This is all on me. All of it."

"Baby, just slow down okay. Let's just...you know, one step at a time. It's my friends, it's not the President of Yale or something. They're my _friends,"_ she said.

"Babe, your _friend_ almost fucking knocked me out before I could even explain anything," he said. "Friends or not, we need to be prepared for anything."

She sighed. "Alright," she agreed. "Let's just...go get it over with then."

He nodded, following a now fully clothed Olivia. She'd changed into her own shirt, and he started putting his back on as they walked back to the living room.

Olivia got right to business.

"Okay first of all, what are you all doing here?" she asked. "Literally. At the same time. How on earth?"

Abby sighed and spoke up. "Well, I came back early to be with David. Huck, you came back 'cause of Teagan...?" she questioned, looking at him for confirmation.

Huck nodded. "And since I was coming back, Harrison wanted to also."

"So we came back too," Quinn said, gesturing to herself and Charlie. "We were all gonna wait for you to come back. Abby said you'd be back later tonight, she thought."

Abby nodded. "I'm sorry, Liv. This is my fault. I didn't know you were already here and I didn't know that pretty boy was with you," she said regrettably.

Olivia shook her head, signaling to Abby that this was in no way her fault.

Harrison looked at everyone so confused. "Okay, seriously what the hell. Teagan _and_ Abby, how do you know who this is and we don't?" he asked.

"I'm right here Harrison, you can talk directly to me," Fitz piped up.

"Oh, good, he knows my name. That's not creepy at all," he said, looking at Fitz distastefully.

"Okay, how about you shut up, Harrison, because last time you talked directly to him you also hit him," Abby said.

"Alright, alright. Just...okay," Liv said, gesturing for them to be quiet.

"This is Fitz. He's my boyfriend, as I'm sure you could have probably guessed by now," she said.

Harrison put his hands up in defense. "Okay, I didn't know that. I thought you weren't home, Liv. All I saw was some dude in your fucking kitchen alone," he said.

"What, did you think he was breaking in or something? Standing in the kitchen half-naked just by himself?" Abby asked, giving him a dumb look.

"I've never seen this guy before in my life?! What else am I supposed to think? I didn't think Liv was home, that's what _you_ said, and you're the one that lives with her!" he exclaimed.

"Well people make mistakes, you dumbass!" Abby yelled.

"Yeah, and I made one too so just shut up about it!" Harrison yelled back.

"Okay, well my mistake didn't involve _assaulting_ someone!" Abby exclaimed.

"Look, it's fine. We're fine," Fitz nodded at Harrison.

"No, it's not fine," Olivia said, looking at him.

"Olivia, it's _fine_. He was looking out for you and Abby. I'm okay with that," Fitz said to her.

"Okay, but why is this such a big deal. Fritz is her boyfriend, so what?" Charlie asked.

"Fitz," Fitz corrected him.

"Oh sorry man," Charlie replied.

"Wait...so then _you're_ mystery boy!" Quinn exclaimed out of the blue. "The one that's really good in bed!"

Charlie looked at Quinn. "Babe, what the hell."

She shrugged. "Sorry. That's just what Liv said!"

Olivia sighed and looked at Fitz. Not only was his eye red, but his cheeks now too. "Mystery boy who's...good in bed?" he asked Olivia.

"It's a long story...just...stupid drinking games," she replied.

He raised an eyebrow and looked back at her friends.

"Why is he a mystery though?" Huck asked.

Olivia knew there was really no avoiding this anymore. Abby, Teagan, and apparently David knew who he was. She might as well just get it out now. Get it done with. The rest of them wouldn't rest until they knew.

"Fitz is...a professor. In the poli sci department. He's... _my_ professor. And Teagan's," Olivia said, looking at Teagan.

Teagan nodded, seeming to give her a reassuring look as if to say "you got this."

All of her friends who didn't know gave her a surprised look, completely shocked by that fact.

"He was my professor all of last year, and now this semester too. We've been dating for over a year. It's against policy, so it's why we've had to keep it a secret. Only a handful of people know, you guys now included. My parents. My two best friends at home. Abby. The head of the department, Cyrus, and his husband James. And...Teagan."

Teagan nodded.

Everybody was silent, absorbing the news.

"And look, I'd love to...stay and talk about this more but he needs to go. I'm not risking him staying here another minute, since clearly, this has not been our smartest hour. So...if you all wanna go to the Office of the President and tell...you should do it now. Before they close," Olivia said sadly.

But nobody moved a muscle. Everyone just stood there, looking at each other or at the floor.

And it was silent, until Teagan spoke up.

"You certainly won't see me going there. I don't know anything," Teagan shrugged.

Olivia felt a little hope in her chest, because she knew all along that Teagan had been her friend. That she was trustworthy.

"Me neither," Abby piped up, nodding at Liv.

David nodded. "I'm with them."

"Me too," Huck said.

"You think I'm ruining this for you? Hell no," Quinn piped up. "You go girl."

"Yeah I like Fritz. I ain't tellin'," Charlie nodded.

"Dude, he just told you it's Fitz," Huck said.

"Fuck, sorry. I'm bad with names," Charlie replied.

Everyone looked at Harrison, the only one who hadn't said anything yet.

"Well...I feel like the least I can do is keep this to myself. I did...clock you in the face," Harrison said to Fitz.

"Yeah, man, you really did," Fitz nodded, which made everyone laugh a little bit.

"I'm sorry about that. I didn't know, man. And...It's not my business to be sharing this with anyone," he nodded at them.

Olivia sighed thankfully, resting her head on Fitz's arm and closing her eyes.

He sighed too, holding her tightly.

It was clear that the mood in the room had changed. Olivia's friends could see how thankful she and this mysterious guy were, for their promise of secrecy.

"Thank you guys," she said quietly. "Thank you so much."

"Thank you," Fitz nodded, wrapping his arm around Olivia and rubbing her back.

"I feel like we should clap or something," Huck whispered, which made everyone laugh.

"No, no. That'll draw more attention," Olivia said with a laugh. "He needs to go. _We_ need to go."

"What? No come on, that's all we get?" Quinn asked sadly. "Come on, tell us more. We've missed out on over a year of your life."

"Yeah can't we all talk more?" Harrison asked. "We still don't even know him."

Olivia sighed. "Well...like I said I just don't think we should stay here. We shouldn't have even been here together in the first place. Can we talk somewhere else? This isn't...safe."

"Are you gonna feel safe anywhere though?" Abby asked.

Olivia winced. "Probably not. Except for..." she said, looking at Fitz.

He sighed and nodded. "Alright. We'll take them there."

"Where?" Charlie asked.

"My apartment," Fitz answered.

"Are you sure?" Olivia asked.

He shrugged. "They wanna talk more, we'll talk more. I think they deserve it."

"Yeah! I like this guy!" Charlie exclaimed.

"Maybe get his name right then," Harrison said.

"Okay, you don't get to talk, you fucking punched him," Charlie said.

"The man's got a point," Abby said.

"I'm just really amused with all this," David said. "This was a way better decision than watching Netflix all night."

"Yeah, we're going on an adventure, I like this!" Quinn said.

"Yeah, okay but we have to get there without being seen first, preferably," Olivia said nervously, looking through the peephole as she put her jacket on. "There weren't any other people coming back when you guys walked in were there?"

"No, Liv. But don't worry. We got this. Huck, come on, let's go. Being spies are both of our backup job options," Charlie said.

Huck nodded, getting up with Charlie.

Huck held out his hand for Teagan, who grabbed it and followed.

Everyone else got up and people started walking out into the hallway quietly, looking around carefully.

Olivia and Fitz stayed back, putting on their shoes and jackets.

Charlie gave them a thumbs up from the end of the hallway, signaling that the coast was clear. He had gotten the thumbs up from Huck, who was by the elevators with Teagan.

Fitz laughed quietly underneath his breath. "I feel like the president, with all my secret service agents or something."

She smiled and rolled her eyes. "My friends are crazy. You sure you want them in your apartment?"

He nodded and laughed. "It'll be fine. I'm sure they have questions. Might as well just get them out of the way now. This is my fault, Liv."

"Don't blame yourself. You didn't know this would happen. We've done it before and we've always been fine. We just...let our guard down this time," she whispered.

He shook his head, seeming adamant. "No. _I_ did. It's just my fault," he said quietly.

She squeezed his hand encouragingly. "We'll talk more later, okay," she whispered.

He nodded at her in response.

So, they made their way out of the apartment complex while all of Olivia's friends got them out safely, without being seen by anyone who was actually there.

"Okay. What cars are we taking?" Harrison asked.

"I have room for three more in mine," Fitz said, gesturing for at least some of them to follow.

"I'll take the rest, I know where your apartment is," Abby said, heading to her car with David.

So Huck, Teagan, and Harrison followed Olivia and Fitz, and Charlie and Quinn followed Abby and David.

" _This_ is your car?" Harrison asked, admiring it once they reached it.

Fitz nodded, unlocking it for them.

"Damn. This is nice," he said.

"Thanks," Fitz replied.

They all got in and made sure Abby was close behind them before they exited the parking lot.

And there they all went, adventuring to Fitz's apartment, the only safe place. The place that Fitz never should have left to begin with.

Once they parked and got out, everyone looked at the place in awe.

"You live...here?" Quinn asked.

"Shit, man," Charlie nodded in agreement.

Olivia laughed and linked her arm with Fitz's as they started to walk in. "This should be interesting," she whispered.

"Yeah...that's a good way to put it," he whispered back.

"Sir, Hello! Hi ma'am!" Christian said to Olivia and Fitz, who were leading the way.

"Hey Christian," they said politely back.

"And...hello to...everyone else," he said watching the many people walk in behind the couple.

"Sup, bro," Harrison nodded.

"Thank you," Abby and David nodded.

Teagan, Huck, Quinn, and Charlie nodded at Christian as they passed through the open door.

"What is this place, a freaking hotel?" Quinn asked Olivia in a whisper.

"Have you never seen it from the highway? This is Pax," Charlie whispered back.

"Jesus," Quinn replied, looking around in awe.

"Grant and Grant's girl! And...company?" Logan said in question, looking at the large group of people entering.

"Hey man, how's it going," Fitz said, giving Logan a wave.

"Hi, Logan," Olivia added.

"Hey. You all having a party?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Something like that," Fitz chuckled.

"Nice. What's with your face, man?" Logan asked.

"Just an...accident," Fitz replied.

Olivia eyed Harrison. She was still mad at him for that. More mad than Fitz was about it apparently.

"Grant?" Charlie questioned.

"His last name," Teagan answered.

"Hm. That's easier. Hey, um...can I call you Grant?" Charlie asked Fitz.

"Sure, buddy. That's better than Fritz," Fitz said.

"Sick," Charlie nodded happily.

"His preferred name is pretty boy," Abby said, looking over her shoulder.

"That's true," he nodded with a laugh.

"Really? See, I think mystery boy captures him well," Quinn nodded as they all got in the elevator.

"Me and all my nicknames, apparently," Fitz chuckled.

"I think sweetie wins them all," Olivia said, looking up at him with a smile.

"I think so too," he whispered, pecking her lips gently.

"Okay, no PDA in the elevator," Harrison said.

Olivia shot him a look. "Don't make me punch you."

He opened his mouth in awe. "Liv, I'm sorry! I really am, I didn't know he was your...boo!" he said apologetically.

"Give it time. She's protective of him," Abby nodded, patting Harrison's back.

"Really protective," Fitz mouthed, before they got off on the sixth floor.

They made their way to his apartment, all of them taking in the beautiful hallways and the tall, cherry wood doors.

But once they saw the inside of his place, they were even more starstruck.

Everyone took off their shoes and he gave them the tour. They all loved it.

Olivia just held his hand and walked with him while he showed them. They were very curious, so they wanted to see each room, of course.

This apartment was not like student living on campus. This was a whole new level for them.

Olivia smiled when they reached the last room at the end of the hallway.

He turned on the lights and showed them the large, tidy room from the doorway.

"And this is our room," he said.

That was why she smiled. "Our."

"Awww, look at the picture," Quinn said, pointing to it on his nightstand.

The one of them kissing in the snow.

"Mhm. She's...everywhere here," he chuckled.

"That's honestly adorable," Quinn said.

"You'll find that about these two," Abby said, smiling at them.

Olivia smiled back.

"Do you guys want anything to eat or drink?" Fitz asked as they walked back down the hallway.

"Sure, I'll take something to drink, thanks," Huck nodded appreciatively.

"Yeah, thanks, me too," Charlie agreed.

So, Fitz and Olivia got drinks for all those who wanted them.

They all brought their drinks to the living room and sat down. The couch was filled with Huck and Teagan, and Quinn and Charlie. Harrison took the chair, Abby and David chilled on the floor and so did Olivia and Fitz.

They liked the floor, anyway.

And they talked. There really was a lot her friends didn't know. So Olivia and Fitz answered a lot of questions.

"My first question is how? Like how did it start?" Quinn asked.

Olivia looked to Fitz. "You want this one or should I take it?" she asked, which made everyone laugh.

"I got this one," he nodded. "I'll summarize."

"We became good friends right away. But we both knew that...there was a little something more there. There always had been, from the beginning."

"A _little something?"_ Abby asked.

Olivia and Fitz laughed.

"There was _definitely_ something more there. And...it took us a while to quit denying it. About...four months," he said with a laugh.

"Four?!" Quinn exclaimed.

"Four," Olivia nodded.

"Wow," Teagan said.

"Yeah. And then...one night we finally quit denying it," Fitz finished.

"Yeah, right where you guys are sitting, actually," Abby said, pointing at the couch.

The four on the couch grimaced and looked around.

"Abby!" Olivia exclaimed. "That's not even fully true," she said, laughing.

"Kinda," Abby shrugged. "Good summary, pretty boy."

"Thanks, I thought so," Fitz chuckled.

"What's up with this pretty boy?" Huck asked.

"He's pretty," Olivia said.

Abby shrugged. "Yeah, it's just always stuck, I guess. I don't know. _Fitz_ just doesn't work for me."

"Should I be offended that you don't call me that?" David asked, which made everyone laugh.

"No. I think you should be glad about that," Fitz chuckled.

"Yeah maybe you're right," David said with a laugh.

"Wait...I mean can I asked the obvious question that nobody's asked yet?" Charlie piped up.

They nodded.

"How old are you?" he asked.

"Charlie, that's not polite to ask," Quinn exclaimed.

"Well I thought it was okay in this situation! I mean this situation is a little...different!" he said in defense.

"It's alright, I'm surprised nobody's asked it either," Fitz nodded.

"Wait, wait," Olivia said to Fitz. "How old do you all think he is?"

"I know the answer, I'm out," Abby said.

"I know too," Teagan said.

"I'm gonna guess 33," Quinn said.

"Oh really? I was gonna go 31," Charlie said.

Fitz smiled. "I really like this game, thanks, baby," he said to Olivia.

"Wait, is that sarcasm? Are you even younger than that?" Huck asked. "'Cause I was gonna say 29."

"Oh wow. You can't be serious! I _really_ like this game," he said again.

"I say 32," Harrison said.

"No, there's no way he's that young though. He's gotta be like 36 at _least_ , based on his past," David said.

Abby and Teagan nodded.

Olivia raised an eyebrow, wondering if he really knew. "Based on his past?"

David nodded. "Well...the reason I know him is because one of my friends took his Supreme Court course as an elective and really liked him. He's the...or, sorry. _You're_ the governor professor aren't you?" David asked Fitz.

Fitz nodded. "How did you know that? Most students never figure that out. I don't ever tell them and it was a long time ago."

"Google," David chuckled. "My friend showed me. That's how I knew what you looked like."

"Yeah...that's how I knew too," Teagan added. "I googled your father because I was curious. You...kinda came up too."

Fitz nodded. "Gotcha. I appreciate all your guesses, though, that made me feel good. I'm 37, almost 38."

"There's no way," Charlie said.

"Yeah...you're like...ripped," Quinn added.

Olivia rolled her eyes. Nice.

"Wait, wait. Hold on a sec. What do you mean governor professor?" Huck asked.

"Oh...sorry, was I not supposed to say that?" David asked worriedly.

"No, that's alright, David," Fitz chuckled. "I don't talk about it much, is all."

"You were a governor?" Harrison asked. "I thought that was a joke."

Fitz nodded. "California."

"That must be why you're so tan," Quinn said, snapping her fingers.

"Grant, that's sick!" Charlie said excitedly.

"Thanks, bud," Fitz nodded.

"Damn. So how come you're here now?" Huck asked.

Fitz sighed. "Well, I love to teach, and it's easier to teach what you know. I went here for my undergrad, too, and knew I liked the program. So I came back."

"He went to law school too," Abby added.

"Yes," Fitz nodded.

"Oh cool, where?!" Quinn asked.

"Harvard Law," he answered.

"Whew, shit. I need to step up my game," Harrison said.

"You're already enrolled at the second-ranked school in the nation. I think you're all alright," Fitz chuckled.

"Yeah and so far all I've got to show for it is my high-stress level and my debts," Charlie said, scratching his head.

They all laughed. "Same here," Huck said.

"Grind it out, you'll get through it. It gets better," Fitz nodded.

"Yeah clearly it gets better," Harrison nodded, looking around his apartment. "I have to say, though, I think you could afford a nicer calendar than that, prof."

They all looked to Olivia and Fitz's handmade calendar, hanging across from them in the hallway.

"Hey now, I made that one with love," Fitz nodded.

"Ahhh, that must be _the calendar,"_ Abby said with a smile.

Olivia smiled and nodded.

"What calendar?" Quinn asked.

"They cross off every day. It means...they're that much closer to being free," Abby said.

Quinn's face softened and everyone smiled.

"Y'all are kinda cute, what the fuck," Harrison said.

Fitz winked at Olivia and kissed her temple, wrapping his arm around her.

"So...I don't want you to take this the wrong way, Liv. But...how come you didn't tell us? I mean, I understand. But you didn't think you could trust us?" Huck asked curiously.

Everyone got quiet and looked at Olivia for an answer.

She shook her head. "It's not that...I didn't trust you guys, necessarily. Abby knew right away from the beginning. And...I did consider telling you guys. I didn't want to have to lie to you all the time. That sucked, and I'm sorry about that. It's just...it's more comforting when not many people know. It's less of a chance that it's going to get out. The only people that I planned on telling this whole time were Abby and Sandra, my best friend back home. But look at how many people know now. See what I mean? It's just...it's a lot of people. A lot of people I have to rely on to keep one secret."

Quinn spoke up immediately.

"Yeah but this kind of secret...I mean we see you two right now. We see that you're happy. That you've been happy all along. That makes us feel good, we're your friends Liv. We'd never take happiness away from you."

"Yeah. We got you, Liv. Always," Harrison agreed.

The rest nodded in agreement.

"And...we got him too. He's cool," Charlie said, nodding to Fitz.

Fitz chuckled as they all nodded in agreement again.

He was glad this night was going better than it had started.

They all talked some more. Sometimes asking more questions about Fitz and Olivia, sometimes inquiring about Fitz personally, and sometimes just talking amongst themselves in smaller groups.

At one point, Teagan got up from her spot and came over to sit by Olivia and Fitz.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hey, Teagan," they both said.

"You two doing okay?" she asked.

"Yeah we're alright now. We were...a little scared before. But I think we've decided that everything is...gonna be okay," Olivia nodded.

"Yeah, I could tell you were spooked before. I'm glad everyone is supportive," she said.

Olivia smiled. "Speaking of supportive...you knew," she said, nudging her arm.

Teagan nodded. "Yeah...I knew. I mean...I didn't for _sure_ know, but I was pretty sure."

"How?" Fitz asked.

"Just little things. I'm in your Supreme Court class too, if you didn't already know," she said.

"Mhm," he nodded. "I've seen you."

"Yeah...well, it was just little things that added up. Like...Olivia was sick one day for Political Theory. Which sucked, because I had to deal with loud Katherine and annoying Max by myself," she said with a laugh.

"And you were sick the next day for Supreme Court, professor. I just thought that was a coincidence, didn't think much of it. People get sick, you know. And then...you missed Supreme Court again on a different Friday. And the night before, Olivia was taking this trip _home,_ she told me. And you both kind of...avoid eye contact too. I mean, in class. Like...excessively avoid eye contact. So I just had a hunch. It could've been coincidences, I knew that. I certainly wasn't 100 percent on it. But I just noticed things that...probably only a friend of hers, who also had you as a professor would notice."

Olivia nodded. It was true. She hadn't ever had a friend in one of Fitz's classes before now. Maybe that was a good thing, considering what her friend had figured out.

Thank god Katherine and Max were too focused on each other half the time, and that Andrew was on his phone most classes. Otherwise, she'd probably have more of an issue going on.

"Also..." she began. "Or—nevermind."

"No what?" Olivia asked.

"Well...it's just...you, Professor Grant. A lot of girls kind of..." she began.

"Oh boy," he said.

"Think he's hot? Yep," Olivia nodded.

"Yeah...and...most of them make it known that they think that. But Olivia gets kind of weird whenever Katherine says something about you," Teagan said. "Which I completely understand, Liv. Totally."

Olivia nodded.

"Oh, and the sneeze," Teagan added.

Olivia's mouth dropped open and she looked at Fitz.

"No way, not the sneeze! You mean this week over break?" she asked.

Teagan nodded. "Yeah...after everything I already guessed, I was pretty sure. It sounded like him," she giggled. "I knew you were home for spring break, so...that didn't add up. I figured he was with you."

"Dammit," Fitz said, shaking his head with a laugh. "Not the sneeze."

"Well thank you, for having our backs. It means a lot," Olivia nodded.

"Yes, thank you. And I'm sorry you've had to see me half-clothed and have had to hang out in my apartment. I'm sure that's a little strange for you," he chuckled.

"It's alright, professor," she said with a laugh.

"Fitz is okay, Teagan," he nodded.

Teagan winced. "Yeah, that's...I don't know. Maybe when I'm done with your class. Right now that feels disrespectful."

"Your choice, whatever you're comfortable with," he said.

She nodded thankfully.

Olivia smiled at her, putting her hand on Teagan's. "Thank you," she mouthed again.

Teagan smiled and nodded.

"Oh, hey, Liv, can I look at your guys' New York City book now that I'm here?" Abby asked.

"Oh yeah, sure. It's on that little table right there," she said, nodding to the table by the wall.

"Oh, I wanna see! When did you guys go?" Quinn asked.

"Last year for Valentine's Day," Olivia answered.

"Aww," Teagan said, nudging Olivia's arm.

So all her friends crowded around the little book they'd made and looked at it on the floor.

"Come with me," Fitz whispered, grabbing her hand.

She looked at all her friends, completely focused on the book. So she took his hand.

He led her to the bedroom, closing the door behind them.

He held on to her hips and leaned his head down on her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry."

She sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"You don't need to apologize anymore, Fitz."

"Yes, I do," he whispered, pulling back and leaning his forehead against hers. "All of this is my fault."

"Mine too," she whispered back.

He shook his head. "No. Stop with that, don't be nice. It's my fault."

"Fitz," she said, giving him a "come on" look.

"I broke my own rule. Nowhere but here, is the rule. I broke that, and it cost us."

"Well, it's done now. Like you always told me, we can't change it now. It's done," she said, looking into his eyes. One of which, was starting to bear a bruise around it.

He closed his eyes and nodded.

She could tell he was devastated, and so sorry.

But there was no use in dwelling on it anymore. They couldn't go back in time.

She brushed the hair out of his face and gave him a smile.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you. I'm still so sorry," he replied.

"You're forgiven," she whispered, kissing his cheek.

It was hard at this point to be mad at him. He'd paid for it physically already, thanks to Harrison.

And all her friends were supportive of them. They all already liked him. No real damage had been done, to be honest. Just a lot of unnecessary anxiety.

"Now will you please let me actually look at your eye?" she asked.

He nodded.

She grabbed his hand and led him into the bathroom for better lighting than the one lamp that was on in the bedroom.

He sat down on the edge of the bathtub and she examined it.

"It's already bruising," she winced.

He nodded. "I know. I can feel."

"You want me to go ask one of my white female friends if they have any makeup you could borrow for this week?" she teased.

"No thanks," he chuckled.

"If you'd just gotten a lot more sun in California maybe mine would work for you," she giggled.

He laughed. "Dammit. I should have thought ahead."

"You should've," she said with a laugh. "We should go put some ice on it now, though."

"Alright," he said. "I'm not really sure how I'm going to explain this one to my classes this week. Now that...you know, makeup is out of the question."

She giggled. "Say you...ran into a pole."

"Oh like that's not embarrassing," he chuckled.

"Broke up a bar fight? That's heroic!" she said.

"Yeah...maybe I'll just go with...I was playing tennis. It sounds less badass and more...professor-like."

"Tennis, huh?" she giggled.

"Yeah. What's wrong, you don't think I'd be good at tennis?" he asked.

"Oh no, I'm sure you'd be very good at tennis. You're good at everything."

He smiled. "Mostly picking women."

And then he grimaced. "Or...just the one woman. Just...you—I meant. Yeah. Okay, that kind of backfired."

She laughed, grabbing his hand and pulling him up.

"I got what you meant."

He leaned down and kissed her lips briefly a few times, and pulled her in for a hug.

"If all this goes wrong, I will take the fall. Every bit of it, okay? I'll make sure of that."

She sighed. "Baby, enough. Okay?"

He bit his lip. "Okay. I'm just...I'm just saying."

"I know, and I'm hearing you. I love you so very much and I love that you're trying to make things better, but they're okay. We're okay. No more."

He nodded. "Okay."

"Okay. Come on," she said, pulling on his hand.

They walked into the kitchen, hearing her friends chatting about their photo book.

"Oh that's a cute picture," Quinn said.

"Aw, they went to Phantom," Teagan added.

Olivia smiled as she got some ice out of the freezer and put it in a bag for him, wrapping a towel around it.

He was leaning against the counter, smiling at all of her friends' reactions.

"Here you go," she said, pressing it lightly to his face.

He winced and grabbed her hand.

"Cold?" she giggled.

He laughed and nodded, but took over for her, holding it there. "Thanks."

"Mhm," she nodded, wrapping her arms around his waist, and leaning her head on his chest.

She stood there hugging him as he leaned against the counter, one arm around her and one holding the ice to his face.

And then Harrison took a break from the book admiring.

He walked up slowly to the kitchen, hands in his pockets.

"How's the...ice feel?" he asked Fitz.

"Cold. She's making me," he chuckled, nodding to her, holding onto him.

"Probably smart to...listen to the girlfriend," Harrison said with a laugh.

"Oh, it's most _definitely_ smart to listen to the girlfriend. Always," Fitz chuckled.

Olivia smiled into his chest, rubbing his back as she turned to look at Harrison.

"I really am sorry man," Harrison said.

Fitz shook his head. "We're good. You throw a mean punch, though. Almost knocked me down."

Harrison laughed a little bit. "I know...I shouldn't have done that."

Fitz shrugged. "I would've been skeptical of me too."

Harrison looked at Olivia. "Liv. Are we good?"

Olivia nodded slowly. "Yes. I'm a little sad that you hurt his sweet face but I'll live. We're good."

He nodded. "Cool. Again. I'm sorry. I really am. You two are...really cool."

Fitz nodded in appreciation and Olivia smiled. "Thanks, Harrison."

Harrison nodded back.

And Olivia and Fitz joined him in the living room soon after, with all her friends again.

They still had a lot more details to spill. And they did.

Cyrus finding out, her _parents_ finding out, some of the risky things they'd done as of then.

They were a pretty big hit amongst her friends, who seemed to listen intently as though the couple was apart of a movie or television series.

Lots of questions and comments in between, and more rounds of drinks were involved.

Nothing alcoholic. Just a jug and a half of lemonade, and eventually some snacks, too.

It got to be so late, that some started to drift off.

First, it was just Charlie in the corner. But Quinn snuggled up next to him, and passed out too.

And one by one, all the "party" members fell asleep.

The last ones up, were none other than Olivia and Fitz, and Abby and David.

"Do you want me to wake everyone up? They're a bunch of losers," Abby said with a laugh. "I'm sure you don't want them passing out here."

Fitz shook his head. "Nah, it's alright. You can leave them."

Olivia snuggled up to Fitz even closer, closing her eyes and holding onto his arm.

"It seems I have a 'loser' right here," he whispered, poking Olivia's side.

She smiled, holding in her laughter.

He poked her again, threatening to tickle her more.

"Don't you dare," she whispered, which made Fitz laugh quietly.

David took advantage of the empty couch and waved Abby up next to him. She happily got on the couch with him, laying her head on his chest.

"Hey, you two can take a room if you want," Fitz whispered, gesturing behind him to the hallway.

They thanked him for the offer, although they didn't get up.

"I don't want to move now," Abby said with a laugh.

"You don't have to, by any means. But the offer stands," Fitz said.

"Thank you," David nodded gratefully. "You wanna just stay with everyone, Abbs?" he whispered.

"Yeah, sure. How are you two doing? Okay?" Abby asked.

They both nodded, Olivia giving a thumbs up.

"I'm sorry. I really am. I feel responsible," Abby whispered.

They both shook their heads.

"No, no. You don't need to be sorry. It was poor communication on my part, this is in no way your fault. It's not your job to check up on us and see where we are. It was on us, not you," Olivia said, looking up at her.

"It was on _me_ , really. This was on me," Fitz added.

Olivia sighed, tightening her grip around him.

"Well, I think it turned out okay. I know...you might still be nervous about it, because you didn't want a ton of people to know. But...we know our friends, Liv and I. They're not gonna tell anyone. They'd never do that to Liv," Abby said to Fitz. "And they like you. I can tell."

Olivia nodded in agreement.

And Fitz did too.

"Well. They certainly like being here," he chuckled, looking at all of Olivia's friends passed out throughout his living room.

Olivia smiled and rolled her eyes. They were all crazy. But she loved them for it.

"Liv. You okay down there? I don't think pretty boy's going anywhere," Abby said with a laugh.

Olivia giggled into Fitz's chest and nodded, knowing her grip on him was tight.

"She just has to make sure," Fitz said with a smile, rubbing her back.

"Can you two really sleep like that?" David asked with a laugh.

"Yes," they both answered simultaneously.

"Yeah, see now I can actually tell you how about them and how attached they are," Abby said, looking at David.

"Oh shush," Olivia said with a laugh.

Abby laughed. "Oh, hey. And now I can also tell you that we're all going on a double date sometime after this semester," she said.

David nodded. "I'm down for that."

Abby smiled at Olivia and Fitz. "Huh? What do you think?"

Olivia nodded. "Hell yes."

"Of course," Fitz agreed.

"Cool," Abby nodded happily.

She moved closer to David and her eyes began to close slowly.

There was chatter amongst the four of them for a little while longer, until the last two that remained were Olivia and Fitz.

They were tired, but they were still awake.

"Baby," he whispered.

"Hmm?" she murmured sleepily.

"Bed?" he whispered.

She nodded, although she didn't move.

He smiled, pressing kisses to her shoulder and neck.

"Come on, pretty girl."

"Okay," she nodded.

They got up and he grabbed her hand in the dark, leading her to their bedroom.

He shut the door quietly and crawled into bed after her, pulling her into his body.

"Sleep well," he whispered.

She murmured back, and what she murmured, he couldn't tell. The only thing he could understand for sure was the last thing she said.

"Love you—I love you."

He smiled. "I love you too."

He let out a quiet breath and kissed the back of her head. "And I'm still so sorry about today."

She didn't answer. She had been half asleep in the living room already, and she was barely awake as she made her way to the bedroom.

She was out.

"You let me off too easy, Olivia. This could have been so bad for us," he whispered. "I'm just so sorry."

Of course, he received no answer.

She would hear no more apologies from him, anyway. But he still felt sorry, and knew he always would.

He supposed it was similar to how she felt about when her parents found out.

He wrapped his arms around her tighter, so happy that everything was alright.

They had lived to see another day together.

* * *

Olivia awoke slowly to the sun shining in through the windows. And, some chatter out in the living room.

She smiled. Her friends.

She looked at her boyfriend, pressed into her body, still out cold.

She planted soft kisses on his cheek, working her way up is face, until she stopped.

She had only seen the right side of his face at first. But as soon as she lifted her head up more, she caught a glimpse of the left side too.

A deep bruise circled his left eye, colored a dark blue and purple.

She winced.

His eyes were still closed, but she could already tell it was a little swollen. She assumed icing it the night before had helped. However, it was still a black eye, and a pretty big one at that. Harrison really could throw a punch, apparently. Jesus.

He stirred a little bit at all her kisses, but didn't wake.

She gave him one last kiss on the cheek, before getting out of bed and grabbing the first sweatshirt she saw in Fitz's closet.

She crossed her arms, shielding herself from the slightly chilly air after she put on his sweatshirt, and emerged from the hallway into the living room.

"Hey, Liv! Morning!" Quinn exclaimed.

Olivia waved, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Hey. Is everyone up already?" she asked.

"Everyone except Huck," Harrison said.

And there Huck was, passed out by Teagan, who was looking at him and laughing.

Huck did tend to sleep later.

"How'd you all sleep?" Olivia asked with a yawn.

They all nodded. "Pretty good for a living room floor," Harrison said, which resulted in some laughs.

"I slept good," Abby shrugged, to which David nodded.

"Yeah, you had a couch!" Charlie said.

"Well, we could have come up with a little better sleeping arrangements than this, had we known we were having a...sleep over," Olivia said with a laugh. "There were two bedrooms not used last night."

"That's alright. We all were bonding together," Quinn giggled.

"Yeah, if bonding means all of us having to listen to Harrison snore all night," Abby said.

Harrison smiled and gave her the middle finger, which made Abby laugh.

"Hey, it's the truth," Abby shrugged.

Harrison nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry. Where's prof?"

Olivia nodded down the hall. "Still out, actually."

"How's the face?" Abby asked.

Olivia winced. "Well, he's got a hell of a shiner."

"Ah, fuck," Harrison said.

"You punched him hard, dude," Charlie said.

"Yeah, I know. My hand hurts like hell, still," Harrison replied.

"Good," Abby piped up.

"Yeah, yeah," Harrison nodded.

"You guys want...something to eat or anything?" Olivia asked.

"No, that's okay. We should get going, get out of your hair," Abby said. "I can drive everyone back, it'll just take a few trips."

"Nah," a voice said from the hallway.

"Stay and eat, I'll make breakfast," Fitz said.

"Heyyy! Grant!" Charlie exclaimed.

"He lives!" David said.

Fitz chuckled, coming to give Olivia a kiss.

"Morning," he whispered.

"Morning," she whispered, pecking his lips.

"Hi, guys," Fitz greeted.

"Shit, man," Harrison said, looking at his face.

"Is it bad? I haven't even looked," Fitz said.

"It looks pretty badass to me, honestly," Teagan said.

He reached in Olivia's waistband and grabbed her phone, pulling it out to look at his face in the camera.

"Oh...fuck," he said, touching it lightly.

"You still look very handsome to me," Olivia said.

"Thanks, Liv," he chuckled, still looking at it on the camera. "Well. I played one mean match of tennis."

"Ah, is that your excuse?" Quinn asked.

Fitz nodded.

"Oh wow, your face looks like shit."

Everyone turned to Huck, who was just waking up from all the commotion.

 _"Huck!"_ Teagan exclaimed.

"Well aren't you just a ray of sunshine this morning," Abby said to Huck.

Fitz just laughed though. "Your girl says it looks badass," he said to Huck.

Huck nodded. "Yeah, it does."

"Again, I'm sorry. I'm _sorry,"_ Harrison said, putting his hands up in defense. "If it makes you feel better, my hand hurts, too."

Fitz nodded. "Yeah, that maybe makes it a little better."

Everyone laughed.

"It's alright though. Come on. I'll make breakfast," he said, waving everyone into the kitchen.

So, into the kitchen they all went.

They all had a great big breakfast together, chatting more and laughing about the fact that they really all fell asleep there.

Eventually, they made the trip back to Olivia's apartment in Fitz and Abby's cars, so everyone else could get their own cars.

Olivia came with too, considering she and Teagan had to meet up with their group later that day, anyway.

They all said goodbye to Fitz, telling him how they hoped they'd all hang out again.

It was a little funny to Olivia, because she could tell they all liked him. She could tell they thought he was cool for sure. And she was happy about that.

It made her feel better, and like she knew she could trust them even more.

From the scary night it had started off as, it all turned out okay. Probably the best that it ever could have turned out.

Well...

Minus the shiner.

* * *

There you go.

First of all, thanks for being patient with this chapter. As many of you probably know if you follow any of my social media accounts, I was in NYC this past week for Tony's show! He is the sweetest man I've ever met. He definitely gave me some reassurance that I'm writing Fitz the right way! So it delayed me a bit in writing. I'm sure y'all can forgive me with that.

Now prepare, because I'm mad as hell and I'm NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE.

Haha, get it? Some of you? Sorry, I had to. Okay, no, I'm not really that mad. But I do have some things to say.

Based on some reviews I read, I think some of y'all forget how tiring this is for them. They've been doing this for such a long time. They're allowed to slip up. They're allowed to stumble, as any other couple would. And they're allowed to do things that make them happy. Whether it be going to a sports game (across the damn country) to lift up Fitz's spirits because his _father died_ , or going to see the other at their apartment.

They certainly fucked up this time, 100%, and that's on Fitz. But they're not going around campus talking like they used to, going to trivia night, fooling around in his office, hiding around in bushes, etc. If you don't think they've been at all careful this semester, you haven't been reading what I'm writing. You can't forget the little things that they're not doing, and the amount of time they actually don't see each other. Sometimes, never during the week outside of class.

You're allowed to have whatever opinion you wanna have, of course. But I'm _always_ gonna explain, as the writer behind it. Even though I don't need to.

There is a huge explanation coming up soon, about everything that's happened and everyone who's found out. I just can't write it for y'all yet because as of right now it would spoil some things. I'll explain why everything that's happened has happened soon and maybe then, more will understand.

For now, you will just have to trust me, as I hope you've done all along.

Sometimes smart people do dumb things. They've both had their moments, I'm sure we can all agree.

Lastly, if Olivia is irritating to read, I really would suggest you stop reading. She is obviously a main character in this story, she isn't going anywhere. I think people forget she is 21 years old, not a thirty-something-year-old woman, not a middle-aged woman. Half the college-aged people I know don't even do their own damn laundry. You have to give the young woman a break sometimes. This is such a hard situation for both of them. Fitz too, and he's almost 38 friggin years old. Knowing how/when to deal with a potential crisis with their relationship is not something _he_ even fully knows how to do, let alone a 21-year-old Olivia. She's got a lot on her plate right now, just with college alone. Just because I don't write all the daily stress into each chapter doesn't mean it's not happening for her. College is stressful, as are most jobs, of course. However, having to hide this kind of thing on the daily is not something the average college student has to deal with. It's tiring and it's hard. If it really bugs you that much the way I write her, don't read. It saves both of us irritation. How I write her is how I write her, period. She isn't _supposed_ to be as mature as Fitz. That wouldn't be realistic at all. They've got a lot of years between them, and while it may not affect them all the time and they may handle it well, there's still no denying that the age gap is there.

Y'all know I'll certainly call them on their bullshit, I've done it multiple times. Olivia's done some stupid shit, and so has Fitz. The real Olivia did stupid shit. The real Fitz did stupid shit.

Guys. People do stupid shit.

But just know that I'll also definitely defend them when I feel like they deserve it.

So anyway, I hope you enjoyed.

I certainly enjoyed writing it. It was a fun chapter. Everything's out and she can quit lying to her friends. She hated that.

Read on.

Happy Holidays,

~T


	72. April 17th

"Faster," she panted.

He nodded, readjusting her legs against the shower wall.

He thrusted faster, but smiled against her shoulder, laughing a little bit because his feet were sliding.

"Sorry. It's slippery," he chuckled.

She laughed just at the sound of his laugh and his soaked hair falling in his eyes.

"It _is_ slippery," she giggled, tightening her grip around his neck.

He stopped again, staying inside her while he readjusted some things.

He held on to her with one arm and pressed her against the wall, using his free hand to wipe the water out of his eyes.

"This is not the hot and sexy thing I was going for," he said, shaking the water out of his hair.

That had her dying of laughter.

"We're usually so good in here, what's going on tonight?" she giggled.

"I don't know," he chuckled. "Here, just...just hold on tighter," he said.

"You're still inside me, Fitz, I'm not going anywhere," she said with a laugh.

"I know, I know, you feel—" he began, lifting her leg up higher. "You feel good," he whispered.

"You feel good too. Okay, I'm ready. Go again," she breathed.

He leaned his head down against hers and pulled out, only to push right back in to regain their fast rhythm.

She let out a loud moan, digging her fingers into his back.

He smiled at the clear pleasure she was feeling.

She smiled back as he continued to enter her over and over while the water poured down on their bodies.

He pecked her lips and readjusted his grip. It needed readjusting a lot, in such a wet, slippery location.

But the location proved to be good, as it usually did. Shower sex was always amazing. Hot, wet, satisfying.

Maybe it was even better that night because it was almost his birthday, and they'd been doing lots of... _celebrating_ , lately.

Or maybe it was just because they were great at sex.

Maybe both.

All Olivia knew was she got out of the shower feeling refreshed, and so did he.

She toweled off her body and smoothed out her hair, which was pulled back in a tight, perfect bun.

She tossed the towel on the bed and walked over to her drawer in his dresser, which had slowly spilled into _two_ drawers.

They both had everything in them. Underwear, bras, shirts, a few pairs of pants. Things she had always kept at his apartment for a while now.

She heard him walk up behind her, and felt his eyes on her. "Mm."

He palmed her bare ass, pressing a kiss to her cheek as he started rifling through his own top drawer.

She smiled, and then looked down at his towel, barely hanging there. So she reached out and tugged at it, watching it fall to the floor. And then she resumed what she was doing.

"Hm, well there went my towel," he chuckled. "Sounds like my girlfriend."

"You started it," she shrugged.

"I'll finish it too," he said quietly, turning her towards him with his hands planted firmly on her hips.

"You already did that," she giggled, holding his face in her hands.

"You think that's all I got?" he asked.

"No. I _know_ that's not all you got," she replied.

He smiled and pressed his lips to hers, letting both hands wander back down to her ass.

"Put some clothes on. You're killing me," he whispered, pecking her lips once more.

"You too," she said, letting her eyes wander slowly down his body.

Whew.

He winked, giving her backside one last squeeze before grabbing some clothes.

A pair of boxers. So not much. Good.

She put on some comfy clothes to sleep in. A pair of underwear, and one of his shirts. She didn't even know which ones she stole these days. She just grabbed one from his endless drawer of them.

She put her arms through the sleeves and pulled it over her head, looking ahead of her at the dresser.

Right next to it, was the spot on the wall that always caught her eye.

It wasn't dented anymore, Fitz had fixed that. But what he hadn't done, was repaint it.

It was the spot where he'd thrown the picture of them against the wall.

That was about as much as she knew about that. It had shattered, she knew that. He'd gotten a new frame, she was there for that.

But the spot always kind of haunted her.

She saw it every single day. It was bright white, from the putty he'd used to fill the dent. And every single day she saw it, she was reminded of what she had done to him. She was reminded that she didn't know what had gone on in that period of time. How he had dealt. The reason that the first time she returned to New Haven, his hair was essentially buzzed, and he looked like he hadn't slept in days. She didn't know any of that, and it still ate at her.

He, of course, didn't ever want to talk about it much anymore. He'd given her plenty of opportunities to talk about it after it had happened. But not anymore.

She wished the curiosity had left her, but it hadn't, because she still felt bad about it. That wasn't to say she hadn't forgiven herself. She thought she was almost there with that, by this point. But she knew she'd still always feel bad about it.

"Hey, baby," she said.

"Hey baby," he answered, pulling back the covers.

"Can we...repaint that spot on the wall?" she asked, nodding to it.

He looked up at it and nodded. "Yeah. I just forget about it, honestly."

She paused. "Really?"

He gave her a weird look. "Yeah...why?"

She shrugged. "Nothing."

He raised an eyebrow. _"Liv."_

She sighed, grabbing her towel from the bed. "It's just...how do you just forget?"

"Well...I don't know. I guess painting isn't first on my mind when I get home from work."

"I'm not talking about the paint part. I mean, doesn't it remind you of the reason you _need_ to paint it? About what happened?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I guess a little bit, yes."

"And it doesn't get to you?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No."

"Wow," she whispered, hanging up her towel.

"What?" he asked.

"I just don't understand that," she replied.

"Well...do you sit here and think about how your friends found out? How that was my fault?" he asked.

"No," she said.

"Well, there you go. See, we just...move on," he shrugged.

She nodded. "Yeah. I guess. Maybe I'm just...too hard on myself, I don't know."

"You're _definitely_ too hard on yourself," he agreed, getting into bed.

She came over next to him and got in bed with him.

"I can't help it. I still think about it all the time. About you, when it happened," she said quietly.

"You don't need to think about that," he replied, grabbing his book from his nightstand.

"But I do think about it," she said.

"Livvie, I love that big brain in that pretty little head of yours, I do. But you need to give a rest sometimes, okay?" he asked, flipping to the page he had bookmarked. "You think too much about things."

"I know," she admitted.

She looked over at him, reading some book he'd been reading the last couple weeks. He was almost done with it.

"You're thinking. Stop thinking," he said, continuing to read.

"Alright," she nodded, turning over and flipping her light off.

"Livvie, come on."

She turned back toward him. "What?"

"Don't do that," he said, putting his book down.

"Do what?" she asked.

"I didn't mean go to _bed_. I just meant stop being you for a second."

She raised an eyebrow. "Okay..."

He shook his head. "No—that's not...you know what I meant, Olivia," he said.

"Yeah, so I'm going to bed. At least that way I can escape my thoughts for eight hours," she replied. "Just...keep reading."

He grabbed the remote for the chandeliers that hung above their nightstands and turned hers back on. "Really."

"Yes. Really," she said.

"I don't understand," he said. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, you did nothing wrong," she replied.

"Then why are you upset? Is this really about what happened in the summer?" he asked.

"Yes. It really is," she replied honestly. "There are so many things I don't know and that stupid spot on the wall makes me think about that even more."

"Olivia, for God's sakes I will paint the wall!" he said.

"It's not about the paint!" she replied.

"Then what is it about?! I can't read your mind."

"I told you, it's about _you!_ It's about what happened to you!" she said.

He looked at her like she was crazy. "Why does that matter? That has no relevance anymore," he replied, putting his book down on the nightstand.

"It does to me," she said.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because it just eats at me! All the fucking time! What I did, it never goes away, especially because there are things I don't know!" she exclaimed, sitting up.

"Do you really want me to tell you what happened? That I drowned myself in scotch for weeks? That I once sat on the side of the road in my car and sobbed for way longer than I'd like to admit? That the reason my body changed is that all I ever did was work out the anger? That I thought my life was over? Are those really the things you want to know?!" he exclaimed.

She listened sadly to the things he was saying, the things she had _made_ him say.

Silence filled the room after his outburst, and she absorbed everything that had been said.

"I'm sorry. Liv, I'm sorry. I didn't mean...I'm sorry."

"No. Don't be. I needed to hear it," she whispered. "I'm the one that's sorry."

He sighed and pulled back the covers, grabbing her side and bringing her into his body.

 _"Please_ stop being sorry about this," he whispered.

"Okay," she nodded, her eyes slightly wet with tears. "Okay."

"Look at me," he said.

She didn't look.

"Olivia, look at me."

She looked up at him, sighing lightly.

"I'm so sorry about that. I didn't mean to blow up at you," he said apologetically.

"You didn't," she whispered.

"I did, and that was wrong of me."

"You didn't," she said again.

He chuckled. "Well, this isn't very productive of us."

"Sorry," she whispered, laying her head on his chest. "It was so long ago and...and tomorrow's your birthday, and I'm just ruining your night now, I'm so sorry."

"Olivia, you don't ruin anything," he said quietly.

She nodded into his chest, breathing in his scent from his shower.

"I'm sorry. Sorry," she said again.

"Olivia, you apologize more than anyone else in the world, why is that?" he asked.

She sighed. "Because I hate hurting you. _Hate_ it."

"But I'm not hurting anymore. So why are you making yourself relive the time that I was?" he asked.

"Because I didn't know everything. I...didn't know, and I needed to know, because that was _my_ fault. I know it seems crazy. I just...needed to," she sighed.

"Okay," he nodded, rubbing her arm. "It's not crazy, I get it. _You_ told me about how _you_ dealt. I understand why you'd want to know about me, I just didn't know it was still bothering you."

"It…shouldn't have been, maybe. But it was. Thank you for telling me, and I'm sorry that I caused you all that pain. I'm sorry," she said again.

"Olivia, I swear if you say you're sorry one more time..." he warned.

She opened her mouth and then stopped herself. "I seriously almost apologized for saying it."

He shook his head and laughed.

"I really wish that I could take it back, Fitz," she said. "Everything that I did to you. So you wouldn't have had to...drown yourself in scotch, or work out all the anger, or...cry," she said sadly.

He looked at her and nodded. "I wish I could take back what I did too. But...we're in a good spot right now. People know, people are supportive. We have people on our _side_ , Liv. We wouldn't have that if we hadn't...fucked up, in all honesty. If we hadn't fucked up...we'd be going through all of this alone."

"That's true," she agreed.

And it was. Her parents knowing had really helped, in the end. And It had been over two weeks since her friends had found out, and it had been nice. It really had.

She didn't have to lie, whenever she wanted to go see him. She didn't have to make up any stories, that even _she_ knew weren't believable. She could be open and honest with them, and that felt good. Plus, the questions about him really never stopped with her friends, and she thought that was cute.

They all liked him. They admired him. As college students, seeing a guy like that; successful, humble, a guy that graduated from the same school they were all attending right now. He was someone they all kind of looked up to now.

A month ago, if someone would have told her that her friends were going to know about her secret, she would have been worried, and probably a tad mortified.

But now, she was thankful.

"So...here's to fucking up I guess," he chuckled.

"I guess," she said hesitantly.

"Hey. Everyone gets hurt. Everyone goes through bad times. You went through the same thing at the same time, it wasn't _just_ me. What matters is that we're stronger than ever now, you and me. That's what matters. Okay?"

She nodded. "You're right. You are."

"Yes. I am," he agreed.

She smiled slightly, nudging his chest with her elbow.

"Are you mad?" he asked.

"No. Not at all. Why?" she asked.

"Because I can't have you going to sleep upset with me. That's just no good," he said.

She smiled. "I'm not upset with you, Fitz. I think _you_ are the one that should be upset with _me."_

He looked at her and shook his head. "No. Just…if something is bothering you, tell me right away next time, okay? I don't want you to be bothered, ever. I just can't read your mind, no matter how hard I wish I could, sometimes."

"Okay," she nodded. "I will do that."

"Okay. Are you gonna kiss me now?" he asked.

"Am I gonna kiss you?" she asked with a laugh.

"Yes, I would like a kiss now. You have to give me one or else I won't paint the wall."

She opened her mouth in awe. "Rude."

"I'm sorry, was that too soon?" he chuckled.

"Yes," she said, giving him her best smile-frown.

"Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I don't mean that," he said, giving her a little squeeze. "I would really like a kiss, though."

She turned her head and pressed her lips to his.

He smiled and pecked them again.

"Thank you. I love you."

"I love you," she whispered back.

"You better love me, 'cause It's my birthday tomorrow," he teased with a smile.

"It _is_ your birthday tomorrow," she said. "Are you excited?"

He laughed. "Not really, baby. I'm getting older, that's not that exciting. And birthdays aren't a big deal, _except for yours."_

She giggled. _"All_ birthdays are a big deal, yours included. What do you think I got you?" she asked.

"I hope nothing, I told you that you didn't need to!"

"Ha. It's funny that you think I actually listened to you," she said.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you know, I think I'm an idiot for actually telling you _thinking_ that you would listen."

She shrugged happily. "Well, you didn't listen to the rule on Valentine's Day! We're never doing that rule again. I'm always getting you gifts. I mean, you don't have to get me gifts but I'm never following the rule again. Just a heads up."

"Well we canceled each other out on Valentine's Day, you got me tickets to a _King's_ game."

"That's true," she nodded.

 _"_ _Wait,_ so you really think that _I_ was going to listen to the rule, myself?" he asked.

She scoffed. "You said _on_ Valentine's Day that you were only breaking the rule _just that once!"_

He laughed quietly. "Baby, I lied to you. I'm sorry but I really did."

She opened her mouth in disbelief. "So you were never gonna follow that rule, anyway?"

"Of course not," he chuckled. "You really think I'm _not_ gonna buy you gifts for every possible occasion? Livvie, baby, come on. You're my girl. I want to give you everything."

"I'm slightly offended. You were just going to let me _not_ buy you gifts while you bought _me_ gifts."

"Yes, exactly right," he nodded.

"Fitzgerald Thomas!" she exclaimed.

"What?!" he chuckled. "I'm sorry. Don't be mad."

"You expected me to listen to the rule and also just decided you were never gonna listen to it yourself. A little hypocritical, don't you think?" she asked with a laugh.

"Yes, 100 percent," he nodded.

She shook her head. "Oh, Fitz. What am I gonna do with you," she giggled.

"Love me."

"I do love you. More than anything else, you know that," she replied, resting her hand on his.

He smiled, looking down at the sheets with pink cheeks.

"Aw, look, I made the birthday boy blush," she whispered, touching his cheeks.

That, of course made his cheeks more red, and his smile bigger.

"You are so cute," she giggled. _"I'm_ excited for your birthday."

"I'm excited too. If you'll be with me, I'm excited," he nodded.

"Good," she said. "You gonna finish your book? I kind of interrupted you."

"Nah. I'm tired anyway. I'll finish it another time. Come here," he said, turning off both of their lamps.

She snuggled up even closer and he wrapped his arms around her.

And they fell asleep together, on the eve of his birthday.

* * *

Fitz slowly awoke to hands on him. Hands, and lips, all over his skin.

He smiled, before he even opened his eyes.

"It's April 17th," Olivia whispered.

"April...17th," he nodded sleepily.

"Wake up, birthday boy," she added, lifting up the covers and disappearing underneath them.

"Mmkay," he whispered with a yawn.

He stretched, still not opening his eyes. He was sleepy.

However, he could feel her fooling around down there, and he had a feeling he wouldn't be sleepy soon.

Her little fingers tugged at his boxers, pulling them down very quickly, actually.

He chuckled quietly. When she wanted to do something, there was no stopping that girl.

And then her mouth was around him.

"Oh—" he breathed.

Her tongue moved up and down his length, teasing him slowly. _Painfully_ slow.

"Fuck," he whispered.

She knew what to do. His eyes opened instantly.

He saw her outline under the covers, her head moving up and down on him. Her mouth, doing things that made him shake.

Her hands were down there too, he could feel them. Both of them.

He watched her bob on it under the covers for as long as he could keep his eyes open. Eventually, he leaned his head back against the headboard and squeezed his eyes closed.

"Oh god," he groaned, grabbing the side of his nightstand.

He reached his other hand under the sheets, hoping for something else to grab on to.

One of her hands grabbed his. Thanks, Olivia.

He squeezed the hell out of it when he got close, so she knew. But he warned her anyway.

"Liv, I'm going to," he whispered.

She went faster.

His breathing couldn't be controlled anymore, he was gone.

He bit his lip, feeling it coming. "Olivia—"

He leaned back against the headboard, moaning while he came in her mouth.

She didn't move her lips until after he was done.

He just sat there, panting.

She lifted up the covers, revealing her smiling face.

"Happy birthday, professor."

"Thank you," he replied, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

"That was a good one," she said, placing kisses all along his waist.

"Yeah—yeah. You like...birthday blowjobs."

"Yes, only this one was my careful version. You know, a wake-up call. In our bed. Not a surprise in your office," she giggled.

"Right. Both...equally amazing," he breathed.

"Thank you, I do try hard," she said with a smile.

"It works," he whispered.

She gave him a few minutes to rest. But then...

"I'm going again," she said, starting to go under the covers.

"Wait—Liv, I—"

He was interrupted by the feeling of her tongue on him again.

He opened his mouth, letting a staggering breath come out of it while he clutched at the bed sheets.

She didn't let him out of bed all morning.

* * *

When she finally did let him out of bed, they weren't done fooling around.

There was much more to come in the shower.

He skipped his workout and they both missed breakfast.

He did make it to class on time, but she didn't. They would have been there at the same time, about one minute before class started. But she stayed back five whole minutes after him, just to appear completely unaffiliated with him.

Teagan smirked at her as she got in her seat, and then pulled out her phone.

Olivia waited for the inevitable text from Teagan, because she knew it was his birthday. All her friends knew, actually, because of something she had planned later.

The text popped up on Olivia's phone.

 **Teagan: Birthday sex?**

 **Olivia: Birthday sex.**

Teagan laughed to herself and put her phone away, mouthing "nice" to Olivia.

Olivia nodded back and they both turned their attention to Fitz, talking at the front.

Their other group members, unfortunately, were either on their phones or talking about non-class related things amongst themselves. As usual.

His birthday made him sexier, she was sure of it. If that was even possible.

He was so confident up there, doing his thing. Having no idea, though, that the little things he did drove her insane.

The way he tugged at his pants and belt, to keep them up. The way he talked with his hands, and not just his mouth. The way he paced back and forth.

So sexy.

She didn't avoid eye contact with him anymore. She never even realized she did that before, until Teagan mentioned it.

Making eye contact certainly didn't give anything away. Everyone made eye contact on a daily basis. So she did, with him.

He still kind of avoided it as best he could, she started to realize. She realized, because every time their eyes did connect, he usually looked away right away, or he stumbled a little bit.

That confident guy still had his nervous moments. They all usually involved Olivia.

The rest of the day went pretty well for both of them. Although, for Fitz, it was longer than he would have liked the day to be. Especially considering it was his birthday. Cyrus left the office early, which kind of annoyed him because he had some things to give him. That rarely happened in the first place, but of course, the day he needed to give him some things was the day he was out early. Figures.

He wanted to be out of the office and home by four, like he had promised Olivia. She would be out of class way before then, and said she would just wait up for him with dinner. But he didn't end up getting there until five.

He walked in, so glad to be home and so excited to see his girlfriend.

"Alright, baby, take off your clothes, it's been a long day—"

"SURPRISE!"

His eyes widened as he saw more than just his girlfriend emerging from his living room.

Logan, Cyrus, and James.

So that's where Cyrus had gone…

"We were supposed to say surprise before he said something like that," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Oh my god!" he exclaimed happily.

"Are you surprised?" Olivia asked hopefully.

"I am!" he nodded. "Wow, hi guys. James, it's so good to see you," he said, giving James a hug.

"You too, happy birthday!" James said, patting his back with a smile.

"Thank you. Cy, hey," Fitz said happily, pulling Cyrus in for a hug too.

"Hey buddy, happy birthday!" Cyrus said.

"Thank you, thank you."

"FTG three…you're getting old, brotha," Logan chuckled.

"You're tellin' me! Hey, man," he said, their handshake transitioning to be a brief embrace.

"Hey, man. Happy birthday," Logan said, giving him a pat on the back.

"Thank you!" he exclaimed.

"Hey, handsome."

He smiled, looking at Olivia standing there. Waiting for a hug.

"Hey pretty girl."

She smiled and jumped into his arms for a hug.

She giggled as he held her there, her legs wrapped tightly around him. "You did this?" he asked with a smile.

"I did!" she nodded.

"That was very sweet of you. I'm sorry about…my greeting," he chuckled, looking around at everyone.

"We didn't hear nothin'," Logan shrugged. "Well except for the part where you told Olivia to take her clothes off."

That resulted in some laughs.

"You can say whatever you want, it's your birthday. Didn't you know that's the rule?" James asked.

Fitz nodded and laughed, "You know, you're completely right."

"And you get first dibs on all the food. Come here, we've got some good stuff going," Cyrus said, waving him over to the kitchen.

Fitz pecked Olivia's lips softly and let her down to the floor, smiling at her pretty face.

"Wow! Who made all of this?" Fitz asked, looking at the wonderful spread of appetizers and hors d'oeuvres.

"We all helped a little, but Olivia did most. We've been here since three, you know," James chuckled.

"Since three?!" Fitz asked.

"Mhm. That's when Liv said to be here. She's all business, you know. We wouldn't dare disobey her," Cyrus teased.

"Oh, you got that one right," Fitz nodded with a laugh.

"I _am_ all business! Birthdays are a big deal, right Fitz?" she teased.

 _"_ _Right,"_ Fitz chuckled. "Well, I'm sorry I was late. Just a busy day."

"And a long day apparently," Logan chuckled.

"Yeah," Fitz said with a laugh. "The universe just wasn't really feeling my birthday today I don't think."

"Well _we're_ feeling it," Olivia nodded.

"Yes, we are. Here, dig in, buddy," Cyrus said.

So he did. They all did.

It was a good evening, one that Fitz hadn't been expecting at all. For Olivia to call his friends and manage to get them here at the same time. _And_ keep it a surprise. That was pretty impressive.

It made him happy. Cyrus and James had to leave a little early because they had a prior commitment, and Logan had the late night shift, so by 8:00, it was just Olivia and Fitz again.

But not for long.

"How long have you been planning this, baby?" Fitz asked, picking up some of the remnants of his gift opening.

"A couple weeks. It wasn't a big deal. I got all their numbers while you were in the shower one night. I even reached out to your other friends. Brett and Matt, and Jason, too. I know they live all over the place but I told them we should all try and get together sometime anyway. They agreed," she said happily.

"You talked to those guys?" he asked with a laugh.

"Yes! They texted you today right? I told them not to forget," she nodded.

"They _did_ text me," he chuckled. "That was very sweet of you, baby. I can't believe you did all this."

"It really wasn't a big deal. I feel bad it was only Logan, Cyrus, and James. I know Sam and Nancy and Jessie are your friends, but I couldn't exactly invite them here with me here too...I just had to work with what we got."

"Don't apologize. That was very fun to come home to, Olivia. Nobody's ever done that for me before," he said.

"Well in your 38 years, I think it's about time," she said with a smile.

"Mhm," he nodded, pecking her lips.

"My friends also pestered me to let them come," she said with a laugh.

He paused. "Well why didn't they?" he asked.

She raised an eyebrow. "Well...I didn't exactly think they'd mix well with...everyone else."

"Sure they would. _You_ mix well with them," he said.

"Okay, some would be alright. Some wouldn't though," she replied. "And I just thought coming home to a bunch of 21-year-olds in your apartment would be a little overwhelming."

"Wow, are they all really 21?" he asked.

She laughed. "Well no, I guess. All are besides Abby and Teagan. They're 20. Oh, and David's 23. We call him old and wise."

"At 23?" he chuckled.

"Mhm. It's our little joke."

"Jeez. If he's old and wise, what the hell am I?" he asked with a laugh.

"Well I'll tell you that you're definitely the favorite already. All my friends literally love you," she giggled.

"They're very sweet," he said, smiling. "They can come, seriously."

"Nah, it's okay. It's 8:00," she replied.

"So?" he asked. "I feel bad that they wanted to and didn't. Tell them they can come if they're still up for it."

She looked at him with uncertainty.

"Seriously?" she asked.

"Seriously."

She shrugged and pulled out her phone. "I'll text the group chat and see."

So she did, and she immediately got a response from Charlie.

 **Yes I'm coming!**

She laughed. "Uh, okay Charlie's in."

"I like Charlie," Fitz chuckled. "Well...when he gets my name right."

Olivia kept getting responses. It was like a domino effect.

"Woah...okay so...everyone's in."

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Yeah. Well, except for Dav—oh. Nope, never mind he's coming," she said.

"Nice," Fitz nodded.

Olivia laughed at her phone. "Quinn is worried because they don't have a present for you."

"Oh gosh, tell them they do _not_ need a present for me," he chuckled.

Olivia shrugged, reading all her messages. "Hmm...they said they're getting one."

"Let me guess, there's no changing their minds," he said.

"Yeah, no that won't work," she said with a laugh. "But, before they get here I'm going to give you mine."

"Ooo, okay," he replied.

She went to her bag and grabbed the boxes from her backpack, along with his card.

She'd kept all his gifts at her own apartment and had to go get them earlier today. She didn't want him seeing them, of course.

"Open the card first," she said happily, setting everything on the table for him.

He smiled and opened up the card to read it.

She watched him read it to himself, smiling at the words she'd written.

She remembered every word.

 ** _Dear Fitz,_**

 ** _Happy Birthday!_**

 ** _I'm so thankful for another birthday spent with you. I know you don't think they're a big deal, but they really are to me. Especially yours, because YOU'RE a big deal to me! I hope you like your birthday gifts. You deserve nothing but the best. Happy birthday, my sweetie._**

 ** _Forever your favorite and forever yours._**

 ** _I love you,_**

 ** _Olivia_**

"Thank you, Livvie. Very sweet," he said, kissing her cheek. "I love you too."

She smiled, nodding at him to open his presents.

He started with the small box, which was definitely the best one.

As soon as he saw the eagle logo on the front, his mouth opened in shock.

"Oh, wow. Livvie, you seriously didn't," he said.

"I seriously did," she nodded.

"Oh my god, baby," he said, opening the watch box.

He pulled off the cover of the Emporio Armani box, and admired the watch inside.

Black stainless steel, black and gold-plated watch face, and gold Roman numerals and dial.

"I looked at the different versions of Armani. It said that Armani Exchange is more casual and for teens to younger twenties. Emporio Armani is more sophisticated, so I thought it was the best," she said hopefully.

"You are exactly right. I have a navy blue Emporio, this will be great! I don't have an all black one!" he exclaimed.

"I know, I looked through all your watches to make sure," she giggled.

"Wow, this is very unexpected! Thank you so much, I love this!" he said, taking it out.

"You're welcome. I know you like your watches," she said.

"I certainly do. How's it look?" he asked, fastening the clip onto his left wrist. He set his other watch down on the coffee table.

"Oh it looks so good on you!" she said, lifting up his left hand.

"I think so too. You did good, babe," he said, pecking her lips.

"Thanks! I hope so. You can open the other one. That one's just kind of a practical one," she shrugged.

"Good, I love practical things," he said, grabbing the last present.

He scooted her up on his lap and then returned to opening.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, watching his fingers rip the wrapping paper off.

He pulled out a 3-pack of chapstick, which made him laugh.

"I'm set for a while now," he chuckled.

"Mhm. And it's Burt's Bees! That stuff's like magic, promise," she nodded. "But don't worry, I didn't get the pink colored stuff."

"Thank you!" he chuckled. "I do like chapstick."

"Yes," she nodded. "There's more in there."

He turned his attention back to the box and pulled out a brand new jar of his favorite hair product.

"Oh nice! I was almost out of this!" he said.

"I know, and we can't have that! I know the struggles of curly hair. _Trust_ me."

"Thank you. Very nice practical gift. Oh, and...oh, it's in a box," he said, pulling the last smaller Armani box out.

"You were almost out of that too, I checked," she said.

He laughed. "Ahhh, my aftershave. Thank you! Look at you! Wow," he said, pulling out the bottle of aftershave. "These are _quite_ the practical gifts, thank you!"

"Mhm, I know all your brands," she said happily.

"You do! I'm impressed."

"It's really not that hard, you pretty much have set brands for everything. Well...except for watches and cologne."

"I have set brands for everything?" he asked.

"Yes," she giggled. "And they're all super nice."

"Oh not _everything,"_ he said.

She raised her eyebrows. "Oh really? Let's see...a Brooks Brothers dress coat over there on the barstool. Hmm...what watch were you wearing before? Fossil?" she asked.

"No..." he said quietly.

She grabbed the watch. "Oh, my bad. It's _Michael Kors."_

"Oh, you be quiet," he chuckled.

"No, this is a fun game. Let's look at your dress shirt, what's that?" she asked.

 _"_ _Walmart,"_ he said, batting her hands away.

"Walmart, my ass," she giggled.

"What? There's nothing wrong with Walmart!" he exclaimed.

"Oh there's absolutely nothing wrong with Walmart but you definitely _do_ _not_ wear it," she said with a laugh.

"You know, I wear Target though. Target has nice clothes," he shrugged.

"That's true, they do," she agreed. "You're trying to distract me from looking at what brand your shirt is."

"Yes I am," he nodded. "But I really do like Target's clothes."

"I do too. Let me see."

He sighed and stopped holding her hands back.

"Ah...Marc Anthony. I don't even know what that is," she giggled.

"Oh really? I love Marc Anthony," he said.

"Okay let me see the pants and the belt," she said.

"Jeez, do you want to see my boxers too?" he chuckled.

She shook her head. "No, I already know those are Calvin Klein."

He nodded. "Yeah that's fair. The pants...let's see. These look like Ralph Lauren. And the belt is probably that, or Cole Haan."

"See, I think I proved my point. Oh, and let's see. The cologne, hmm...what is that, Versace?" she teased, breathing in his nice scent.

"Okay, you know what," he chuckled, flipping her onto her stomach.

She laughed, trying to fight him off. But he was too strong.

"Let's look at my girlfriend's clothing and accessories, shall we?" he asked.

"No, don't do that," she giggled.

"Hmm, this shirt. Oh, look at that. It's Ann Taylor," he said with a smile.

"How do you even know what that is?!" she giggled.

"You think I don't know these things? I know everything," he replied.

"Well, okay, I got this shirt for _Christmas!"_ she exclaimed.

"Okay, okay, let's look at the earrings. Mhm, diamond studs," he chuckled.

"Yeah, from my _boyfriend!"_ she exclaimed.

He smiled. "I know. I just wanted to point those out because I love when you wear them."

"I _know_ you do. That's why I wear them every day," she said happily.

"You do. And hmm, what is that I smell?" he asked, smelling her wrist. "Oh yeah, that's _Versace!"_

"No it's not!" she giggled.

"I know your perfumes, this scent is the pink bottle that's in the bathroom, and that's your Versace. It's right next to mine," he nodded.

"Alright, alright," she admitted.

"Hmm, who's hypocritical now?" he chuckled, squeezing her sides.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" she giggled.

"Okay, let's see, some more jewelry from your boyfriend. Oh, let's look at these leggings, huh?" he asked.

"Oh, don't look at them," she giggled.

"I'm gonna look at them," he warned, slipping his fingers in the waistband.

She laughed, trying to get him off, but she couldn't, of course.

He pressed his body into hers, trying to check the tag on the inside of the back.

"Oh, would you look at that? Lululemon. A hundred dollars a pop, aren't these?" he asked.

"No," she lied. But she couldn't keep from laughing.

"Oh are you sure about that?" he chuckled, moving his hand around to the front of her leggings.

"No," she admitted with a laugh.

"I think they _are,"_ he said, moving his fingers downward.

He pressed his body into hers again as they laid on the couch, leaning his forehead against hers.

He looked down at his hand, trying to inch its way down. Her leggings were tight, but he managed to.

"Hmm...these underwear. They feel like..." he began starting to massage her through her thong.

She leaned her head back against the arm of the couch and let out a breath, closing her eyes.

"What do they feel like?" she whispered.

"I don't know...I haven't figured it out yet. Give me twenty minutes and I'll have it," he whispered.

"Oh, yeah okay," she nodded.

He pushed her thong aside and touched her skin, rubbing slow circles against her clit.

"Oh," she moaned, holding on to his arm.

She held on _tight_ , and she opened her legs wider for him.

He touched his nose to hers, smiling at the clear pleasure she was feeling. "Kiss me," he whispered.

She pressed her lips to his immediately, feeling his tongue begging to be let in.

She let it in, and let it tangle with hers.

That's when he pushed a finger inside her.

She gasped against his mouth, holding his face in her hands.

She had to pull away from his kiss for a moment to regain her bearings. He bit his lip and watched her face contort in pleasure with each thrust of his finger.

He pushed in deep, as far as his finger could go. And then he added another finger.

They resumed their makeout session, and he pleasured her with his fingers.

They were so distracted that they didn't even hear the door open.

But all her friends sure heard, and saw, what was going on.

"Woah!" Quinn exclaimed.

Fitz pulled his lips away from Olivia's and they both looked at the door.

"You guys, what the hell, you can't just walk in!" Abby exclaimed, making her way to the front of the group of friends to close the door slightly.

 _"_ _Oh,"_ Fitz said, pulling his fingers out of her, and then out of her leggings.

Olivia panted, laying against the headrest. She didn't even care. She was a little embarrassed, but she was pretty sure they'd all walked in on each other doing something of the sort by now. And maybe a little annoyed, because Fitz had been doing so wonderfully.

She was also surprised, that they'd gotten in.

"Nice, man!" Charlie chuckled from behind the partially closed door.

"Shhh," Huck exclaimed in a hushed whisper.

"Man, my greetings sure suck today," he whispered to Olivia, which made her hold back a laugh.

"You all can come in," Fitz said, after he'd gotten himself and Olivia situated.

"Happy birthday! Glad to see you're celebrating!" Abby exclaimed, opening the door.

"Yeah, jeez, sorry for interrupting your celebration," David added.

Olivia laughed, and watched her boyfriend's cheeks turn _red_. More red than they already were.

"It's...all good. How'd you get in?" Olivia asked. "I expected a text to come get you guys."

"The door guy, he remembers us now. Oh, and the front desk guy!" Quinn said.

"Ah, yeah, Logan," Olivia nodded. "He was just here."

"Oh cool. How was the party?" Harrison asked, grabbing a chip from the bowl on the counter.

"It was fun!" Olivia said. "You all can eat whatever you want up there, we made a lot."

Fitz just sat there, embarrasses as all hell.

"Uh, birthday boy. You all good over there?" Abby asked.

He turned to Abby in confusion.

"Uhh...yeah, yeah," he nodded.

"He's embarrassed," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Oh, prof. We've seen so much worse. You're fine, man," Harrison said.

"What on earth have you seen?" Fitz chuckled.

"Oh, pretty boy, _ohhhh_ pretty boy. One time Harrison, his ex Zoey, Huck _and_ Quinn all walked in on David and me in the kitchen," Abby said. "We were doing a lot worse than what you were just doing."

"Wait a sec, _where_ in the kitchen?!" Olivia exclaimed.

"Uhhh..." David replied.

"Oh come on, Liv, you know about this! It was on the island!" Abby nodded.

"Gross, I hope you sanitized the entire kitchen," Olivia said.

"Well of course we did. We're not animals, jeez," Abby teased.

"That's debatable," Quinn winced.

"Okay, Quinn you don't get to talk. I literally caught you blowing Charlie in your bathroom a week ago," Huck said.

"Woah," Fitz chuckled. "What the hell, you guys."

"Okay yeah that makes us sound disgusting. We're just with each other all the time, and all of us have boyfriends or girlfriends. We're bound to see things. Well, Harrison doesn't have one but we see him with a new girl every other week. _Point is_ , don't be embarrassed. It's your birthday, you can do whatever you want with your hands," Abby said.

"It is _not_ every other week!" Harrison exclaimed.

"Yes it is, bro," Huck said.

"Like...one a month," Harrison said defiantly. "I've decided girlfriends are not for me right now."

"Hm, weird. I love mine," David shrugged.

Abby turned toward him and smiled. "I love you," she mouthed back.

David wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.

"Hey, uh, me too, don't steal my thunder," Charlie said, nudging Quinn's arm. She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder, whispering back to him that she loved him too.

Which led to Huck turning to Teagan and whispering the same thing. She, of course replied the same, too.

"Well...I think we all know he loves Liv," Quinn piped up, nodding at the two of them. "You know, considering that canvas up there, this picture of her on the bar, and that calendar."

"I do love her, very much," Fitz agreed.

"Okay so you're all trying to make me feel bad now, I see how it is!" Harrison said.

"Yeah, we still never forgave you for punching the governor," David said.

Fitz laughed at that, and Harrison scoffed.

"Come on! When am I gonna be forgiven for that?!" he asked.

"I forgave you right away, it was _Olivia_ who did not," Fitz said, pointing to Olivia.

"Yeah, that's true. I was really pissed," Olivia agreed. "Look at his face! It's so sweet and perfect, why would you hit it?"

"Yeah, and hit it _hard_ too. I thought he was going down, seriously, and he's not a small guy," Abby nodded.

"Oh I almost _did_ go down," Fitz chuckled. "Pretty sure I saw some stars, that was a hell of a punch."

"And one hell of a shiner," Teagan nodded.

"Yes, I know, I know. Not my finest moment, _or_ first impression," Harrison nodded.

"Nope, probably the worst possible," Charlie said.

"Yep," Abby nodded.

"I feel like that's gonna be a story at their wedding or something," Quinn said.

"Okay, fine but then _I_ get to tell it," Harrison said.

"Oh, so you all are just deciding who's speaking at our wedding now?" Olivia teased.

"Yes. Me, just me," Harrison nodded.

"Um, excuse me. I'm already the maid of honor, soooo I'm obviously speaking," Abby piped up.

"That's true, her and Sandra are already my maid of honors," Olivia nodded.

Abby smirked proudly.

"Okay well, we're gonna be part of the wedding party, right?!" Quinn asked.

Olivia laughed and looked at Fitz for confirmation.

"Sure," Fitz chuckled.

"Yes!" Quinn said, throwing her hands up in the air.

" _And_ your friends, too. They're fun. We did do body shots with them," Olivia pointed out.

"That's true, they're pretty fun. _Rowdy_ and fun," he agreed.

"Back up, back up, _body shots?!"_ Quinn exclaimed.

"Mhm," Olivia nodded.

"People still do those?" David asked.

"You've _never_ done one?" Fitz asked.

"No..." David replied. "Have you, babe?"

"Nope. I'd definitely remember that," Abby replied.

"You guys are lame, I've done one!" Harrison said. "It was...kind of messy."

"Yeah. We were in dress clothes so we couldn't really do a...real one," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Well show us!" Quinn said.

"You guys, it's Wednesday night," Olivia giggled.

 _"_ _And?"_ Harrison replied.

"Honestly, I'm with Quinn. Birthday boy deserves a shot," Abby said.

Fitz raised his eyebrows and laughed. "Hmm...you think so?"

"Hell yeah, it's your birthday," David said.

He looked at Olivia and shrugged. "Do we have a lime?" he asked.

She nodded. "I'm pretty sure we do, actually," she said with a laugh.

"Do it, do it," Huck said.

He laughed and grabbed Olivia's hand. "Alright, looks like we're doing one."

"Yeah!" Charlie said.

Olivia went and confirmed that they did indeed have a lime, and she cut it into chunks, before grabbing the salt.

Fitz walked to his liquor cabinet by the bar and spun it open, examining everything he had.

"Shit," Harrison said, inspecting it from afar. "You got good taste, man."

"You a scotch guy?" Fitz asked, turning to Harrison.

"Oh hell yeah. A good scotch...that's where it's at," he replied.

"Ew. Scotch tastes like nail polish remover," Quinn said.

"I agree," Olivia added, laughing.

"Yeah, babe that's why I have _other_ hard alcoholic options for you in here," Fitz said, digging through some bottles.

"Isn't he the sweetest," Olivia giggled.

"Apparently _you_ are. Is all this Armani for him?" Huck asked, looking at all his birthday gifts.

"Well yes, Huck, I usually don't wear men's aftershave," Olivia replied.

"Mm, honestly I think I would if people wouldn't judge me for it. That stuff smells _amazing,"_ Abby said.

"Armani? Damn, Liv, you go big for birthdays," Teagan said, looking at the watch box.

Olivia shrugged. "It's my baby, I gotta go big."

"Touché," Teagan nodded.

"Ooo. _Great for all curl types. Provides extra moisture and light control to curls, reducing frizz and leaving hair soft and shiny,"_ Abby read off his jar of hair product.

"Mhm, see the catch with that, is I can steal it," Olivia giggled.

"Yeah, and she _does,"_ Fitz chuckled.

"Oh really? Does it work well for your hair?" Quinn asked, coming over to inspect it.

"Actually, yeah. It's really moisturizing, which is what I need. It kind of smells like man, but I mean...men smell good, so," Olivia shrugged.

"It says it's unisex and it _still_ has to smell like man? _Really?"_ Abby said.

"I know," Olivia said with a laugh. "Well, even if it smelled like lavender, we know Fitz would wear it."

He chuckled, grabbing a shot glass.

"You wear lavender or something?" Harrison asked.

"On occasion, when I've had to use Olivia's soap," Fitz replied.

"It's funny," Olivia giggled.

"Lowkey, lavender smells kinda nice, though," Huck said.

"Huck," Fitz said, pointing at him. "You're absolutely right."

"How about Pantene, baby, you like that?" Olivia asked.

"Oh yeah. For sure," he nodded.

She laughed. "You all know how it is. When you shower at _their_ place and you don't have soap there. It's either one of you smells like Old Spice or one of you smells like flowers."

"Oh, true that. Abby wears this...like, coconut, vanilla stuff? Is that right?" David asked.

"Close enough, Abby giggled.

"Okay, well that smells good as hell. I'll use that shit whenever I need to, seriously," David shrugged.

"Yeah, Huck wears Axe. I don't mind using his soap at all," Teagan added.

"Y'all are _weird_. I'll just stick to my own soap," Harrison said.

"Yeah, your shea moisture honey intensive hydration soap?" Abby teased.

"Uh, yeah. For _men,"_ Harrison nodded.

"Wait do you girls steal your guy's deodorant too or is that just my girl?" Charlie asked.

Quinn laughed. "Okay, in my defense, women's deodorant sucks ass."

"It really does!" Abby exclaimed. "Charlie, I did steal David's at one point but I now have my own men's deodorant. Old Spice, actually."

"It really does smell nice," Teagan nodded appreciatively.

"Yeah. I've literally worn men's deodorant since I was like fifteen," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Mhm, so I go to the store and just buy the two-pack of Old Spice. One for me, one for Liv. Isn't that romantic?" Fitz asked.

"Yeah, okay. You guys are literally a married couple," Harrison said.

"That's the goal, buddy," Fitz said, smacking his back.

"That _is_ the goal," Olivia whispered, reaching out her hands to him as she sat on the barstool.

He came over and held them, pecking her lips.

"I'm really glad we've covered such important topics on pretty boy's birthday," Abby nodded.

"True. What we've all walked in on, Harrison punching Fitz, men's and women's soap, deodorant, Harrison's _loneliness,"_ Huck said.

"Bro!" Harrison exclaimed, which had everyone laughing. "I like my space."

"Wait we didn't see the body shot yet though!" Quinn exclaimed.

"I hope it's not disappointing," Fitz chuckled.

"Well let's see it!" Abby said.

"Alright, come over here," Fitz said to everyone.

They all gathered around them and watched as Fitz unbuttoned the top buttons of Olivia's blouse.

"Ow, ow!" Quinn exclaimed.

"What do you got on under here?" he asked, peering inside her shirt. That made everyone laugh.

"A tank top," she giggled.

"Oh good, okay," he nodded, unbuttoning her whole shirt and pushing it off her shoulders.

"Eyes off, boys," Fitz teased, draping Olivia's shirt on the barstool.

"Eh, it's just Liv," Harrison teased.

"Gee, thanks Harrison," Olivia said with a laugh.

They all laughed, patting her back. It was no secret amongst Olivia's friends, both guys and girls, that Olivia was beautiful.

"Kidding, kidding. I just don't want your boyfriend to hit me back," Harrison replied.

"Yeah, good call," Olivia nodded, as she poured the tequila into a shot glass.

"So what do you do with the salt again?" Teagan asked.

"I'll show you," Fitz said.

He opened the salt, and then leaned in and licked Olivia's skin, so that the salt would stick.

Two different spots on her chest, as he had done at Brett's wedding.

"So now you put the salt there," Fitz said, touching the salt to the wet spots on her skin.

"And then you lick it back off?" Abby asked.

"Yes, but first let me get this all situated," Olivia said, putting the shot glass between her breasts.

The tank top really helped keep it in place.

"Ooo, girl!" Quinn giggled.

Olivia smiled. "Okay, baby. Do it, do it," she said, putting the lime in her mouth.

Fitz leaned in and licked every inch of salt off her chest, and then grabbed the shot glass with his mouth.

He held onto her hips as he tried to tug it out gently.

"Oh, he's got it, he's got it," Charlie nodded.

When it was clearly secure in his mouth, he lifted it out and tipped it back, letting the alcohol slide down his throat.

"Nice!" David said.

Fitz grabbed the glass from his mouth and then leaned in and took the lime from her mouth, their lips grazing.

He bit into it, letting the lime complement the salt and the tequila that he could still taste.

And then he took it out and planted a big kiss on her lips.

That, of course, made her friends cheer.

She smiled against his mouth, pulling him in for more. She could taste everything that he had just tasted.

After a brief makeout session, he pecked her lips a few times and smiled.

"Happy birthday," she giggled.

"Mm, thank you," he said.

"Wooo!" Quinn exclaimed.

"Alright, there's some lime left. Whoever is 21, and _not_ driving tonight, you can do one," Fitz said.

"Aw, remember when one of those rules didn't apply to me," Olivia giggled.

"Yes, and I felt like a very bad influence," he chuckled.

"I'm driving, I'm out," Abby said. "Well, I'm not 21 anyway."

"I can drive your car back if you want to, Huck," Teagan said.

"Hell yeah, come here," he said, reaching out to her.

"Oo, Huck get it!" Abby giggled.

Fitz showed talked them through it again, for those who wanted to. Huck, Charlie and David all did body shots with their girlfriends. And Quinn, Harrison, and Olivia just took regular shots of tequila.

And then Fitz took another. It was his birthday, after all.

"Whew," Fitz said, shaking his head as the second one went down his throat.

He bit into his lime again, after.

"Okay, he's definitely been a good addition to our friend group," Charlie said.

"Agreed," Huck nodded.

They all agreed, actually.

"Oh, I'm part of your friend group already? I'm honored," Fitz chuckled.

"You should be, our group is very close-knit, you see," Abby teased.

"Apparently, considering some of the things you've told me tonight," Fitz said with a laugh.

"Oh, we didn't give him the present!" Charlie said.

"Oh yeah! Duh," Quinn added.

"Huck, can you grab it? I set it by the entryway table," Abby said.

"Alrighty. Here you go, Fitz," Huck said, handing him the gift bag and card.

"Well thank you guys, you did not need to get me anything," Fitz said chuckled.

"Well it's definitely not that special," David said with a laugh.

Fitz opened the card, which was signed by every single one of them.

"Aww, this is very sweet, thank you," he said, moving to the gift bag.

Inside, was a selfie that Abby had taken of all of them the last time they had all hung out. Not the first time, but the second time. They were all in his living room, some of them on the floor and some of them on the couch and chairs.

It was quite the hilarious picture of all of them. But they were all happy and smiling in the picture, and it was framed for him.

"Oh my gosh," Fitz chuckled. "This is awesome."

"You gotta remember us somehow," Teagan said. "Thank god CVS prints pictures right away."

"Yeah. We thought you needed a reminder that we're all best buds now," Charlie added.

"Well thanks, you guys! I'll put this on my bar, by the picture of Liv," he said, setting it down there.

"Aw, that's gotta be a place of honor. By _Liv!"_ Quinn nodded.

"It definitely is," Olivia agreed. "That's so sweet you guys."

They all smiled happily.

Olivia was pretty sure her friends loved him more after that night, if it were even possible.

They thought he was fun, and cool. She agreed with them.

Eventually though, her friends left. Olivia was pretty sure they knew to leave at least somewhat early, to let her and Fitz finish what they'd started before.

Abby gave them a playful wave and wink.

"Use protection," Harrison chuckled.

Olivia and Fitz laughed, and thanked them for coming.

He walked over behind them and locked the door.

She smiled at him from the bar. Alone at last, with no interruptions to come.

"Come here," he said, waving her over.

She got off the barstool and immediately went over to him, jumping into his outstretched arms.

Their lips were instantly connecting, over and over again.

"Did you have a good birthday?" she whispered, in between kisses.

"Yes. The best," he replied, taking her upper lip in his mouth as he walked them to the bedroom.

"Good," she breathed. "It's about to get a lot better."

He smirked as he entered the bedroom, and shut the door.

It would be a long night for the birthday boy.

* * *

Whew! That was a long one.

Happy birthday, Fitz!

Time's moving fast...

Hope you enjoyed.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	73. Free

"Do we need to strip study again?" he teased, watching her read over her textbook for about the one-hundredth time.

She sighed, running a hand through her messy, curly hair. "No. No—I know that...there's not much you can really do to help," she replied.

He nodded. "It's not your usual terms test, baby. It's...situations. Applying what you've learned to what you see on the test. Discussion questions. Short essay questions. You know the drill, you know how this class works, and how I run things."

"I do, I know," she nodded, looking back at her textbook.

"You're going on hour three here, and that's just _tonight_. You need a break," he said, coming to sit by her.

"Fitz, I can't. Just...not right now. I need to read more, it's the only way I can study for this final," she said.

"Liv, you know your stuff. You're a top student for a reason, and you're a great test taker. I'm in no way telling you to _stop_ , I just mean take a little break. I know that you know your stuff," he said.

"Is this coming from my professor or my boyfriend?" she asked.

"Professor," he replied.

She nodded, putting the textbook down. But of course, she marked the page before she closed it. She didn't need to. She knew exactly what page she was on, page 693. She'd been skimming, but very _thoroughly_ skimming for days, weeks almost.

And Fitz knew it. He knew that she was exhausted. Finals time was _rough._

This was the first night she'd even spent at his apartment in over a week, because all she'd been doing was studying with her friends, at her apartment or at Harrison and Huck's. And it would likely be the last night she stayed there, at least for a couple days.

She and Abby only had a few nights left in their apartment together, so they planned to spend the last nights together.

"So my professor is confident that I know my stuff...what does my boyfriend say?" she asked, turning to look at him.

"Your boyfriend says that you're more stressed than he's ever seen you, and orgasms often reduce stress," he suggested.

She fought hard not to laugh.

"You're kidding right now, right?" she asked.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"I can't right now, baby, okay? You know I always want to, I do, just...I can't tonight," she sighed, opening her textbook back up, clearly dismissing the "break".

"I'm just trying to help, Livvie. It doesn't matter what you do, just...stop reading for fifteen minutes, that's all I'm saying here," he shrugged, slowly closing her textbook again.

She nodded. "Okay. You're right, you're right, I'm sorry."

"It's perfectly okay, I like your work ethic," he said, scooting back to lounge normally in the bed, with his back against the headboard. He grabbed his own book, that he still hadn't finished, and started to read.

As a professor, he didn't have much to do the night before the final. All grades were in for this class, besides this last exam, and the test had been written for weeks.

He'd have a busy rest of the week, finalizing grades and contacting his TA's, but for that night, he was free.

He was more stressed for when finals were over, for a couple reasons. When Olivia moved out of her apartment, she was moving straight in with him, which he was extremely happy about and excited for. But her parents were coming too, to help move her in and see the place their daughter would be living from then on.

They hadn't been to his apartment before, so he wanted it to be perfect. He wanted them to like Olivia's new residence; wanted them to feel it was good enough for their baby girl. They may be kind people, but he still knew their standards for things, especially pertaining to their only child.

There was another thing he was stressed about, too. But he couldn't even think about it without getting insane butterflies. Butterflies that almost hurt, because it excited him, yet terrified him beyond words.

He tried his best to push it out of his mind, and keep reading.

He could feel her watching him as he read, though.

"Livvie..."

"Yes," she answered.

"Are you just gonna sit there?" he asked.

"I don't know, I haven't decided," she shrugged.

He chuckled, putting his book face down on the bed. "Come here."

She scooted up the bed and right in front of him, before he pulled her body into his. She sat right between his legs, with her back to him.

He wrapped his arms around her body from behind in a hug. "You're going to do great. I know it, and you know it."

"I don't _know_ it," she whispered.

"Olivia Carolyn Pope you _do_ know it. Where's that confidence I love, huh?" he asked.

She nodded. "I'm just so stressed. I shouldn't be, because I only have two finals left, but I don't think it helps that they're both tomorrow."

"I know. But you're gonna kill 'em both, I wouldn't say that unless I meant it. You are the most hardworking person I know. I've never seen anyone with a work ethic like you, and I've certainly never seen anyone study as hard as you," he replied.

She exhaled and leaned her head against his chest, closing her eyes.

"There you go. Just relax, and sit here with me," he whispered.

"Okay," she nodded.

He leaned his chin on her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her little body. His long arms wrapped all the way around her front side, because she was so petite.

So petite and cute.

He pressed a couple soft kisses behind her ear and caught a whiff of her hair, which always smelled amazing. And her perfume, which he also loved.

It was the same Versace scent that they'd teased each other about on his birthday, the one of his that he wore most often as well.

He couldn't help but give her a couple more kisses.

His hands slowly slid down her front side, teasing with the idea of slipping inside her jeans.

"Fitz," she whispered with a laugh.

"Hmm?" he chuckled, pressing a kiss to her neck.

"Whatcha doin' there?" she asked, looking down at his hands. By now, they were undoing the button, and unzipping the zipper.

She certainly didn't stop him, as he slid his fingers inside her underwear.

"Playing," he responded, rubbing her clit.

"Fitz..." she giggled again.

"Let me, baby. Just let me. It'll help," he whispered, pressing another kiss to her neck.

"You think so huh?" she whispered back.

He nodded. "You'll feel good."

She exhaled, clutching his bicep as he moved his fingers.

"Yeah?" he asked, just to make sure she didn't want him to stop.

"Yeah," she nodded.

He pressed kisses to her neck, and moved the neckline of her shirt aside so that he could kiss her shoulders too, all while he rubbed her clit.

He could feel himself hardening, and he assumed she could feel it too, considering her ass was pressed up against his crotch. But he didn't care, all he cared about was giving her a good break, and one that would make her feel good and relaxed.

He looked over her shoulder and down at his hand, deep in her jeans. Moving up and down, and in circles.

She leaned back, and looked at him, breathing heavier with each passing minute.

He smiled, pecking her lips lightly. She scooted back against his crotch even more, reaching behind her to hold onto him in any way she could.

He inhaled sharply at the contact she made between his legs, which made her giggle.

"Sorry—sorry," she whispered.

"You're okay," he chuckled, moving his fingers faster.

He made her orgasm twice, so it was _way_ longer than a fifteen-minute break.

But she was much calmer after, and that had been his entire goal.

That wasn't to say that he didn't just enjoy being intimate with her in general. Obviously, that was the case, too.

They changed and got ready for bed, but she went right back to studying as they laid in bed.

He let her, though. He didn't want to get in the way too much, because he knew she had her methods, and they definitely were successful ones.

Eventually, he heard soft breathing from her side of the bed. He looked over to see her fast asleep, with the book still open in her hands.

He smiled and grabbed it gently, setting it on his nightstand and turning out the lights.

"Goodnight, pretty girl. Sleep well," he whispered.

He snuggled up close to her, and fell asleep beside her.

* * *

She hadn't slept really, the entire night.

All she felt was butterflies. Excitement. Happiness. Nervousness. And it kept her from sleeping.

She'd maybe gotten four hours or so. But she didn't even care. Because today was it. Today was the day.

The last day as the great professor Grant's student.

She was half asleep, sort of in a halfway state when Fitz was getting ready. She partially remembered him kissing her lips, before he left the room that morning.

She faintly remembered his voice, his wonderful voice, whispering to her that he loved her.

She couldn't remember if she had whispered back. She tended to murmur sometimes when she was half asleep. Hopefully he knew that she loved him back, before he started his day. It was pretty obvious, even if she hadn't said it.

She for sure always knew how he felt, based on his notes.

That morning's was particularly adorable.

 **My dear Olivia,**

 **I knew I loved you from the very first day.**

 **And now it's the last day. The day we've been waiting almost two years for.**

 **No matter what, I'll always remember seeing your pretty face in the crowd, looking up at me. That still made me happy, to be able to see you. But not as happy as I'll be after today.**

 **Good luck on both exams. I know you'll do amazing, like you always do.**

 **See you soon,**

 **-Fitz**

 **P.S. I love you**

She smiled, almost wanting to cry happy tears already and she hadn't even left his apartment yet.

But as she looked at the stove clock, she realized she did need to get going for her first exam of the day.

So, she grabbed her mug of tea, her backpack, and her keys, and was out the door.

Fitz had been right. Like he normally was.

The first exam went amazing, she was pretty sure she could not have done any better than she did.

So, feeling confident about that one helped ease her into taking Fitz's exam.

She sat by her group members for the last time, a little sad to be leaving them. Only a little sad, because they were pretty annoying, besides Teagan and Andrew.

She knew there was only one of them she wanted to keep in touch with though, and that was Teagan. She was an angel on earth, one she was incredibly thankful for.

And the exam went perfectly fine. It was hard as fuck, but she knew that going in. Fitz was certainly not an easy professor. He made you work for it.

She expected a B+ or so, which could be better, but could also be worse. And she was still confident enough about the scores on the group work and assignments they'd done thus far, that she'd end with an A in the class. That's all she cared about in the end.

She was glad that he was in the lecture hall for this particular exam, because she remembered the International Politics exam had had assigned proctors. All exams were different, and the university decided those things.

For once, Olivia was thankful for the university's decision. Because it gave her one last chance to see him up there. Just one last time.

And as she smiled at him for that last time ever, handing in her exam at the front table, she thought she might actually cry. It didn't feel real. It did _not_ feel real.

The look on his face said it all, too.

His lips were parted in awe as she lingered there in front of him. It was as if he couldn't do anything. He couldn't smile, he couldn't speak. He was just there in front of her, in shock.

He just looked starstruck, like he didn't know what to do.

She had to force herself to tear her eyes off of him so she could turn and exit the auditorium.

Once she finally started heading to the door, she wondered how she was even walking.

The sun shined on her skin when she opened the door of the lobby, and she headed towards her car in one of the student parking lots.

But in her shocked state, she realized her apartment could wait for a little bit. She and Abby would have their few days and nights together, but there was only one place she wanted to be this afternoon, and it was _not_ her own apartment.

Abby had a final this afternoon anyway, so it didn't make sense to go back quite yet.

She knew this was Fitz's last obligation today. She knew he still had other exams to administer in the coming days, and grades to finalize. But for today, he was done.

So as soon as she got in her car, she sent a text to Fitz.

 **I know I planned to go home, but I want to see you. I'll be at the apartment.** **Love you.**

She started her car and drove to Pax, so excited and in shock. She was positive she had never ever felt anything of the sort in her life.

Because it was like it hadn't hit her yet. They had been waiting for this moment for so long, and now that it was here...she didn't even know what the hell to do with herself.

She got back to his apartment, the one that would also be hers in a few days, and she sat at the bar.

She sat there and waited, because she didn't know what else to do.

Ten minutes passed, and she got a text from him.

 **On my way.**

Another ten minutes passed, and she heard the door open.

And she saw him walk in.

He had his briefcase and his mug of coffee, which had likely been gone for a while now, as it was early afternoon.

His face still had that look on it. The look that was probably quite similar to hers. The look that seemed to say "is this really happening?"

They just stared at each other for a few seconds, unable to speak.

He took off his shoes and brought his briefcase and mug over to the island to set them down.

And then he slowly made his way over to the barstool she was sitting in.

That's when the tears started coming for her.

She looked at him, walking towards her. Walking towards her as a man that she could date openly. She supposed not _technically_ yet, since grades weren't finalized and the semester wasn't officially over.

But it was all the same to her. They didn't have time for a date in the coming days anyway, and that didn't even matter to her right now. What mattered to her right now, was that there was nothing looming over their heads anymore.

No future semesters where she could possibly have him as a professor. None. She was _done_ with Professor Grant. No more.

He closed the gap between them and reached out for her hand.

She took it right away, and stepped off the barstool, tears dripping off her face.

She buried her face in his chest, crying such happy tears as he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"Oh my god," he sniffed.

She could tell that she was not the only emotional one, from the sound of his voice.

"Oh, Fitz," she whispered, clutching his shirt.

"Olivia," he whispered back. "Oh my god."

She felt his head on hers, and heard his sniffing.

"This doesn't feel real," she said.

"No," he whispered.

She soaked his shirt with her tears, which she was sorry for. But she couldn't help it.

His finger found her chin, and lifted it up gently so she would look at him.

Through her teary eyes, she saw his beautiful face looking down at her. He wasn't crying like she was. But his eyes were glossy and his nose was running a little bit, like he was trying to hold it off.

He stood in between her legs as she sat, and he leaned forward to kiss her. He held her face in his hands, taking her upper lip into his mouth.

He kissed her softer than she ever thought she had been kissed.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him even closer between her legs, wanting to feel him. And that's when she felt tears that were not just her own.

Running down his cheeks, and wetting hers, too.

It made her kiss him harder, and hold him tighter.

She needed him.

He needed her.

His hands slid down from her tear-soaked face, and held her lower back so he could lift her off the barstool.

She moved her hands around his neck, and circled her legs around him.

As he walked her slowly down the hallway to his bedroom, it almost felt like the first time.

The first time, about a year and a half ago, when he'd walked her down the hallway to that bedroom.

The first time, when they'd finally given in to the feelings that were there, and always had been there, from the beginning.

This time was very similar. The lights stayed off. The clothes came off.

Only this time, the whispers back and forth were not each other's names, or even a hint of dirty talk.

This time, the whispers back and forth were confessions of love to each other, and they were often accompanied by long kissing breaks, and little smiles in between.

The skin on skin felt just the same. Warm, and _right._

Even back then, it had always felt right. Nothing about it seemed right, maybe, to other people. Or to them, at the time.

A much older professor, and his much younger student in his apartment.

Trying to deny for months that the smiles and the butterflies, and the goosebumps didn't actually mean what they really meant.

That there was nothing between the two, that there could never _be_ something between the two. Not between two people so unavailable, so _forbidden_ to each other.

But there always was, no matter the age, no matter the profession, no matter what it looked like. There had _always_ been something there.

Always.

And it had all finally paid off.

The hiding, the lying, the sneaking around.

The stolen moments, the tears, the heartache.

The many, _many_ declarations of "friendship."

The incredibly reckless, yet undeniably funny moments.

All of the apologies.

The thrown picture frames, and the shattered phone screens.

And the waiting.

Because now, for the most part, they were done. They were able to do what other couples could do on a daily basis.

They were...

Free.

* * *

"Just a little longer," he whispered.

She nodded, burying her face in his chest.

She was going to go. They'd been laying in bed for over an hour, whispering back and forth. Also, completely naked.

They hadn't let go of each other since they got in bed, and at that point, it had been a lot more than just holding on to each other.

But now, that's what it was. Limbs tangled underneath the sheets, ignoring how warm it was to be that close for that long, especially when they'd already worked up a sweat.

"I'll be back in a few days, baby. We'll both be busy, anyway," she whispered. It still made her sad to go.

"I know, I know. I want you to go spend time with Abby before she has to go. Just...I'm glad you came over today. I wanted to see you too."

"Are you excited? For...Saturday?" she asked.

"Yes. Are you?" he asked.

"So excited," she nodded. "I don't think that's really hit me yet either. That I'll live here with you."

"Well, we have everything set. Your gym key, your mailroom key. Your name...on my lease," he whispered with a smile.

"Mmm, fancy fancy," she giggled.

"Just tell me now...what are you gonna do to it," he chuckled.

"Your apartment?" she asked.

"Mhm," he nodded.

"Nothing! I like it," she shrugged.

"Come on, tell it to me straight, Liv. No fluffy pillows or...more wall art, or...I don't know, new paint colors?" he asked.

"No. Well...maybe a few throw pillows, sure," she giggled.

"That's it?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Yeah. I like your place how it is. You did pretty good with it," she giggled.

"You think so?" he asked.

"I do. Everything matches, that's the first step. I mean I guess you could use a few more things on the walls...but I'll let it be, I don't want to change it too much. When we buy our house, though..." she said, smiling.

"Ah, that's when you're gonna take over," he chuckled.

"Oh not take _over,"_ she said.

"Well you took over the bathroom," he chuckled.

"I know, I'm sorry, I will admit that. I require a lot of products, this hair doesn't do itself, baby," she replied.

"I know. If it makes you feel better, I love your hair," he said.

She laughed. "I know you do."

"In our new house, I'll make sure there's lots of cupboard space in our bathroom. All for you," he said, kissing her cheek.

She smiled. "You're the sweetest."

He smiled back, kissing her nose.

"We need lots of cupboard space in general. For you, too, you also come with a lot of products," she giggled.

"Alright, I'll admit that too," he nodded.

She sighed, looking at the wall clock. "Okay. I should probably go. Any fun things planned for the next few days besides working?" she asked, getting up to get dressed.

"Not really. Cleaning and getting ready for your parents to come," he shrugged, watching her from the bed.

"I feel bad. I don't want you to have to do that all by yourself," she replied.

"Well you'll have your hands full cleaning your own apartment too," he said.

"Yeah," she sighed. "Well, don't worry too much about it. My parents are only staying one night and the guest rooms haven't been touched in forever, besides when we washed the sheets."

"Yeah, it'll be easy," he assured her.

"Don't stress too much, okay?" she said, coming over to him. "My parents know you, they like you. It'll all be perfect."

He smiled, wondering how she even knew that he was a little stressed about it. He hadn't said anything, really. But she could always tell.

"I won't," he promised.

She looked at him, now laying on top of the sheets. Completely naked. It looked so good.

 _He_ looked so good.

"What?" he asked, putting his hands underneath his head.

"You're making me not want to leave yet," she said with a laugh.

"Then don't," he smirked.

She bit her lip, looking at his bare muscular body, mixed in with soft sheets. It looked like a paradise to her, even though they'd had sex twice in the past two hours.

He caught her staring and let one of his hands wander down his body.

Oh fuck.

She knew what he was going to do, even before he started to do it.

Watching him touch himself was something she could never get over.

She'd never even thought about how hot it really was until he did it the first time in front of her a while ago.

To her, it showed confidence. And in that particular moment, she knew he was only trying to get her to come back to bed.

"You _had_ to start that," she whispered.

"You want me to stop?" he asked.

"Nope," she said.

"Mmkay," he whispered, looking down at his length which was insanely hard now as he stroked it.

Her fingers twitched against her sides as she debated taking her clothes back off.

It wasn't really a debate in her head, her fingers went for the clothes without too much thought.

She took her shirt and bra back off and watched as his head immediately lifted, looking at her bare chest.

"Everything off again," he said.

She was already doing it even before he said anything.

She got back into bed and immediately, he turned his attention to her, pressing his hands down on hers against the sheets as he kneeled above her.

"You know just how to keep me here, don't you," she said.

He rubbed his thumb against her clit, listening to her talk to him.

"Mhm," he said.

"Mean," she whispered.

He bit his lip as he massaged her.

"Is this what mean boyfriends do?" he asked.

"No," she breathed, arching her back. She moaned, letting her legs fall open for him.

"That's it, baby," he whispered, moving his thumb faster. "On your side."

She turned onto her side, and he got behind her.

Her breath staggered as she felt him getting situated at her entrance. He bent her leg up and held it there so he could push in.

She closed her eyes and let the moans come out.

He groaned, resting his head on her shoulder as he rolled his hips again.

"Keep your leg up," he whispered in her ear.

She had no trouble with that whatsoever. She'd open as wide as he told her to.

He then used his hand to wrap around her side and rub her clit again, all while he continued to thrust inside her.

It was amazing.

She never wanted it to end, but they both couldn't last that long in that position, and they were already exhausted.

But for the third time that afternoon, they both came.

She could barely breathe after they collapsed on the bed, dead tired.

"I'm impressed. Three times, in what...two hours?" she said with a laugh.

"Ditto. Nice work," he said, opening his palm to her for a high five.

She giggled and smacked it.

"And all because my boyfriend couldn't help but touch himself," she teased.

"You gotta do what you gotta do," he chuckled.

She brought his hand up to her mouth and kissed it, getting out of bed for the _second_ time.

"Okay, I'm _really_ gonna go this time," she said with a laugh, running to the bathroom so she could use it, clean up, and then get dressed again.

"You should do that little naked run more often," he yelled from the bed.

She laughed from the bathroom. "You shush."

"You should make me," he said.

She flushed and washed her hands, coming back into the bedroom with quite the powerful eye roll. She tossed him a washcloth, which he thanked her for.

"Yeah, and if I _made_ you shush, then I'd never leave," she said, putting her clothes back on.

"That's my goal," he said with a smile.

"I have to go, mister," she said.

"I know, I know. Say hi to Abby for me," he replied.

"Okay. I'm sure we'll talk plenty on the phone. Otherwise, I'll see you Saturday morning, alright?" she asked.

"Alright. Kiss," he said, pulling on her hand.

She leaned in and gave him a few good kisses. "Love you."

"Love you," he said, waving goodbye as she left the room.

He waited until he heard the front door close, before he decided to get dressed. There was somewhere he wanted to go again.

* * *

The next few days passed by quickly. Olivia and Abby packed up all their things together, and really spent all their time with each other, just like they'd planned.

Deep cleaning the apartment before they moved out was always a process. But it had to be done, so they did that too.

Their rooms were kind of a mess for a few days, having everything actually packed up for the most part, but still all _in_ the room proved to be kind of difficult.

Abby did take some of her things to her car, since she had an SUV and could fit things.

Olivia just decided to wait until her parents came, since her dad would bring his Discovery and that was a lot bigger than her car. Plus, that's what they were coming for anyway.

Abby still had one last final on Friday evening, which was what was keeping her in Connecticut.

So, she'd head out on Saturday morning just like Olivia. Only Olivia would drive about fifteen minutes down the road to her new place, whereas Abby would go home to West Virginia.

That would be a very hard goodbye. Very hard.

It had already been kind of hard within the last week, with all her friends leaving.

Teagan and David were the only ones who actually lived in Connecticut.

And all her other friends would be gone for the summer, if they weren't already.

The only friend that remained still besides Teagan and David, was Charlie, and they'd already said their goodbyes with him.

It was a sad time, that was for sure. Especially with a friend group as close as them.

So, Olivia and Abby planned to order some takeout their last night, since they'd pretty much eaten their apartment dry on purpose that whole week. They thought it would be fun, and they could watch a movie or something.

But first, Abby had an exam at 4:00. And for some reason, she left at 2:00.

"How come you're going so early?" Olivia asked, watching her put on her shoes.

"Uhh...I'm just, you know, going to get a little studying in beforehand at the library," Abby replied.

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, I could...I could turn my music down if it's too loud here?" she said apologetically.

"Oh, no, no. I just like the atmosphere at the library, you know? It's just better to study there," Abby shrugged.

"Oh, okay. Yeah, well good luck! You'll do great!" Olivia said.

"Thanks, Liv! I'll pick up the food on my way back," she said.

"Sounds good. See you then," Olivia nodded.

"Bye."

So, Olivia decided to FaceTime Fitz, since she wanted to take a break from packing anyway.

But, he didn't answer when she called.

She figured he was probably working, he'd been pretty busy lately.

So she turned her music back up and kept at it. She didn't have much left to do.

* * *

The night went well. Abby's exam was good, and so was their takeout and their movie.

Abby seemed _really_ , really happy after she came back from the exam, so that must have been a good sign.

But before they knew it, it was Saturday morning.

Time to say goodbye.

Olivia helped Abby carry a couple things out to her car, and she was set to leave.

They looked at each other as they stood beside the car, packed full of Abby's belongings.

"Fuck. I hate this part," Abby said sadly.

"Me too," Olivia replied.

"Come here, dumbass," Abby sniffled.

Olivia embraced her friend sadly, not wanting her to go.

"You're gonna go see David before you head out of town, right?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah. I'm gonna stop there first," she said.

"Okay. Have fun. And...have a good summer," Olivia said, the tears filling her eyes.

"You too. Have so much fun. I _know_ that you will," Abby replied.

"We'll see each other before the fall," Olivia assured her.

"Oh yes. We definitely will. We will _need_ to," Abby nodded.

They pulled away and gave each other a smile.

"Bye, roomie," Olivia said, wiping her face.

"Bye roomie. I love you."

"I love you," Olivia nodded, as Abby got in the car.

She waved goodbye as Abby drove away, and walked back up to her apartment sadly.

Her parents would be there soon, so at least she wouldn't have to sit there doing nothing alone for a while, but it was still sad.

When her parents did come, though, it cheered her up right away.

"Livvie, hi, baby," Maya said, pulling her in for a hug.

"Hi, mom. Hi dad," she said, hugging him too.

"Hi, honey. Abby gone?" he asked.

"Yep, she left a little bit ago," Olivia replied.

"Alright. Well it looks like you have everything ready!" he said, looking around at all the boxes.

"I do. Should be set, I texted Fitz so he knows we'll be there soon," she replied.

"Good. Well, should we start loading?" Maya asked.

Eli and Olivia nodded.

Loading really didn't take that long. What took the longest was Olivia's clothes, since she had a lot of them.

But otherwise, it went pretty quickly considering she'd never needed her own furniture or anything like that with their pre-furnished apartment.

Walking out of that apartment for the last time was the weirdest thing. It had been her home for two whole years, and just like that, she'd never come back.

Harrison and Huck would still be living in their apartment next year, so at least she knew she'd be back in the building in the future.

She directed her parents to Fitz's apartment, which was kind of funny.

It was interesting to have them back in her little college town, since they hadn't been there in a couple years.

They were amazed at his place, just from the outside.

Once they got inside, they were even more amazed.

"Olivia, hey!" Logan said, greeting them as they walked in.

"Hey, Logan!" she replied.

"Ah, today's the day, right?" Logan asked, gesturing to the box she had in her hands.

"It is the day. My parents decided to come for the occasion," she said, nodding at them behind her.

"Ah, very cool. It's nice to meet you two, I'm Logan," he said, giving them a wave.

Eli and Maya introduced themselves as well and they made a little small talk.

"Well, I'll let you all get to it, I don't want to slow you down, I'm sure Grant's waiting for you!" Logan said.

"Right. Well I'm sure we'll see you throughout the day. We'll come say hi later," Olivia nodded.

"Sounds good, nice to meet you two," Logan said with a wave.

"Yes you too," Maya agreed, along with Eli.

"Well he seems friendly," Maya said as they got in the elevator.

"He is, he's one of Fitz's friends. And...my friend too, I guess," Olivia shrugged.

"I vaguely remember you mentioning a Logan," Maya nodded.

"Yeah, that's him. Logan Baxter."

"And you like this place? I mean, not just the people. It's...it's a good, safe location?" Eli asked.

"Yes. Very good, all around," Olivia nodded.

"Good," her parents said, as they all exited the elevator.

She led them happily to apartment 639, and opened the door, peeking her head inside.

"Sweetheart?" she said.

"Livvie," he said, waving to her from the couch.

She smiled and walked in, letting her parents follow.

"Eli, Maya, hi," Fitz said, coming over to greet them.

"Hi there, Fitz. This is a beautiful place you have here," Maya said, pulling him in for a hug.

"Thank you!" he replied.

"Hi, Fitz," Eli said, extending a hand.

"Hi. Welcome back to New Haven, I've heard it's been a while," Fitz said, shaking his hand.

"It has, too long probably. We thought we'd help her move in and take the opportunity to see her new place," Eli said.

"Yes, of course. Do you two want the tour first?" Fitz asked.

"Sure, I'd love to see it," Maya said, to which Eli nodded in agreement.

"Okay. Here, Liv, what's in here?" Fitz asked, gesturing to the box she'd grabbed from the car.

"I think this is shoes, I just figured I'd grab something," she said.

"Here, I'll take it to our bedroom. Come on in, you guys," he said, taking the box.

"Thank you," Olivia replied, pecking his lips.

"Mhm."

The place looked great. It usually always did, but she could tell he'd spent some time on it for sure.

Very sweet of him.

Fitz showed them around the living room and kitchen first, and showed them their room for the night, the first bedroom on the left.

And he showed them the rest of the apartment; another bedroom, a bathroom, and then the master bedroom and bathroom.

From what Olivia could tell, they really liked it.

It was kind of fun, once they all started unloading her things from the car, and bringing them upstairs. And with four people, it did not take long at all.

She still had things at home in Virginia that she'd want to bring next time she went home. But she had more than enough of her things with her in Connecticut anyway.

The whole day was spent hanging out in the apartment, getting some things organized, and unpacking everything, and it was really fun.

Fitz picked up some food for lunch, and told her parents he'd make dinner for everyone later that night, which they looked forward to.

It was a great day. A really great day.

And what made it better was she felt like things were moving forward in her life. With school, with her boyfriend, with her new job, that she'd start in a week or so.

She was happier than ever.

* * *

Later that night, when Olivia was putting some of her things in her dresser, Fitz came in the bedroom.

"Hey, baby I'm gonna go show your parents around the main level, they want to see it. Just the basic things. Gym, and such," he informed her.

"Yeah, baby okay. You want me to come?" she asked.

"Oh, no that's okay. You stay and organize, I don't want to interrupt you," he assured her.

"Okay. Hurry back to me," she replied with a smile.

"I will," he said, giving her a little wave.

They were gone for a little while, so she knew he must have given them the full tour.

It was a pretty big apartment complex, after all.

They came back, very chatty and very content, she could hear from the bedroom.

And when she heard Fitz start to make dinner, she decided to take a break and go help him.

"The building is pretty nice, isn't it?" she asked her parents.

Eli nodded with a smile.

"Very nice. We like it," Maya said.

"Me too," Olivia agreed, linking her arm with Fitz's.

It was quite the sight to her.

Her and her boyfriend about to make dinner in her new place of residence.

Her parents, smiling and drinking wine at the bar.

All while there was nothing to get in their way, anymore.

Absolutely nothing.

It was crazy to think that in just a few days, final grades would need to be submitted, and the semester would be _officially_ over.

It was crazy to think that from then on, and forever, they were;

 _Free._

* * *

Free at last! Well, just about.

That was a long time coming.

Hope you enjoyed this emotional chapter.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	74. Yes

"So what's your opinion on it? I'm just curious," Fitz said.

Cyrus nodded. "Well, _technically,_ you're free to do what you want. It's summer anyway, the student body's so much smaller in the summer, you're only teaching, what…two night classes?"

"Yes," Fitz replied.

"Well…like I said, you're technically free to do what you please," he said.

"Okay, but…what's your opinion? What would be smartest?" Fitz asked.

"Well, the semester's been over for over almost two weeks…have you two not gone out yet?" Cyrus asked.

"Not really," he said. She just started her new job this Monday, she's been going in early and staying late already. I don't think that's permanent, but she wants to make a good impression to start. And…we were kind of waiting to see what you thought, first," Fitz said.

Cyrus nodded. "You're acting as though I'm a master on this," he chuckled.

"Well, you'd be better to ask than anyone else," Fitz shrugged.

Cyrus sighed. "I'd say you're in a good spot, considering everything I said about summer. I wouldn't bring her around to your office, just not yet. By fall semester I'd say that's fine if you really wanted. I wouldn't, you know…go around canoodling on campus quite yet either. Maybe start with dinner…half hour away or so, if you're not comfortable going out in New Haven yet. Just a few things."

"Did you just say…'canoodling'?" Fitz chuckled.

"Yes," Cyrus said with a laugh. "I've seen you two together, the woman is never not…on you."

Fitz smiled and nodded. "She doesn't stray far, no," he agreed.

"Therefore, canoodling," Cyrus chuckled.

"Alright, alright. No campus canoodling for a while. Dinner outside of New Haven to start. No office visits. How about…I don't know, basic things. Like grocery shopping," he said.

"I think grocery shopping is fine, Fitz," Cyrus said with a laugh.

"Good, because we've already done that," Fitz chuckled.

"And…how'd it feel?" Cyrus asked.

Fitz shrugged. "Pretty normal. Just…grocery shopping," he said.

"Yeah, a dinner date might feel…better, after everything you've gone through," Cyrus agreed.

"Yes. We've gone on those before. We used to drive an hour away from New Haven to do it her sophomore year. Haven't really been on one since winter break, in Washington D.C.," he replied.

"It's about time then!" Cyrus exclaimed.

"Yes. I need to make reservations somewhere for tomorrow night, I just wanted to hear your thoughts on everything first," Fitz replied.

"You _need_ to make reservations, huh?" Cyrus chuckled.

"Yes. I want to take her out. Like you said, it's time."

Cyrus smiled. "I'm happy for you, buddy, you two…you deserve this, after everything."

"Thanks, Cy. I…think so too," he said.

"It was so strange, Cy. I mean...that day, when she took the exam and then we were just...done. We didn't even know what to do. It's why we haven't really gone out. _For real,_ gone out. We're not used to it, it's weird. I don't know. We've waited for this for years and now that it's here, we're still nervous about it. I know that will go away, it's still so fresh. Just...I don't know. Does that make any sense?" Fitz asked.

"Makes perfect sense to me," Cyrus said. "This is all you've ever known. The only time you've ever been able to be free was miles away from this town. And now this town seems daunting to you. I get that. That's why you start with other towns. It'll ease you two into it, and it will provide a plausible amount of time for people to believe you started dating _after_ the semester ended, not before."

Fitz nodded. "Yeah. That's sort of why we've waited. But I'm ready. I'm ready to do something with her besides...grocery shop. She's ready too, I know that. So...we're gonna start easing into it."

"Now that you have my approval," Cyrus teased.

"Exactly. You've always looked out for us and that's something I'll never be able to thank you enough for. You always had our backs, even when nobody else did. I will always owe you for that," Fitz said.

"Oh Fitzgerald, you don't owe me anything. In fact...I feel as though I owe you. I knew you were always drawn to her. Right from the beginning, it was clear as day to me. Only because I knew you well, and I'd never seen your eyes light up like that about anything, not even...coffee or ice hockey," Cyrus stated.

Fitz laughed.

"But I thought...I thought it was infatuation. I thought that for way too long. And boy was I wrong. So, so wrong. You two are...much more than infatuation. You two are much more than being...'whipped.' You two are something that a lot of people want, but never get the chance to have. So I'm sorry, for what I thought," Cyrus said. "That was that one word I learned right? Whipped?"

"Yes," Fitz chuckled.

"I thought it was," Cyrus nodded.

"I've heard worse than what you've said, trust me. I think you forget about Liv's dad. He wanted me dead. Actually dead," Fitz said.

"But now he doesn't, that's what's important!" Cyrus shrugged.

"Yeah...it took time. It took effort. And hopefully...hopefully, he still likes me after his visit here. I think he does. He's hard to read," Fitz said.

"Why would his visit here change anything?" Cyrus asked.

Fitz paused. He didn't want to go into everything quite yet. "Well, just...I don't know. I wanted everything to be perfect when they came. I think I did a good job," he replied.

"I'm sure that you did. For their 21-year-old daughter to live where you live...I think every parent would want that," Cyrus chuckled.

Fitz nodded. "I don't even...want to live there anymore. I know that seems crazy, because she just moved in and I love that she's there every day. I love it more than anything. But I want our _house_. I want...everything that she wants. I want to start our life now."

"You have started it, buddy. Don't count out any of the small things, that's something that I think everyone does and they shouldn't. Including me. This was a big step, her moving in," he replied.

"I know it was. Maybe I'm being greedy, I don't know," Fitz sighed.

Cyrus laughed, putting his head down on the table. "You just said 'I want everything that she wants.' For god sakes, buddy, that is anything but greedy."

Fitz nodded. "I suppose that's a fair point. She messes me up in the head sometimes, I don't know. Sometimes I think I sound like an idiot and I don't even know it," he chuckled.

"Well here's the thing, if they don't make you a little crazy, they're not the one," Cyrus said.

Fitz smiled. "That sounds like something I would write to her."

"Something that you'd write?" Cyrus asked.

"Yeah...I write her these little notes...or—I did, on the nights she'd stay over during the semester. So she could wake up to them," he said.

Cyrus laughed. "You really have it just as bad as you did two years ago don't you?"

"Yes," Fitz answered.

No shame.

"You're the most romantic straight guy I've ever met, you know that?" Cyrus asked.

"Thank you!" Fitz said happily. "I try hard to be. She likes it."

"You're absolutely welcome," Cyrus said with a laugh.

Fitz smiled and clinked his glass with Cyrus's in a toast.

It was a nice Friday night with him.

But eventually, they closed their bar tabs and headed their separate ways, Fitz assuring him they'd meet up again soon.

And he went back home to his girlfriend.

 _Home._

It was something he still couldn't believe. He came home to her every night, or she came home to him. It was fantastic.

"Hi, baby," she said from the couch.

He gasped, smiling at her even though he'd seen her before he had gone to the bar. "Hi, baby."

She waved him over with a single finger.

He kicked off his shoes and made his way over there, leaning down to kiss her a few times.

"Whatcha watching?" he asked, looking at the commercial on the screen.

"The news," she replied.

"Mm, so serious," he teased, kissing her cheek.

"Well I would watch _Dexter_ , but I can't without you!" she exclaimed.

"Very true, thanks for waiting for me," he replied.

"Mhm. How was Cy?" she asked. "What'd he say?"

"He's good. He kinda said what we thought he'd say. Don't flaunt it quite yet but...there's still no reason to _hide_ hide," he explained. "So, we're going to dinner tomorrow. Somewhere fancy."

She smiled. "We are?"

"We are!"

"I didn't know we were going out this weekend! I'm excited! It'll be like a...first date of sorts."

"Mhm. It probably still won't be around here. But there are better restaurants in other towns anyway. I was thinking a restaurant in Old Greenwich that I went to once with Cy. It's nice, and very good."

"Which one?" she asked.

"Applausi Osteria Toscana."

Her mouth opened slightly. "Say it again," she said.

"Applausi...Osteria...Toscana."

"I'm turned on," she replied.

He laughed, pulling on her hand. "Good, 'cause I'm gonna shower. You wanna join me?"

"I'd love to," she said, turning off the TV and following him.

He walked backward, looking at her while he pulled the shirt over his head.

"Stop flexing," she teased, eyeing his sculpted abdomen.

"I'm not!" he exclaimed, tossing his T-shirt at her.

She caught it with a smile and laughed. "I'm kidding, on all fronts. Please don't ever stop flexing. Ever."

Then he really did flex.

And it was marvelous, as always.

"Hmm. You need to hit the gym, baby," she teased again.

He scoffed. "It really seems like you _don't_ want me to fuck you in the shower."

"I was kidding!" she giggled.

He rolled his eyes and closed the bathroom door.

Right in her face.

She opened her mouth in awe.

"Fitz, sweetie, I'm _kidding!"_ she exclaimed, outside the door.

No response.

She started tapping her foot. _"Baby."_

Nothing, but she did hear lots of movement inside and the sound of the shower starting.

"Fitzgerald Thomas, if you don't open this door—"

He instantly opened the door, completely naked, and pulled her inside with a laugh.

She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You drive me crazy, woman. Like actually crazy, and all I want is for you to keep doing it," he said, fumbling with her jeans.

"I am crazy, I'm so sorry about that, that's really unfortunate for you," she said, lifting her shirt over her head and returning her arms around his neck.

"I love you," he chuckled, yanking her jeans down.

"I love you," she replied, lifting her legs out of them.

"Get your pretty ass in there," he whispered, looking at the shower, which was now steaming.

"Kay," she whispered, pulling on his hand to follow.

He did.

The shower was always one of their favorite spots.

For sex, yes. And just in general.

Sometimes being naked with someone and not always having sex with them was just as fun.

Obviously, sex was preferable.

But they also liked afterward.

He was a master at doing just about anything to her in the shower but also not getting her hair wet when she didn't want it to get wet.

He knew not to do that. The hair was a big deal.

She, on the other hand, liked to wash his hair for him sometimes.

It was pretty funny usually, when she made his scalp a soapy mess.

Except for the one time she got shampoo in his eyes.

Oops.

And other times, they really would just shower together, not planning on doing anything else whatsoever. There were two shower heads, it was ideal for a two-person shower if desired.

But something would usually always happen anyway.

He'd be grabbing her hips, looking down while she lathered his hair with soap, and he'd let his hands wander.

And next thing they knew, he'd be pressing her against the wall, fingers as deep as they could go inside her.

Or she'd be on her knees, blowing him as the water rained down on his back.

Their shower adventures never ceased, and it was no different that night.

They eventually crawled into bed, all fresh and clean, and he pulled her into his chest.

"Hey," he whispered.

"Hey," she whispered back.

"You're my favorite," he said.

"Yeah, forever your favorite, right?" she said with a smile.

"Yes. _Forever,"_ he whispered.

"You're mine too," she said.

"I'm glad about that," he whispered.

She intertwined their fingers against her stomach, and closed her eyes.

That was the last thing she remembered, before she fell blissfully asleep, next to the man she loved. The man who was her favorite. Forever.

* * *

She woke up late. She'd been getting up super early the entire week for work, so her body appreciates the chance to sleep in.

She slept in so late that she could smell the aroma of Fitz's shower, and the rest of his getting ready. His aftershave, his cologne, all of it. And she'd slept through its entirety, apparently, because she didn't hear him in the bedroom or bathroom.

"Baby?" she asked sleepily, just to make sure.

She received no response.

The clock said 11:00. _11:00?!_

"Oh wow," she said, sitting up and getting out of bed.

She got out of bed, Fitz's T-shirt that she was wearing gently hitting her bare thighs as she stood up.

She walked through the hallway and into the kitchen, to see him fully dressed at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in front of him.

His curly hair was all styled, and he wore a casual dress shirt and a pair of khakis, as well as a pair of casual lace-up boots.

The Armani watch around his left wrist, too. The one she'd gotten him. Damn, he looked so good.

And, he was just ending a phone call.

"Thanks so much. Yep, bye."

She smiled at him and made his way over to the table. "Good morning."

"Good morning sleepyhead," he chuckled, pulling her onto his lap.

"Who were you talking to?" she asked.

He smiled. "It's a surprise."

"A surprise?" she asked, pecking his lips.

"Mhm," he nodded with a smile.

"Is that why you look so hot right now?" she asked.

He chuckled. "Wow, I was not expecting that, thank you."

"You weren't expecting me to tell you that? Look at you. Like...actually. Look at yourself right now," she said.

He looked at his outfit while she sat in his lap, and he just shrugged. Typical Fitz.

"Trust your girlfriend, you look hot," she said.

"Right back at you," he said.

"You're kidding right," she asked.

"Of course not, I would never kid about your hotness," he answered.

"I just got out of bed, I am not hot," she said with a laugh.

"I think you forget how much I like the no makeup, messy hair thing you have going on each morning," he said.

"It should be illegal for my hair to look like this," she giggled, running her fingers through the tightly coiled curls that fell slightly in her face.

"I love it," he shrugged, kissing her nose.

"You should get ready though. So we can go."

"Where are we going? To see what my surprise is?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes ma'am," he nodded. "We'll get some early lunch on the way," he said.

"Okay!" she said, climbing off his lap.

"Can I ask where we're going?" she asked as she made her way back their bedroom.

"I can tell you we're going to Westfarms first."

"Ooo the mall in West Hartford? I love the mall!" she answered.

"Who doesn't?!" he chuckled, following her with his cup of coffee.

"But why are we going?" she asked curiously.

"Because."

"Because why?" she asked.

"Do I have to have a reason to take you to the mall?" he asked.

"No. I was just wondering," she shrugged.

"I thought...we could go out together, you know? I thought you deserved a day out, after your first week of work. You've been so busy, this is your chance to have some fun. And I know it's just West Hartford. But it's something. Like Cyrus said, start to ease us in," he said. "Plus, I like to treat you. You know that."

She smiled, her cheeks turning bright pink as she looked over her shoulder at him.

"You treat me too much, baby."

"No such thing," he said, shaking his head.

She looked at him unsurely.

"You can't stop me, so come on. Get ready, lots to do!" he said, patting her ass to move into the bathroom.

"Okay, I'm going!" she giggled, shutting the door.

He smiled outside the door, tapping his fingers lightly against his cup of coffee.

This would be quite the day.

Olivia got ready fairly quickly. She put on a pair of jean capris, a nice shirt, and a nice pair of sandals.

She tamed her hair a little bit, planning to give it more attention later that night for their fancy dinner.

Fitz told her that earlier that morning, he'd made the reservation for 6:30 p.m., so she figured she'd have some time before they got back from the mall.

It took some time to get to there, about 45 minutes. But driving with Fitz was always a breeze, and never boring. The time always went super fast.

They were used to five-hour drives by now, so 45 minutes was nothing. It was also very similar to her drive to work every morning, which was about 40 minutes.

It was certainly a drive, but she knew it could also be worse. She was used to that commute time, with all the D.C. traffic back home.

But before they got to the mall, they did stop at a little cafe for an early lunch. Olivia insisted that she pay for it, given Fitz's surprise plans.

She reminded him she was now "making bank" with her internship, which made him chuckle, and ultimately agree to her request.

They walked around the mall for a little bit, until Fitz noticed she was eyeing a particular store called Lush.

"You wanna go in there?" he asked.

"No, that's okay! I was just window shopping," she said.

He tugged on her hand and pulled her towards the store. "Come on."

She laughed. "Fitz, seriously, I don't need to."

"Too late."

And there they were in the store. It was filled with endless lotions and creams, shower soaps, bath bombs, and so much more. It really did smell delightful in there.

"Hi, how are you two doing today?" the greeter asked.

"We're great, thank you," Olivia answered politely.

"Oh wonderful. Looking for anything special today?" she asked.

"Yes," Fitz answered. "What would you say is most popular here?"

Her face lit up, almost as if she could see all the sales she'd make from this question.

"Well how about I show you," she offered.

"Great," Fitz answered with a smile, looking at Olivia.

Olivia smiled back and squeezed his hand.

"So bath bombs are obviously very popular. There's many different shapes, sizes, and scents. It's really whatever you prefer," she said, gesturing to the bath bomb shelves. Which, there were many of.

"I also would recommend our body conditioners. They're very popular and they sell out quickly. Ro's Argan is our top seller, right here," she said, pointing to the jar of it on a shelf. "You put it on in the shower, like you would a body wash. You rinse it off, and then there's no need to put any lotion on after your shower. It's really very nice."

"That sounds wonderful," Olivia nodded.

"It's a lifesaver, let me tell you. I would also recommend our body lotions and hair moisturizers. Our RB hair moisturizer works wonders, as do our body lotions. For those, I would recommend Karma Kream or Dream Cream."

"Wow, thank you very much," Fitz replied.

"Of course. If you have any questions, feel free to let me know," the woman said.

"Thanks so much," Olivia replied.

She smiled and left them to themselves, to look at the endless products.

"Wow. This place is like your heaven," he said, looking around.

"It is...I've never been in this store. Heard of it, though. It's pretty popular," she nodded.

"Okay, well we have to get this," he said, looking at the turtle shaped bath bomb.

She giggled and picked it up. "It is pretty cute, isn't it."

"Yes. And this one," he said, pointing to the peach shaped one.

"I think I need this one," Olivia said, pointing to the pure white bath bomb. "It's called 'so white'. It reminds me of you!"

He chuckled and put it in a little brown bag. "Alright, that's fair. Hey, how about that one," he said, pointing to a particularly funny one.

She couldn't help but laugh at it. It was shaped like an eggplant.

"Babe, you know what that's supposed to represent, right," she said with a laugh.

He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head, examining it again. "A penis?"

She laughed, looking around to see if anyone had heard him. Nobody seemed to.

"Yes," she said under her breath.

"Well now I'm intrigued, we're getting that one too," he said, putting it in its own little bag.

"Oh my god," she giggled, putting her palm to her face.

"Oh, baby look. This one has our name written all over it," he said.

She looked at the one he was pointing to.

It was called "sex bomb."

She laughed again. "Should we get the sex bomb?"

"Yep, we're getting two."

"You are too funny," she giggled.

"Okay, come on. Let's get you those other things. The...hair stuff. And the cream stuff and the other cream stuff."

"Sorry, what?" she teased.

"You know...all that stuff she said."

"Sweetheart I don't need all those things," she assured him.

"Yes you do. Remember? She said they're lifesavers," he reasoned.

"I know, and I'm sure they are, but—"

"Ah, this is one of the things she said," he interrupted, grabbing a jar of Ro's Argan body conditioner.

"Fitzgerald!" she exclaimed.

"What?" he asked. "Imagine how soft your skin will be after you shower and use this. Sounds like play time to me," he shrugged.

She paused...and then she nodded. "Okay, that's a good point."

"Yes. It is. Alright, come on, let's find the other stuff."

He ended up getting her everything that the employee told him about, all of the "cream stuff."

She was so excited to try everything out. It certainly wasn't a cheap store, so she knew it would probably be amazing, and she might come out of it addicted to their products.

She thanked him profusely afterward, telling him she was so excited about the things she got.

He just smiled, seeming so happy to have this "day out" with her, no matter what stores they went to. Even boring soap stores. He was still happy.

They did do some window shopping though, of course, admiring things as they passed by.

She got him some new dress socks that he was eyeing. A fun pair, with small little fox heads all over them.

She made him crack up in the store when she announced that they were..."Fox sox."

She giggled into his chest as he laughed, knowing they probably look absolutely fricken ridiculous to everyone passing by. Laughing about...socks.

"I don't know why that was so funny," he whispered, still holding back more laughter.

She looked at him, trying not to laugh again.

He tried too, but then he kept laughing. "Stop making me laugh, the cashier thinks I'm crazy," he chuckled, eyeing the cashier across from them.

"You are crazy, you laughed at my dumb joke," she giggled.

"I know. Thanks for my fox sox."

"You're absolutely welcome," she said, still laughing a little bit.

As they left that particular store, hand in hand, she smiled up at him.

"I like this."

"Like what?" he asked.

"Walking around here with you. Holding your hand. It feels so good to do this."

"It does," he agreed. "Imagine how it will be to do it in New Haven," he said.

She nodded. "That will be...so amazing, Fitz."

"It will. It's already so amazing. I mean...all of it. Living together, having nothing hanging over our heads all the time. It's amazing."

"It helps that _you're_ amazing," she said, linking her arm with his and leaning her head on his shoulder as they walked.

"Ditto, baby," he said, kissing her forehead.

"Alright. Where's your favorite place to look for dresses?" he asked.

"Dresses? Why?" she asked.

"For tonight," he answered, leading her to the directory.

"Sweetheart, I have plenty of dresses," she assured him.

"I know. But tonight's our first date as a free couple. Such a special occasion needs a special dress," he replied.

 _Fitz,"_ she said.

"Okay, Macy's, let's try there," he said.

There was no stopping him, no matter how many times she assured him she didn't need a new dress. So she just went with it.

She got a beautiful light, pale pink dress. It fit her perfectly. Not too long, not too short.

A little lacey design on the chest. It was absolutely beautiful. She tried it on and didn't let him see, so at least when she put it _on_ it would be a surprise to him.

Then, of course, they made a stop in Victoria's Secret when he started leading her towards that store, too.

"You actually love this store, don't you," she giggled.

"Yes. I love this store," he agreed.

"Is it because of all the pictures of...sexy model women everywhere?" she asked.

"Yes," he teased.

"I _knew_ it," she said with a laugh.

"No, no. I like this store because I can tell everybody I'm going to rip off your underwear with my teeth later tonight, and then you get embarrassed," he said.

She scoffed. "Yeah, none of that today, mister. I remember our last trip to this store too well," she giggled.

"Okay, but that was pretty funny. You have to admit that," he said.

"No! That was embarrassing as all hell!" she exclaimed.

"Maybe. But at least I kept my word that night," he shrugged.

"Yes, you did do that," she nodded.

He looked around at all the lace, and silk.

"Mm. You'd look fantastic in that," he said, nodding to something in the lingerie section.

She grew red in the cheeks. "I'm not...I don't know. That's not really my thing," she said nervously.

He looked at her like she was crazy. "What? You look good in everything. And in nothing. We've discussed this."

She smiled. "I don't know. I just feel like I'm not the...lingerie type. I don't look like...her," she said, pointing to the model, wearing some sexy thing she felt she could never pull off.

"Uh, Yeah. You're _way_ hotter than her," he said.

The redness in her cheeks deepened.

"Oh not even _close!"_ she said with a laugh.

"Olivia Pope, what in the world. What makes her so hot?" he asked, looking at the blonde model in the picture.

"I don't know! She's all toned and...she's got actual boobs."

He tilted his head, looking down at her breasts. "Hm. I think I see _actual boobs_ right in front of me."

 _Barely,"_ Olivia said. "And she's got nice hips and...she's beautiful, I don't know!"

"Oh, baby, _ohhhh_ baby. You have hips," he said with a nod.

She laughed, brushing the hair out of her face. "Oh, I don't know."

" _I_ know. You're toned. _Everywhere_. You have hips. You're absolutely beautiful," he said.

"And you have boobs, very nice ones," he added quietly.

Her cheeks felt hot, and she bit her lip as she smiled. "Thank you," she said, smiling at him.

"Mhmm. Come here, I'm serious. This is all you," he said, bringing her over there.

He showed her a particular lacy, satin slip that he liked, in a wine color. It was very pretty, she definitely agreed. It also wasn't anything out of her comfort zone. It wasn't something that wasn't _her._

It was basically a dress, just comfier and sexier, and something she could sleep in.

She liked it, and he liked it. So he bought it.

But then he said they better get going.

"Where are we going now?" she asked curiously.

"You'll just have to see!" he shrugged.

So, she waited and waited, very curiously, until he pulled into a strip mall. In front of a nail salon.

"Ooo, what are we doing here?" she asked, unclicking her seat belt.

"You had a long week. I thought you'd like a little spa time. Facial, mani, pedi, you know, all that good stuff."

"You're kidding!" she exclaimed.

"Nope," he answered.

"What! What is with you today, Fitzgerald? What did I do so right?" she asked.

"I told you, I'm taking you out today. You deserved to be taken out, after everything," he replied, as they walked into the salon.

She couldn't even speak.

"I don't even know what to say. You are so sweet," she said.

He smiled and turned his attention to the woman at the front desk.

"Hi. How can I help you?" she asked.

"Hi. Appointment for Olivia at 2:30," he said.

"Okay," she replied, looking at her screen. "Ahh. You are the man that called this morning!"

"Yes, that's right," Fitz chuckled.

So _that's_ who he was talking to on the phone this morning.

"Wonderful. You're all checked in, Olivia, you can come on back."

"Cool, thank you," Olivia replied. "Bye," she said, wiggling her fingers at him.

"Bye. I'll probably run some errands just to kill some time. I'll be back when you're done," he assured her.

"Okay, sounds good!" she said, disappearing into the back.

He smiled and immediately headed out of the salon, having one place he needed to go.

Olivia on the other hand, enjoyed every minute of her salon experience. It was wonderful! Her _boyfriend_ was wonderful. She had no idea what she could have possibly done to deserve him, or anything he did for her.

But soon enough, she left with beautifully painted toenails and a French manicure on her fingernails. As well as a fresh feeling face after a nice facial.

"Very beautiful," Fitz said appreciatively.

"Thank you! I think so too. Thanks so much for this," she replied.

"You're welcome baby," he nodded.

"Where'd you go while I was there?" she asked.

"Dick's Sporting Goods. I found a sweatshirt I liked, but they were out of my size," he said.

"Aw. Well, you can show me online later. I'll get it for you," she replied.

"That's okay. I certainly don't _need_ any new sweatshirts," he said.

"Or maybe you do, because I steal them all," she giggled.

"True! You little sweatshirt thief, you."

 _You're_ a chapstick thief," she replied.

"Not _anymore_. I'm fully stocked in the chapstick department these days, thanks to you," he said.

"Mhmm," she nodded.

They made their way back home to get ready for dinner.

They still didn't have a _ton_ of time, considering the restaurant was a little less than 50 minutes away.

But that didn't stop them from looking absolutely stunning.

Fitz wore a white dress shirt, no tie. The top button undone.

Navy dress pants, saddle brown belt, and dress shoes. With a watch to match. And the fox sox, of course.

It wasn't surprising to see him look that good. Whew.

And then there was Olivia.

She wore her light, pale pink dress that she'd gotten that day, and shoes she had already that went perfectly with it.

She pulled back a few strands on each side of her head in a half-up, half-down hairdo. The curly ringlets fell nicely against her shoulders.

Her diamond studs, of course, were being shown off, as well as her pandora necklace and leather bracelet. The one she never took off, no matter what.

She skipped the infinity ring tonight, just so she wasn't too overwhelming with the jewelry.

Her makeup was flawless, and she carried a cute little handbag to put her phone and wallet in.

Together, they looked fantastic.

"Wow," Fitz said. "You look amazing in that dress."

"Thank you," she said with a smile. "You look amazing yourself."

He eyed her up and down multiple times. "Man, I'm lucky."

"You're making me blush," she giggled.

"I'm serious. Look at you," he said, watching her put the finishing touches of lipstick on.

"I would rather look at _you,"_ she said, putting her lipstick in her bag.

He smiled, looking down at her. And she stood on her tip toes to give him a kiss.

Even in heels, she wasn't nearly tall enough.

"Oops," she whispered, wiping the pinkish lipstick off his top lip.

He smiled, parting his lips to let her wipe it off.

"You are so handsome," she said. "Seriously. The whole restaurant's gonna stop when you walk in."

"Or when _you_ walk in," he said. And then he gasped, wrapping his arms around her waist. "It's like that Bruno Mars song."

She laughed. "Ohhh, I know what you're talking about. How's it go again? It's like...'when I'm walking with you, I watch the whole room change' right?" she asked.

"Mhm," he nodded. "'Baby that's what you do, no my baby don't play'," he sang, kissing her neck.

She giggled. "Dripping in finesse, huh?" she asked, running her hand down the back of his hair.

"You know it," he said, smiling. "You ready to go?"

"I sure am," she nodded.

He exhaled and nodded.

"Alright. Let's do this."

* * *

The drive to the restaurant wasn't so bad, either.

They got there a little early, even, and got seated right away.

She clung to his hand as they walked through the fancy restaurant.

They got a few looks for sure. Not bad looks, just the casual up and down.

He pulled her chair out for her, which she thanked him for, and he sat across from her.

The hostess assured them their waiter would be by to take their drink order in a minute.

"Thanks very much," Fitz nodded politely.

He nodded politely back and walked away.

"This place is beautiful," Olivia said, looking around.

"I know. I have no idea how Cyrus and I got in here without a reservation. We were on our way back from a conference a couple years ago and we were starving. This was the first place we saw," he chuckled.

"Quite the extravagant stop for dinner," she said with a laugh.

"Yeah, tell me about it. But we were already dressed for the occasion, at least," he shrugged.

"Oh true," she agreed.

He smiled at her across the table. "Do you feel nervous to be here?"

She smiled back. "A little bit. Do you?"

"Yes," he nodded.

"Does it feel like everyone's looking?" she asked with a laugh.

"A little bit, yes," he chuckled. "Probably because my baby don't play."

She laughed, reaching across the table for his hand. "I love you so much. Do you know that?"

"I know that. I love you too," he said with a smile.

The waiter came by, and Fitz ordered a merlot for them. Pahlmeyer Merlot 2014, to be exact.

It was fantastic.

They ordered their food too. Fitz ordered Tordelli al Tartufo Nero, a type of ravioli.

And Olivia ordered Cavatelli con Salciccia e Funghi, a type of pasta.

They couldn't pronounce the names correctly, but they were sure good.

And they talked a little bit about Olivia's work.

"So tell me about your week at work. How has everything gone so far?" he asked.

She nodded, taking a sip of wine. "It's been really good, actually. I'm still getting the hang of things, but I really like my team and I really like Karen. She's a good boss, at least as far as I can tell. A lot of my other team members were poli sci too, by the way. They're older than me though, none of them would know you."

"Well that's comforting though. I know you were a little worried about not being a PR major," he replied, sipping on his wine.

"Yeah. Karen explained that to me though. She was a poli sci minor, and she said the base for both is similar. Reading, writing, strategic thinking. Everything I've done so far in school, I've been able to apply to work. I just...have a little more on-the-fly learning to do than everyone else," she said.

"You're good at that though. You're a fast learner," he replied.

"I hope so. She seems to like me, I think. And I like everything I've done. I like it, and I like the company. It's made a good impression on me," she nodded.

"Well that's good, baby. That's fantastic. I know it's only been a week but...do you think it's somewhere you can see yourself? I mean, long term?" he asked.

"It's probably too soon to tell yet. But knowing that I have a job after college is very comforting. And if it's not my long term place of employment, it's certainly a gateway into other opportunities," she said.

"It is, for sure. I'm glad it's been good so far. It's definitely an amazing opportunity," he replied. "You're a big deal."

"I'm just a first-year intern, Fitz," she giggled.

"So what? How many people get to _be_ the first-year intern, huh?" he asked.

She nodded, her cheeks turning pink.

"One."

"Yeahhh, _one,"_ he said. "One! That's my girl. And next year you won't be the _first-year intern_ anymore."

"That's true," she agreed.

"Mhm. Like I said, you're a big deal," he said, smiling.

"You're so sweet," she replied.

He shrugged. "I'm just stating facts here."

"You must have looked them up on google," she teased.

He laughed, nodding at her.

It was a great date. A great first night out with him.

And it ended all too soon.

They ordered dessert, first. Tiramisu. It was delicious.

But by 8:30, they were in the car, heading home.

Or at least, that's what she assumed.

Until they drove through town, and he started slowing down in a familiar spot.

He seemed...a little strange. He _had_ been the whole drive back. A little quieter, kind of fidgety. Still his normal self, just...something seemed off.

But when she asked him if everything was okay, he answered totally calmly, saying of course it was. That this had been the best night, and he was as happy as ever.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"You'll have to wait and see," he said with a smile.

She looked out the window as they drove, and it hit her when they were still about two blocks away, where he was taking her.

"Oh my gosh! Our place," she said with a smile, as they turned into the parking lot.

"Our place," he nodded, parking in the back.

"Aw man. It's been too long since we've been here. I'm glad we can come again now," she said, getting out of the car.

He got a blanket from his trunk so they could sit on it, and grabbed her hand as they walked.

It was empty as usual, considering the time of night. This place had always been safe for them. But in the interest of being extremely careful, they'd still avoided it all semester.

It was good to come back.

They walked up the steep hill, hand in hand, and reached the top, with the big tree.

She exhaled at the beautiful sight at the top of the hill. Flawless, green grass seemed to span for miles in front of them, down below. And in the winter, it was just as beautiful, covered in snow.

"Man. That view never gets old, does it," she said appreciatively.

"No," he whispered.

This place always made her feel happy. It reminded her of the first time he'd brought her here.

That first time, when he'd told her he loved her.

And she told him right back.

Their place.

She didn't even want to sit yet. She just stood, feeling the happiness this place brought her, and the presence of the man she loved beside her.

Fitz tossed the blanket on the ground behind him, not even bothering to lay it down yet.

And he turned toward her.

She turned toward him slightly, too. Wanting to see if this place was bringing a smile to his face, like it was to hers.

And it was. He looked happy. But he also looked serious. Like there was something he knew that she didn't, and she was about to find out what.

And that's when something happened.

He looked down at the ground, and back at her, pulling something out of his left pocket.

And then he slowly lowered himself to the ground, and got down on one knee.

Her eyes widened at the action. The action that only ever meant one thing. "Fitz..."

He smiled and took a deep breath, opening the little black box in his hands to reveal a beautiful diamond ring.

"Oh my god," she whispered, putting her hands up to her mouth.

"Olivia Pope," he said shakily.

"Fitz, oh my god," she whimpered, the tears already running down her cheeks.

"I want to spend the _rest_ of my life with you," he began. "I want...all our crazy adventures, and I want them every day, with you."

She wiped at her face, which didn't really help. She knew her makeup was probably a mess, and she didn't care a single bit.

"I love you, I am... _so_ in love with you. You make me feel so lucky every single day, and there is nobody else in the world I want by my side, so..."

She sniffled and smiled at him, waiting for the question that everyone wanted to hear from the love of their life.

"Will you marry me?" he asked.

A new wave of tears washed over her and she nodded, wiping at her face.

"Yes. Fitz, Yes. _Yes,"_ she answered shakily.

He stood up and she threw her arms around his neck, both of them eager to kiss each other.

Their lips couldn't get enough, with long breaths and sniffles from Olivia in between. She had never felt such pure happiness in her life.

He finally pulled back, face wet from Olivia's tears, and turned his attention to the box in his slightly shaking hands.

She got a good look at the ring for the first time. She had never seen anything so beautiful. So perfect, and stunning.

"Oh my god," she whispered again, as he took it out of the box.

She put her left hand out so he could put it on for her.

He exhaled deeply as he lined it up with her ring finger. His hand shook as he slid it on, looking down so focused at her little hand.

"It's so beautiful, Fitz. I love it. I love it, and I love you, so much," she whispered, wrapping her arms around him again.

"I love you," he whispered. "I love you so much. So, so much."

She pulled back to look at her left hand, now bearing a diamond on her ring finger.

She was still in shock. She didn't even know what to say or do.

She was lost for words. "Oh my god" seemed to be about the only thing she could say regularly.

Besides a few other things. One of which, was probably the most important thing she had ever said in her life.

And that was;

Yes.

* * *

*Grabs tissues*

"Yes." A little tribute to a real scandal episode title, there. Only this "yes" is the answer to a different question :)

As many of you predicted, it happened.

Finally.

I'm so happy for them!

The next chapter, you're going to see some flashbacks. It will show all of what was going on with Fitz before this, and the whole planning process behind his operation. You'll like it. Plus, you'll get more description of the ring, itself. I know you want that ;). I just wanted it to be a complete surprise to you all before last chapter. I didn't want to lead up to it a lot with all of Fitz's thoughts.

I hope you loved this. I absolutely loved writing it.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	75. We're Getting Married

They sat on their blanket, Olivia's legs resting horizontally across Fitz's. One of her arms wrapped around his neck, and the other resting on his lower thigh.

"It's just...it's so beautiful," she whispered, looking at her ring.

"You really love it? You're sure?" he asked.

"I'm so sure," she whispered, continuing to ogle it.

"Good. I thought we could go get it resized tomorrow, if you wanted to. I tried hard to size it right but I figured it would still need a little resizing. The woman said that was no big deal," he replied.

Olivia frowned. "But I don't wanna take it off."

He chuckled. "I'm glad about that. It won't take super long though, I promise."

"I know. I just love it so much," she said with a laugh.

"I'm really happy you do. It caused me a lot of stress, that ring right there," he chuckled.

"I can only imagine. I'm so sorry about that stress," she replied.

"It's okay. I had some help," he said, smiling.

"Oh, do tell," she said, leaning in.

"You wanna hear the full story?" he asked.

"Yes!" she nodded.

"Alright. Well, it all started before you moved in..."

* * *

*Flashback—Friday, April 5th*

Olivia wouldn't be home that night. She was with her friends, and would come over tomorrow.

He thought he'd enjoy a nice night in with some takeout and a movie, maybe. A "shooter" movie, as she would call it. One she wouldn't like.

But he'd gotten home early, and it was only 3:00. What should he do until then?

A thought hit him. A really _nerve-wracking_ thought.

He'd been waiting for a good time to do it and he still hadn't.

Start looking for an engagement ring. The idea had been swirling around in his head for months. Just the idea of proposing to her.

He didn't know when, he didn't know _anything_ besides the fact that he wanted to.

But also the fact that it made him a little nervous.

He pulled out his laptop and got online, starting to surf the web for the right place.

There were many different options, the most popular one being Michael's Jewelers.

How was he supposed to know the right place? Or the right ring, even? How would he even decide something like that? He didn't want to fuck it up.

Maybe...she wasn't into the whole tradition thing and...she didn't want a ring?

He laughed out loud. Yeah right. She wanted a ring. He knew her.

He knew she wanted to marry him, that was comforting. They'd talked about it multiple times. They had plans, a lot of them, actually.

So he decided it was about time he actually start looking. He didn't want her to be his _girlfriend_ forever.

He scrolled through the rings online, but he didn't like it. He wanted to be able to see them. In person.

He sighed, looking at the clock. Not like he had anything else to do.

So he left his apartment, and went to the nearest Michael's Jewelers.

When he got there, he was overwhelmed with the store. There were a lot of men, walking around by themselves. A few women, too, and some couples as well.

He glanced at the glass jewelry cases, trying to find the section he wanted to be in.

He found it, and was instantly greeted.

"Hi there. Just browsing today?" a man asked.

"Uh...yeah, just...yeah. I'm not really sure what I'm looking for yet," Fitz replied.

"No problem. I'll let you browse. If you have any questions, I'm here to help, my name's Eric."

"Alright, thank you, Eric."

He looked, and did see some he thought were very nice. All of them were very nice, actually. He had no idea how on earth he was supposed to decide.

He examined pretty much all of the rings at that store.

And that was the first time he _ever_ went engagement ring shopping.

As time went on, he tried other stores. Different Michael's Jewelers in other towns, different stores entirely.

And he found that the one he liked best was in West Hartford, in the Westfarms mall.

He liked it because it was actually quite big, as it was on a corner store inside the mall. He had one employee that was so kind to him, her name was Susan. Susan Ross.

And it had a huge selection. It was where he narrowed down his choices to _three_ rings.

It was a bit far, that was for sure. But that never stopped him from making the trip there when he wanted to, and when Olivia wasn't with him to know it.

It was certainly a hard decision, so he spent a lot of time thinking about it.

And he also involved someone else in the process. Someone he knew could help make the final decision.

Olivia's best friend.

He had to Facebook message her again. He did it two weeks before finals, wanting to make sure he didn't interrupt her studying time.

He told her his plans, and wondered if she'd be open to accompanying him to West Hartford to help any time soon, because he knew she would go home for the summer.

It took all but four minutes for her to respond the first time.

Her first response was a bunch of exclamation points, and nothing else.

He chuckled. Yeah, that seemed like an Abby response. Her next response was a little more laid back. Or...no, actually it wasn't.

 **PRETTY BOYYYYYYYY LET'S GOOOOO I'M SO FUCKING PROUD OF YOU, YES I WILL COME. YES. YES. TELL ME WHEN AND I WILL BE THERE. YES YES YES.**

So, they messaged back and forth for a while, trying to decide a time that worked best for both of them, and also wouldn't be that suspicious to Olivia.

She was essentially always with either Abby or Fitz, so it might not be the most hidden. But they managed to plan a time before one of Abby's exams.

That day came sooner than they both expected it to.

But there he was, waiting in his car about two blocks from Olivia and Abby's apartment, like he told her he would be.

He looked at his phone, at a Facebook message.

 **Be there in 2. She thinks I'm walking to the library first, so we're all good.**

He exhaled, keeping his eye out for a tall redhead coming from behind him.

And about two minutes later, there she was.

"Hi!" she exclaimed as she got in the passenger seat.

"Hi, Abby. Thanks so much for coming with me," he said.

"No problem! Can I have your phone?" she asked.

He felt his front pockets, but then stopped. "My...phone?"

"Yes. I'm putting my number in it so we don't have to Facebook message anymore. You're marrying my best friend for god's sake," she said with a laugh.

He laughed. "Ah, yeah. That's probably a good idea."

He handed her his phone and she smiled at the screensaver. It was Olivia.

"You are too cute. Oh, here. Do your...face I.D. thingy," she said, turning the phone screen to him. "Even though I'm sure your password is easy to figure out, like...I love Olivia or something."

He chuckled. "It's her birthday, actually."

"Mm, I stand corrected," she nodded.

His phone unlocked at the view of his face, and she added her number, texting herself so that she had his too.

"Alright, now we're golden."

"Perfect," he said, taking his phone back.

"Okay, so if this place is like 50 minutes away, I can spend about an hour there with you. I just am trying to make sure I get to my exam on time," she said, as he put his car in drive.

"Yeah, no worries. I'll drop you right off at your exam, I will _not_ have you being late for a final," he said.

"Perfect. So you have it narrowed down to three options?" she asked.

"Yes. I think so. I just wanted your input. You're her best friend, you're always with her. You know her style," he said.

"Yes. But it's still ultimately gotta be your decision. You're the one proposing!" she exclaimed happily.

"Oh, I know. Trust me...it's all I think about," he chuckled.

"You nervous about it?" Abby asked.

"Yes," he nodded. "It...keeps me up at night. Seriously."

"What? Come on, you know she's going to say yes," Abby said. "I mean...you've talked about this a lot. She tells me these things."

Fitz nodded. "Yes. I wouldn't do it if we hadn't talked about it. I would never put her on the spot like that without knowing her answer. She knows it will happen, she just doesn't know when."

"Well that's perfect. That's exactly how it should be. You know she's going to say yes, you know she wants to marry you. She's wanted to for as long as she's known you," Abby said with a laugh.

"I know how that feels," he chuckled. "But...I'm still nervous. That's not gonna go away, I know that. I know myself, I know what she does to my heart rate so...there's no use in telling myself not to be nervous. It _will not_ work."

"You _are_ a nervous one, aren't you," Abby said.

"It depends. I can go talk in front of thousands of people and be absolutely fine. I could...skydive and be fine. But there are a few things in life that no matter what, will always make me nervous. Anything related to needles, ghosts, and Olivia Pope."

"Needles? You're afraid of needles?!" Abby said with a laugh.

"Yes. When I was a kid, I used to run away from the doctor. I'm not kidding. Out of the exam room and everything," he said.

Abby burst into laughter. "You'd just bolt?"

"Yep. No way in hell I would let that thing poke me. Well, until my mom told me that was the only way I could have ice cream. Then I sobbed uncontrollably and finally let the doctor 'poke me.' It was essentially the same process every time I needed a shot."

"So...serious question for you," Abby said with a laugh.

"What's that," Fitz answered.

"You and Liv have this plan for tattoos...how on earth is that gonna go?"

He laughed. "Yeah...I'm not quite sure."

"You're not gonna back out on her are you?!" she asked.

He shook his head. "No, no. A promise is a promise, I'll get through it. I'm not sure how, but...I'll figure something out," he said, laughing.

"Good. She's excited for those tattoos," Abby said.

"I know. And I am too, I really am. I'll just be even more excited when I actually have it and then...you know, it's done."

"So that's the only one you'll ever get, I take it?" Abby asked.

Fitz smiled. "Mm...I never said that. The only criteria I have is that something needs to mean a lot to me to put it on my skin permanently. There are...certain things in the future that...will meet that criteria. So...I'll just have to get over my fear again."

Abby smiled. "I have a feeling I know what you mean."

"You probably do," he nodded.

"So can I ask...who all knows you're proposing?" Abby asked.

He smiled. "Just you."

She opened her mouth in awe. "Just _me?!"_

"Yes. I don't want many people to know before she does, you know? That feels wrong to me. Besides her parents and you, nobody else will know until after."

"I like that, I think that's admirable. So...you haven't talked to her parents yet?" she asked.

"No. I want to talk to them in person, so I'm waiting until this weekend, when they come," he informed her.

"Good idea. How are you...I mean can I ask how you're gonna go about that?" she asked.

He sighed. "Well...I'm just going to have the conversation with them. A normal conversation. I don't want it to sound like...she's property and I'm asking permission for her. I just want them to know about it beforehand, out of respect. She's still their child and she's close with them, so they are the last people I would want to be blindsided by this. And...hopefully, they'll give me a blessing of sorts."

"You know that they will. From everything Liv's said, it seems like they like you. And just so you know, they can't say _no_ , anyway. She's her own person and you know she's going to say yes. That's her decision, not theirs," Abby said.

"Oh, I know. We're getting married...no matter what they say," he chuckled. "But...I still want to respect them and talk to them about it. They deserve that, and...I like them a lot. I'm happy I'll be a part of their family officially."

Abby smiled. "Pretty boy."

"Yes, Abby."

"You're a really good dude."

"Thank you," he said with a smile. "I try to be."

"No that's the thing, I don't think you try. I think you just are," she replied.

Fitz smiled, holding out his fist for her as he drove. "Thanks for coming with me."

Abby laughed and bumped his fist with her own. "You're welcome."

They spent the rest of the drive talking about some of Abby's classes, and the final she was taking later that day.

He was interesting in the path she was taking to get to law school, simply because he had taken a much different path than her.

Considering she was pre-law, she took the better path than he did, he thought.

It wasn't until he had a nice long conversation with her that he realized what a nice young woman she was. Very put together, and very intelligent. He understood why she and Olivia fit so well together.

Not that he hadn't realized those things before, he had known she was quite exceptional. But his interactions with her were normally few and far between. She was certainly his favorite of Olivia's friends, that was for sure.

And that drive made him even more certain of that.

When they finally got there, he took a deep breath as he walked into the mall, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Don't be nervous. You'll pick the right one, you've already got it narrowed down," Abby said.

"I know, I know," he nodded.

They made their way to the big jewelry store on the corner, and he smiled immediately at Susan in the back.

"Ah, Fitz, honey welcome back!" she exclaimed.

"Hi Susan!" he said.

"Is this...is this your Olivia?" she asked, gesturing to Abby.

"Oh—no, no. This is her best friend," he chuckled.

"I'm Abby," she said, giving her a wave.

"Oh! Good! I was worried, I _thought_ you were keeping it a surprise for your Olivia," she said, relieved.

"Yep, still a surprise. Abby just came to...help me make the final decision," he said.

"Ah, good good. Best friends know everything, don't they," Susan said.

"We do, it's our specialty," Abby nodded.

"Well I will let you show her. Just let me know when you're ready, okay?" she said to Fitz.

"Will do, Thanks Susan," he said with a smile.

Abby leaned in close to whisper to him. "You're on a first name basis with her?"

"Yes..." Fitz said quietly with a laugh.

"Jesus, pretty boy how many times have you been here?" she asked.

"Uh...too many times to count. I sneak away here a lot when Liv doesn't stay with me."

Abby put her palm up to her face and laughed.

"Well...some women have to worry about their men sneaking away to cheat. Olivia's man sneaks away to look at engagement rings."

"Well _yeah!_ I don't want her to know I'm here," he said. "And if women have to worry about their man sneaking away to cheat...he's...he's not it. He's garbage."

Abby nodded. "Please enlighten all other men, okay? They _need_ you."

He laughed. "David...is everything okay with...?"

"Oh, yes, yes, he was excluded from that. David is an angel. I'm referring to most other men in the world. You and my David...you two got it down," she said.

"Well thank you. I agree about David, by the way. He's a nice guy," Fitz nodded, leading Abby to the first display case.

"He is," Abby said proudly with a smile.

"Okay...this is the first one. I don't know though," he said, pointing to it.

Abby looked down. "The square one?"

"Yeah, which is my _only_ doubt about it. I think she will like round better."

"Yep, a hundred percent. She's a round kind of girl," Abby nodded. "We've talked about this."

"Okay, perfect. That makes it...easier. She said this one was kind of popular too and I guess that's another thing I don't like about it. It's...gorgeous, but I don't want her to necessarily have a ring that a lot of people have," he said.

"Yeah, I get that. What about the other two?" she asked.

"Okay the other one is right over here," he said, leading her over to it.

"Woah," she said, looking at the ring he was pointing to.

"I know. What do you think?" he asked.

"It's breathtaking. It's...wow," she whispered.

"What about...the size?" he asked.

"Well...it's certainly large," she said.

"Yeah...it's bigger than the other two. But Susan told me there are things much more important than the size."

"Size isn't everything, pretty boy," Abby teased.

He smiled. "Mhm, sure," he teased back. "But in this case, you have to take into account the four C's."

"The...four C's?" she asked.

"Yeah, yeah. Carat, cut, clarity, and color."

"I'm embarrassed that I did not get that right away," Abby said with a laugh.

"I didn't either. I've been here a lot, I've learned..." he chuckled.

"Well, and...or—nevermind," Abby said.

"No, what is it?" he asked.

"I was just going to say...I mean, you've done this before, haven't you? I mean with your...first wife?" Abby asked.

"Oh, no. Not at all. She went and picked it out herself. With my money, of course. But I had nothing to do with that, nor did I want to, honestly," he said.

Abby smiled. "Good."

"Good?" he chuckled.

"Yeah, good. That way you've only ever been engagement ring shopping for one woman and it's the woman you love," she said.

"You're absolutely right. I like the way you think," he nodded.

She shrugged happily. "Okay, show me the last one."

He brought her over to the display cases in the back, and stopped, pointing to an absolutely beautiful one right in the center. A bit smaller than the second one, and seemingly bigger than the first one. Just, a different shape.

It was round, like the second one.

"Wow," Abby whispered.

"I know..." he whispered back. "I really like this one too. It's...simple, but...gorgeous, I think."

"Oh, man. I think that's it, pretty boy," she said.

"You think?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, I think. That's so Olivia," she whispered.

"That's kind of what I thought! I'm glad you think so," he said, so happy that she agreed.

"This is better than the second one for sure. You know Olivia. She likes her expensive things, sure, but she doesn't ever flaunt them. She's not the type to want some huge rock on her finger. That's not her."

He nodded.

 _"_ _BUT,"_ Abby added. "Some size is preferable, too. Just the _right_ size."

"I agree," he said, looking down at the two-carat diamond.

"What was the second option, like...three carats or something?" Abby asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"Yeah, I only have eyes for this one now. With the way the second one was set and the diamond encrusted band, too, that was just...a little overwhelming, I think," she said.

"Yeah, I certainly don't want that. I just want it to be elegant and beautiful, like she is. I want it to be perfect, as perfect as I can get it," he said.

"You mean like the clarity?" she asked.

"Mhm. I want VVS1, which is the first stage of 'very, very slightly included.' It's a step down from F and IF which are...flawless. Really rare. Those are too rare for this store."

"Oh wow," Abby whispered. "Okay and then the color? Colorless is best right? My mom told me that," she said with a laugh.

"Yes, your mom's right," he chuckled. "I'd probably go with G. D, E, and F are the first three stages of colorless, those are extremely rare and I can't get those here. I can get G here, though. G is also rare, and the best available. It's _extremely_ near colorless."

"Wow. You know your stuff!" she exclaimed.

"I have to, I want it to be _perfect,"_ he said with a laugh.

"I don't blame you. Is the price going to make me want to pass out?" she asked, almost sounding stressed.

"Oh uh...yeah, don't...don't look at the price," he said.

"Sounds good," she said with a laugh. "But I think this is the one. I like the band, it's simple and elegant, and I like that it isn't over the top. That way your attention is drawn to the center stone, which will be _insanely_ gorgeous. Only if _you_ like it, though. _Your_ decision."

"I _love_ it, and I think she will, too," he said.

"Then you better get Susan over here!" Abby exclaimed.

He smiled and waved her over.

"When will you get it?" Abby asked, as Susan walked over.

"I don't know...I'm going to see about the weekend of May 25th. That's after her first week of work," he explained.

Abby nodded and Susan came right over. "Did we make a final decision?" she asked.

"We did," Fitz nodded. "Option number three."

"Ahh, option number three. A wonderful choice," she said.

"I think so too," Fitz nodded.

So, option three it was. He worked everything out with Susan, getting the cost and the sizing figured out, even though he knew it would likely need resizing.

They were close to their hour time limit, but they made it.

"So, everything okay?" Abby asked as he walked toward her.

She was standing by the door, avoiding the price talk.

"Everything's perfect. I can come get it that Saturday. The 25th. So...I'll just have to figure out my plans for that day, and how I'm gonna...pick it up," he said, scratching his head.

Abby stood and thought for a moment.

"Well...if that's the day you want to propose...I have an idea," Abby said.

"Okay. Fire away."

"Well, you should take her to get her nails done. That way she can take pictures of her left hand with the ring and her nails will be perfect. She'll like that. And it gives you time to come get the ring if you make the appointment for somewhere around here," Abby said.

"That's...that's actually a great idea," Fitz nodded. "Maybe I'll do the full works, just so it doesn't seem suspicious. You know, a pedicure and...whatever else they would offer," he chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah. Like a facial, too. Do the whole shebang!" Abby exclaimed.

"Yeah, I could just...I could take her to this mall for a full Olivia day, actually. I want that day to be special for her," he said. "And maybe all of that will leave her distracted because...when I do get the ring, I don't know what I'm gonna do."

"Well that's why it's good you're proposing that day! You won't have to hold onto it for a while. A lot of guys do, I think. That makes them fidgety," Abby said.

"I'm gonna be fidgety in the few hours I _do_ have it so I can't imagine having it for days or weeks," he winced.

"My dad said he stared at it every night for weeks before proposing to my mom," Abby said with a laugh.

"Poor guy," Fitz chuckled.

"Yeah. But it all worked out okay! Happily married for...a lot of years. Too many to remember," she said.

"That's a good problem to have. That's...what I want. With your best friend," he said.

"That's what I want _for_ my best friend, so you're in luck," she said, smiling at him.

"And what about you? I've heard you and David have had the marriage talk," Fitz said.

Abby's face turned red.

"Yeah," she said quietly, unable to contain her happiness.

"Don't get all shy. Come on, tell me. We're friends, aren't we?" he chuckled.

She nodded. "We are friends. Up until this day we've been Facebook messaging back and forth but today, we've graduated from that. Go us," she giggled.

"Exactly. So..."

She laughed. "It's no big deal. We've talked about it. And...when we'd want to do it. A couple years after I graduate I think is...kind of our timeline," Abby said.

"Well good for you two. And it _is_ a big deal. It is always a big deal. Marriage is no small step," he replied.

"I know. Just right now it's not a big deal because we won't do it soon. I'm only 20...I think my parents would have a conniption if I got married any time too soon," she said with a laugh.

"Well, if there's anything I've learned these past two years...it's that age is just a number," he replied. "It might seem like a lot more than that, but...there are things much more important than age."

She nodded, understanding his point.

"And if it helps at all, I forget that you are only 20. You, Liv, all of your friends. You all seem much older than you are. Not because of your looks, just...because of how you act," he added.

"Thank you for that. You seem much younger than you are...not because of how you act but because of your looks," she said with a laugh. "Kind of the opposite."

"Well thank you. Olivia keeps me young," he joked.

"Considering Huck thought you were 29, I'd say so," Abby said with a laugh.

"Yeah. I was _not_ expecting 29. That made me feel _great,"_ he said.

"You should!" she exclaimed.

"I'm a little young at heart though. That's what Olivia tells me, at least. I'm okay with that. Being old isn't any fun," he said.

"True that. Stay the way you are, pretty boy. Climb through windows. Tickle her. Write to her. Don't stop being you. She loves you for all those things you do."

"I won't stop. Ever," Fitz said with a smile.

"Good," Abby said, as they reached his car. She put her fist out for him, like he had done for her earlier.

He smiled and bumped it.

And that was essentially the end to their engagement ring adventures. He brought her back with more than enough time to spare before her exam. He still dropped her right at the door of the lecture hall, and thanked her profusely for helping him.

She was all smiles, saying if there was anything else he needed, feel free to ask.

He wouldn't really call talking with her parents that weekend an _adventure_. It was more nerve-wracking than an adventure should be, even though he still knew in the end that it would be okay.

Dumb nerves.

Leading up to that whole weekend was a bit scary. He spent most of his time finalizing grades or proctoring exams. When he'd finally get home each day and have his free time, it was spent cleaning, or rehearsing what he'd say to Olivia's parents.

He'd become a master at memorizing while vacuuming. Quite a talent.

And when the day finally came, he spent half the time trying to figure out how on earth to get them alone.

There wasn't exactly the option of taking them out for dinner just him and her parents. Olivia would be with them the entire day and a half they'd be there. So he had to get creative.

He was pouring her parents another glass of wine, when Olivia started organizing some of her things in their bedroom.

It was the perfect opportunity, and maybe the only one he'd get.

"You know, Olivia's a really big fan of the gym here. Would you two wanna go look more at the main level?" he asked.

"Oh sure, that would be good," Maya nodded.

"Of course," Eli added.

"Perfect. I'll just go let Olivia know."

He walked down the hallway and told her, making it seem as though her parents _really_ wanted to look around, and not that he had asked them to.

It worked.

He took a deep breath and walked back out to the kitchen, and they all went down to the lobby together.

"This place really is very beautiful," Maya said. "How long have you lived here?"

"This is my fourth year, going on fifth," he informed them.

"And you still like it?" Eli asked.

"I do. Although I will admit that I'm not opposed to leaving...somewhat soon," Fitz replied.

This was it. His chance, right off the bat.

Maya turned to him and gave him a look that seemed to say "go on..."

"Oh really?" Eli asked.

Fitz nodded. "Well, I do love it here; it's safe, it's a great location, and it's beautiful. But I don't want to live in an apartment my whole life. Especially now that I have someone I want to share my life _with."_

Eli nodded. "I feel as though this conversation is going somewhere."

Fitz smiled and scratched the back of his head. "That was my plan."

"We're listening," Maya said.

He took a deep breath and nodded. "Well, I know you know my plans. Our plans. I just wanted to discuss them with you both tonight. I would never want you to be caught by surprise."

"And what would we surprised about?" Eli asked, as they walked.

Fitz cleated this throat. "I bought a ring."

Maya's eyes widened and she looked at Eli.

"You did now?" she asked.

"I did. How do you feel about that?" he asked.

"Well have you two talked about it? I mean really talked about it?" Eli asked.

"We have," he nodded.

They both nodded, seeming happy about that, at least.

"I don't think either of us are caught by surprise. Not with what we've seen from you and her. But I will admit I didn't think it would be this soon," Eli said. To which, Maya nodded.

Fitz nodded, understanding his point of view.

"I understand that, and I've thought about it. I just…don't want to wait anymore. All we've ever done our entire time together is wait. We're done…waiting," he said.

Eli nodded. "There is, of course, the fact that she's still in school," he said.

"Yes. Her schooling is...very important to us," Maya added.

"Of course," Fitz replied. "Nothing will interfere with school, that's the last thing I would ever want. All I do want is…her. _Everything_ with her. And I hoped you both would…support that."

There was a bit of an awkward silence, which was soon filled with a sigh from Eli.

"Alright," Eli nodded. "Well we would certainly never say no to you. And even if we did, I don't think that would ever stop you two, nor should it, necessarily," he chuckled.

Fitz laughed. "Well, it's very important to me that you two know and are on board. You both mean the world to her and...to me too."

"Likewise, Fitz," Maya said with a smile. "We appreciate you sharing it with us beforehand because it's a very big deal. When do you plan for this to happen?"

Fitz winced and took a deep breath. "Well, I'm thinking in a couple weeks. She'll be done with her first week at her new job, and...I'm going to take her out to celebrate a little bit. My plan is that night, as of now. My nerves might have other ideas, though who knows," he chuckled.

"Ah, the man's nervous," Eli said.

"Yes," he said, smiling a little bit. "She does tend to do that to me."

"Well, I think it's safe to say you know her answer," Maya said. "At least you don't have to worry about that part of it."

"Right," he chuckled. "My brain can't seem to comprehend anything _logical_ about this situation, though, unfortunately. I will still be nervous. She will always do that to me."

Eli laughed. "Ah, yes. I remember those days. You know, sometimes this one here still does that to me," he said, pointing to Maya.

"Aw, look at you being all sweet tonight," she said.

Eli smiled back at her.

"I better take a page out of your book, Eli," Fitz chuckled.

"Or I should take one out of yours," he pointed out. "Letters and notes, I never really got into that."

"Oh, yes, I'm really liking this conversation," Maya nodded. "He does do the sweetest things for me every morning, though, do you know what he does?"

"No, what does he do?" Fitz asked.

"He brews us coffee every morning, and he gets mine ready for me in my favorite travel mug. Lots of cream, and a little bit of sugar. And then he puts a little chocolate in my lunch. Every day."

"Every day?" Fitz asked.

"Every day. It took me months to get that cream to sugar ratio right. But I've been a master at that for years now," Eli said proudly.

"I like your style! That's very sweet," Fitz nodded.

"Very sweet. It always makes me smile when he buys a new bag of those little Dove chocolates at the grocery store. He makes sure to never run out," Maya said with a laugh.

"Well of course not, I hate to miss a day," Eli said.

"Olivia loves those Dove chocolates," Fitz chuckled.

"Like mother like daughter," Eli nodded.

Fitz smiled. "Well...thank you, again. It means a lot to me and I know it will mean a lot to her. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Maya nodded

"Of course," Eli nodded in agreement.

He sighed. "Well...would you actually want to see this level now?" he asked with a laugh.

They laughed and nodded in response.

So, he showed them the main level. The whole "tour" took quite a bit of time, so he hoped Olivia was focused on organizing.

After that trip with her parents, his life got a little easier.

Just a little.

He still had the two whole weeks to wait...and think about it.

Which, he did.

Otherwise, he texted Abby a few times, when he had ideas to run past her, and when _she_ had questions. Or, whenever she just wanted to freak out a little bit because her best friend was getting engaged soon.

She did that a few more times.

She did question him for a while on the place he was going to do it and at what time of day, so she could be ready to get pictures.

Those two weeks went well, and they went fast.

And now...

* * *

"We're here," Fitz said, finishing his story.

"Wow," she responded. "That was a lot of planning!"

"Well it had to be perfect," he chuckled.

"It was," she whispered, leaning in to kiss him. _"You are."_

"You are too," he whispered, pecking her lips again a few times.

"So my parents didn't give you too hard of a time?" she asked.

"No. They were very nice about it. You better call them," he said with a smile.

She got excited and nodded. "I will. I'll call Abby too, and the rest of my friends. But for tonight I just want to be with you," she said, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Although I will take advantage of my beautiful nails and send a picture to Abby to tide her over."

"Yeah, do that. She'll be proud. That was all her," he said.

"She was very sweet to help," Olivia said happily, trying to find a few different angles for the pictures.

"Here, I have an idea," he said, reaching for her phone.

"Kiss me," he said. "And...put your hand out for the camera."

"Ohh, look at you. Good idea," she said.

He extended his arm with the phone in his hand, their eyes closing and their lips connecting for the picture.

She put her left hand out in front of their faces, emphasizing the perfectly sized _rock_ on her ring finger.

It was elegant, and not too overwhelming. But it was still a rock, that was for sure.

"It's so pretty," she whispered again, examining her hand.

"It _is_ so pretty," he nodded. "Like you."

She smiled and tightened her grip around his neck, so content.

"You weren't too nervous right," she whispered, running her hand over the back of his head.

"No. Once we got here it was better. Just leading up to it...that was a long drive, let me tell you," he chuckled.

"I knew something was up. I just ask now because your hands haven't stopped shaking," she said, looking down at his hands.

He looked down at them too, and they were not at all still. His cheeks turned pink and he held them together, to keep them steadier.

"I'm just really happy. And excited," he said with an embarrassed smile.

She leaned her head on his shoulder and smiled. "Me too. I'm glad you didn't have to worry about my answer, though," she giggled.

"I didn't, no. Just...I did worry that maybe you would be overwhelmed. With moving in and starting a new job. I didn't want it to be...too much, you know," he shrugged.

"It isn't too much. It's exactly what I want. We've waited a long time for things to be able to progress. And...now they can. Now they _finally_ can," she said happily.

"They can," he agreed, pressing a kiss to her temple as she ogled her ring again.

"Hey. What do you say we get out of here? Go get some champagne and celebrate," he whispered.

Her eyes lit up.

He smiled. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Alright. Come on, you," he said, grabbing her hands and pulling her up along with him.

He grabbed the blanket and kept a hold of her hand, making their way to the car.

"I can...feel your ring," he said, looking down at his right hand intertwined with her left.

She smiled. "You better always hold this hand then," she said.

"Hmm...well maybe someday you're going to want to switch so you can feel my ring."

She stopped dead in her tracks.

"Your ring," she said, almost in awe.

"What?" he asked.

"Your _ring,"_ she said. "You're gonna wear a _ring!"_ she said again.

"Yes baby," he chuckled.

"We're getting married," she said, leaning her head against her chest. "You're gonna wear a ring because we're getting married!"

"Yes!" he nodded, patting her back. "Did it just hit you again?" he chuckled.

"Yes," she nodded into his chest.

"See this is kind of how I've been the past two months and I just couldn't tell you," he said with a laugh.

"Man, I don't know how you did that," she said.

"I'm skilled," he said casually.

"You _are,"_ she agreed.

"You wanna go now?" he asked with a laugh, rubbing her back as they stood at the bottom of the hill.

"Yeah we can go now. Sorry. It just...I can't even..."

"I know. Me too," he said with a smile. "You can say 'we're getting married' as many times as you wanna say it."

She nodded and laughed as they kept walking. "Good."

They made their way to a liquor store by their apartment, further from campus. Their favorite one.

"You wanna grab some red while we're here, babe? I think we're low," he said, as they approached the checkout counter.

"Oh, sure, yeah," she nodded, heading back towards the aisles.

"Hi, how you doing tonight?" the cashier asked.

It was his favorite guy that worked there, a very sweet old man.

"Fantastic. How are you?" Fitz asked.

"Oh I'm just wonderful," he replied. "Will this be all for you tonight?"

"Uh, yeah these and then my girlfriend's grabbing a couple more things," Fitz said, pointing behind him. "Or..."

The cashier stopped. "Everything...okay?"

Fitz smiled. "Yeah, for sure. Sorry. I just...I meant fiancée," he said with a smile.

"Ahh, congrats! It must be fresh, if you're still mistaking her for your girlfriend," the man chuckled, as Olivia approached the counter with two bottles of red wine.

"Thank you! Yes it is. Tonight actually," Fitz said.

"Well oh my goodness, _much_ congratulations then. I better hurry up and get you two out of here so you can go celebrate!"

Olivia smiled and put the bottles on the counter, linking her arm with Fitz's.

Fitz laughed. "Well thank you very much!"

"Thank you," Olivia said, smiling at him.

And he got them out of there with their alcohol fast, so they could go celebrate.

When they got back, the lobby was empty, save for Logan at the front desk.

"Hey! Grant. Liv. How are my favorite residents doing?" Logan asked with a wave.

"Hey Logan!" Olivia said.

"We're doing absolutely fantastic," Fitz said. "We're going to celebrate."

"Oh whatcha celebratin'?" Logan asked.

Fitz smiled at Olivia, and she showed Logan her left hand.

His eyes widened at the diamond.

"SHIT!"

Olivia and Fitz laughed.

"Grant! You did that?!"

"I did that," Fitz nodded.

"Oh man! Congrats you guys! Wow! I get to come to the wedding right?" he winked.

"Of _course_ you do," Olivia said with a smile.

"Awesome. Wow, you guys! Well don't let me keep you. Get up there and celebrate!" he said.

"Thanks, Logan!" they both said.

Logan smiled, so happy at the news, and Olivia and Fitz headed up to their apartment.

They immediately popped a bottle of champagne and poured themselves some tall glasses of it.

"To my future wife," Fitz toasted, holding up his glass with a smile.

"To my future husband," she replied, holding hers up.

They clinked glasses and drank a little bit of it.

And then they drank a _lot_ of it.

They transitioned to the bedroom, and they transitioned to less clothing.

Fitz sat shirtless in bed with his glass of champagne, and waited until he saw Olivia emerge from the bathroom with a little smirk on her face.

She was wearing the lingerie he had bought for her, and she looked damn good.

"Look at my fiancée," he said, getting her pillows set up for her as she walked over.

"Look at _my_ fiancé," she echoed, climbing in bed with him.

"Mmm," he replied, as she swung her leg over him.

He let her take a sip of his champagne, running his hands over her thighs as she did. She gave it back to him and then leaned in to kiss him.

"Yum," he whispered, pecking her lips again.

"Do I taste like champagne?" she whispered back, kissing him again.

"Mhmm," he nodded, pulling her back in for more.

She tasted the champagne on his lips too. On his tongue.

It was much more fun than drinking her own champagne.

But she did grab her own glass again, and they drank quite a bit.

It didn't take them long to finish a whole bottle. They didn't even bother savoring it, they did whatever they wanted to do. It was their night.

Plus, they had two more bottles.

After finishing one bottle fairly quickly, they were already a little buzzed. Champagne went to your head fast, Olivia's much faster than Fitz's. But he was still buzzed.

"Bottle number two?" he asked, rubbing his hand down her side.

"Yeah," she nodded with a smile.

"Okay," he whispered, pecking her lips and getting out of bed.

She giggled and watched him readjust his boxers as he walked out of the room. Too tight in certain places after laying down for a while, she assumed.

She heard him pop it and he came back, pressing the full bottle to his lips.

"Fitz!" she giggled.

"Hmm?" he replied, still chugging some down.

"Slow down, baby, I don't want you to fall asleep on me early tonight!"

He brought the bottle down to his side and wiped his mouth. "No way, I would never. This has been the best night of my life, and it will continue to be. I'm staying awake for it," he said, handing her the bottle as he got in bed.

Apparently, they were just ditching the fancy glasses all together now, even though they were right there on the nightstand.

It was good champagne. Far too good of champagne to be chugging it from the bottle.

Yet they didn't give a fuck.

She tipped it back and drank some herself, too.

"Whew," she said with a laugh, handing it back to him.

He took another drink and then set it on the nightstand.

"This has been the best night of my life too, Fitz," she said.

He turned to her with a smile, pulling her toward him. "You wanna say it again?"

She smiled. "We're getting married," she whispered.

"Say it again."

"We're getting married!" she said again.

"We're getting _married!"_ he repeated, pulling her on top of him.

She covered his face in kisses and he smiled, gripping her ass in that wonderful lacy slip she was wearing.

"I love you," she said, laying her head down on his chest. "I love you. I just really love you and I never want you to forget it."

"I would never forget that, Livvie," he whispered, rubbing his hand gently over her hair. "Those are my three favorite words to hear from you. Although I have to admit, 'yes' may now be one of my favorites, too."

She smiled, snuggling up closer to him. "Those are good favorites, because I'll say them a lot. It's unfortunate that you can't go around saying 'will you marry me?' all the time because that was amazing to hear," she giggled.

"Sure I can. I'll just ask you occasionally, even after we're married. But if you say no, joke's on you. You already said yes. No takebacks!" he said, pointing at her.

She laughed. "You're gonna be, like, 60 and still asking me every now and then if I'll marry you. People will think we are nuts."

"That's okay. It'll be worth it," he chuckled.

"I can't wait till those days with you," she whispered, tracing her finger over his chest.

"The days when I'm old and wrinkly?!" he asked.

She scoffed. "Fitzgerald Thomas, look at you. You're 38 and people think you're in your twenties. You will not be wrinkly by age 60," she said with a laugh.

"I hope not! I still wanna be able to play baseball when I'm 60," he said seriously.

"You're kidding," she giggled.

"Hell no. You saw us play! Our captain, John, is in his fifties! I aspire to be like him," he said.

"Hmm, well maybe you can take over as captain and everything," she suggested.

"Maybe. I'd like to...live there permanently in the summer eventually. If...that would work for you with your job. I think it would be a good summer town for us and..." he trailed off.

"Us and..." she prompted.

He blushed and smiled. "Our babies."

"Our little minis," she said with a smile.

"Yes!" he nodded. "What do you think?"

"I think that's a great idea. We just need to build that cabin and start having babies first," she giggled.

"Let's do it then," he said, looking down at her.

She laughed. "Fitzgerald," she said with a smile.

"What?" he chuckled. "I can have the cabin built for us in four months," he added, smiling at her.

"Oh I don't doubt that," she nodded. "And the babies?" she asked.

"Mhm, you just quit taking your birth control and _voila_. We'll have a little mini Olivia in nine months," he said confidently.

"You seem very confident that you can get me pregnant right away," she said with a laugh.

"I'm confident in my abilities, yes," he nodded, which made her laugh again.

"Well you know, it could be a little mini _Fitz_ , too," she pointed out.

He smiled big. "Yeah. Well if that's the case, he's gonna be a momma's boy like big Fitz was," he said.

"Big Fitz," she giggled.

"Mhm. It's true, I was," he shrugged.

"I know you were. I _hope_ mini Fitz is a momma's boy," she said with a smile.

"What if we have multiple mini Fitzs?" he asked.

"Then they _all_ better be momma's boys," she giggled.

He smiled, kissing her forehead. "I like talking about this."

"Me too," she agreed.

"We've been drinking. I know we're kind of kidding but...I'm also not."

"I'm not either. But maybe we should focus on...our wedding first. We did just get engaged _tonight,"_ she said, laughing.

"Yeah, I agree. I'm just excited," he said.

"Me too!" she said, lifting her head up to give him a smile.

He smiled back, brushing a few curly strands of hair out of her face.

He looked down at her lips, which prompted her to look at his.

She scooted up on his chest, and pressed her lips to his. And it turned very quickly into an open-mouth makeup session.

His tongue brushed hers over and over, and his hands gripped her ass, pushing her into his growing erection.

She ran her hand down his chest and squeezed it between their bodies, slipping it inside his boxers.

He was hard already, and he only hardened more when she started to stroke him

He slid his hands underneath her lacy slip, delighted at what he was met with.

"Mmm, you have nothing on under here," he whispered against her lips.

"Nope," she whispered back.

He smiled and moved his fingers down further, prodding her entrance.

She opened her legs and he inserted a single finger, pushing it in and out while she continued to stroke him.

She gasped, and had to pull away from his lips, laying her head down by his.

"Make love to me," she whispered to him.

He pressed his lips to hers and rolled her over, kneeling over her and pulling the straps of her slip off her shoulders so she could slide out of it.

He ran his hand down her fully naked body slowly, taking in every inch of her smooth, caramel skin.

"All mine," he whispered.

"You gonna show me or what?" she teased.

He smiled, freeing himself from his boxers and sliding them off.

She bit her lip and looked at his rigid length, aching for him to be inside of her already.

He took her hands and pinned them shoved her head with one hand, kissing her all the way back down.

She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, opening her mouth at the pleasure she already felt.

She could feel her hips thrusting toward him, even though he was nowhere near close to entering her yet. She just wanted contact.

He laughed quietly, dragging his lips along her skin. "Impatient now, are we?" he whispered.

"I think I'm allowed to be impatient tonight," she said, she's still squeezed shut.

"Maybe. But I think I'm allowed to take my time tonight, too," he replied, his lips stopping just before reaching her clit.

She moaned, clutching his hand harder as it still held hers above her head.

But then he did something better, something that made her eyes open instantly.

Using his free hand, he held his length in his hand, dragging his tip along her clit over and over again.

Her mouth opened in pleasure, watching it with desperate eyes.

He coated himself in her wetness, likely mixing with his own.

And he finally let her hands go, but she was too in awe to use them in the moment, anyway.

She just laid there on her back, legs open wide while he teased her.

That sure was a tease for himself, too. But he seemed perfectly content to make them both suffer in agony.

It was a good kind of agony though.

It was one of those times where she could _really_ feel how wet she was. One of those times where if he had been plunging his fingers inside her, they'd be able to _hear_ it.

But she wanted to touch him, too. So she started stroking him again, before he could do anything else.

Her hand slid easily up and down his length, and she watched his face contort in pleasure above her.

She could tell she had caught him a bit off guard, but he went with it. And soon his lips were on hers again, and then on her neck.

He reached down and started playing with her clit, rubbing it with his fingers.

They did that until they couldn't take it anymore.

He looked down at her, rubbing his tip over her clit one last time before he guided himself to her entrance, and slid in with ease.

She clutched the bed frame behind her, bending her legs so far and wide that he pushed down her thighs with his hands.

He thrust into her, his hair starting to fall into his eyes as he looked down at her.

He eventually turned her on her side and got behind her, never changing their pace. His hand reached around her body, playing with her clit while he entered her over and over, too.

And that's how they finished the first time.

But that certainly wasn't the last time that happened that night.

They were up until three in the morning, loving on each other and drinking champagne.

Nothing else mattered, besides them. They were just so happy.

Because they were getting married.

* * *

Whew, that was long. I have a tendency to do that, lol!

I hope you enjoyed both the flashback and a little bit of the present time.

They're getting married :)

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	76. Long Weekend Pt 1

Olivia looked down at a press release on her desk, examining it to make sure it looked good before she sent it over to Karen.

She had to admit it was the first time she was very distracted at work, because she was excited for the weekend.

All of Fitz's buddies were coming to Connecticut, and they were all spending a long weekend at Dennis's cabin. She liked Fitz's friends, first of all. They were fun, and kind of rowdy, like hers were. And even though little Mia couldn't come, since it was her mom's weekend, Olivia knew it would be a great time.

Fitz already called Kathy, the nice lady he was friends with up there in New Fairfield, to let her know he was coming. She, of course, would let her husband John know, that he was coming too. And they'd all get to watch Fitz play baseball on Saturday night.

Olivia was _definitely_ looking forward to that.

The reason this weekend worked so well, was because Brett was in Boston for work this whole week. Boston was much closer to New Haven than Pittsburgh was, where he and Lauren lived, so it was their best opportunity.

They had all promised to get together this summer, when Olivia had last contacted them over Fitz's birthday. So, this weekend it was.

It was easier for Fitz's other friends, Matt and Jason. Matt lived in New York City, and Jason lived in a suburb of New York City, called Chatham. The drive from their places to New Fairfield, where the cabin was, was only about an hour and a half.

So, they'd meet them at the cabin tomorrow.

Lauren, on the other hand, flew to Boston this morning to meet Brett, and they were driving in their rental car to Olivia and Fitz's place tonight. It was closer than driving to New Fairfield, anyway. So, they'd stay the night with them, and they'd all drive to the cabin in the morning, to meet Matt, Jason and their wives.

All of that explained why Olivia was so excited, and letting her guard down a little bit at work.

Fitz had even dropped her off today, just for fun. Sometimes he did that on Fridays so they could get breakfast on the way and spend some more time together. And this Thursday was like a Friday for Olivia, so he did it. Plus, he always had free mornings in the summer, so he liked something to do.

He'd be picking her up any minute now, a little early of course, so they could start their long weekend off right.

So she studied the press release carefully, the last, and very _easy_ task of her day, and nodded in approval. It looked good.

She was about to get up and bring it over to Karen's office, when she heard a knock on the door.

"Hi."

She looked up to see her fiancé, all dressed up just to come pick her back up.

"Oh, hi sweetie. I'm just about done," she said, starting to gather her things.

"Okay. If you need more time that's okay, no rush. I'm happy to sit and wait in your _gorgeous_ office," he said with a smile.

She laughed. "It is pretty gorgeous, isn't it?" she asked, looking around.

"Yeah. I'm tempted to come work here just for the offices. I don't see a _single_ cubicle here," he said with a smile.

"Nope," she said, shaking her head proudly. "We all get the luxury of real offices here at the Hartford. Because, you know, we're basically just really awesome."

He chuckled. "You _are_ awesome," he nodded, reaching his hand out to her.

She reached out and grabbed it, leaning in for a kiss. "I'll be right back, I just gotta go give this to Karen," she said.

"Okay, baby."

He proudly watched her walk away, dressed in a beautiful pantsuit. He thought she looked so sexy when she was dressed for work.

Whew.

He leaned against her office door, hands in his pockets while he waited.

It seemed pretty quiet today. He'd been there before, and it was certainly never buzzing with activity, at least on Olivia's floor. But it was even quieter today.

He received lots of smiles and polite nods from people who walked by. He was sure they knew he was "the fiancé" by now.

From what Olivia had told him, everyone noticed the ring right away on her finger. It was, after all, a bit of a change to one's appearance.

She certainly hadn't gone around announcing it to the world, but she also couldn't bear to take that ring off. It was very cute, honestly.

So, whoever saw it, would figure it out. And they were okay with that, since this was Hartford.

By fall, when the real student body returned, it would be okay, anyway. Enough time will have passed.

People would certainly think they got engaged fast. It would seem to other people, that they got engaged in the three months of the summer, the first months of being together.

But that was the least of their worries. Having people think they got engaged too fast was a small price to pay, for them to be able to be happy.

And being engaged was certainly not something they were going to attempt to keep hidden. That's all they'd ever done, was hide things. It was about time that ended.

But, besides people at Olivia's work, there were quite a few others that knew, too.

Every single one of their friends, aside from Fitz's friends at work. He was waiting until fall for them to even know he was with Olivia.

And all of Olivia's family members, which proved to be a bit interesting.

To Olivia's extended family members, they barely even knew of a b _oyfriend_. So as word traveled throughout the Pope family this summer, it was _surprising._

He and Olivia had a feeling that at the first holiday gathering this year, they'd get millions of questions.

But, for now, they'd enjoy their summer together. They were, after all, free. And that was all that mattered to them.

Olivia came back, telling him everything was set and that they could go. So she grabbed her purse, and they were off.

They spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up their apartment a little bit, so that it was clean for Brett and Lauren.

And then they watched a little TV.

"So you're excited for this weekend, Liv?" Fitz asked, tightening his grip around her stomach as they laid on the couch together.

"Yes! It will be nice to have a three day weekend, especially one spent at the cabin," she nodded.

"I know. I'm pretty excited, too," he agreed. "I'm glad we have all our shopping done, too. That way we can go right there in the morning."

"Yeah. And they'll be here kind of soon, right? Brett and Lauren?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah," he said, checking his watch. "In about a couple hours or so."

"Good," she said happily, turning in his arms, to wrap her arms around his body.

He kissed the top of her head a few times, watching the TV. Until he got bored, and restless.

"Are you watching this?" he asked, looking at whatever HGTV show was on.

"Yeah, kind of. I'm getting inspiration, you know. For our house," she said with a smile.

"Hmm," he replied. That made him not want to interrupt her. Their house was important.

But…he did it anyway.

He scooted out from under her, repositioning himself above her and pressing a few kisses to her chest.

She smiled, running her fingers through his hair. "Fitzgerald."

"Hmm?" he replied, sucking her soft skin into his mouth.

"I just told your handsome self that I was watching this," she replied.

"Mhm, you can keep watching," he said, pulling the spaghetti straps of her tank top off her shoulders.

"How am I supposed to watch when you're kissing on me, huh?" she asked.

"You can't multitask? That's a shame, I'm really good at that," he whispered, pulling the bottom of her tank top up to kiss her stomach.

Her back started to arch underneath him, which made him smile against her skin.

She exhaled quietly. "I'm…I can…no, I'm good at that, too," she stumbled.

"I thought you just said you couldn't do it?" he whispered, dragging his tongue along her toned abdomen.

"I…can," she whispered.

He looked up at her pretty face with a proud smile. She smiled back and rolled her eyes, because she knew she could be persuaded so easily by him. They both could be, by each other.

It was one of their many talents.

His fingers fumbled with the button and zipper on her little cutoff jean shorts.

The ones that made him stare endlessly at her smooth legs and perfect ass.

But now he was ripping them off, throwing them to the ground.

He smiled at her blue lacy thong. His girl always wore brightly colored underwear.

But again, he didn't care for them to be on anymore, so he quickly removed those too.

"Take that off," he whispered, gesturing to her tank top. And he got off the couch, going to grab a blanket from the chair.

She completely undressed herself, all while he remained fully dressed.

She let him put the blanket down underneath them, and expected him to climb back on with her.

But he didn't.

Instead, he kneeled down on the floor in front of her, and pulled her towards his face, immediately sucking her clit into his mouth.

She gasped, clutching his arm, not at all expecting him to do that.

"Oh my god," she whispered, feeling his warm tongue flicking back and forth across her clit.

"You gonna watch your show?" he asked, taking a little break to talk to her, and then press a few kisses against her clit after.

She moaned, shaking her head quickly.

"No?" he questioned, dragging his tongue up and down a few times.

She shook her head again, holding onto both of his arms, which were gripping her ass.

"Hmm..." he replied, shaking his head back and forth a little bit while his tongue made contact with her. "Maybe I should stop."

"No—no," she pleaded.

"No?" he asked in a low voice.

"No, no, no," she whispered, unknowingly thrusting her hips towards his face.

He smiled against her skin, dragging his tongue across it and listening to her breathing.

It was a glorious sound to him, and one of his favorite things to do to her.

She couldn't resist it, ever. He knew just what to do to make her ask for more, and just how long it took to get her there. Or, make it take longer, if he wanted to.

He could get her there faster if he used his fingers, too. This time he didn't, though.

He plunged his tongue inside her over and over again, enjoying the response that got out of her, too.

She was spread wide for him on the couch, as he kneeled in front of her and ate her out _hard._

His clenched his fists behind her body, trying to put the fact that his dick was _throbbing_ out of his mind.

He had to admit that he was very impressed with how wet he could get her. Not just when he went down on her, but when he did anything at all intimate with her.

It was his goal. It felt good when they had sex, and it was pretty satisfying to feel it with his fingers, or tongue, too.

And taste it, like he could now.

Her body started to jerk and shake underneath him, which gave him his warning that she was close.

Save for the constant moans of his name, or her pleading for him to keep going, she didn't talk much when he went down on her. Mostly because he couldn't talk back regularly, given that his mouth was doing other things.

So he knew how to read her body by now.

And she was just about there.

He moved his tongue fast, right where he knew it felt good. He did that until she gasped and clutched at his hair so hard that it _hurt_. And then her fast breathing slowed, and her body calmed.

He pulled away with a smile, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it behind him.

She just laid there, legs still wide open, dead to the world.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and she looked at him with an appreciative look.

"How you feel, baby?" he asked quietly, standing up to undo his belt.

"Oh—" she moaned, slowly letting her legs fall to the floor.

"Yeah?" he chuckled.

"Uh-huh," she nodded.

"I'm glad," he said, pulling his belt from his belt loops.

"What're you doing?" she breathed.

"Oh, I'm gonna fuck you now," he replied casually, unzipping his jeans.

"That sounds nice," she whispered, exhaling deeply. "Can you give me a few?"

"I planned to," he chuckled, pulling down his jeans.

She smiled at the bulge in his boxers.

"Someone's hard," she said.

He nodded, pulling his boxers down and tossing them aside. "Well, your naked body in that position tends to do that to me."

"You mean like this?" she teased, opening her legs.

He felt himself harden more as he eyed her spread out before him. And she saw it, too, which made her smile.

"God yes."

He got back on the couch, pressing his erection into her core while he leaned in to kiss her. He didn't do anything else, he just kissed her, knowing she still needed some time.

And he wanted her to taste herself on his mouth. Every inch of herself. She wasn't shy to kiss him back, which turned him on even more.

They hadn't actually ever had sex on that couch. They'd had sex on the floor before, on the chair next to the couch, and even against the wall by the TV. But never the couch.

He was trying to figure out the most desirable position, when she lifted her leg up against the armrest and told him to hold it there.

He immediately did what she'd requested, and looked down at the easy access he was met with. Seemed perfect to him.

He held her leg, bent at the knee, back against the armrest with his body, and tilted his hips to meet her entrance at the right angle.

He slid inside, pleaded with the slick, tightness he was met with.

He groaned, inching all the way in and watching her bite her lip and squeeze her eyes shut.

Her other leg was laying flat, staying way out of the way, as were her arms.

He started to roll into her, slowly at first, but gradually picking up his pace.

She felt amazing. She always did, but _Jesus_. Today was something else.

"Can you...see your show...alright?" he asked, plunging deep inside her.

"You...shush," she giggled, smiling up at him.

He laughed, leaning down to give her a kiss, but never ceasing his quick rhythm.

"You wanna...switch armrests? That way...you can watch?" she teased.

"No. I need to...focus on you," he breathed, sliding his hand down and starting to rub a single finger back and forth against her clit.

"Oh," she moaned. "Yeah, don't stop...that," she said.

"Just like that?" he asked, pausing deep inside of her, and continuing to rub her clit.

She let out a deep breath. _"Just_ like that."

He pulled his head back from her shoulder and bent down to give her breasts a little attention.

Deep inside her, playing with her clit, and flicking his tongue across her nipple. Giving both equal attention, of course.

She could barely think with all that going on.

He resumed his pace hard and fast, until she came. He was a bit behind her, but it didn't take much to get him there too.

She was so loud when she orgasmed that particular time, and just the sound of her voice pushed him over the edge.

He came inside her, pumping in and out of her slowly until he was done.

He pulled out of her, and brought her leg back down to rest on the couch. And he collapsed his head on her chest. Something he really loved to do.

"Fuck," she whispered.

"Fuck," he agreed.

"Ohhhh Fitz," she whispered, closing her eyes and trying to calm her breathing.

He grabbed the corner of the blanket and patted her skin, cleaning her up a little bit before doing the same for himself.

"Well. This needs to be washed," he chuckled, lifting her body up to pull it out from under her.

"Yeah, I need to shower now," she said with a laugh, watching him bring the blanket to the first closet in the hallway, where the washer and dryer were.

"Let me come with you," he said, putting detergent in and starting the washer.

"One sec," she said.

"Hmm?" he replied, looking over his shoulder.

"I'm just watching you do laundry naked. It's oddly kind of hot," she said casually.

He laughed. "You just like looking at my ass."

"I mean, obviously," she said.

He smiled over his shoulder, moving his hips back and forth in a little dance. She burst into laughter.

"Oh my god," she giggled.

He walked over to her, putting his hands on his hips as he eyed her naked body.

"What?" she asked.

"I'm just looking at you wearing nothing but all the jewelry I've given you," he said.

"Mm, I see. Do you like this one?" she asked, showing him her engagement ring.

He put his finger to his lips in thought.

"Hmm. Yeah. That was one _does_ seem like a big deal," he nodded.

"Yeah it must be," she teased.

He chuckled and picked her up, slinging her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing.

Well, she essentially did.

"Ahhh!" she giggled.

He held her on his shoulder, and ran his other hand down her body, tickling her a little bit.

"Oh, still a little wet down here are we?" he asked, his hand between her legs.

"Fitz!" she exclaimed. "Don't do that when I can't do it back!"

"Oh you can do whatever you want to me in the shower," he said.

"Mmm, no can do. I'm washing my hair today, that's gonna take all my time," she shrugged, as he entered their bedroom.

He shrugged back. "Okay. I'll just have to do it myself then."

"What?!" she exclaimed.

"What?" he asked, setting her down.

"That's not playing very fair," she said, giving him a frown.

"Don't worry, I'll let you watch," he whispered in her ear, before going to turn the shower on.

She just stared at him in awe.

He never faltered, ever. If he wanted to, he'd do it. While it may be abnormal for even a much younger guy to come two or three times in a short time span, it was _not_ abnormal for Fitz.

It was quite impressive to her, actually, and very satisfying, too.

He got in the shower, and reached out his hand for her to grab.

She obliged.

And they really did shower. But eventually, while she underwent the long process of washing her hair, he had other ideas.

He poured some soap in his hand and rubbed them together, before slowly lowering them down his body.

Her lips parted and she watched him touch himself.

"You are so mean," she said.

He smiled, continuing to stroke his rigid length, the suds making it look so smooth and desirable.

It was _always_ smooth and desirable. He kept it very nice for her. But in the shower, it looked even better.

He stepped back a little bit and leaned against the wall, looking innocently at her with a smile.

His curly hair was wet, and getting in his eyes, so he had to wipe it away.

But he never stopped.

Until she sat down on the little bench in the corner, hair all washed and perfectly curly, and waved him over.

"Come here."

He walked over to her, and let her finish the job with her own hands.

He groaned, bracing himself against the shower wall while he came all over her chest. He was standing and she was sitting, after all.

"Oh man," he said, panting.

"I do it better," she winked.

"Yeah," he breathed. "You do."

She stood up and washed herself off, feeling him press his body into her from behind.

He kissed her shoulders and sighed, resting his chin on one of them.

"I love the hair, baby," he said.

She smiled. "Thank you."

"Just stand here with me for a second. It feels nice," he said.

She turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning her head on his chest as the warm water ran down their bodies.

"I love you," she said.

"I love _you,"_ he replied.

So there they stood for a while, until they finally got out of the hot shower, all fresh and clean from that evening's activities.

On the plus side, they didn't have to wait that long anymore, for Brett and Lauren to get there. They were just finishing cleaning up the kitchen from dinner when Fitz got the text that they were outside.

"I'll go get them," Olivia offered.

"You sure?" Fitz asked.

She nodded, slipping on her sandals and opening the door.

"Oh, why don't you switch the cum blanket to the dryer," she said, before closing the door.

He chuckled, walking to the washer to switch it.

"Cum blanket," he said, laughing to himself.

He switched it to the dryer and not too long after, he heard the door open with lots of chatter.

"Hey man," Fitz said with a smile.

"Hey bud—"

"Fizz!"

A little girl, holding Olivia's hand, let go and came running through the legs of her dad and step mom.

"Oh my...I didn't know you were coming!" Fitz said, bending down to meet her.

She came running, throwing her arms around his neck.

"You are getting so big!" he exclaimed, lifting her up.

"I'm six," Mia said proudly.

"Six?!" Fitz exclaimed. "Oh my goodness. You're gonna be as tall as me soon!" he said, poking her little stomach.

She giggled and hugged him.

"Yeah, we didn't know, either. Molly couldn't take her this weekend. Mia wanted to surprise you," Brett said with a laugh.

"Well I am so surprised!" Fitz said, smiling at the little girl in his arms.

"This is you and Livia's house?" Mia asked.

"It _is_. I'll show you around in a second, okay," he said, putting her down.

"Hey buddy," Fitz said, pulling Brett in for a hug.

"Good to see you, man. Congratulations, by the way," Brett replied.

"Thank you," Fitz nodded.

"Lauren," Fitz greeted, pulling her in for a hug as well.

"Hi, Fitz. Congratulations to you, too, we were congratulating Olivia all the way up here," she replied.

"Thank you! How was the day of travel?" he asked them all.

"It was...a day of travel," Lauren said with a laugh. "I think someone is a little overtired."

Fitz followed her gaze to little Mia, who was twirling the bottom of her dress around and singing to herself.

He laughed. "Hey, Mia."

Mia's ears perked up and she looked at Fitz.

"I love your dress."

She blushed. "Thank you! Livia said so too."

"Livia is very smart," Fitz nodded.

"Hey, Mia. Livia's name has an 'O' in it. You remember, like when you were learning the alphabet last year. It's ' _O_ livia,'" Brett said.

"O...liv...ia," Mia nodded slowly.

"There you go. What's her name then?" Brett asked.

"O-Livia," Mia said confidently.

"There you go," Brett chuckled. "I've gone over your name with her too. She doesn't seem to comprehend that the 't' and the 'z' go together, so just the 'z' makes an appearance, apparently. She...has a little trouble with letters," he said quietly to Fitz.

Fitz smiled. "That's okay. We'll get my name down this weekend," he said with a smile. "Are you guys hungry at all? Did you eat?"

"Yep, we ate on the way here. What'd we have, Mia?" Brett asked.

" _Mickey D's!_ I got a happy meal," she answered.

"Mickey D's huh? I _love_ happy meals," Fitz said.

"But my toy broke," she said matter-of-factly.

"Oh no! What happened to it?" Fitz asked.

"The dolly's head ripped off," she shrugged.

Fitz gasped. "What?!"

"She's not very gentle with her dolls," Brett chuckled. "You have plenty of dolls along though, don't you, honey," Brett said.

She nodded proudly. "I have four in Low-ren's bag."

"Awesome," Fitz nodded. "Well come on in you guys, so you can put your stuff down."

And they all followed Fitz through the hallway to the first bedroom, where they put their stuff down.

"Will Mia be okay in here? Or...there's another room, too, if she isn't too afraid to stay by herself?" Fitz asked.

"Oh! No, I stay by myself!" Mia nodded.

"Yeah, she'll gladly take a whole bed. That girl...she sleeps like she's a grown man," Brett said with a laugh.

"It's true. We're gonna need to get her a double bed pretty soon, she rolls off her twin," Lauren nodded.

"Oh well perfect. Mia, you can sleep next to your dad and Lauren in this room," Fitz said, leading her to the next bedroom. "Is that okay?"

"Yes!" she nodded. "But where is your room and Liv— _O_ livia's room?" she asked.

"Our room is right here at the end of the hall," he said, flipping on the light.

"Wow," she said, looking around. "It is big!"

"Mhm. But you have a nice big bed in your room, too, did you see it?" he asked.

She nodded. "Do you have more blankets? I like blankets!"

"Well I have more in this closet over here," he said, opening the laundry door to go through the shelves in there.

"You are drying something," Mia stated, pointing at the dryer that was running.

Fitz fought back a smile. Little kids were so damn observant.

Brett and Lauren emerged from their room. "Oh jeez, is she making you grab more blankets?" Brett asked, watching Fitz looked through the shelves. "Honey, you'll be okay with the comforter in there, okay? It isn't cold in here."

"It's alright buddy, I've got some," Fitz said, pulling out a couple thick ones.

"What are you drying?" Mia asked again.

Fitz laughed. "Um, well you know, it's actually a blanket."

"Oh! That one will be warm then! I can use that one?" she asked.

He cleared his throat and heard Olivia laugh quietly behind him. "Um, why don't we use these instead, these...these are...gonna be warmer," he assured her.

Mia nodded, seeming content as long as they were warm. And she skipped back to her room.

"Do I even wanna know?" Brett asked with a laugh.

"No," Fitz chuckled, following Mia with the other blankets. He looked back at Olivia, who was laughing slightly, covering her mouth with her hand.

"You _twooooo,"_ Lauren said with a laugh

Fitz shrugged and gave Brett and Lauren a wink before he entered the second guest bedroom.

He heard laughing behind him as he got Mia situated.

It was a good night, with them all there. And it would be even better when they were all together at the cabin, with Fitz's other friends too.

And that came a lot faster than they expected it would.

Before they knew it, there were loaded up in both their cars, and headed to Dennis's cabin the next day.

The drive was an easy one. And they got the confirmation that his other friends had left too, and would be there around the same time.

Getting out of the car in the gravel driveway again, brought so many memories back to Olivia.

She remembered coming up here last spring, having so much fun with Fitz. It had been like a mini vacation.

They had gone through so much since then. And now they were up here, and _free_.

Oh, and engaged too.

"Woo! We can go swimming!" Mia exclaimed, running up the side of the yard towards the dock.

"Be careful, honey," Brett said.

She sprinted down the dock, stopping once she reached the end and looking out at the lake.

She was clearly very excited about it.

"Daddy! Do you see the sailboat?!" she yelled, pointing out at the rainbow sail on the water.

"I do see it! Why don't you come back here and we can get settled first. And then you can put your suit and your life jacket on okay?" he asked.

"Okay!" she exclaimed, running back to them.

Fitz found the big stone, where the key was hidden underneath, and went to unlock the door.

"Just make sure to take off your shoes here, guys," Fitz said, pointing at the rug.

Everyone slipped off their sandals and looked around the gorgeous inside of the cabin. It was the perfect size for all of them. There were three rooms upstairs and a couple of smaller ones on the main level, so it still held a lot of people. Perfect for renting.

"Mia, do you want this little room back here?" Fitz asked, showing her to the room in the back of the cabin.

"Ye-es!" she said, jumping up and down.

"We can find some more blankets for you later," he chuckled.

"There's one more room on this level and three upstairs," Fitz said.

"We'll take the one down here, so we can keep an eye on Mia," Lauren said.

"Alright. Baby you wanna take our stuff up to that first bedroom like last time? I'm gonna go grab our food," he said.

Olivia nodded and grabbed their bags, going to get them situated in their room.

They all unpacked their things for the long weekend, and Fitz's other friends showed up too.

They took the rooms next to Olivia and Fitz's, so it would definitely be a full house for the few days.

After getting everything settled, Mia was pretty impatient to get into the water, so they all put their suits on and got ready themselves, too. Might as well not waste any time, because the weekend would go fast and they knew it.

"Honey, slow down," Brett said, chasing after Mia as she skipped excitedly down the dock, wearing her swimsuit and life jacket. She jumped right in.

No fear, that one.

She squealed as soon as she popped back up.

"Fizz! Your water is cold!" she exclaimed.

Fitz laughed from the front yard. "It is a little cold, I'm sorry about that," he chuckled.

"She is too cute," Olivia said with a laugh, laying out on a lounge chair right by the shore.

She was wearing her favorite bright red bikini underneath a silky white coverup. With, her Ray-Ban aviators of course, that Fitz had gotten for her. Her curly hair was up in a perfect bun.

He matched her, wearing the same sunglasses. He had on the famous black board shorts that she loved, the ones with a horizontal white stripe on them. A backwards hat, _his Washington Capitals hat_ , actually.

And a gray, Nike shirt.

They both looked perfect for a weekend at the lake.

"Well don't you look tempting over here," Fitz said, approaching her.

"Tempting, huh?" she asked, lowering her sunglasses at him.

"Mhm," he nodded, moving her leg up so he could sit in between her legs. "It's a shame we're in the presence of four other people and a six-year-old."

"That is a shame," she agreed, smirking at him. She pushed her sunglasses back up, and bent her leg higher.

He eyed her body as she laid there, enjoying the sun and the nice breeze.

"Now you're just playing with me," he said quietly.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"Mmm, you know what," he said, leaning in to press a few kisses to her neck.

She giggled, resting her hand on his thigh. "I know nothing."

"You know this is my favorite swimsuit of yours," he said, smiling down at her.

"Well it's also _my_ favorite swimsuit. Not everything is about you, Fitzgerald," she teased.

He scoffed. "Fine," he shrugged, starting to get up.

"No, no, no, come _back,"_ she said, pulling on his arm.

"My whole _life_ is you, mister, you know that," she said, making him scoot back to his earlier position.

"Mmkay," he said happily, leaning back down to kiss her.

"What am I gonna do with you," she said, holding his face in her hands.

"Love me," he whispered.

"You know that I do," she whispered back.

He pecked her lips and then her nose. "Ditto."

"Hey, I have a question," he said.

"I have an answer," she replied.

"Will you marry me?" he asked.

"Yes, I will," she nodded.

"Oh good." he chuckled, giving her another kiss.

"Hey. Lovebirds. Whaddya say we take out that fancy boat, huh?" Matt asked.

"Yeah. Who's the captain of that ship?" Jason chuckled.

 _"_ _Me,"_ Fitz said, kneeling between Olivia's legs and looking at them.

 _"_ _Bulllll,"_ Matt yelled.

"Hey now. Children are near," Fitz said.

"Matt's still not over the middle school sailing tournament when you beat him," Jason chuckled.

"It's true. That was my moment to shine and you took it from me," Matt said with a laugh.

"Well, you should've sailed faster," Fitz shrugged casually.

"Ohhh, _ohhh_ mister Hollywood, don't even start with me," Matt chuckled.

"Hey, don't hate the player, hate the game," Fitz said, sitting down between Olivia's legs. She sat up and wrapped her arms around him, laughing at this little quarrel between him and his friends. It was quite amusing to her.

"Okay, I am in no way a part of this, I sucked at anything water-related," Jason piped up.

"Do you two have any idea what they're talking about?" Emma, Matt's wife, asked the other two women.

"Nope," Olivia and Janelle, Jason's wife, said in unison.

"Sailing. We all sailed together in middle school and high school," Matt said.

"Aww, is that what little Californian boys do?" Emma asked with a laugh, which made the other women laugh.

"Just the geeky ones!" Brett yelled from the lake.

Olivia burst into laughter.

"Yeah, see Brett was way more into water skiing," Jason said.

"I've never done either of those things in my life," Janelle said.

"Me neither," Olivia agreed.

"Nope," Emma shrugged.

"Well I can tell you that my husband was _not_ geeky in high school. I've seen pictures, you were a little player back then, weren't you," Emma said, tapping Matt's shoulder.

"Oh I was _not,"_ he said.

"Oh yes you were," Jason said.

 _"Yes_ , you were," Fitz chuckled.

"Alright maybe a little bit. But you saved me, my dear," he said dramatically, smiling at his wife.

"Mh _mmm,"_ she said, rolling her eyes at him.

"Well, Grant was the smart one," Jason nodded.

"Yeah. You had to show us up there, too, didn't you, buddy. _Yale,"_ Matt chuckled.

Fitz shrugged, giving them a smile.

"And what were you, Jay?" Janelle asked.

"Jay was the quiet one," Fitz said.

"Oh, yeah yeah good call. You were!" Matt nodded.

"Well _now_ look at me, I'm in sales. The least quiet of the bunch," Jason chuckled.

"That's what you call a glow up," Olivia pointed out.

"Yeah, see. I glowed up," Jason said proudly.

"I was the attractive one," Brett yelled from the water, flexing his muscles.

What made it even better was Mia was right by him in the water, trying to flex like her dad, and Lauren was laughing her ass off on the dock.

"Oh god," Matt chuckled.

"Hey hotshot, you wanna go on the boat?" Jason yelled out to Brett.

"Ye-es!" Mia exclaimed, splashing around in the water.

Brett nodded. "You heard her."

"Alright," Fitz said, getting up and holding his hand out for Olivia to help her up.

He grabbed the keys and the little bag of boat essentials they'd packed in a bag earlier, and they all followed him out to the dock.

Brett was helping a shivering Mia out of the water, immediately wrapping her towel around her.

"Come here, daddy'll warm you up," he said, lifting her up in her towel.

Olivia watched the cute sight before her, Brett rubbing her back and covering her little body in the towel, trying his absolute best to warm her up. It's no wonder she liked blankets, she clearly got cold easily.

Fitz cranked the boat lift wheel to the left, lowering the red and black speed boat into the water.

"Fizz, you will drive the boat?" Mia asked, teeth chattering.

"I _will_ drive the boat," he nodded, getting in and holding out his arms for her.

Brett handed Mia to Fitz who set her down next to him.

He reached for Olivia's hand, helping her in too. And everyone followed close behind.

It was a packed boat, that was for sure. But they made it work.

"Oh captain, our captain, take us away," Matt said dramatically, patting Fitz's back as he backed out of the lift.

Fitz smiled, looking over his shoulder as he backed out, pushing off against the dock with his arm to keep make sure it didn't touch the boat.

They sped around the lake for a little while, enjoying the breeze and Mia's little laugh from the back.

Until they found a nice spot to put the anchor down and chill for a little while.

"Let's put some sunscreen on okay?" Lauren asked Mia, pulling some out of their bag.

"Everyone else puts some on too!" Mia said.

"Yeah, that includes you, _Fizz,"_ Olivia said, pointing at him.

He chuckled, walking over to her. "Only if you put it on for me," he whispered in her ear.

She smiled, winking at him.

"Secrets secrets are no fun, unless you share with everyone!" Mia said to Fitz.

"Oh, I just told Olivia she's gotta put some on too," Fitz said innocently to Mia.

" _Mm_ hm," Brett said doubtfully.

"Yeah, Olivia, I will help you," Mia said, pouring some into her hands.

"Well that's very sweet of you, Mia," Olivia said with a laugh, watching her walk over to her. Lauren had to shuffle along with her, still getting the back of Mia's legs.

So, Olivia let Mia lather her up with sunscreen. She didn't need that much, but Mia had her covered anyway.

"Thank you very much! My skin will be very protected now," Olivia nodded.

"Mine too!" Mia said.

"Alright, Fizz, come here," Olivia said, waving him over.

He smiled and took his hat off, pulling his shirt over his head.

"Oh no, put the body away, man, you're making me feel bad," Matt joked.

Olivia watched as all eyes went to Fitz's body. And rightfully so.

She saw the women's eyes linger a little bit longer and she actually smiled to herself.

Damn right that was her man.

"See, Lauren prefers the dad bod," Brett nodded, which made everyone laugh.

"I do, sorry Fitz," Lauren nodded.

Fitz just laughed, walking over to Olivia and putting his hat back on backward.

He let Olivia put sunscreen on him, getting every inch of his body. It was enjoyable for both of them, even though Fitz hated sunscreen.

And he'd still be dark as hell by tonight.

And then they started jumping in.

First it was Jason, diving headfirst into the deep water and receiving many cheers, of course.

"If I was drinking right now, I'd have more courage to flip," he chuckled.

"Oh, I don't need a drink to flip," Matt said, stripping off his shirt.

Yeah, he was right, he didn't, but it wasn't too good.

"That was a shitty flip," Brett chuckled. "Oh. Earplugs," he said to Mia.

She put her hands over her ears immediately.

"Wow, my girl will show you _all_ up," Fitz said.

 _"_ _Nooo,"_ Olivia said, shaking her head.

"Oh please. Show them," he said. "She was a swimmer."

"You were a swimmer?!" Mia exclaimed, taking her hands away from her ears.

Clearly, not very effective "earplugs."

"You know, I _was_. But I don't anymore, I'm a little rusty," she said.

"I beg to differ," Fitz said.

"Well let's see it!" Brett said.

"Come onnnn," Fitz said, patting her ass.

"You have to now, honey, or they won't rest," Janelle said with a laugh.

"Alright, alright," Olivia nodded, removing her coverup and kicking off her sandals.

She felt eyes on her as she took her sunglasses off, now sporting just her red bikini.

She dove right off the front of the boat, and swam quite a ways under the water before coming up for air.

She came up to a bunch of applause, which made her laugh, because she had certainly not done anything amazing by any means, but she had gone very far.

"Perfect form, darling," Brett said.

"Yeah, alright that was way better than mine," Jason agreed.

 _"That's my fiancée!"_ Fitz yelled proudly, which made her smile.

And then he was diving in too.

"Oh! There he goes," Lauren said with a laugh.

He swam over to Olivia, pulling her body into his while they treaded water.

And then they were all in the lake, surrounding the boat.

It was pretty fun.

Olivia clung to Fitz with her legs under the water, which made it a lot harder for him to keep them afloat, but he held her to his body anyway.

"You're impressing all my friends," he whispered, kissing her nose.

"Because I'm a swimmer?" she asked with a laugh.

"And because you're hot as hell," he whispered, palming her ass through her swimsuit bottoms.

She tilted her head in doubt.

"Oh baby, you got the up-down from _all_ of them when you were undressing, trust me. I watched it happen," he chuckled.

She definitely had felt the eyes on her, but she wasn't sure if they were just stares or if she was being checked out.

"This swimsuit is a killer," he said, looking down at her top, which was just below the surface of the water.

"Hmm...I think I can feel the evidence of that," she whispered, pressing her core into him with a smile.

Perhaps there was a little something hidden in his board shorts at the moment.

"Maybe," he whispered, his cheeks a little pink. "If it were just you and me out here, your swimsuit would be nowhere to be found right now."

"Oh is that right?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's right. Nothing but _your_ naked body...and _mine,"_ he whispered.

"In broad daylight, huh?" she giggled.

"Oh yeah, right in the middle of the lake, I don't care," he shrugged.

"You are _so_ horny this weekend," she whispered, smiling at him.

"And you love it," he whispered, right in her ear.

She wrapped her legs around him tighter. Yeah.

She did love it.

"Hey, quit telling' secrets over there, FTG three," Brett yelled.

"Secrets, secrets are no fun, unless you share with everyone!" Mia echoed, splashing up and down behind her dad.

Fitz smiled and let Olivia go, so they could swim back over to the boat and closer to his friends.

"Hey, did you say something about getting lunch out here?" Jason asked, climbing up the ladder.

"Yeah. Rita's is just down that way. We can take the cars or we can take the boat," Fitz answered.

"What do you guys think, are you hungry?" Jason asked.

"I am!" Mia exclaimed.

"Yeah, let's eat," Emma nodded.

"Alright, just stop back at the cabin quick so we can grab our wallets," Brett said.

"Yes sir," Fitz said, treading water by the motor.

Everyone else got back in the boat, sopping wet and looking for their towels.

Fitz climbed up the ladder and turned around to help Olivia up, too. Then it felt as though they were _both_ being checked out by everyone, but they ignored it.

Olivia grabbed her towel and handed Fitz's to him, too, accepting a nice kiss from him in return.

"Ew!" Mia giggled.

"Yeah, ew!" Brett teased, picking her up from behind and sitting her down on his lap.

Fitz smiled at her and reached over to tickle her legs as he sat down. She, of course, couldn't sit still in her dad's lap, giggling uncontrollably.

They grabbed their wallets from the cabin, and had some lunch at Rita's.

That day proved to be a really good day. They spent the whole day outside, in the water, hanging out by the shore, whatever it may be. And they grilled burgers for dinner.

For those of the group that were skipping work for the day, it was certainly a good start to their long weekend.

The night ended well too. The women went inside to have drinks, so Olivia went with them, even though she would have preferred to be with the guys by the fire. But she went anyway, thinking she should maybe try and bond more with the other women.

And Fitz played with Mia by the shore for an hour, while his friends sat by the fire and drank.

"Hey, Mia bear. I think it's bed time, okay?" Brett yelled over there.

"Already?" she exclaimed sadly.

"Yes, honey, already. We've had such a long day outside in the sun, aren't you tired? Daddy's tired," Brett nodded.

"So you come to bed too?" she asked hopefully.

"Yep, pretty soon," Brett nodded. "Do you want me to come and help you?"

"No. I do it myself," Mia said, slightly upset. She started picking up her dolls sadly.

"How about I come find those extra blankets for you?" Fitz asked, grabbing the remaining dolls.

Her face perked up. "Yeah," she nodded.

"Alright, come here, you," he said, picking her up suddenly.

She laughed, trying to keep hold of all her dolls.

"I'll be back," Fitz mouthed to the guys.

"Thanks, buddy," Brett mouthed back.

Fitz smiled and nodded, letting Mia down as soon as they got inside.

"I'll cover my ears, I don't wanna disturb the girl talk," Fitz said, which made the women laugh.

"Yes, because you are a boy. But I can hear because I am a girl," Mia stated proudly, leading him to her little bedroom in the back.

"That's right, I'm so jealous," Fitz teased, poking her sides as they entered the room.

"Alright here are your other dolls," Fitz said, setting them down by her cute little pink duffel bag.

"Thank you, Fizz. Will you…stay? You will stay until I fall asleep?" she asked hopefully.

He smiled. "Sure I will. Why don't you put on your pajamas okay? And I'll go find you those blankets."

"Okay. My clothes are in there," she said, pointing to her bag.

Fitz opened it up for her and found a pair of _Frozen_ pajamas, which he grabbed immediately.

"I love this movie!" he exclaimed, handing them to her.

"You love it too? I love it! Queen Elsa is my favorite!" she exclaimed.

"Me too!" Fitz agreed. "She is so cool, isn't she?" he asked.

Mia nodded.

She came and rifled through her bag, pulling out her hairbrush, her toothbrush, a pair of underwear and a thick pair of socks, which made Fitz laugh. The girl could really never be warm enough, even in the summer.

"Okay…I'll go look for some blankets. I'll be back, you put those on, okay?" he said.

"Okay," she agreed, before he shut the door.

He found the linen closet with an extra blanket presumably for each room. So he grabbed all of them. She might need them, who knows. He didn't want her getting cold.

He knocked on the door, holding all the blankets. "Mia. Are you done, can I come in?" he asked.

"No! Not yet, I almost done," she answered.

"Alright," Fitz said.

He waited until she said she was done, and came in with all the blankets.

Her eyes lit up. "Oh!"

"I know, I got all the ones I could find. Will this be good?" he asked.

"Ye-es!" she said, jumping up and down.

"Okay," he chuckled. "Why don't you go brush your teeth and I'll get your bed ready for you."

She nodded and grabbed her toothbrush and hairbrush, running out of the room towards the bathroom.

He smiled to himself, looking at her cute little clothes all over the floor. He picked them up and folded them on the chair by the bed, and grabbed her swimsuit so he could go hang it in the bathroom when he left.

Mia came back in need of help. "Fizz. My hair has tangles from the water. I couldn't brush it myself," she said.

"Um…yeah, okay. I can help, come over here," he said, patting a spot on the bed.

This would probably be much easier if he just asked Lauren to come help. But…he thought he'd try.

She sat down in front of him and he grabbed her brush, trying so gently to work it through the tangles.

"Does that hurt?" he asked.

"No," she said happily.

So he did it a tiny bit harder, eventually getting through all of her tangles. It took a little bit, but he did it.

"Thank you Fizz!" she exclaimed, running her little fingers over her now smooth, damp hair.

"Of course. Your teeth are brushed?" he asked.

"Yep," she nodded.

"Alright. Crawl under there. I got all your blankets here for you," he said, laughing at all of them laid out on the comforter.

She snuggled in happily, almost disappearing under all of them.

"Good?" he chuckled.

"Really good," she said. "You will stay?"

"I will stay," he nodded.

She looked at him with a smile. Such a genuine smile, and she exhaled happily.

"Thank you, Fizz."

"You're welcome, Mia."

So he stayed, until she fell asleep.

He waited five minutes after he heard the soft breathing, just to make sure she was asleep. And then he got up carefully and grabbed her swimsuit, shutting the door quietly.

He hung it up in the shower so that it could dry fully, and he walked out past the women again.

"Everything okay in there?" Lauren asked.

"Oh yeah. Just made sure she fell asleep," Fitz nodded.

All of the women instantly smiled.

"Well thank you for that, if I had known she was going to make you stay I would have come to save you. Thank you, Fitz," Lauren said gratefully.

"Oh it's no big deal at all," Fitz assured her.

Fitz smiled at Olivia and headed back out to his friends.

"Ah, the captain returns," Matt said.

"What did my kid make you do?" Brett asked.

Fitz chuckled. "Nothing, she was good. I just helped her get ready for bed."

"She made you stay, didn't she," he said.

"Yes," Fitz chuckled. "But it was alright, seriously."

"Well thanks, buddy," Brett said appreciatively.

"No problem," Fitz replied, sitting down by them.

"I am sorry, about having to bring her. It was so last minute. Molly's been…so flakey lately," Brett sighed.

"Come on, man, don't apologize. I love every chance I get to see her," Fitz said.

"No, I know you do, I know. I just knew Matt and Emma weren't bringing Riley and it was supposed to be…an adults weekend," Brett replied.

"It's totally fine, man. Don't worry about it," Fitz said, shaking his head.

Brett sighed. "She's having a lot of fun though. She loves you and Olivia so much."

"I know she does," Fitz said with a smile.

"It's why I had to surprise you when she asked. Those damn little eyes. They get you every time. 'Daddy, I want to make it a surprise for when we see Fizz!'" he mimicked, which made Fitz smile.

"She's adorable," Fitz said.

"I know, I'll brag about her. She's adorable. It gets me in trouble sometimes because she knows _just_ how to make me say yes to anything. I'm such a pushover, Lauren teases me about it," Brett chuckled.

"I am too, man," Matt said.

Fitz smiled, excited for the day he could admit to being a pushover with his children. Because he knew he would be.

Someday.

"It's not too late, buddy," Brett said, nudging Jason's arm.

Jason laughed. "Yeah, trust me. It's still not off the table, at…37 years old."

"You got some time, yet," Matt said. "People are having kids older these days."

"That's comforting," Fitz chuckled.

"Yeah, how about you and the fiancée. How long are you gonna wait after you get married?" Jason asked.

"I hope not long. Olivia's young, but... _I'm_ not getting any younger," Fitz said with a laugh.

"You'll be alright. How's the planning going? Is she going crazy like my wife did?" Matt chuckled.

Fitz smiled. "It's going well, actually. We've started a little bit, I think we're looking at doing it next summer. She's really excited. _I'm_ really excited."

"We can tell, buddy," Brett said.

"Yeah?" Fitz asked.

They all nodded.

"You got that…newly engaged vibe going on. Always wanting to fuck, always in contact, never _not_ together. I'm surprised she isn't out here now," Matt chuckled.

"Hey now. She's bonding with your wives!" he said. "And I think we've always had that vibe going on."

"Yeah I agree with that. That's exactly the kind of vibe I got from them at your wedding," Jason said to Brett.

"Well do we blame cap here? Whew," Brett said, whistling.

"Watch it," Fitz warned.

"Hey, I didn't say anything," Brett said, putting his hands up defensively.

"You don't have to _say_ anything. I saw the looks she got on the boat. I mean, can you guys at least _try_ to hide the fact that you're doing it?" Fitz said with a laugh.

"I didn't look. I never once looked," Jason said, putting his hands up in defense, too.

"Bull," Matt said, pointing at him. "We all looked."

"At least Matt's honest," Fitz sighed.

"Well dude, come on. You can't expect people not to look. I mean…Jesus Christ," Matt said.

"Yeah, you didn't warn us about the little swimmer's body," Brett said.

"Okay, yep. We're done now. This is done," Fitz said, shaking his head.

"So protective," Matt chuckled. "Doesn't it feel good sometimes? Knowing she's…well appreciated?"

"Uh, no. 'Cause all of that little swimmer's body is mine. Just mine. All for me, nobody else," Fitz said.

The guys' mouths opened in surprise and they laughed.

"Damn right, buddy," Brett nodded, clinking his drink with Fitz's. "I knew she was a keeper from the moment I met her. There's way more to her than her looks."

 _"_ _Thank you,"_ Fitz said appreciatively. "That's what I like to hear."

"Mhm. I hoped you picked the smartest in your class, man," Matt said.

Fitz froze.

"What?" he asked.

"Well I already know she's crazy smart. I just mean…I hope she's the _best_ in your class," Matt said.

Fitz had never once told his friends the truth about Olivia, so this was headed down an interesting path.

"What do you mean, my class?" Fitz asked.

All his friends looked at each other and then chuckled a little bit.

"He thinks we don't know," Brett said.

"Don't know what?" Fitz asked.

"Buddy, it's okay. We don't give a shit," Matt chuckled.

"What the fuck, you guys, what?" Fitz asked.

"We know you were screwing your student, man. We're not idiots," Jason said with a laugh.

Fitz's face when pale.

"What? I don't…what?" he asked.

"Miss hottie with a body in there. She's your student, is she not?" Brett asked.

"Uh…no. No, she isn't," Fitz said. Technically that wasn't a lie.

They all gave him a doubtful look.

Fitz sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"How did you find that out," he said quietly.

Brett patted his back. "Buddy, it's fine. Why're you getting this way? It's no big deal."

"Uh, yeah it _is_ a big deal, and I want to know how you knew that," Fitz said.

The guys quieted down, understanding that the topic made Fitz nervous.

"Well…she goes to Yale, Fitz, and you teach there. She's in poli sci. Just…put two and two together," Matt said.

"So you've known since you met her, essentially," Fitz said.

The guys nodded.

"And all your wives know?" Fitz asked.

"Well…I think it's just common knowledge, man. At least to the people that know she's in school," Jason said.

"So…all of you, all your wives…you've all known this _whole_ fucking time?" Fitz asked.

"Fitz, why is it such a big deal? It's not like it's…I mean, what, is it just frowned upon?" Matt asked.

" _No_ , Matt. I could've lost my job. I probably would have never found a new one after that, either. I don't even _know_ what could have happened to her," Fitz said quietly.

"Oh, shit, man. I thought…Well, I didn't think it was a big deal, I just thought it was one of those things you don't talk about much," Matt said.

"So you guys thought this was normal?" Fitz asked.

"Well…I mean clearly it's not…completely normal. She's quite a bit younger than you. I don't know how much younger, I guess. But I certainly didn't think it was this big of a deal," Brett said.

"Yeah, what year is she, anyway? Or is she done?" Jason asked.

"She's going to be a senior. She's…almost 22," Fitz said.

Brett raised his eyebrows. "So last summer at my wedding…she was a _sophomore_ in college?"

Fitz looked down at the ground, scratching the side of his head.

"Yeah, man," he said quietly.

"Jesus, buddy," Matt said.

Fitz sighed. "Yeah, I know. 16 years. It's not normal."

"Who cares? It looks normal to me," Brett said.

"Yeah. You don't look 16 years apart. I wouldn't second guess it if I saw you two out and about. Honest," Matt said.

"And she seems much older than she is. I would've guessed older than 22," Jason added.

Fitz nodded. "Thanks, guys."

"Buddy, come on. Don't get down, we didn't mean any harm, you know that," Brett said.

"No, I know that. I know," Fitz replied.

"We just didn't know it was a big deal. I wouldn't have brought it up like that if I knew," Matt said.

Fitz nodded. "Well…we're actually…free now, to be out and about together. I won't ever be her professor anymore. That's why I proposed."

"There we go," Brett said, patting his back. "Congrats then."

"Yeah, man. Now you can proudly show off the swimmer's body to everyone. You know, tell them it's _all yours,"_ Matt winked.

Fitz shot him a look.

"Sorry, too soon, too soon," he said.

Fitz laughed and shook his head. "I hate you guys. Like actually hate you guys."

"It's really funny when you attempt to be mean, Grant," Brett chuckled.

Fitz shook his head and put it in his palms. "I am such an idiot."

"Nah, man you're the smart one. Always have been, still are," Matt said.

"Not with this. Olivia, I mean. I'm too naive. I'm sure my buddy back home knows too and I'm just too naive to realize," he chuckled.

"Which buddy?" Brett asked.

"Logan."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he knew. Anyone who knows you both well," Brett replied

"He does," Fitz sighed.

"Well I mean is it bad if he knows?"

"No, not really. I trust him, it's fine. Olivia and I just didn't want a lot of people to know, and in reality…a lot of people _do_ know," he said.

"How many people?" Matt asked.

Fitz did the math in his head.

"Nineteen."

The guys' eyes widened.

"Twenty, if Logan knows."

"Shit. How can that many people know?" Brett asked.

"Well, you three and your wives make up six of that. Olivia has a lot of friends, who…ended up finding out. Long story. A coworker of mine and his husband, and…her parents."

"A coworker knows?!" Matt asked.

"Nuh-uh, that's not what I wanna know. Her _parents_ know? The whole deal, I mean, not just they know of you?" Jason asked.

Fitz nodded slowly. "Yeah…another long story. That was…it was really bad, guys."

"We've got time," Matt chuckled, leaning back in his chair.

"It wasn't funny, man. It was so bad for us. It was…I was a mess," Fitz said quietly. _"We_ were a mess."

"What happened?" Jason asked.

So he told them. Everything from start to finish. Both about her friends finding out, and about her parents finding out. The friend story got a couple laughs, even from Fitz.

It was bad, but at the same time, her friends had done no harm, in the end. Well, besides to his face. His buddies did find it hilarious that he almost got knocked out by a twenty-one-year-old.

"It doesn't sound like you stood your ground very well, man," Jason chuckled.

Fitz scoffed. "I'm not kidding you, this kid had some power in him. You should have seen me afterward. He _demolished_ my face, I mean, in literally one punch. That didn't heal for _weeks._ Man, Olivia was pissed."

"But _you_ weren't? Shit, I think I'da hit him back," Matt said, which resulted in laughter all around.

"Well I knew who he was though, I knew he was Liv's friend, I wasn't gonna hit him back. That would have caused way more trouble," Fitz replied.

And then he told him about the parents.

That story got no laughs, and all men were quiet throughout Fitz's description of it.

"Man…that's so shitty," Matt said.

"You've been keeping a lot of things under wraps, man. I'm sorry about that. About all that," Brett said.

"It's better now. We're _way_ better now, and her parents are okay with me. It just took time. It might have been for the best, in the end. I would have maybe liked to tell them, _ourselves._ But…now that they know…life's easier," he admitted.

"You coulda called when shit went down. We had no idea you were going through all that," Brett said.

"Well I didn't think you knew. And I didn't want you to know, I didn't want _anyone_ to know. I was…I was a wreck, man. It was bad for me for a long time," Fitz replied.

"How'd she fare?" Jason asked.

He sighed. "Not good. She blamed herself, and still does. I forgave her _far_ before she forgave herself. It was overall just…really bad. But enough of that. We're good now. I get to marry her."

"Hell yeah you do," Brett said.

"Cheers to that," Matt said, raising his beer up.

And so everybody cheered to that. An engagement toast, of sorts.

And then, speak of the devil.

They heard the door open and saw Olivia walk out of the cabin.

"Hey! Olivia!" Matt said.

"Hey!" she greeted, heading their way.

"Did our wives bore you to death?" Brett asked.

"Oh no, they are very fun. But also very tired. They went to bed," she informed them.

"Ah so they _are_ boring," Jason chuckled.

"Maybe I wore them out," Olivia shrugged. "Is it alright if I intrude on guy talk?"

"You're not intruding at all, pull up a chair," Brett said happily.

 _"_ _Or,_ come sit with me," Fitz said, waving her over.

She smiled and came over to him.

"Hi baby," he whispered, pulling her down in his lap.

"Hi baby," she whispered back, pecking his lips.

"You have to forgive us, we've been drinking. A lot," Jason said.

"So were we, it's okay," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Whatcha been drinking?" Fitz asked, looking up at her.

"Hmm, well we had some white wine. And…Janelle made um…tequila sunrises for us, I think it was?" she questioned.

"Oh, my wife makes a _mean_ tequila sunrise," Jason nodded. "Although all our breakfast orange juice is probably gone then."

Fitz laughed. "That's okay. We can always go into town and get more. That sounds good, baby."

"It was! What about you guys? Just beer?" she asked.

"Oh we all had some scotch before, too. FTG Three here has the best taste in scotch," Brett said, patting Fitz's back.

"That's right, I do," Fitz nodded, taking another sip of his beer. Olivia reached for it and took a swig of it as well.

"Alright, there you go! She's still got life in her yet!" Matt said.

"Quiet down, party boy. We've got neighbors here," Fitz chuckled.

"Oh like they can hear me. Lighten up, captain. Have a little fun, drink some more. We're only here a couple days," Matt said, pointing at him.

"He's right," Olivia whispered, smiling at him.

"Ah, see! Your girl says so. They're always right, buddy. You gotta learn that. Your wife is _always_ gonna be right," he nodded.

Fitz laughed. "Yeah, yeah. And we know how to party, too, it isn't just you over there, mister rowdy," he said, pointing to Matt.

"Enlighten me then," Matt said, leaning in.

"Oh no," Olivia giggled.

Fitz leaned in, holding Olivia tightly to his body and smiling at Matt.

"Last year, you know what Olivia and I did?" Fitz asked, trying to prove his point.

"What did you do," Matt asked.

Olivia winced. Oh jeez.

"We fucked in that lake right there," Fitz replied, nodding at the lake.

"OH," Brett chuckled.

Jason burst into laughter and put his head in his palms.

"Bull _shit,"_ Matt replied. " _You_ would never."

"Swear to god," Fitz nodded, sitting back in his chair ."Tell 'em, baby."

Olivia felt her cheeks get hot as she laughed. "That did happen."

Brett laughed. "Oh my god."

Jason was still laughing uncontrollably in his chair.

"I don't believe you. No way," Matt said, shaking his head.

"Matt, it happened. Right against that boat lift, at about this time of night," Fitz said, pointing over there.

"How does one even go about making that decision? 'Hey baby wanna go have sex in the lake?'" Matt chuckled.

Jason about died in his chair right then and there.

"Well I don't know. We were trashed, how do you make decisions when you're trashed?" Fitz chuckled.

"Not very wisely," Brett added, laughing too.

"Exactly," Fitz chuckled.

"Well you know…I could cool off…" Jason said.

"Nooo," Brett replied.

"Oh, yeah I like that. Let's go," Matt nodded.

"What the fuck. No, you guys really _are_ drunk," Fitz chuckled.

"Yeah, so I can use that as an excuse when my wife asks why I'm soaking wet when I walk into our room," Matt nodded.

"You guys are _not_ jumping in," Brett said.

"Watch me," Jason said, getting out of his chair.

"Oh god. Jay, sit your scrawny ass back down," Fitz said.

Matt just got up and followed him, stripping off his T-shirt.

Fitz sighed. "Well, this is my fault."

Olivia just laughed. "Oh my god, they are _so_ drunk."

Brett rolled his eyes. "Alright. Get your asses up."

"What?" Fitz asked.

"You know once they get in they're just gonna yell at us until we follow," Brett chuckled. "Someone needs to make sure their dumbasses don't drown."

"Oh god," Olivia said with a laugh.

"You're kidding, man," Fitz said.

"I wish," he said, taking off his shirt.

And then they heard the splashes, of Matt and Jason in the water.

Fitz sighed. "Alright. You don't have to," he said to Olivia.

"What, I'm just gonna sit here on dry land?" she asked. "Nuh-uh."

Brett smiled at Fitz. "Yeah, man, she's a _swimmer,"_ he said, putting emphasis on the 'swimmer' part.

And with that, he ran down the dock and jumped in, followed by lots of cheers from Matt and Jason.

"This is gonna be cold as fuck," he said, pulling his shirt over his head.

"Yep," Olivia nodded, undressing, too.

He grabbed her hand and counted down from three, and they went running.

They splashed in together, both coming up shivering and smiling like the rest of them.

"FUCK," Fitz exclaimed, shaking the water out of his hair.

"Oh that's brisk," Brett shivered.

"Brisk," Jason said, cracking up.

Olivia clung to Fitz's body, teeth chattering. It really _was_ cold.

They could all touch their feet to the ground at the end of the dock, so it was much easier to hold her to his body there.

He kissed her cheek and all the way down her neck to her shoulder while she shivered. But she started to get used to the water, as did the rest of them.

Fitz smiled at her, feeling his way down her body. He didn't do anything too risky, but he certainly didn't shy away from letting his hands go places under the water.

She stayed with him the whole time, while they hung out in the lake. And he teased her with his fingers the _whole_ time.

They stayed out there a pretty long time, before they decided they should probably stop being idiots and go inside.

So, they put out the fire and grabbed their drinks and headed inside quietly.

They all went their separate ways, saying they'd see each other in the morning.

And that was the end to their first night at the cabin.

* * *

 **Go ahead and read the next part! It's already there for you!**


	77. Long Weekend Pt 2

Well, it wasn't the end for Olivia and Fitz.

As soon as he shut the door of the bedroom, she was on him, untying the strings on his boardshorts.

His fingers fumbled with the strings of her bikini too, struggling to pull it down her damp skin.

He laughed quietly, reaching around to untie the top. "We have to be quiet."

"I know," she nodded, yanking his shorts down to reveal his erection.

He pushed her back on the bed, telling her to flip over before he climbed on top of her.

He wasted no time.

His hand reached around her body and covered her mouth, before he guided his length toward her entrance.

She moaned into his hand, which actually did quite well at masking noise. They'd learned this already.

They fucked sideways on the bed, covering both their mouths. Well, most of the time.

Fitz could keep it in a little better than she could, and spent some of his time kissing her back. He couldn't kiss her lips, since she was face down on the bed. So he worked with what he had.

When he finished, he rolled over on his back next to her, panting hard.

She breathed hard, smiling over at him.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hi," he whispered back.

She scooted over to him, laying on top of his body and giving him _proper_ kisses.

She kissed his neck, too. One particular spot received more attention than others, towards his collarbone.

He closed his eyes, letting out a breath while she sucked on his skin.

He rested his arms under his head, so relaxed. And _so_ naked.

"You're gonna leave a mark, baby," he whispered.

"Yeah, so what," she replied, nipping at his skin.

"Yeah, so what," he echoed, not doing a single thing to stop her.

"So…you know they all know right? About…me being your student?" she asked.

His eyes opened. "The women told you too?" he asked.

"The men told _you?"_ she asked.

"Yeah," he nodded. "They know everything. And then...I told them everything. About everyone who knew."

She stopped. "Seriously? Like…about my friends and parents finding out?"

"Yeah," he said. "Does that…are you mad?"

"What? No, that's just funny because I told them too," she said with a laugh.

"You did?" he asked, lifting up his head.

"Yeah. I think they were intrigued by our crazy story."

"So essentially we all had the same conversation tonight then," he chuckled. "Well except for the whole swimmer's body part."

"Huh?" she asked.

"You and your hot little body. It's widely appreciated by my friends, like I told you on the lake today," he sighed.

"Oh, yeah. Yours too," she nodded.

"What?!" he exclaimed.

She nodded. "Girl talk."

"No way," he said.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Fitzgerald Thomas, you know you have a nice body."

He opened his mouth, but didn't say anything, and kind of shrugged.

"Don't _even,"_ she said.

"Don't even what?" he chuckled.

"Can't you ever just admit these things about yourself? It's just me and you in the room right now, don't be modest. Tell me right now what you think about your body," she said, sitting up on him.

"Uh..." he began. "Well I'm pretty white."

She put her palm up to her face. "Besides your skin color," she giggled.

"I'm kind of tall," he said.

"Go on," she nodded.

"I have, uhh...some chest hair," he added.

"You know what I'm asking you, Fitz," she said.

"I kind of have...like, really big feet? I don't know, that's a little annoying," he shrugged, now talking to himself more than her.

"Fitzgerald."

"I have a big—"

"Fitz!"

"What!" he chuckled.

"Wait, wait, what were you gonna say?" she asked, pointing at him.

"What were _you_ gonna say?" he asked back.

"Nuh-uh, what were you _just_ about to say. You have a big what?" she promoted.

"Oh I didn't say that," he replied.

"Yes you did! Just now, how were you gonna finish that sentence?" she asked with a laugh.

"I don't know, I forgot," he said.

"You are _killing_ me," she groaned, collapsing her head back on his chest. "Won't admit he's got a body, won't tell me what he was gonna say..."

He gave her a cute smile. "I have a big heart. And the whole thing is yours."

She looked up at him and smiled, shaking her head.

"I love you."

He smiled, kissing her shoulder.

"I love you too."

"I'm pretty sure you were gonna say dick, though," she whispered.

"No I wasn't," he whispered back.

"I think you _were,"_ she giggled. "But I like this answer better, it's very true."

"So...it isn't big?" he asked with a frown.

"Your heart or your dick?" she asked.

"Uh...yeah," he replied.

"You just said 'yeah' to two different things," she said.

"You know...both," he said shyly.

"Hmmm...then the answer is yes, it is big," she said with a smile.

He nodded happily. "Wait...which one?"

"What?" she asked.

"What?" he asked.

She laughed against his chest. "I love messing with you."

"Don't be mean," he said with a frown.

"Oh sweetie, I would never," she said, running her finger up and down his length. He wasn't hard, but he wasn't soft either.

"See that...that is mean," he whispered, closing his eyes and enjoying her fingers.

"This is mean?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah—so mean," he whispered.

"Hmm...it doesn't look like it's mean."

"Mean, mean, mean," he nodded.

"Okay," she shrugged, pulling her hand away.

"No, no," he whispered, pulling her hand back to his length.

She laughed. "You are such a piece of work."

"Work on me then."

So she did.

* * *

Three knocks, on Fitz and Olivia's door.

"Grant. Olivia."

Nothing.

"Bud."

Nothing.

Brett opened the door slowly, peeking in with his excited daughter jumping up and down behind him.

He looked in and saw two bodies closer than he thought was even possible while sleeping, both definitely naked by what he saw.

"Are they awake?" Mia asked hopefully, which made Fitz stir.

He opened a tired eye, looking at Brett through the crack in the door

Fitz immediately covered Olivia's bare, sleeping body.

"Sorry, sorry," Brett said, turning to Mia and trying to explain to her that they were not up yet, likely so she wouldn't try to come in.

Fitz laughed quietly to himself, giving Brett a thumbs up to tell him it was fine before he closed the door again.

He fell back on the pillow and groaned, pulling Olivia closer to him again. And...uncovering her again.

"Mmm," he moaned, pressing kisses to her shoulder and her upper arm.

"Hmmm," she moaned back.

"We gotta get up," he whispered.

"Mm mm," she said, shaking her head.

"Mhm," he nodded.

"Not yetttt," she said.

"But Mia wants us," he said.

"Really?" Olivia asked, eyes opening immediately.

"Yes," Fitz chuckled.

"Oh, yeah okay," she nodded, sitting up.

"Oh so the adorable six-year-old gets you up but just _me_ doesn't?" he asked.

"Pffft," she giggled. "Nah."

He scoffed. "What!"

"Well you're not adorable," she shrugged.

"Yes I am," he said.

"Hm, see remember when you wanted to be all masculine and you forbid me from using that word, except in my head?" she asked.

He sat in thought. "Uh..."

"M _hmmm,"_ she replied.

"Damn, that just bit me in the ass, didn't it," he chuckled.

"Yep," she said happily, getting out of bed.

"I don't want to be masculine then, I want to be adorable," he said.

"You are, baby," she said. That made him feel better.

"Mm," he said appreciatively, watching her walk around. She was naked, as was he.

She smirked at him, and then laughed at their clothes all over the floor. They hadn't even hung up their swimwuits but oh well.

"We drank way too much last night," she said.

"Yeah. We can't fall asleep without clothes on tonight, that could have been disastrous," he replied. "I think Brett already saw my naked ass."

She laughed. "Well it's a nice naked ass, at least."

"Yeah...I don't think Brett thinks so," he chuckled.

"Well get that naked ass up and come shower with me," she said, picking up their clothes.

"Mmkay," he nodded, pulling back the covers and getting out of bed.

She stopped, looking at his chest.

"Ha," she laughed.

He paused. "...what."

She touched her own collarbone, indicating the part of his body she was looking at.

He felt his collarbone area and then remembered the previous night. It was a tiny bit blurry, but that part wasn't.

"Ah fuck. How bad?"

"Ehhh...I mean...not so bad...kind of," she said.

"Olivia!"

"What! You were all 'so what' last night?!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, because that's what you said first!" he replied.

"It's really not so bad, baby," she shrugged, opening the bathroom door.

He pulled back the covers and went to look in the mirror, seeing the bright red, and slightly purple mark. Nice.

"'It's really not so bad, baby'?" he mimicked.

She winced. "Yeah it's kinda bad isn't it."

"Yeah!" he nodded.

"I'm sorrrry," she pleaded, coming up to him. "Don't be mad at me."

"Hmmm," he replied, giving her a frown.

"Sweetie, come _onnn_ ," she said pressing little kisses to his arm and moving to the front of his body.

"Stop, I'm attempting to be mad," he whispered.

"Oh, are you now?" she asked, kissing his chest.

"Yes. I'm...so livid right now," he nodded.

"Oh it really looks like it," she said, reaching down to touch him. He was getting hard.

"You really think so? Or does my angry face need work?" he asked.

"It needs work," she nodded, smiling at him.

The corner of his mouth tugged slowly in a smile.

"Come here, you," he said, lifting her up.

She giggled, wrapping her legs around him as he carried her to the bathroom.

After a quick shower, they got ready for their day, putting on different swimsuits and clothes to go over.

Fitz wore a pair of gray board shorts, and a blue shirt. With his same Capitals hat, of course.

And Olivia wore her peach-colored swimsuit with a pair of jean cutoff shorts and a cute NASA graphic T-shirt.

As soon as they came out of their room upstairs, Mia got excited.

"They are up! I hear the door!" she exclaimed.

Olivia smiled as they made their way down the stairs.

"Yay!" Mia said, running towards them.

Fitz gasped, picking her up immediately. "Hello there," he said.

"Hello," she said.

"Now Mia…you're just showing us all up with these pretty dresses of yours," he said, fluffing the bottom of her ruffled yellow dress.

She blushed and smiled.

"How did you sleep?" Olivia asked her.

"Good. Fizz gave me all the blankets," she nodded.

"Oh, yeah he's good like that," Olivia nodded.

"Yeah," Mia nodded. "You are not wearing your dress today?"

Olivia realized she was talking about her swimsuit coverup.

"You know, I thought I would go with a shirt and shorts today instead," Olivia replied. "I am really loving your dress though. I wish I had one!"

"Thank you. I like your shirt. That is…um...space. That shirt," she said.

Olivia looked down and realized what she meant. NASA. Space.

Fitz smiled. "You are so smart! Do you know what the letters stand for?"

She shook her head.

"National Aeronautics and Space Administration," Fitz replied.

Mia's eyes widened at all the big words. "Oh!"

"Gee, I sure didn't know that," Matt chuckled, entering the room with Emma.

They all greeted each other, missing only Jason and Janelle at this point.

"Hey, Mia, while we're on the subject of letters, what sound does the letter 't' make?" Brett asked.

She made the sound.

"Okay, now say his name. There's a 't' in there," Brett said, pointing to Fitz.

She wrinkled her nose in confusion. "Fiztz."

Olivia smiled at the cute attempt.

"Here, we'll get this," Fitz nodded, setting her down. "So, Mia. If a shirt is the right size, then you would say, 'it…'" he prompted.

"It…is the right size," Mia said.

Fitz chuckled.

"Yeah, or you could say another word that starts with 'f'. It…"

"Fits!" she exclaimed.

 _"There_ we go," Lauren said with a laugh.

"But there is the letter 's'? It is not a 'z'?" she questioned.

"The 'z' sounds like an 's' in my name. It's a little confusing, I know, I totally get it. But that's how you say it," Fitz nodded.

"Fitz," she said.

"Nice job!" Olivia said.

Mia jumped up and down proudly.

"Hey Mia bear, you know Fitz's full name?" Brett chuckled.

"Oh no, don't confuse her more," Fitz said with a laugh.

"What is it?!" Mia asked.

"Fitzgerald," Fitz said.

"Fizzgerald," Mia replied.

"Close enough," Brett chuckled.

"You have...three names then?" Mia asked.

"No, just one, Fitzgerald. I just go by Fitz, because it's my nickname. Like Matt over there. His name is Matthew, but we call him Matt. It's the same for me," Fitz explained.

"But what is Grant? Daddy calls you Grant," Mia asked.

Fitz laughed, looking over at Brett, who was also laughing.

"Grant is my last name. Just like yours is Parker."

"Oh," she nodded, understanding what he meant. "What is your last name, Olivia?"

"Well, it's Pope," Olivia said. "But soon it will be different. Because I'm going to marry Fitz, I will take his name."

"So then it will be Grant. Like Low-ren's, when hers changed to Parker like me and daddy," Mia said.

"Exactly right!" Olivia nodded.

She looked at Fitz who was smiling at her.

They'd never had that conversation before.

And then Jason came in, all showered and ready for the day, clutching his forehead.

"Ah, Mia, and that's Jason Domagalski. And he's got what's called a hangover," Matt said, smiling at Jason.

"Jason Domagalski _does_ have a hangover," Jason nodded.

"Doma…galski. Domagalski," Mia said quietly, trying to figure out that lengthy last name.

"Where's the Mrs.?" Brett asked.

"She's almost ready. What's for brunch? I need Advil," Jason said.

Fitz chuckled, tossing him the bottle that was on the counter.

"Do it up, buddy. Big day ahead of us," Fitz said.

"We could go on the boat again?!" Mia asked.

"Of course we can!" Fitz nodded. "We just have to eat a little something first."

So, they all ate some brunch. Usually Fitz brought bagels because it was an easy meal with easy cleanup, so that worked out well.

They'd probably have a little snack later and then eat dinner at the ballpark, so he didn't want to mess up the kitchen too much.

Around noon, they went out on the boat again. The lake was even busier today, since it was Saturday. They watched people waterski, tube, wakeboard, kneeboard, and jetski around. Which, made Fitz promise Mia he would take her out on a jetski ride later.

Matt blasted his music on his speaker, which was _all_ country.

And all country for a long time caused some debate.

"Okay, country boy, let Grant play some music now," Jason said.

"Well, I've got country too," Fitz chuckled.

"Jay, what's wrong with it?" Matt asked. "It's summery, it's fun. It's not swearing every other word and saying…vulgar things."

"I'm not saying blast some _rap_ or something, I'm just saying enough of the… _big green tractor_ music," Jason said.

"Oo! That's actually a pretty good song, now that you mention it," Matt said, scrolling through his phone. "Let's find it."

Fitz laughed. "Babe, this song's gonna make you laugh."

"What is it?" Olivia asked.

"Big Green Tractor. Just you wait. After that, play 'She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy,'" Fitz chuckled. "All the boats passing by will _love_ that."

"Oh they totally would," Brett agreed.

So then Matt blasted both of them, one after the other.

Jason covered his ears, although the songs did make him laugh a little bit. It was kind of a pained laugh. But still a laugh.

"Oh that's so bad," Olivia giggled, listening to the lyrics.

"Hey, you can't insult Kenny Chesney, though. This is his only bad song. He's a legend," Fitz said.

"Oh come on, this song is funny," Brett chuckled.

Mia certainly loved it.

"She's even kinda crazy 'bout my farmer's tan?" Olivia asked, putting her hand over her mouth as she listened to the lyrics.

Fitz laughed. "Okay. We gotta play good country music now, not stereotypical country music," he said with a laugh.

"Aw, but stereotypical country is so funny," Matt said, looking through his phone. "Alright here, no more country."

And then a familiar song came on.

Olivia's eyes widened and she looked at Fitz, who was trying to figure out the song. And then he did.

"Oh! I hear this song before on the radio!" Mia exclaimed.

Khalid's voice boomed out over the speakers loudly.

Love Lies.

"Great song. _Great_ song," Fitz nodded, smiling at Olivia.

"Great song," she agreed.

"Okay what's the deal with it," Matt chuckled. "I just hit radio."

"Nothing, it's just great," Fitz shrugged.

Brett raised an eyebrow at them. "We probably don't want to know with my child here."

Jason laughed. "Probably not."

"You talking about me?" Mia asked.

"Yeah because you're just so dang cute, come here," Fitz said, waving her over.

She skipped over to him and he picked her up, fake groaning as if she were very heavy.

"I think you need some more sunscreen, honey," he said, examining her arms and cheeks.

"Yeah, come here, Mia, let's put some more on," Brett said.

"Just toss me some, I got it," Fitz replied, setting her down.

Brett grabbed the bottle and threw it to him, and he put some sunscreen on her.

He started to get hot with his shirt on, so eventually, he had to give in and take it off, knowing he would probably get shit for the hickey on his collarbone.

But him being so casual about it worked for a little while. Only a little while though.

Brett did a double take, examining his chest. "Hmm."

"What's up, buddy," Fitz said, taking a sip of his beer.

"Oh nothing. Just admiring Olivia's beautiful artwork."

Fitz's cheeks got red and he nodded, taking another sip. "She's pretty good, isn't she?"

Brett laughed, patting him on the back. "You are something else, man."

"Hey, where's that sunscreen, Grant?" Matt asked.

"Uhh," Fitz said, looking around him. "Oh, here."

"Thanks, man," Matt said taking the bottle from him. "My back, it gets so damn burnt."

"I feel you on that," Fitz nodded.

Matt raised his eyebrow. "The hell are you talking about, you don't burn, you just get brown? Oh, and...red, and purple," he said, tilting his head as soon as he saw it.

Fitz laughed. "Don't even start."

Matt chuckled. "How long did it take her to do that?"

Fitz smacked his arm and laughed. "Just go away and put your damn sunscreen on, Matthew. I don't wanna be blinded by your pasty back anymore."

"Hey, rather it be pasty than bright red," he shrugged, walking away to go put it on.

Fitz rolled his eyes, going to put his beer bottle in their makeshift recycle bag by the back of the boat.

Jason sat there, arm around Janelle. And then he did a double take, too, and laughed.

"Aw. That's cute."

Fitz looked over at him, knowing exactly what he was teasing him for, and rolled his eyes.

"Shut up," he laughed.

"Hey. I'm just pointing out the fact that mister sixpack here now has a visible flaw!" Jason chuckled.

"Hey, she worked hard on it, be nice," Fitz said, winking at him before heading back to the front of the boat.

So much for that going unnoticed.

He looked out into the water at Olivia, playing with Mia, making her laugh endlessly.

It made Fitz smile.

Lauren was out there too, as was Emma, so he decided to join their party, and jump in.

Eventually they were all out there. They swam around a little bit by the boat again and had a good afternoon out on the lake.

Fitz took Mia on a jetski ride as soon as they got back, and then they just hung around outside until it was time to go to the game.

Which, had everyone excited. Especially Olivia, she couldn't wait to see him play again.

"Alright, Grant, five bucks says you can't hit anything better than a single," Matt said.

"Honey don't root for him to fail," Emma said, smacking his arm.

Fitz just laughed and so did Matt. "It's just Fitz, dear, I'm sure he's gonna hit me back with a bet."

"You wanna deal, let's deal," Fitz said, looking at him in the mirror as he drove. "Ten bucks says I do."

Matt nodded. "Alright, I'll raise it, too. Twenty bucks says you can't hit a _triple."_

 _"Fifty_ bucks says I hit a _home run,"_ Fitz said.

"Ohhh, we _are_ dealing tonight," Matt chuckled.

"Take that, Matt, he won't hit one," Brett said.

"Wow, you are all such supportive friends," Lauren said with a laugh.

"Yeah, I don't know, you guys. Have you seen him play?" Olivia asked.

"Darling, we grew up with this guy. He's crazy fast, that's all he's got," Brett joked, reaching forward to part Fitz's back.

"High school Fitz was scrawny and weighed probably a buck twenty-five soaking wet. I've changed a little bit," Fitz chuckled.

"Oh, okay, cap thinks he's got some more muscle on him now," Matt said, giving him a big smile.

"Hmm, maybe you're not as fast anymore then," Brett said.

"Oh no. Definitely fast," Olivia said.

"No, let's just let them decide for themselves. What is it, fifty says I don't hit one?" Fitz asked.

"One hundred," Matt said.

Olivia's eyes widened.

"Alright, I want in. Fifty for me," Brett said.

Fitz smiled.

"I can't wait to be a hundred and fifty bucks richer tonight."

"Yeah, that's the spirit!" Emma said. "I'm rooting for Fitz, you two are mean."

"I agree," Lauren said with a laugh.

Olivia just smiled. She had a feeling his friends were gonna lose their money.

"I bet Jay will want in, too," Matt said.

"I guess we'll see," Fitz shrugged, pulling into the gravel parking lot of the ball field.

Jason and Janelle pulled up soon after in their car, and Matt immediately got Jason in for fifty bucks too.

Fitz would either be 200 dollars richer or poorer tonight.

Olivia went with Fitz to the shed so he could change, and she went back to the stands with his friends, looking for Kathy.

She wanted to sit near her, she was fun last year.

"Olivia!"

Olivia turned at the sound of her name, and then saw the woman smiling.

"Oh hi! I was just looking for you!" Olivia exclaimed.

"Well you found me!" Kathy exclaimed. "Who are your friends?"

So Olivia introduced everyone, and they all sat together.

Kathy was very chatty, explaining that her husband John captained the team and always loved it when Fitz came here during the summer to play because he was _good._

Olivia smirked at all the guys while Kathy said it, and they laughed, unsure if they should believe her or not.

And then the game was starting.

The announcer was very enthusiastic in his announcing, like Olivia remembered.

She hadn't seen Fitz yet, with everyone warming up.

"What number is he?" Brett asked.

"24," Olivia answered, trying to find him in the crowd of maroon jerseys in the dugout.

Mia came to sit by Olivia, looking very hard to see Fitz, which was pretty cute.

When he finally did come up to bat, all his friends whistled and hollered at him, making quite the scene. Olivia clapped for him and Mia jumped up and down telling him to "get the point!"

Kinda close. Sorta.

He looked so cute, in his baseball pants and his jersey and his hat. His hair was curling up around the edges of the hat, begging to be seen.

He raised his bat over his left shoulder and waited for the pitch.

It was a strike. He always seemed to let the first one go by.

The pitcher threw a couple balls, and Fitz swung and missed one too.

"I'm well on my way to a hundred bucks," Matt said quietly.

"Would you shush, it's his first at-bat," Emma said.

Olivia laughed. She liked Emma.

"Hey, I'm still cheering for him, he's my buddy. But I'm also cheering for money. See, it's a win, win," he shrugged.

And then just then, Fitz ripped one to center field, right past the outfielder, who dove and missed.

"Woo! That was hard!" Mia yelled.

And then Fitz dropped his bat and took off, sending one guy all the way to home. Fitz got to third base, and that got quite the loud cheer.

"Shit!" Matt said, clapping for him. "His first at-bat and he does _that?"_

"Well, he can still fly, that's for sure," Brett said.

"I told you!" Olivia said, laughing.

She wasn't even surprised, but it still made her feel good.

 _That's my fiancé_ , she thought.

It was hard to see him all the way at third, but she watched him adjust his batting gloves and tug on his pants a little bit. It made her laugh quietly to herself.

And then, she was pretty sure he was smiling at them.

"He's smiling at you guys," Olivia informed his friends.

They looked and then rolled their eyes. "He _is,"_ Brett chuckled.

"Hey, that was a nice hit but he's still out $200 if he doesn't hit a homer," Jason said.

"You realize that $200 to Grant is chump change, right?" Brett chuckled.

"Hey, he's still gonna have to pony up," Matt said.

Olivia rolled her eyes.

Men.

That first hit proved to be one of Fitz's best of the night.

He had a couple singles, one double and he struck out twice throughout seven innings.

They all got hotdogs and chips from the concession stand, a typical ballpark meal.

And at the bottom of the seventh inning, it was tied at four runs.

Two guys on base, and Fitz was up to bat.

"He doesn't have many more opportunities to earn his money tonight," Matt said, shaking his head.

Olivia looked back at Fitz, gearing up for the first pitch.

He let one go by, like usual. A few balls went past him too.

But that fifth pitch...Fitz must have _really_ liked that one.

He swung and the bat connected with the ball _hard_.

He ripped it _way_ past the fence, Olivia didn't even see where it landed.

The whole crowd stood up in anticipation as it flew out of the field, and then there was an uproar from the home team's bleachers.

His friends' faces were priceless.

Olivia cheered and watched Fitz, who, as soon as he hit it, took one look at it and knew it was gone.

He turned right around to face his buddies and flipped his bat. And then he started rubbing his fingers together to indicate the hand gesture for "money."

"Yeah, baby, that's right," she nodded, smiling at his friends.

"That went so far!" Mia exclaimed.

"That's called a home-run!" Olivia replied.

"Wow!"

His friends were standing up, clapping dramatically for him.

"You boys deserved that," Emma said with a nod.

"They really did, didn't they?" Lauren asked.

Janelle laughed and nodded in agreement.

Fitz, of course, ran the bases as if it were no big deal that he had just done that, scoring three crucial runs in the bottom of the seventh.

And the score stayed the same, throughout the rest of the game, so New Fairfield won 7-4.

Thanks to Fitz.

Afterward, a lot of the fans went out to the field to chat with the players they came to watch, so Olivia and everyone else did the same.

Fitz was talking with a few guys in the dugout, heading out with their mitts and bats.

"Fitz!" Mia exclaimed, rubbing toward him.

"Hey, you!" he said, wrapping his arms around her while she hugged his legs.

"Very well played," Brett nodded, patting him on the back.

" _Buddddyy_ , you got game in you," Matt said.

"He's no longer the scrawny high school kid," Jason chuckled. "We all gotta venmo him his fairly-earned money."

And all his buddies crowded around him, congratulating him on a good game.

Of course, they were still supportive in the end.

"You wear black makeup?" Mia asked, pointing to his face.

He laughed, picking her up and holding her on his hip. "It's eye black. See, we all wear it," he said, pointing to the other players scattered across the field.

"It is pretty. But you are sweaty," she said, touching his damp curls, curling out from underneath his hat.

"I know, ick, right?" he asked, setting her down.

"Ick!" Mia agreed.

Fitz smiled at Olivia and walked over to her, giving her a kiss. "Look at you, mister superstar," she whispered.

He lifted her up, kissing her again. "Think I could go pro?" he teased.

She wrapped her legs around him and thought for a little bit.

"I think so," she nodded, pecking his lips again.

"Mm. One more," he whispered.

She kissed him once more and then was interrupted by Kathy, who came to congratulate Fitz on a good game, as well.

It was a good ending to a good day. One that she hoped they all would remember, because she certainly would.

When they got back, the sun was setting, and they all wanted to have a bonfire. So, they went outside.

"I'll be there in a second, I'm just gonna jump in quick. Cool off," Fitz said, grabbing his towel off the line.

"Yeah, wash that crap off your face, too," Matt teased.

"Matthew Charles, be nice," Emma said.

Olivia laughed at the use of his first and middle name. Sounded familiar.

"Baby."

Olivia turned at the endearment and saw Fitz waving her over as he walked down the dock.

She instantly made her way over there.

"What's up?" she asked, as he stripped his shirt off.

"Oh nothing. I just wanted you to come sit with me," he said.

"Oh okay," she replied happily. "You're just going in in your gym shorts?"

"Yeah, they'll dry. I'll go change after, anyway."

She nodded and sat down on the dock, dipping her feet in while he slid in the water slowly.

"Ohhh fuck," he whispered.

"Cold?" she giggled.

"Yep, yep, yep," he nodded.

"Yeah, how did we come up here in April last year? We were crazy," she laughed.

He nodded. "Yeah. But that was fun, just me and you. I love having the guys up here, I miss those assholes all the time, don't get me wrong," he chuckled. "But...it's nice to come up here just us, too."

"Yeah," she agreed.

"It's also hard to get you alone," he said, patting her calf.

She smiled. "I think you'll live, mister superstar."

He gasped dramatically. "I don't know if I will!"

She giggled, watching him try to rub the eye black off his face with lake water.

"Come here," she said, waving him over.

He waded over to her, resting his forearms on the dock beside her legs and standing in between them.

She reached down to wet her hands and gently rubbed the eye black off.

"There's your sweet face," she said, kissing the tip of his nose.

He smiled, kissing her lips, and then just looking at her.

"So," he began.

"So," she echoed.

"You're going to take my name," he said hopefully, smiling at her.

"Of course I'm going to take your name," she whispered.

He looked so happy.

"I love that," he said.

"Did you think I wouldn't?" she asked.

"I don't know, we didn't talk about it. I didn't want to assume. Obviously I wanted you to, I just would be...you know, okay if you wanted to keep yours, too," he nodded.

"Well I think I'm gonna just get rid of my middle name and...use Pope instead, as a way to keep it. Olivia Pope Grant," she said.

"That's sweet. Your parents will like that," he said, rubbing her thighs.

"I know. They don't have a son to carry on the name, so...I figure, at least I will always still have it in some form," she replied.

"I like that. You're gonna be Mrs. Grant," he said with a smile, leaning in towards her again.

"Mhm," she nodded, leaning down closer to him, too.

"Olivia...Grant," he whispered, tapping the tip of her nose with his finger.

The smile never left her face.

She kissed him a few times, her lips lingering there on his.

They were in full view of the fire pit, so she knew his friends could see everything. Oh well.

He pushed up on the dock, pulling himself out of the lake as the water dripped down his body.

"Come change with me," he whispered.

"That sounds like...trouble," she replied.

"Yes. It does," he nodded, pulling on her hand.

"So, so naughty. _Beyond_ naughty," she said.

"Shhh," he replied, pulling her inside just after all his friends gave him odd looks.

He immediately picked her up, getting a good grip on her ass before he headed up the stairs.

"Fitz, you're getting me all wet!" she exclaimed.

He paused. "Uh, yeah, that's kind of my goal here," he nodded.

She shook her head. "Ugh, I worded that wrong. You know what I meant!"

"Well, everything's wet down there so you're _gonna_ get wet," he said, turning into their room.

"We are not seriously coming up here for a _quickie,"_ she said, as he literally threw her down on the bed, and started taking his clothes off.

He raised his eyebrows. "Who said anything about a quickie?"

"Well, of the already non-logical options, a quickie would be the _most_ logical," she reasoned.

"Nah," he said, yanking her shorts down, followed by her underwear. "I'm doing _what_ I want, for as _long_ as I want."

"I don't know what's gotten into you, but…whatever it is…I kind of like it," she admitted.

"It's you in these damn shorts. And…your swimsuits. And your curly hair. And…it's just you," he sighed, pulling her shirt over her head.

"It's just me, huh?" she asked, looking up at him with a smirk.

"Yeah," he sighed, pressing his body into hers. "You're so god damn beautiful."

"Are you just saying that because you wanna get in my pants?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

He shot her a look. "We both know if that's all I wanted to do right now my fingers would be knuckle-deep inside you already."

Her eyes widened. "OH."

He chuckled. "I just want some you and me time, away from them, too. I know I don't get to see them much, but…they can be overwhelming, and I still want to spend time with just you. You're my fiancée."

"I am your fiancée," she nodded.

He smiled down at her, lightly kissing her nose. And then he got up, leaving her naked on the bed, while he stood naked above her.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm looking for my shirt. Where did I just throw it?" he asked, looking around.

"What? We're not having sex?" she questioned.

"Oh. I thought…I got the sense you didn't want to?" he said.

"What the—Fitz, come here," she said, waving him towards her.

"You do want to?" he chuckled, climbing on top of her again.

"Of course I do. You _do_ have to make it quick, though, okay," she said, preparing for him.

"I'm quick in a lot of areas, this is not one of them."

She shot him a look. "Really."

"Right, sorry, okay, quick," he said, guiding himself towards her entrance.

And he did make it quick. Quick for him, at least.

They were cleaned up, changed, and back outside in no time.

Although they did get some eyebrow raises from his buddies upon their return.

"What'd we miss?" Fitz asked, sitting down in an empty chair and pulling Olivia with him.

"While you were...changing?" Jason asked.

"Mhm," Fitz nodded.

"How'd that go by the way?" Jason chuckled.

"Fantastic," Fitz nodded.

"Mhm, I'm sure it was."

Fitz winked at him and settled into the chair.

"You missed nothing. Although Mia thinks we should have s'mores," Matt asked.

"I think Mia is absolutely right," Fitz agreed. "Want me to go get everything for them? I bought stuff."

"Ye-es!" Mia nodded.

So, he went to grab the graham crackers, the chocolate, and the marshmallows, and they had s'mores.

It was a great end to their last night there.

It was a great end to their _weekend_ there.

The rest of it wasn't so fun. Going to bed, knowing they were leaving the next morning. Then saying goodbye that next morning.

It all was sad.

Mia cried, sad to be leaving Olivia and Fitz, most of all. They were sad too.

But not too sad, because it had been an amazing weekend in the end.

One, they'd never forget.

* * *

Congrats, you finally finished! Lol.

I was really going to just do it as one chapter, but the full word count was like...18,000 words so I felt the need to split that up because that's slightly ridiculous, lol.

Hope you enjoyed their full weekend, though!

Read on.

With Love,

~T


	78. One Time

Hey, so…man, I gotta talk to you about something," Fitz said.

Logan looked at hi curiously as Fitz drove them back from the bar after a drink.

"Alright…what's up, brotha."

"It's about Olivia."

Logan looked worried. "Dude…did you get her pregnant?"

Fitz's eyes widened. "What?"

"'Cause man, I thought you were waitin' a little longer for that! Were you not listening to me when I told you how to _effectively_ pull out?"

Fitz shook his head. "No, Logan. No. She's not…Olivia's not pregnant," he chuckled.

Logan gasped. "Whew! You _were_ listening. That's good. Good," he nodded.

Fitz raised an eyebrow. "Okay, there's not really an effective way to…you just...do it. That's literally all you do, is pull—okay, you know what, never mind. Not the point, I don't do that anyway. The point is—"

"Oh you _don't do that anyway,_ huh? Brothaaaaa," Logan chuckled, patting his back. "I see you, I see you."

Fitz shot him a look. "Okay, I…me pulling out is not the subject I wanted to discuss with you. I wanted to talk to you about me and Olivia."

"I'm listening," Logan said.

Fitz exhaled. "Well…you know how she's…not…you know, my age."

"And your age is…what, again?" Logan asked.

Fitz rolled his eyes. "38, and you're 34, yes, buddy. I know. You're young and hip."

Logan laughed. "Sorry. Okay, I'm sorry. _Yes,_ I know she's younger."

"And so you know how she's…a student. I mean…I assume you've figured that out by now," Fitz said.

Logan laughed again. "Uh, considering she walks in and out of Pax half the time either with a backpack, or wearing _Yale_ clothing, _yes."_

"Right…" Fitz nodded. "So…you never thought that was weird. You know…about the age difference?"

Logan shook his head. "Not really, man. I get it. That shit happens, you can't control that. Aliyah's six years younger than me, that don't mean shit."

"Okay," Fitz nodded. "Cool. Thank you, for saying that."

"You're welcome," Logan said, a little confused. "Is that all you wanted to say, man?"

"Um…no. Not…not all of it. I wanted to talk about my job too."

"Mhm. Teachin' and shit," Logan nodded.

"Right. Teaching and shit," Fitz agreed.

"What about it?" Logan asked.

Fitz sat in thought, getting the sense that Logan did not know the whole story behind Olivia and Fitz's relationship. He was just thinking about whether or not he should just go ahead and tell him anyway, when Logan spoke up again.

"Dude, can you quit beating around the bush with this? I already know."

The breath hitched in Fitz's throat. Maybe he didn't know what he _thought_ he knew.

"You know what?" Fitz asked.

"That the pretty little lady you _don't pull out of_ is your student."

Well. So much for that.

Fitz sighed. "How the hell! All these people know, and I never said a word about it?!" he exclaimed to himself, slamming his hands on his steering wheel.

Logan just chuckled. "You really thought I _didn't_ know?"

"Well, I never told you!" Fitz exclaimed.

"Look, I know you in the…Yale club or whatever. You're some crazy, wicked smart…thing. But I'm also not a complete dumbass."

"No—Logan. No. That's not at all what I just said," Fitz said.

"I know that. I'm just pointing out to you that just because you didn't tell me something doesn't mean I can't figure it out for myself," he reasoned.

"And how did you. How did you figure it out?" Fitz asked.

He shrugged. "Well, I don't know what the hell it's called, but you teach it and she studies it. That gave me all I needed to know. I know how to make a connection."

"Political Science," Fitz answered.

"Yeah, yeah that bullshit," Logan replied. "No offense."

Fitz raised his eyebrow. "Some taken."

"No I didn't mean it like that. I just meant it seems difficult. Props to you and her for that," he nodded, patting his back.

"Okay, but...that's all you needed to know to figure it out?" Fitz prompted.

"Well…I mean, I guess not all of it. Like...y'all don't really go places together. Well…actually, _now_ you do. But before I mean, for a long time. You didn't, and that's kinda weird. So you two were trying to be nonchalant, too, obviously. Things add up, you know how it is."

"We weren't trying to be nonchalant, Logan. We were trying to be…non _existent_."

He looked confused. "Why? They'd switch her to another class or somethin'?" he asked.

Fitz sighed. "Uh, no. They'd fire me."

Logan chuckled. "Oh Fitz, don't be dramatic. That's a load of bull, they would not _fire_ you."

Fitz did a double take at his friend.

"Dude. Do you want to read the handbook? I've got it for you in my apartment. They would _fire_ me. 'Gone, goodbye, you suck' _fire_ me," Fitz said.

"Nahhh. Why? She's an adult. If she's old enough to vote, she's allowed to decide she wants to fuck you."

"Yes, but…" Fitz began. And then he stopped and laughed. "Wow, that was…colorful language."

"Thanks," Logan nodded with a smile.

"No, it's not like it's illegal, obviously. Some universities are just more lenient with this. Yale just is not one of those universities," Fitz said.

Logan laughed. "Well Jesus, I'd say so then! I fucked my stats professor back in the day. Best memory of that class for sure. Stats man, that shit makes no sense.

Fitz looked over at him. _"What_ did you say?"

Logan looked back at him. "Look, like I said, I know you some crazy, wicked smart thing and I'm sure it's a piece of cake to you and your girl, but that shit's hard to us _normal_ people, okay."

Fitz shook his head. "No, Logan, not the…freaking stats class. The _professor."_

"Ohhh. Yeah, man. Phew. She was milf, you know what I'm sayin'," Logan nodded.

Fitz's eyed widened.

"A _single_ milf. _Single_. I checked, I swear!" Logan exclaimed.

"So you _fucked_ her?" Fitz replied.

"Hey, don't give me that shit. _You_ fucked _Olivia!_ Or…you _do_ fuck Olivia. As in currently. Till...death do you part, or...whatever. I don't even wanna _know_ how often you fuck, okay, scratch that," Logan said, shaking his head.

"A lot. We fuck a lot."

"Bro!" Logan exclaimed.

Fitz laughed his ass off, taking the exit to Paxton Hills.

"I can't believe you had sex with your professor, man," Fitz chuckled.

"Oh really," Logan said, turning to Fitz. " _You_ gonna sit there and say that shit? _You?"_

Fitz laughed. "Okay, you're right, I have no right. Still, though. I didn't expect to hear that!"

"Well it wasn't against the rules! I mean…the school wouldn't have _liked_ it, if they found out…but she wouldn't have gotten fired either," Logan shrugged.

"So you kept it a secret?" Fitz asked.

"Yeah. Well…except to all my friends. They _had_ to know, of course. 'Cause man, I'm telling you she was _so_ hot!" he nodded.

Fitz rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "So…how come you never brought it up with me then. Me and Olivia."

"Because you're keeping a secret too," Logan replied. "But you know everyone's not out to get you right? I mean...like, a lot of people in this world mind their business. A lot of people wouldn't run and tell the world if they found out."

Fitz sighed. "Yeah, I know. The twenty people that know are proof of that. But...there are also people in this world that _don't_ mind their business, and _would_ tell the world if they found out," Fitz replied. "So that's why we were so careful. Because of those people in the world."

"Yeah, I know, buddy, I know. It's not exactly the type of thing you wanna broadcast, I still get that. Even though...Olivia _is_ super hot," Logan replied.

Fitz shot him a look. "Careful."

Logan laughed. "Hey, I can state a fact, brotha. I got myself a pretty lady at home, too. I'm just telling you."

Fitz nodded. "Yeah. Well…she's not my student anymore, by the way. She won't ever be again."

Logan smiled. "Well that's good news then, right?"

Fitz smiled back. "It…was the best news of my life. Well…maybe besides when she told me she would marry me."

Logan patted his back again as they pulled into the parking lot. "Hell yeah, man."

"Well thanks for driving. I hate driving downtown," Logan said, getting out of Fitz's car.

"I know you do, bud," Fitz replied, locking his car.

They heard a car pulling up behind them, and when Fitz saw the car, he smiled.

"Ahh, your girl," Logan said.

"My girl," Fitz nodded.

She got out, waving at them. "Hi boys."

"Hello there, Olivia. Don't you look professional," Logan said.

She laughed. "Yeah. I'm…ready to be done being professional for a couple days. Long week," she said, grabbing her bag and locking her car.

Fitz eyed her, wearing a black pantsuit, a blue and white striped dress shirt underneath.

She looked so elegant to him. So beautiful.

"And meanwhile your fiancé was taking me out for _drinks_. I think she deserves a nice home cooked meal from your unemployed ass," Logan said, smacking his arm.

Fitz laughed. "Hey. Two night classes. Tuesday and Wednesday."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Still," Logan said, heading to his car.

"Good to see you Logan," Olivia laughed, coming up to Fitz.

"You too, Liv. I'll see you!" he said, waving goodbye. "Bye, Grant."

"See you, man."

"Hey," he said, turning to Olivia.

"Hey," she sighed, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. It was the first time they'd even seen each other that day. She'd left the apartment by seven, and he was still dead to the world by then.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, hugging her back.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Just…I'm tired. Long day. Long week."

"I bet," he nodded. "What can I do?"

She pulled back, giving him a slight smile. "Just be you."

"I can do that," he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to her lips, and then her nose. "Come on. I really will make you dinner."

She nodded, starting to walk inside with him. "How were drinks? Does Logan know?" Olivia asked.

"Yep," Fitz nodded, popping the 'p.'

"No," she replied, shocked.

"Oh yeah. Never brought it up because he knew we were trying to keep a secret. See, our friend Logan once had a little fling with his professor, too. Knows all about the secret-keeping it requires. Well...kind of," Fitz chuckled.

"What?!" Olivia exclaimed. "A fling, seriously?"

"Mhm. And by fling, I mean…he fucked her once," Fitz said.

"That sounds like him," Olivia said, shaking her head.

"Yeah. He didn't think I could get fired for it though, he didn't believe me. If only…it wasn't as big of a deal as it is…like all my friends thought," he chuckled.

"Yeah, seriously. Well…I guess, that makes life easy. Everyone knows everything. No secrets. That's…refreshing these days," she sighed, as they got in the elevator.

"That's true," he agreed.

She leaned against the elevator wall, sighing tiredly.

He walked towards her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'm sorry about your week."

"It's okay. It happens," she replied.

"Yeah, it does. But I wish it didn't happen to you."

She smiled. "It's okay, baby. I'm home with you now. That makes it better."

The elevator dinged and they got out, heading to their apartment.

"Yes, it does. You see, I have a big bottle of wine with your name on it. And maybe mine, too. But...your name is in a bigger and bolder font, you can have most of it," he promised, grabbing his key and heading inside.

She laughed. "That sounds wonderful," she replied, kicking off her heels.

She set her bag down on the counter and walked over to him, waving her over. He immediately opened the bottle of wine, and poured two glasses.

"Screw letting it breathe, here you go," he chuckled, handing her a glass.

"Thank you," she giggled.

He admired her, swirling the wine around in her glass, and brushing the loose curls out of her face.

"You are beautiful," he whispered.

She looked up at him, cheeks flushing. "Right now?" she asked with a laugh.

"Always. But right now… _oh yes,"_ he nodded.

"I'm in…I'm in my work clothes?" she questioned.

He bit his lip and nodded. "Damn right you are."

She laughed, brushing her curls out of her face.

He smiled, walking up to her and pressing her into the kitchen cabinets. "You know…" he said in a low voice, putting his hands on her hips.

"Powerful women turn me on."

That _definitely_ made her laugh. "I would hardly say that I'm _powerful."_

"I would," he nodded. "You're a big deal, look at you."

"I'm really not, baby," she assured him.

"Yes, you are! Don't say you're not. You'll hurt my feelings," he stated.

She giggled. "Well I wouldn't want to do that."

"No, you wouldn't," he replied. "Tell me about your day. Tell me why it was no good."

"Today wasn't bad. It was just a long day, I was in the office for ten hours," she said. "Although, an hour of that was spent looking at puppies online during lunch with Mary."

Fitz chuckled. "That sounds like an extremely valuable lunch break!"

"Oh, it was. Definitely. Puppies are good for the soul," she said, taking a sip of her wine.

He exhaled, looking her up and down. He was so lucky.

She grabbed their wine glasses and told him to grab the bottle.

So he did.

"Come on," she said, nodding her head towards the hallway.

He silently followed her, flipping their bedroom light on with his elbow.

They set the wine and glasses down on the nightstand, and then she pointed towards the bed. "Lay down."

He bit his lip and nodded. "Okay."

He got on the bed and laid down sideways on it, resting his arms underneath his head as he watched her.

She took off her suit, piece by piece, careful not to get it wrinkled of course.

He just laid there, content as ever and watched her undress.

"What's up, baby?" he asked.

She got done hanging up her things and came to lay down with him, in her bra and underwear.

"I just wanna lay here with you for a while," she said, resting her head on his chest and wrapping her arm around him.

"You can do that," he nodded, rubbing her back.

She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent. A little mix of his aftershave and cologne.

"You wanna look at puppies online?" he whispered.

She laughed. "Maybe later," she whispered back.

"Okay. I was just checking," he whispered.

She smiled.

"You wanna...sing a song?" he whispered.

"Mmm...not right now," she whispered back.

"Okay, okay," he nodded. "You wanna...marry me?" he whispered.

"Yeah, totally," she whispered back.

"Awesome," he replied.

She smiled as he pressed kisses to her neck, laughing quietly.

Her leg was draped over his body too.

So she could feel him. He wasn't hard obviously, but she could still feel him.

She sat up and reached for his belt.

"Oh," he said, raising his eyebrows. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she nodded, pulling the belt through the buckle. "I just want to."

"Yeah, baby, okay," he nodded, resting his hands under his head again.

She yanked his khakis down and then his boxers, both of them piling at his feet, which, hung off the bed.

He lifted his head up and watched her take him in his mouth right away, using her hands to stroke him too.

"Oh—" he breathed, watching so intently.

She was going as deep as she could go, and all he could do was watch in awe, with staggered breaths.

"Jesus," he moaned, clutching the sheets.

He could feel her tongue, paying extra attention to his tip. He could feel it swirling around, like it was the best thing she'd had in her mouth in her life.

He hoped it was.

He looked down again, and brushed the hair out of her face so it didn't disturb her wonderful work.

"Come...come over here," he said, waving her over.

She moved her body so that she knelt down sideways on the bed, and he could reach her.

She was only wearing a bra and underwear, and he instinctively went right for the underwear, pulling it aside so he could touch her, too.

It didn't seem to affect her much at this point, because she was clearly on a mission.

It helped him though, because he had something else to focus on, and it turned him on even more. He kept her thong pushed to the side, and slid a finger inside her slowly.

She stopped briefly, catching her bearings before she kept going, bobbing her head up and down on him.

He had to let her adjust, but he eventually got a steady rhythm going, too.

He laid there on his back, looking up at the ceiling while she went down on him, and his finger slid in and out of her.

She got wetter by the minute, making it very easy for him.

And he got closer and closer, too.

His finger only went faster the closer he got, with his intense desire to make her come too.

"Olivia," he warned.

"Mhm," she nodded. She already knew.

One of her hands rubbed his abdomen, tracing the muscles he knew she loved.

The other one was stroking him just under her mouth, doubling the amazing feeling.

He clutched at the bed sheets, feeling it coming and moving his finger as fast as he could inside her.

"Olivia...Liv—" he moaned, just before he came in her mouth.

She didn't stop until he was finished.

She wiped her mouth and started kissing him all the way up.

He just laid there, panting with his finger still deep inside her.

"Oh my god," he groaned, letting out a deep breath.

She laughed, easing his finger out of her and pulling her underwear back into place.

He frowned. "What the? No, come back here. Let me finish."

"You did. In my mouth," she said.

"Yeah, and that was completely, wonderfully amazing, but let me finish _you,"_ he said, breathing hard.

"Oh you don't have to, baby," she said.

He looked at her like she was crazy. "You think I'm gonna start something I can't finish? No. Bring that back here," he said, reaching out for her.

She smiled and scooted back towards him, and laid down sideways on the bed, opening her legs.

"We're just gonna get rid of these, now," he said, pulling her underwear right off her.

She laughed, watching intently.

He had a clear view of everything as he laid there on his back. He reached out and slid his middle finger inside again, pleased with what he felt.

She laid her head back on the bed, and opened her legs wider.

He scooted her body closer to him, wanting to be able to see everything he was doing _perfectly._

She was wet as hell already, _that_ he could see.

So he slid his ring finger in too, biting his lip as he watched in pleasure.

It was easy to tell when he was hitting that spot just right. She was restless, clutching the bedsheets just as he had been before.

"Right there, huh?" he said, proceeding to thrust his fingers in harder.

She moaned, starting to touch her breasts.

"Oh, I think so," he chuckled, using his other hand to keep her legs spread for him.

He got up and kneeled in front of her, sliding his fingers knuckle deep inside of her.

And he got hard again.

"You gonna come for me?" he whispered, pushing her leg open even wider.

She nodded, letting out a steady breath.

She was thrusting towards him now, almost about as hard as he was pushing his fingers inside her.

Her body tightened up, she was clenched around his fingers already. She was so close, _so_ close.

He watched his fingers pump in and out of her until she came. All over his hand.

He watched that too.

Her muscles unclenched and she relaxed, panting as she looked up at the ceiling.

"And to think, you told me I didn't need to do that," he teased, leaning forward and kissing her lips.

She couldn't even kiss him back. She was still catching her breath. "Wow."

"Yeah. That was a good one," he nodded, getting up to go wash his hands.

"So good," she breathed.

"You know, now that I got you off," he began, drying his hands and cleaning himself up.

She laughed in the bedroom.

"I can actually make you dinner," he finished, bringing a washcloth into the bedroom.

"You _can,"_ she nodded.

He patted the washcloth between her legs, smiling at her. "What do you say? Yeah?" he asked.

And then her phone starting ringing.

They both looked at it, lighting up on the nightstand.

"Let me just see," she said, getting up to look.

It was a FaceTime call from Abby.

"Ah shoot, we'd said we'd talk this weekend. Can you hand me your shirt over there?" she said, pointing to it draped on the chair.

He got up and tossed it to her so she could put it on.

"Hey!" Olivia answered.

Good, to Abby, it looked like she was fully clothed.

"Hey! Is this a bad time? I can call back," Abby asked.

"Oh, no, no it's okay. Fitz and I were just talking," she said. "Come here, babe."

Fitz raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm...naked," he mouthed.

She laughed, waving him over and muting the microphone. "It's fine, she can't see the bottom half of you anyway."

She unmuted it and Fitz's face came into view.

"Oh! Hey pretty boy," Abby said.

"Hey Abby. How are you?" he asked, settling in next to Olivia.

"I'm good, how are you two? How's everything?" she asked.

"Everything's great," Fitz replied happily.

"Good. Hey, so Harrison and Huck tried to call me before and I missed it. You wanna talk to them, too?" Abby asked.

"Uh…sure, yeah," Olivia shrugged. "I miss those weirdos."

And moments later, Harrison and Huck joined the Group FaceTime.

"Heyyy!" Harrison said.

"Hi guys," Huck added.

"Hey!" they greeted back.

"Wait, just a sec. Quinn and Charlie are coming too," Harrison said, pausing his screen.

"Yeah, I'm trying to get T to join, too," Huck added.

"Oh…goodness," Olivia laughed.

"How on earth is this happening right now," Fitz said, confused.

"It's Group FaceTime, prof," Harrison answered.

"I didn't know such a thing existed," he nodded, surprised.

"Well, what's the point of these thousand dollar phones if we don't use all the features, right?" Huck asked. "Even though I think I could trick them out even cooler."

"I suppose that's true," Fitz chuckled.

And just like that, there were Quinn and Charlie, and Teagan.

"Woah!" Fitz said.

"Hey guys," Olivia greeted.

"Heyyyy," they all said back.

"Wait, we're missing my boy. I gotta text him," Abby said, putting herself on pause.

"Yeah get him in here. It's the full gang!" Harrison said.

So she got David too.

"Science," Fitz nodded, looking at all the faces he saw on Olivia's screen. It really was pretty cool.

Everyone laughed. "We shoulda tried this before now," Huck said.

"Yeah, this makes it a lot easier to tell everyone news at the same time," Teagan agreed.

"I shoulda done this when we got engaged," Olivia said.

"Oh, imagine all our reactions at the same time," Abby giggled.

"Mine was the best. I yelled. Really loud," Harrison pointed out. "A good yell though, not a bad one."

"He did do that," Olivia agreed. "I heard your mom yell at you after you did that."

Harrison sighed. "Yeah. She thinks I'm too loud," he chuckled.

"Speaking of, how's engaged life, you two?" Charlie asked.

Olivia nodded, looking over at Fitz. "Amazing. And...wet."

Fitz doubled over in laughter, looking at her with a smile.

"What?" David asked.

"I said what I said," Olivia replied.

"I expected absolutely nothing less from you," Abby nodded with a laugh.

"So _that's_ why prof isn't wearing a shirt," Harrison said. "Great."

"Yeah, please tell me you're at least wearing pants," Huck said.

"Of course I'm wearing pants," Fitz replied.

Olivia tried so hard not to laugh, looking at his _very_ naked self. No pants in sight.

"I feel like we should make him prove that," Harrison chuckled.

"Yeah, let's _not_ ," Olivia said, shaking her head.

"Ohhh!"

"I knew it."

"Oh my god."

"Wow. Naked. Drinking wine. Quite a night you two are having!"

Olivia laughed, receiving all those reactions and Fitz's cheeks turned pink.

"You know. This is why we should have caught on that Olivia had a guy way before we did. She always had that glow," Harrison said. "You know, that sex glow."

"I thought that was only with pregnancy?" Huck asked.

"Uh, no. Why do you think I glow all the time?" Harrison asked.

"You don't," Huck answered.

"Take that back," Harrison said.

"No."

Olivia rolled her eyes. Those two.

"It wasn't the sex glow that I feel like I should've caught. It was that damn bracelet with the letter on it, you know. Who the hell wears a bracelet with the first letter of their aunt's name?" Quinn asked.

"Hey, don't insult my aunt Faye. I love her and would totally wear a bracelet for her," Olivia replied.

"Okay, But would you really though?" Charlie asked.

"Yes!" Olivia exclaimed.

"Ehhh," Teagan said doubtfully.

"Yes, I would!" Olivia nodded.

"Wait...so that's what the bracelet stands for! 'Fitz!' Oh man, I just realized that, I'm so slow," Huck said.

"Took you long enough," Harrison chuckled.

"You guys thought it stood for Faye?" Huck asked.

"Well...that's what Liv told us," Quinn said.

"Oh. I must have missed that conversation," Huck said. "I thought it stood for Fuck."

Everyone laughed.

"Honestly, that's not a bad guess. That's her favorite swear word," Fitz said.

"It really is," Olivia nodded.

"And her favorite thing to do, apparently," David chimed in.

"Ohhh!"

"I can confirm that," Fitz said.

"OHHH!"

Everyone got a good laugh out of that one.

"Oh don't even start with me," she said, pointing at Fitz. "I could tell them a _lot_ of things about you, mister."

"Do it then," he smirked.

"Yeah, do it!" Quinn nodded.

Olivia got nervous. "Okay, yeah, I'm not doing that."

"Yeah that's what I thought," Fitz chuckled.

"Jeez, our friend is not who we thought she was," Harrison said, shaking his finger at her.

"What? Yes I am," Olivia replied.

"Nah, we thought you were a good girl."

"I am very good," Olivia reasoned.

"Yeah, at blowing me," Fitz whispered in her ear.

She opened her mouth in awe, smacking his shoulder with a laugh.

"Oh god, what'd he say?" Abby asked.

"I am _not_ telling you," Olivia said, shaking her head.

Fitz smiled at the camera innocently, like he'd said absolutely nothing at all.

"You two," Quinn said with a laugh.

"So how's the wedding planning going?" Abby asked.

Olivia sighed. "It's going. So far, we've figured out our time frame. Next summer. And a few possible locations. And I got this...big ass binder with the whole checklist in it. And...multiple small drawings from Fitz in the margins from when he gets bored," she began.

Everyone laughed.

"And...we have the budget down, actually. That's...that's it," she said.

"Well that's a good start!" Teagan exclaimed.

"Yeah, Teagan would know. She does lots of engagement shoots. Lots of her customers are not good planners," Huck chuckled.

Olivia gasped. "What?! Teagan, you do?"

She nodded. "I do. Just on the side, it's certainly not a profession. I love photography."

"She's amazing. Don't let her tell you otherwise," Huck said, which made Teagan blush.

Olivia looked at Fitz, who smiled. "So Teagan..." he began.

Teagan laughed. "I wasn't going to say anything because then you feel pressured to ask me, and I don't ever want that."

"Sorry..." Huck said. "She deserves to be hyped up though. People don't know how good she is."

"Teagan, seriously...do you want to?" Olivia asked.

"I'd love to, if you really want me to! I've got a lot more time in the summer for sessions. But you seriously do not need to have me do them. I understand if you want a professional," she nodded.

Fitz shook his head. "We want you."

"We want you," Olivia agreed.

"Well sure! I'll text you after and we can book something," she said.

"Awesome," Fitz nodded.

"Okay. So now we've got our big ass binder, our time frame, our location options, our budget, _and_ an engagement shoot photographer!" Olivia said.

"Nice! Progress," Quinn nodded.

"Oh yeah. It's a process for sure," Olivia replied.

"But she's not going that crazy yet," Fitz said.

"Not _that_ crazy. A little bit though," she said, laughing.

"Make Grant help you," Charlie said.

"Grant's been helping! I said 'let's hire a wedding planner' and she said no," he teased.

That got a good chuckle from everyone.

"I'm kidding, I really _have_ been helping her," he said.

"He has," Olivia agreed.

"Well if you need any help, let us know!" Quinn exclaimed.

"Thanks, guys," Olivia and Fitz said.

They talked a little while longer, telling each other how their summer jobs were going, and that they missed each other, of course.

Even Harrison admitted he missed the group. That was certainly something.

But eventually, they all let each other go, assuring they'd have to talk again soon.

"Alright," Fitz sighed, getting off the bed after she hung up. "Pants. Definitely pants."

"Awww," Olivia frowned.

"Baby I'm not cooking you dinner naked," he chuckled, pulling his boxers up.

"Lame," she shrugged, putting on her underwear. "I'm not putting in the effort to find pants, just so you know."

He chuckled, going to his drawer to grab a pair of gym shorts. "I'll leave the shirt off then. Just for you."

"Thank you," she said with a smile, putting her hand over her heart.

He caught up to her and wrapped his arms around her, wearing his shirt. It was so oversized on her and he loved it.

"You're so pretty," he said.

She giggled. "Have you been drinking?"

"A little," he nodded. "Oh! The wine, I'll be back, you go sit. And...do nothing, just sit."

"Yes sir," she nodded, making her way out to the kitchen.

She went to the kitchen and sat on the island, swinging her legs while she waited for him. He eventually brought out their glasses and wine, and poured them both a lot more.

And then he made her some dinner, after her long week.

It was good, too, and she got to watch him cook the whole thing. She was his permanent taste-tester, after all.

"I do the dishes," she claimed, heading to the sink.

"I'll dry," he offered.

"No, no. You sit. You cooked."

He shrugged. "Babe, it's fine. I like doing the dishes."

"I know, you're weird. But sit. Right there on that counter where I sat," she said.

He raised an eyebrow. "Seriously."

"Yes, seriously."

"I don't know. I'm not cute and small, I don't weigh 120 pounds," he said.

"The counter is study enough for a cute, muscular, 180-pound person too," she promised him.

He scoffed. "Babe...186 pounds."

"Okay, get your 186-pound ass on the counter and sit there while I do the dishes," she said, running the hot water.

He sighed, pushing himself up onto the counter.

"So we're gonna be that married couple that argues about who does the dishes...except we'll both be volunteering to do them," he chuckled.

"Hey...people have worse problems than that," she shrugged, loading up the dishwasher first.

"You know what I...really hate though?" he asked.

She smiled. "Laundry."

 _Laundry,"_ he nodded. "Man, I'd rather send...all my clothes to the dry cleaners."

"You have no problem washing cum blankets," she shrugged.

He laughed. "Yeah, but those are easy to fold. Clothes, though. They're annoying to fold."

"Well you _could_ send everything you own to the dry cleaners. That would be pretty funny. Like the time you accidentally sent in a pair of boxers," she said, bursting into laughter.

"Oh man, that was so embarrassing, picking those up," he chuckled. "They're probably like 'what a prick, dry cleans his briefs.'"

She couldn't stop laughing. "That was too good."

"Hey, they had no wrinkles in them though," he winked.

"Oh I remember," she giggled.

He sighed, looking over her shoulder.

"Can I help yet?"

"No," she said, shaking her head.

 _Babe,"_ he whined.

"Don't whine at me Fitzgerald," she said, pointing behind her.

"Don't Fitzgerald me," he shot back.

"I'm always gonna Fitzgerald you," she shrugged.

"I don't get why I can't help if I want to. It will go faster. See, logic," he said.

"Yes, it would go faster. But it also would've gone faster if I helped you make dinner. Which, I didn't, because you told me to sit there and do nothing. So now, you get to sit there and do nothing, too. _See, logic,"_ she said.

"Hmmm," he replied, not fully accepting her response.

"C'mon mister Harvard Law. Aren't you gonna hit me back with someone else?" she teased.

"Nah. That's a fair point," he shrugged.

"Yes. It is," she said with a smile.

"Don't get cocky over there, you," he said, tapping her butt with his foot.

"Why not? I just won an argument against a hot lawyer."

"The only correct thing you just said is that I'm a hot lawyer," he replied.

"What? Nuh-uh, I totally won, you said I had a fair point," she said.

"Yeah that doesn't mean you _won_. That just means I don't have the energy to continue it," he replied.

"How come? Did I wear you out before?" she said, turning around and flicking some dish soap bubbles at him.

"Ohhh," he chuckled, shaking his head at her. "I see how it is."

He flicked the bubbles that had hit him in the chest, right back at her.

She scoffed and flicked more back on him. Which, soaked his chest, since she flicked some water at him.

"You didn't..." he said.

"I did," she giggled.

He got off the counter and slung her over his shoulder with ease. "Fitz! I'm trailing water everywhere!"

"Good. At least you're not throwing it at me!" he exclaimed, walking her down the hallway. "Your dishwashing privileges have been suspended."

"Oh like you can stop me," she challenged.

"Oh you think I can't? I'll handcuff you to this bed," he warned, throwing her down on it.

"Oh you will? I'm listening," she giggled.

He paused, standing in front of her.

"Oh, wow I'm listening too," he said with a smile, climbing on top of her. "That sounds fantastic."

"It does," she said, looking up at her as he kneeled above her.

He looked down at her, and leaned in to kiss her lips softly. And then he laid his head down against her chest.

She smiled, knowing he loved it when she held his head, and ran her fingers through his hair.

Such a softie, he was.

"I love you," he said with a sigh. "You're just...you're my best friend, Liv."

She closed her eyes, pressing a kiss to his curly head. "You're my best friend too. And I love you more than anything else."

"I'm glad about that," he whispered.

"I try to tell you lots," she whispered back.

"Me too," he agreed.

He looked down at her. "You smell like dish soap."

She laughed. "Well you did interrupt me washing the dishes."

"That's not true, you were basically done."

"Looks like you really are gonna have to finish them at some point if I'm suspended," she said.

"That's right," he chuckled.

She kissed him, and then snuck out from under Fitz and checked her phone. She saw a message from Teagan asking about when they were free to do a shoot, and when she, herself, was free.

"Hmm...should I just ask Teagan if some time in late July or early August for the engagement shoot works, just so she has an idea? I know we have a few busy weekends coming up. She says she's essentially free every weekend, just never during the weeks."

"Yeah, sure. Just give her a general timeline and we'll narrow it down when we know for sure," Fitz replied.

Olivia nodded, relaying the message to Teagan and thanking her profusely already. She couldn't wait for that.

"Oh! She sent me a link to her website," Olivia said.

"She has a website?" Fitz asked.

"Mhm. It's like...a blog, sort of. Oh...oh wow."

"What...oh wow good or oh wow bad?" Fitz asked.

"Oh wow good...I mean, I obviously trusted Huck when he said she was good. But... _wow."_

"Let me see," Fitz said.

Olivia gave him her phone and he scrolled through some of her prior shoots. Some were engagement shoots. Some were family shoots. Some were just normal couple shoots. And they were all amazing.

"She's amazing. This is just her _hobby?"_ Fitz asked.

"Somehow. She could make it a profession!" Olivia answered.

"Whew. You know, we probably should have looked at her stuff before we asked her to do it in the first place," he chuckled.

"I know, but I didn't even know about it until tonight! And I just got excited because she's our friend," Olivia giggled. "But I don't think we have anything to worry about."

"I certainly don't think so. Wow. We're gonna look good, baby," he said, handing her phone back.

"Hell yes we will," she agreed, laying back down with him.

"I wish we could do it sooner. But we _are_ pretty busy these next couple weekends," he said.

"I know. Hey, how are you feeling, by the way? About next weekend?" she asked.

Next weekend was a very important weekend.

"Uhhh," he chuckled. "It's...I'm alright. I'm good."

"You can tell me how you really feel you know," she said with a smile, lifting his head up.

He nodded and sighed.

"I'm scared."

She gave him a slight smile, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "Me too, if it makes you feel better."

"That makes me feel _worse,"_ he replied.

"Okay, okay, sorry. But...everything's gonna go great, we both know that. Trevor's amazing. The designs he sent us are beautiful," she said encouragingly.

"Yeah, I know, I know. They...are. I know it will look amazing, I'm not worried about that," he replied. "And I'm excited to have it. I'm excited to look at it all the time and think of you when I do."

"Me too!" she exclaimed. "I wonder what my parents will say in a couple weeks..."

He shook his head. "Olivia, you're going to get us both killed, showing up with tattoos."

She laughed. "I don't need to inform them of every decision I make. Plus, they already know about it! They just don't know...we're getting them _next weekend."_

He sighed. " _I_ still don't know if we're getting them next weekend..."

"Fitzgerald, yes we are. No backing out!" she exclaimed.

"I know, I know, I'm kidding. Kind of."

"Sweetheart."

"Yes," he answered.

"I'll be next to you the whole time," she promised.

"I know," he nodded. "What if he does it wrong? What if he messes up?"

"He won't do that, he's a professional. And a very good one at that. You saw all his work, just like I did," she said.

"Right," he sighed.

"Baby if it's stressing you out so much, we...we don't _have_ to do it. We _can_ back out if you're too nervous about it. I understand that and I would never make you do something you didn't want to do," she said.

"No, no, I know," he said, shaking his head. "I'm gonna just have to suck it up. Because I _do_ want it, I really, really do. I'll deal with it."

"You're _absolutely_ sure?" she asked.

"Yeah, I am," he nodded.

"Okay. Remember, no caffeine that morning. You're gonna be jittery as is," she said.

"Don't remind me," he chuckled.

"I just wanna make this as easy for you as possible!" she shrugged.

"Yeah. Maybe they should just knock me out for a while. Surely that will be better for both parties," he said.

She laughed. "Do you want me to go first or do you want to?"

"Whatever you want," he answered.

"Well, baby, I'm not stressing about it. Whatever is best for you, is what we'll do."

"Maybe...I should go first. To get the embarrassment over with."

She laughed. "Okay. Then that's what we'll do."

"Okay," he nodded.

"Okay," she smiled.

He pecked her lips.

And then once more.

"We should have Teagan take a picture of our tattoos next to each other. A nice one, I mean," he said.

"We should! You know we will have to do the same thing on our wedding day, too then," she replied.

"Of course. Bride and groom will be showing off that ink," he smirked.

"Mmmhm," she giggled. "My sweet groom."

She wrapped her arms impossibly tight around him, and they stayed like that for a while. In each other's embrace.

"You wanna look at puppies online yet?" he whispered.

She laughed. "I think _you_ wanna look at puppies online."

"What's wrong with that? I...like puppies."

"Alright then let's look at them," she said.

He got off her and grabbed his laptop on his desk, bringing it over to the bed.

"What should I search for?" he asked, opening the screen.

"Mmm...a dog breed. One you like."

"How about a...German Shepherd or something?" he asked.

"Yeah do that," she nodded.

So he searched for them. Of course, the first thing that showed up was breeders near them. Names of them, ratings, all that good stuff.

She smiled as he scrolled through all the information. He seemed intrigued.

And then he clicked on one of the breeders' websites.

"Babe, I thought we were going for google images here," she giggled.

"Well...these are real puppies though. Not staged for google," he replied.

"Google puppies are real puppies!" she exclaimed.

"No, I know that. But...I can't _get_ google puppies."

She raised her eyebrows. "Oh so we wanna get a puppy now?"

"I never said that," he said innocently.

She smiled. "I think Fitz wants a puppy."

"Fitz never said he wants a puppy."

"But Fitz didn't say he _didn't_ want a puppy," she smirked.

He stumbled. "Well...does Olivia want a puppy?"

She laughed. "Who doesn't want a puppy?"

He smiled, looking back at the screen. And...oh man. This was gonna be bad.

A whole new litter of puppies. Five weeks old. All little, tiny German Shepherds.

Fitz's mouth opened in awe. "Oh my—"

Olivia put her hand up to her mouth. "I seriously might cry. That is the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life."

"Will you judge me if I cry too?" he asked.

"No, not at all," she said, shaking her head. "Oh my gosh, they have pictures of the parents too. They're so happy! I'm gonna...I'm actually gonna cry."

They both examined the picture of all the little puppies in front of their mother and father, both much bigger, and both sitting in front of them proudly. As if to say "we made these!"

It was adorable.

"Oh my gosh...the mom is so sweet," Fitz said, leaning in to read more about her. Her name was Ariel. It showed a brief video of Ariel as a young puppy, herself. As well as her transformation to the strong, beautiful dog she was today, and detailing why she was such a good mother.

And tons of pictures.

They looked through all of it together, both so intrigued.

"That's it, I love Ariel."

"I love Ariel too," Olivia said, admiring her. She really was a beautiful dog, as were the father, and the puppies.

"They're recognized by their collar colors," he said, pointing them out in the picture. "See? Red girl. Red boy. Blue girl."

"Awww. Can we see them all up close?" she asked.

"Let's see..." he said, scrolling through the website. "Yep."

And there were little "portraits" of each puppy.

"Awwww!" she exclaimed, tilting her head on Fitz's shoulder.

"Oh man...they're so cute," he chuckled.

She just looked at them as he scrolled by. Girl, boy, red collar, blue collar, it didn't even matter. They were all adorable.

"Babe..." he whispered.

"What?"

"I want one."

"You're being a hundred percent serious?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"No way!" she said.

"Okay, you're right, I don't know!" he chuckled. "They're just so fluffy!"

"They're soooo fluffy!" she agreed.

"So much fluff," he said again.

"I want one," she said.

"Are _you_ being serious?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Are you really?"

"Yes."

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying!" she said.

"I'm not lying either, I want one," he replied.

"Fitzgerald, look me in the eye and say it again, so I know you're for real," she said.

He looked right at her. "I. Want. That. Fluffy. Dog."

She giggled, kissing his cheek. "I want that fluffy dog too. But which one? There are...eleven of them."

"That's like asking me to pick my favorite child. My favorite...unborn child," he said. "I can't do it."

She laughed, putting her head down on the bed. "You are so strange."

"Okay, fine. It's like asking me to pick my favorite pair of Olivia's underwear. I can't do it, there are so many winners," he shrugged. "That's probably a more relevant example."

"What? No, you totally dig the red, lacy ones the most," she reasoned.

"The thong or the regular ones?" he asked, pointing at her.

"The thong, obviously," she shrugged.

"Yeah. That one's nice. That one's really nice," he nodded.

"Which ones are you wearing now again?" he asked, reaching to lift up her oversized T-shirt to look.

"Okay, baby focus now," she said, smacking his hand away.

"Sorry, sorry," he replied.

She sighed, looking at the computer screen. "We can't just... _decide_ to get a dog in five minutes. We have to...research."

"Okay, then let's research. Right this minute," he agreed, opening up a new tab.

"You're serious?" she asked.

"I _am_ serious. We didn't just decide this in five minutes, we've had this discussion before," he reasoned.

"Yeah, but...not this discussion. Where we actually... _decide,"_ she said with a laugh.

"Well we haven't decided yet. We're researching," he said, scrolling through the articles. "Here. This one's all about German Shepherds."

So they read it. They read a lot more than one, actually.

They read everything they possibly could about German Shepherds, _and_ this specific dog breeder.

But still, Olivia couldn't believe they had done this all in one night.

"We should not be allowed to make this many life decisions in such a short amount of time."

He chuckled. "Oh fuck that, we can do what we want."

"Well, I know. But...we're recently engaged and now trying to plan a _wedding_ , have tattoo plans for next weekend, and now looking at getting a _dog,"_ she replied with a laugh.

"Well yeah, that's because we're fun," he replied.

"I won't deny that. We're both...we're actually serious about this dog, right," she asked again.

"Yes, and it's your fault because you brought up puppies in the first place," he pointed out.

She scoffed. "Yeah and then you're the one asking if we can look at them all night!"

"Well yeah! They're puppies!" he exclaimed.

"I thought you had better self-control, you're right, it _is_ my fault," she giggled.

He opened his mouth in awe. "Oh...don't—don't even...come on! Really? Not the self-control thing again. Leave me alone, woman."

She burst into laughter, laying her head on the bed again. "I'm sorry, I take it back."

"Yeah, _you_ better take it back. You have no room to talk. All it takes is me kissin' on your neck and you're all 'oh, _Fitz_. Oh _yes,'_ " he mimicked, using his best Olivia voice.

She scoffed, smacking his shoulder. "Hey!"

He shrugged, smiling at her. "Facts."

She shrugged back. "Fine then. Next time you're in the mood, it'll be a big fat no from me."

He tilted his head at her. "Oh is that so?"

"Yeah," she nodded contently.

"You really think that's gonna work, huh? You know that it won't," he chuckled, grabbing her sides and laying her down on her back.

"It'll work," she said, looking up at him as he kneeled above her again.

He sighed, shaking his head. "Here we go again. This'll go _just_ how it went at Brett's wedding. You won't be able to stand it any longer, because you'll miss it, and then you'll have to beg me to give it to you."

"What exactly will I be missing and begging for?" she asked.

He leaned down, pressing himself into her core, and touched his lips to her ear. "You know _exactly_ what."

 _Fuck. Stay strong, stay strong._

She smiled back, acting nonchalant.

"Nah. I can do whatever I need to do _myself_. I don't need you or any of your body parts."

He raised his eyebrows at her feistiness. "See...that's something that you're gonna need to prove. And you're definitely gonna have to let me watch."

"Nope," she giggled.

He shrugged. "Alright. That's fine. Just let me know when you want it back. You know it's...all yours," he whispered.

God dammit.

She didn't say anything, for fear she would give her pathetic self away.

"Just like this..." he said, lowering his hand all the way down to her core. "Is all mine."

She kept a straight face, while he traced over it ever so gently through her underwear.

She _did_ succeed in acting normal. Even though she was most _definitely_ pathetic.

And then he took his hand away, and sat up with a smile. "Come on. We're looking at our potential dog."

She took a deep breath and sat up, smiling back at him.

He scrolled through the ratings and reviews of this place again, and shook his head. "Man. It's really well-liked, babe. Everyone's got good things to say. I don't know if they'll even have any puppies unclaimed if it's this popular.

"Well then we just wait. I mean...like I said before, we didn't make any decisions before tonight. We both just succumbed to the cute, fluffiness in a matter of minutes," she replied with a laugh.

"I know but...think about it. Actually think about it. We do want a dog, we've both said that. I'm home a lot in the summer, it would be easier for me to train him or her. We wouldn't have to worry about leaving them at home all day while they're still so young, you know? And...next summer..."

"Next summer, we're getting married."

"Right," he chuckled. "We still _could_ next summer. It might just be a little tougher to work around. We still could during the school year, too. It's just...I worry with our schedules that that won't be good for the dog, especially at first."

"No, you're right, you're right. Maybe it isn't such a bad time now," she said.

"It would...be a good first step," he said quietly.

"First step..." she replied.

"Well, you know...if we had a dog together. That's a good thing. We want...more than a dog together in the future," he hinted.

She smiled. "Yeah, we do."

"So..." he said. "You get what I mean?"

"I do," she nodded.

"And this one is...fluffy. And it will be big. Like you want," he said.

"We didn't even look at any other breeds," she said with a laugh.

"Do you want to?" he asked.

She sighed, biting her lip and looking at the computer screen. "I really like Ariel and her little color-coded puppies."

"Yeah! That's what I'm saying!" he agreed.

"Oh my god," she said, shaking her head. "We might...actually do this."

"I can call tomorrow. If you want. Only if you want," he said.

She nodded. "Yeah. And...if there are still some available...we go for it. If not...then, that's our sign that we should wait."

"Okay," he agreed.

"I can't believe us," she said, shaking her head.

"I can," he chuckled. "We're crazy."

"We are," she nodded. "But...now I'm so excited!"

"Me too!" he agreed.

She laid back on the bed, smiling up at the ceiling.

"Babe," he said.

"Yes?" she answered.

"If we get this dog...we're not living here much longer."

She looked over at him curiously.

"Our dog deserves...a house. I know all those articles said German Shepherds adapt to apartments just fine. But...they're big dogs. They deserve a lot of room. And a big yard to run around in, too."

She nodded, thinking he had a good point.

"Are you...overwhelmed yet?" he asked.

"Not a single bit," she answered.

"You promise?" he asked.

"Promise. We've waited a long time to be free. To be able to do these things together," she replied.

He smiled. "Yeah. We really have."

She sighed. "This is...this is real life. I mean, this is real right now. We're making decisions that will affect our future life. Big decisions."

"Yes," he agreed. "This is real."

"Real is...fun," she said with a smile. "But...also a little scary."

He nodded, grabbing her hand. "It's a little scary for me too. Seriously, it is. Having what I want. _Everything_ that I want, with the person that I want...I never thought I'd get that. I never thought I'd be doing this. But I am. So we can figure it out together. I bet you know more than I know."

She laughed. "Nooo way. You've actually had a house before. You knew how all these things worked...eight years ago, or whatever. Eight years ago...I was obsessing over...my flip phone and Justin Bieber."

He opened his mouth in complete awe.

"You were not."

"I was 13, okay?!" she exclaimed.

"JUSTIN BIEBER?" he asked with a laugh.

"Yes! Stop laughing!" she exclaimed.

"That is the funniest thing I've heard in my entire life," he chuckled, putting his face in his palms.

"Stoppp, stop judging me," she groaned, nudging his arm.

"It was the hair wasn't it? He always had that hair," Fitz said.

"He has good songs now, and he had good songs back then, okay. Don't even try to tell me they weren't great. Whoever says that is lying to themselves out of pride, and I don't trust them," Olivia stated. "The hair was also a plus."

He just continued to laugh his ass off.

"Was he just soooo cute?" he chuckled.

"Yes, he was! Very...small, but very cute. I was 13, okay, come on," she replied.

"Such a high little voice back then," he added.

"Well yeah, he was like...16 or something!" Olivia exclaimed.

"I mean, you _do_ have a thing for cute, older white boys, I get it," he teased. "Always brunette, too. With good hair. Liv, do you have a _type?"_

"Yeah, I do. Weirdos apparently," she shrugged. "And your hair is _not_ that good."

He scoffed. "Did you just insult me twice in a row? _Twice?"_

"I did. I'm sorry about that. I'm regretting that now," she replied.

"That's okay. I'm not the one that was obsessed with Justin Bieber," he teased.

She smacked his arm, but couldn't hold in her laughter as she rested her face on the bed. "Ughhh."

"It's okay, Liv. Don't be embarrassed," he said, tapping her shoulder.

She shook her head against the comforter. "I never should've told you that!"

"Yeah, it took you two whole years to tell me. I'm a little hurt," he said, very sadly.

She smacked the only thing she could make contact with, which was his thigh, given he was kneeling right next to her as she laid there, still laughing.

Man, 13-year-old Olivia was embarrassing.

He laughed, trying to get a rise out of her. "Hey," he said.

"What?" she asked, peeking up at him.

 _When I met ya, girl, my heart went knock knock."_

Her eyes widened at the song he started to sing.

 _Now them butterflies in my stomach won't stop, stop."_

"No—no, no, no stop that. Stop," she giggled.

He laughed. "What's a matter? _Now_ you don't like the Biebs? Come on, I _know_ you know that song. _Your world is my world, and my fight is your fight-"_

She couldn't contain her laughter. "Oh my god, you are actually singing this song right now."

 _My breath is your breath, and your heart..."_

"Don't...don't do it. Don't—"

 _And girl, you're my one love,_

 _my one heart_

 _my one life for sure,_

 _lemme tell you one time_

 _girl I love, girl I love you_

 _I'ma tell you one time_

 _girl I love, girl I love you"_

"What the FUCK—" she exclaimed, bursting into laughter.

"I'm not done yet, shh," he said.

"Oh dear god—"

 _And I'ma be your one guy,_

 _you be my number one girl_

 _always makin' time for you_

 _I'ma tell you one time_

 _Girl I love, girl I love you,_

 _I'ma tell you one time_

 _Girl I love, girl I love youuuu,"_ he sang, clutching his chest and closing his eyes. Very passionate about this song, apparently.

"Fitzgerald Thomas Grant, how in the holy hell do you know all the words to that song?!" she exclaimed.

"Did you like it? It was just for you, this _one time,"_ he replied.

"You didn't answer my _question!"_ she said.

He shrugged.

"So you're sitting here teasing me, and then you proceed to sing an entire Biebs song to me. I think someone's afraid to admit they like him," she said, nudging his thigh.

"I never once said that," he replied.

"And yet you just sang that entire chorus," she said, smirking at him.

"Yeah, how was it?" he asked.

"Well considering you can actually sing, really good. But...your voice is too deep," she giggled.

"Well I'm not a 16-year-old boy," he said.

She just laughed. "I actually can't believe that just happened."

"Yeah, um..." he said, laying down next to her. "Maybe like...don't ever speak of this again."

She giggled. "Why not? That was seriously impressive."

"Well, yeah, obviously," he said, very seriously. "I don't mess around."

"And apparently 30-year-old Fitz listened to Justin Bieber," she giggled.

He smiled, looking up at the ceiling.

 _Lemme tell you one time."_

She laughed into the comforter again. "I actually love you so much."

He looked at her and pointed at her.

 _Girl I love, girl I love youuu."_

"Here," she said, grabbing her phone. She searched for it on her Spotify.

And it started to play.

"Oh, yep. There we go," he nodded, listening to it with her.

She looked over at him and laughed as he nodded his head to the song. Like it was his most favorite in the world.

So she started to join in too, and they ended up singing the entire song at the top of their lungs.

The neighbors probably hated them.

"Oh my god," she giggled, turning the song off when it was over

"Whew!" he exclaimed. "I still got it."

"You still got it," she replied with a laugh.

"So you're more attracted to me now than you were before, right?" he asked.

"Ten times more," she giggled.

"Good, that was my goal," he nodded.

She nudged his arm as she laid next to him and got his attention.

He looked over at her and watched as she leaned in to kiss him.

He didn't hesitate to kiss her back and pull her into his body, but that was all he did.

Nothing else.

She maneuvered herself on top of his body and braced her arms on the bed above his head while she made out with him.

Kissing him and running her hand down his body had him hardening beneath her. She could feel it.

But he just kissed her passionately back, keeping his arms firmly wrapped around her lower back.

Until he rolled them over and started grinding his hips into hers.

Oh no, oh no.

She gasped, opening her legs. Just the contact felt so good. Even through multiple layers of clothing.

"So," he whispered. "You give up already huh?"

"What?" she asked. "Nuh-uh. I'm doing just fine."

"So should I stop?" he asked, kissing her neck. He continued to press himself against her.

"Sure," she whimpered.

 _Please, please, please don't stop._

He stopped. "Okay," he shrugged.

He got up, and kneeled above her. And all she could see was the outline in his shorts.

That was just not fair at all.

She bit her lip, looking at it. And he noticed.

He lowered himself back down towards her, looking at her desperate eyes.

"Please," she begged.

He chuckled, looking down at her with a smile.

"You lasted like an hour."

"Is that really pathetic?" she asked worriedly.

He smiled, pulling her shirt up and over her head, throwing it to the ground.

"If it is, I don't care."

She reached for his shorts and yanked those down, too.

He just pulled her underwear aside and wasted no time.

It was safe to say that at least the _end_ to Olivia's day was amazing.

* * *

Olivia woke up around her normal time, the next day. Fitz, however, was not in the bed.

She rubbed her eyes and looked around the room, listening for any noise in the bathroom, but coming up with nothing.

So she pulled back the covers and got up, wearing nothing but Fitz's shirt and a pair of underwear.

"Baby?" she asked quietly, walking out into the hallway.

And then she heard his voice.

"Really? Oh yes, that...that would be amazing."

She raised an eyebrow.

"For sure, Yep. Okay. Thank you very much! Yep...bye."

She emerged into the kitchen and looked at him questioningly.

"Hey, Liv. Guess what."

"What?" she asked.

"We can go see the puppies _today."_

Her eyes widened. "What?!"

"They have two that aren't claimed. So...we can go in and see them. And then...we can decide, if we're approved. The process is kind of long. She says we can come around eleven."

"Seriously?" she asked with a smile.

"Seriously. We can't...take her home yet. They need to be eight weeks before they can go home with their families. But she said it will be good for us to go and...interact with her, if everything's good to go."

"Her?" Olivia asked.

"Mhm. The two that are left are girls," he said.

"Oh okay. Is that cool with you?" she asked.

"Yeah, completely. You?"

Olivia nodded. "Oh my god...I can't believe this is happening. Fitz! Oh my god!"

"I know!" he exclaimed. "We...we have to puppy-proof the apartment. Oh god, we have to do a lot of things."

"Yeah...this was...not expected," she agreed.

"But we're gonna do it," he said with a smile.

"Hell yeah, we're gonna do it."

So, they did.

After much excitement, they finally drove out to the breeders', in a town called Thompson. It was over an hour drive, but it felt like even longer because they were excited.

When they got there, there were also a couple other people walking in too. It was a nice property, they could already see.

They had absolutely zero clue where to go, but they followed two other women that were there together.

And then they saw them. All the little puppies. Having what looked like play time.

There were huge kennels outside with lots of space for each and every puppy.

And man...those puppies were adorable.

"Oh my god," Olivia whispered to Fitz.

"Fluff," he whispered back.

"Hi!" A woman greeted. And all the puppies followed her, in the little fenced in area.

"Hey!" Fitz greeted, as did Olivia. The two women waved as well.

"Nice to see you again, Nikky, Becca," the woman said, greeting the other two women.

"And you must be Fitz," she said, pointing to him.

"Yep, that's me. Nice to meet you," he said, reaching over and shaking her hand.

"And this is my fiancée, Olivia," he said.

"Hi, nice to meet you both, I'm Deb."

"Nikky, Becca, you can come on in. Just remember the hand sanitizer," she said, pointing to it. "Little Buster is...hmm, where are you? Oh—there he is."

Fitz and Olivia smiled at "Buster". Who, based on the puppy that Deb was pointing to, was "green boy."

"Now you two are here to look at my girls," she said.

"We are," Olivia replied.

"Alright. Well I'm just gonna have you come on back to the barn with me and we can talk first," she said.

There were three other people in the fenced in area with the puppies, whom Deb left them with. Olivia didn't want to leave the puppies but...Deb _was_ the boss.

So they went and had a little chat with Deb.

And it was quite a process, like Fitz had warned. They had to answer a lot of questions. It was essentially, an interview. To see how they lived. If they could afford a dog. If they had the lifestyle for it.

But, Olivia appreciated that. She certainly didn't want breeders giving their dogs away to people who couldn't properly care for them, and give them a good home.

Then, Deb went through absolutely everything about the breed in general, giving them multiple packets and resources to go to online, if they ever had questions. She was very thorough in everything she discussed with them.

She went over veterinary records with both the mother and father of the litter, as well as all of the puppies. Which, included what all of the dogs had been tested for. All dogs were perfectly healthy.

She showed them the breeding registration papers for both the puppies and the parents, as well, which they appreciated greatly.

She had been breeding for almost fifteen years, and happily gave them all of her references from previous puppy buyers that she'd had in the past, detailing how happy they were with their dog now. How well taken care of they are with Deb when they're newborns.

Which they already knew all about, from their thorough research.

She also explained that if there were any reason that they couldn't take care of their dog, that she would take the dog back, guaranteed. That she wouldn't think twice, if it meant giving the dog the home that it needed.

The only thing Olivia could think of the entire time, was there's no way in _hell_ they'd ever take their dog back, because the second they got her, she knew she'd love her forever.

But she knew that's what breeders did. That they were extremely protective of their dogs, and only wanted what was best for them.

So, after a nice long interview on both sides, Deb gave them permission to go meet the puppies. Which was a good sign, and meant that likely they had the approval from Deb already, and just needed everything approved financially online.

They used hand sanitizer and were allowed to go into the fenced-in area, all the little puppies crowding around them.

"Ohhhh my goodness," Olivia said, bending down to pet them. "Hi, you! How are you! Oh—oh, yes, I will give you attention too."

Fitz chuckled, sitting down next to her. The second he sat down, three puppies climbed on his lap. "Oh, well hello there! Hi! What's your name?"

"That one, right there with the purple collar. That's Lily...I believe. The two red ones are Roxy and Cooper, I can't tell which one is which, from here," Deb said.

"So they already have names? From...their future families?" Fitz asked.

"Yes. We try to start using their names as soon as the family picks them. It helps them learn," Deb answered. "The only ones without names, the ones you two would be able to choose from, are orange girl, over there, and...blue girl, right there in between you."

They both looked between them, seeing a happy puppy, looking at both of them back and forth. Almost as if trying to get both of their attention.

"Well hello there, blue girl," Olivia said, petting her head.

"You are very beautiful," Fitz nodded, petting her too. The now _four_ puppies in his lap got jealous, vying for his attention.

Orange girl, the other available puppy, seemed content to play with the other puppies.

But blue girl...she just sat there in between them. Something about her just seemed to fit, right away.

Olivia smiled at Fitz. "I think...I think she's it."

"Blue girl," he nodded.

"She's always a happy camper. She loves attention, as most puppies do," Deb said.

"She's adorable," Olivia said, scratching behind her ears.

"Hi," Fitz said, leaning his head down by her.

She licked his face. "Oh thank you very much," he chuckled.

Eventually the puppies spread out a little more, and a few other people showed up as well. All of them, already having their puppies picked out. But blue girl stayed with them the whole time, seeming fascinated with Olivia and Fitz.

Deb assured them that once it was confirmed, they could visit their puppy whenever they wanted if they checked in with her first. That it was good for them to imprint on their puppy at such a young age, and interact with her.

They stayed with little blue girl for an hour. Getting to know her a little bit, and at least wanting her to get familiar with them if everything did work out. Which, they were confident it would.

Then, they got to meet both the mother and father of the litter. The father, Beau, was very protective of Ariel, the mother. They were both beautiful dogs, and pretty large. So it was a pretty good indication that these puppies would grow to be quite large too.

Olivia was all for that.

They loved Ariel even more after they got to meet her.

And after the tour of the whole place, getting to see both their outdoor kennels, which were huge, as well as their indoor kennels, they finally left.

Deb assured them she'd give them a call to chat more in a couple days, to give them more details about the whole process.

So, until then, they just had to wait.

The rest of that entire day was a happy day.

In the midst of wedding planning.

Getting tattoos next weekend.

Hopefully getting a puppy.

All of that, and they couldn't be happier.

Whether it was making big, life-altering decisions in one night, or singing "One Time" by Justin Bieber at the top of their lungs, they were having the best time of their lives.

And that was still just the beginning of all their crazy adventures.

* * *

Another long chapter alert! Whew! So many words...

I write SO many words.

I hope you liked this.

So many big things happening for them. Yay.

And who doesn't like puppies?

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	79. Inked

"You ready?" she asked, as they looked up at the tattoo storefront.

"Ready," he nodded.

"Are you sure, baby?" she asked.

"So sure. Let's do this," he nodded, giving her half a smile.

"Let's do this," she agreed, both walking hand in hand.

They got all checked in, and had to fill out all the paperwork they were told about beforehand. Which was easy, it just took some time.

Then, they were brought to the back where all the work was done. This particular parlor had separate rooms, which Olivia was thankful for. Mostly for Fitz's sake.

They'd been there before, and they'd already met Trevor, their artist. They'd talked to him about the design that they wanted, and he spruced it up a little bit too.

The designs he'd drawn up were absolutely _beautiful._ Olivia was very excited, and she knew Fitz was too.

But he was also nervous. She knew that, just by the look on his face, and his body language.

He had been quiet, the whole drive. His face was pale, and right now, she watched his hands shake slightly. He was very clearly trying to hide it, and act normal.

He had a content look plastered on his face, but she knew him well enough to know it wasn't genuine.

He held his hands steady against his lap, trying to hide the fact that they were shaking.

"Baby," she said, getting his attention.

"Hmm?" he replied, looking over at her.

"How're you doing?" she asked.

"Oh...I'm great, Liv. I'm feeling good," he responded with a nod.

"Fitz, you can tell me the truth," she said.

"I know. I am," he said back. "I'm excited."

"Okay..." she replied, giving him a sympathetic look.

This whole fear of needles thing, she was well aware of. She knew he didn't like them and she knew they made him nervous.

And they made her a little nervous, too. Who _loved_ needles? Probably not many people.

But she didn't have a fear of them that dated back to her childhood years. So she didn't quite understand how he felt.

And she'd never seen this fear before. She'd never seen him in a situation that actually _involved_ needles. So, this being the very first time...would be interesting.

A few knocks on the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Hey you two. Good to see you again," Trevor greeted.

"Hey, Trevor," Olivia said.

"Hey," Fitz echoed.

"How we feeling today? Are we ready?" Trevor asked.

"I think we are," Olivia nodded, looking over at Fitz.

"Oh yeah," Fitz nodded.

"Awesome. Alright, Alexandra tells me all your paperwork is set, so we can get right into it. The stencils are already made, too. Are either of you nervous?" Trevor asked calmly.

Olivia looked at Fitz, who chuckled. "A little bit."

"Fear of needles," Olivia explained.

"You or him?" Trevor asked.

"Him."

"On, no worries. Surprisingly we do get a lot of that. I'll show you exactly what I'm doing and how I'm doing it, there won't be _any_ surprises. Do you want to go first then?"

"Yeah," Fitz nodded.

"Alright, I'll just have you sit down here," Trevor said, patting the big chair. It was similar to a dental chair.

Fitz sat down, fiddling with his hands.

"Can I sit next to him? Is that okay?" Olivia asked.

"Of course. I'll just pull up this chair for you," Trevor said, sliding a stool over to his left side. "You both want it on your right wrists, so I'm gonna have you over here on his left side."

"Perfect, thank you," Olivia nodded.

"Mhm. Alright, Fitz. What I'm going to do first is prep the area. I'll clean it up and remove the hair there so nothing gets in the way. Makes it easier on both of us."

"Okay," Fitz nodded, watching him put on gloves.

He cleaned his right wrist with rubbing alcohol and then grabbed a new disposable razor, and started to shave the area on his wrist where the tattoo would go.

"Lookin' good," she whispered, poking his arm. She was just trying to relieve the stress. She wasn't sure it worked.

He smiled back slightly, watching Trevor dispose of the razor.

"Alright. I'm just going to grab the stencil now. It goes onto this thermal paper, which will transfer it onto your skin for me to trace."

"Right," Fitz nodded.

"And while that's getting set up, I'll put the ink caps in here. This is the tattoo machine itself. You guys are making it easy on me today, we're just using black," he said, giving Fitz a smile as he put the ink caps in.

But all Fitz was looking at was the tip of the machine. The thin, sharp tip.

"You okay?" Trevor asked.

"Yeah, um. Just—where's your bathroom?" Fitz asked.

"Uhhh, first door on your left out there," Trevor replied.

"Okay. I'm just gonna...I'll be right back," Fitz said, getting up.

Olivia got off her stool and walked to the doorway, watching him turn right into the single bathroom.

And throw up.

She put her hands up to her mouth in surprise. "Oh—oh. He just—"

"Yeah. I heard," Trevor winced. "That happens. It's alright."

Olivia turned back around and winced at Trevor. "He _really_ doesn't like needles."

"I gathered," Trevor chuckled.

She heard him cough a little bit, and then the sink water running to wash out his mouth, she assumed.

And then he came back with a smile on his face, acting as if nothing happened.

"Alright, I'm good to go," Fitz said.

Olivia sat back down with him, grabbing his hand. "Baby."

"What?"

"Are you _sure_ you're okay to do this?" she asked.

"Yeah! I'm ready," he nodded.

She sighed, squeezing his hand. "You make me nervous, sometimes, you know that?"

"Why? I'm good, I'm really good."

"You feel better now?" Trevor asked, coming to disinfect his wrist again after all that.

"Yes," Fitz answered.

"Alright. If you feel like that's going to happen again during the process, you need to let me know, okay?" Trevor asked.

Fitz's cheeks flushed and he nodded. "Okay."

"Good man. Okay. Stencil's ready. I'm just going to transfer this onto your wrist now, the water will do all the work there."

Olivia and Fitz watched intently as he held the stencil there, and lifted it up. And there it was on his skin.

A purpleish, blackish design. An infinity sign with Olivia's name written right into it. Her name was in a beautiful font, cursive of some sorts.

"Wow," Fitz said looking down on it. "That's it now, right? I'm done?"

They all laughed. "Not yet, I'm afraid," Trevor chuckled.

"Worth a shot," Fitz said with a laugh.

"It looks good? Just how you want it, and right size?" Trevor asked to confirm. "Don't hesitate to tell me if you want something changed."

"No, yeah, it looks _great,"_ Fitz nodded.

"Very beautiful," Olivia agreed.

"Perfect. Okay, this ointment that I'm using will help keep the transfer on for as long as possible, and it will help the needle slide smoothly along your skin," Trevor explained

"Oh...goody," Fitz replied.

Even Olivia winced at that. Oh jeez.

"Okay," Trevor said, finishing up. "You ready. You good?"

"Yeah," Fitz nodded.

"Alright. Here we go," Trevor said, getting his machine ready, and switching into a different pair of gloves. "I'll start with the linework, and then I'll fill it in."

Fitz nodded, looking at the handheld machine nervously.

His chest rose and fell faster as he watched it near his skin.

And then it was happening. He was getting a tattoo.

"You'll feel that sting for a little bit, and then it will start to subside. You'll get used to it," Trevor said, through the mask he wore.

"Okay," Fitz said, watching it carefully.

"You're okay," Olivia said, squeezing his hand.

He squeezed back in response. She watched the needle go slightly into his skin, and it was...kind of gross. She agreed.

He looked away and met her eyes with his fear-filled ones.

"You're doing it!" she said with a smile.

"Yeah," he nodded, squeezing his eyes shut.

"You okay? You don't think you're going to throw up again, right?" she asked.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I just don't think I want to watch."

"That's okay, you don't have to. How's it feel?" she asked.

"It hurts a little," he nodded.

"Just a little?" she asked.

"Mhm. Stings."

"You're gonna have to hold my hand then, too, when I get mine. I don't like things that hurt," she said with a smile.

"And I don't like needles. Yet here we both are. Doing something that involves both" he chuckled.

She smiled, bringing his hand up to kiss it. "Well what would life be without a little risk, huh?"

He smiled, squeezing her hand. "Boring. Vomit free, maybe. But boring."

"Exactly," she giggled.

His hand was still shaking a little bit. At least his left one was. His right one seemed to be okay for the most part. Trevor had it pinned down pretty good, so that was likely why.

"You...wanna sing some Justin Bieber to me?" she asked.

His cheeks grew pink. "No."

"J Biebs, huh?" Trevor asked.

"Uhhh," Fitz chuckled, shaking his head.

Olivia looked at Trevor very seriously. "He's a big Bieber fan."

Fitz shot her a look. "I really thought we would never speak of this again."

Olivia laughed, just trying to do anything to distract him.

"I never agreed to that. In fact, I'm still impressed by it so I feel like more people should be aware of your talent."

"And what talent is this?" Trevor asked.

"Nothing at all. I'm not talented," Fitz said quickly.

Olivia laughed. "Yes, he is. Well, first of all, he's a great singer. He has an amazing voice. And I just recently discovered he knows all of the lyrics to one of Justin Bieber's songs."

 _"Nicceeeee,"_ Trevor chuckled.

Fitz shook his head and laughed at Olivia. "I'm probably never going to live that one down."

"I loved it," Olivia shrugged.

"Hey, man. Don't question it. If she loves it, who cares," Trevor chuckled.

"Yeah, very true," he Fitz nodded with a laugh.

He looked back at the needle briefly and then looked away again, back at his lap.

She tried to think of something else to distract him with. And she easily came up with something.

"You wanna look at pictures of her?" she asked.

His face immediately broke into a contagious grin. "Yes."

Olivia pulled out her phone, starting to search through her camera roll.

"Daughter?" Trevor asked, not looking up from Fitz's wrist.

"Sorta," Olivia giggled. "Our puppy."

"Oh, very cute. What's her name?" he asked.

"Well...we don't know yet. We're still working on that. We don't actually have her yet. We get her in two weeks."

"Oh! What breed?" Trevor asked.

"German Shepherd."

"They're beautiful dogs. Very good with people. My sister has one," Trevor replied.

"Oh cool, yeah. We're excited," Fitz said, looking at Olivia.

"My girlfriend and I have a black lab. Her name's Diva," Trevor chuckled. "She's our little Diva."

"That's so cute!" Olivia replied.

"Yeah. We wanted something unique."

"We kind of do too," Olivia nodded.

"We kind of like Nala," Fitz replied.

"I like that name. That's like...that's like Nala from Lion King," Trevor said.

"Yeah. I don't know, we're not sure," Fitz said.

"We have to decide soon so we can tell Deb," Olivia said with a laugh.

"I'm guessing you went with a breeder if it's a German Shepherd," Trevor said.

"Yeah," Fitz nodded. "We've gone to see her twice already since we were assured she was ours. Which was only...four days ago."

Trevor laughed. "That's good! For both you guys and the puppy."

"Yeah. Also good to see Ariel. She's so sweet. She's the mother," Olivia explained.

"Ariel. See, I like that. It's a name you don't hear much, especially for a dog," Trevor pointed out.

"I like it too," Olivia agreed.

"Yeah. Maybe..." Fitz began.

"What?" Olivia asked.

"Well, I was just going to say. Maybe we should name our puppy after her. Something like 'Ariel'," Fitz said.

Olivia smiled. "That's a sweet idea. Like what?"

"Hmm...I don't know...Arie?" Fitz questioned.

"Like...Ariana Grande?" Trevor asked.

"Yeah," Fitz chuckled. "Except...not."

"That's adorable," Olivia said.

"How do we spell it? With an 'e' at the end?" she asked.

"Yeah. A-r-i-e," he suggested.

She smiled. "That's so cute."

"We could if you want?" Fitz suggested.

"I feel very important to be witnessing this conversation," Trevor said, which made them laugh.

"It's good because it's distracting me," Fitz said.

"I actually like that a lot," Olivia said. "That's a good idea!"

"I like it too!" Fitz said.

"I agree," Trevor nodded. "You know, if that means anything."

Olivia laughed. "Of course it does. We have three out of three yeses."

She showed Fitz her phone. A picture of their puppy. Little blue girl. "What do you think. Is she an Arie?"

Fitz smiled just at the sight of her. "I think she is."

"She totally is," Olivia agreed, swiping through all her pictures of her and showing Fitz.

Trevor stopped what he was doing and looked up at the phone. "Oh man, she's cute."

"Isn't she?!" Olivia replied.

"She's been growing and changing every time we see her. I feel like she looked different yesterday than she did last weekend," Fitz chuckled.

"Yeah. Cherish it when they're young and little. It doesn't last too long!" Trevor said.

They looked at all the pictures Olivia had on her phone, all from Deb's website.

When she was a few weeks old. Just over a month. Almost two months. She was different in every single picture. Older, bigger. But she was adorable in every one.

"Should I email Deb? About her name?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah. Might as well do it as soon as we can," Fitz replied.

"Kay," she nodded, pulling up her email. "Arie Grant it is."

"Arie Grant," Fitz chuckled. "I love it."

She sent Deb the email and watched as Fitz's tattoo got closer and closer to being done.

They took one break after he finished linework, and then started to fill it in.

For the most part, Fitz didn't watch. He talked to Olivia, or he just looked away. Which she understood. He never let go of her hand either. And by now her hand actually kind of hurt.

He was strong. And when he was scared, it was a whole other story.

But he did calm down. By the time Trevor finished, he was surprised that it was actually done. And the smile that he always had on his face was back.

"Congratulations Fitz. Your first tattoo. And probably only one?" Trevor chuckled.

"That remains in question," Fitz answered.

"Nice! Well if you do ever want another one...I'd love for you to come back and see me."

"Perfect," Fitz nodded.

"And if this one needs any touch-up as well, feel free to call me and I will," he added, to which Fitz nodded.

"Alright, I'm going to clean it up a little bit. You're bleeding some, I'm sure you can see. But that's totally normal, don't worry about that. I'll get it wrapped up for you and we'll go over how to care for it before I start on Olivia's."

"Okay," Fitz said.

"Everybody's different, you have to remember. Tattoos affect everyone differently. So it may bruise, it may not. It might be sore for a couple days as well. Are you both right-handed?"

"She is, I actually am not," Fitz replied.

"Oh okay. Well it might be a bit tougher for you then Olivia, doing everyday things. You'll have to be extra careful. Try to use your left hand as much as you can, just to let it heal."

"Got it," Olivia nodded.

"It will seep for a few days, that's completely normal. That means it's healing. So if you wrap it again tonight, which I'll go over with you, you'll likely wake up with a lot of ink on the wrappings. Blood too."

Olivia made an "ew" face.

"I know, it seems gross," Trevor laughed. "But that's a good sign."

Fitz nodded. "So how long do I keep this wrapping on?"

"Keep it on a few hours. I'd say by the time we're done with Olivia, you can keep it on about an hour longer. Olivia, take yours off about two hours after he does."

Olivia nodded.

"Did you guys buy any ointments?" he asked.

"Yeah, we got aquaphor, we read that that was good for new tattoos," Olivia said.

"Yep, that will do perfectly. I just put something very similar on Fitz's wrist before I wrapped it. So what you'll wanna do is when you take the wrappings off, wash it with warm water and _plain_ soap. No fragrances in there."

"Okay, we have that," Fitz nodded.

"Good. And just use your hand, make sure it's a _clean_ hand. No washcloths. Let it air dry completely, no towels. Then put some of that Aquaphor on there just like I just did. Do that a couple times a day for the first two days. Then you can switch to a regular, fragrance-free lotion. Wrap them tonight and tomorrow night, just so it doesn't get on your sheets, but after that, keep it unwrapped at night. Wear old clothes, ones you don't care about possibly getting ink on. Short sleeves will be good in your guys' case."

"Got it," Fitz nodded.

This was a lot of information.

"After a while, it will start to flake. Don't scratch at it, just let it do its thing. It's completely normal, even if it seems odd. Two to four weeks is the normal healing time period, but I would guess closer to two weeks for you two, because the tattoos aren't overly large."

"Okay. And you're not supposed to soak it or anything right?" Olivia asked.

"Right. Showers only, no baths. No swimming or anything like that for a couple weeks. I'll give you this all on information sheets after this, too. You don't have to remember it all off the top of your head," he chuckled.

"Well it sounds pretty self-explanatory for the most part," Fitz shrugged.

"Yeah, it won't be too bad. So Olivia, why don't you have a seat. I have your stencil all set up, I just need to get the machine ready again."

Olivia nodded, taking Fitz's spot.

He had to repeat the same process with Olivia. Clean her wrist, remove any body hair there, use new, clean ink caps and a new needle.

"She did start to get nervous as soon as he applied the stencil on her skin.

"Look good?" he asked.

"Looks good," she nodded, smiling at the same design on her skin as Fitz had. Just with his name in it.

"Alright. We're gonna do some ointment here," he said, spreading it on. "Just like we did for Fitz."

She squeezed Fitz's hand, watching in anticipation as Trevor changed his gloves again and got the machine ready.

"It's not so bad," Fitz whispered, squeezing her hand back.

She took a deep breath and watched as Trevor held her hand down slightly and prepared. "Ready?"

"Yeah."

And then he started.

She winced at the first contact it made with her skin. It was a deep sting, and it kind of ached.

Fitz said it was a little bit of a sting, but to her, it felt like someone was _cutting_ her. Ouch.

"You good?" Fitz asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "It just hurts."

"Remember, it'll get better. The first minute is usually the most painful," Trevor said.

"It does get better," Fitz nodded.

And it did.

She just looked at Fitz the whole time. She didn't want to look at the needle either.

And he just smiled back at her, holding her hand with his left hand, just to be careful of his newly aquired tattoo.

"Your hand's sweaty," she whispered, leaning back against the chair.

"Or is _your_ hand sweaty?" he whispered back, putting his face by hers.

"Hmmm..." she giggled.

She tapped her lips, showing him she wanted a kiss.

He leaned in and pecked them gently. "How's it feel?"

"It's okay now," she said.

"Good."

He kissed her hand a few times, not looking at her wrist currently being tattooed either. He didn't want to see.

So he looked at her.

The whole time.

Olivia got a break too, after the initial outlining was done. They cruised through the second part with ease. And before they knew it, she was done, too.

He cleaned up her wrist and wrapped it, as he had done with Fitz. He went over care instructions again and gave them both instruction sheets to take home.

Olivia tipped him well, because he had been so patient and helpful.

"Wow," Fitz said, as soon as they stepped outside.

"We are officially inked," Olivia replied.

"Thanks, baby," he said, pulling her in for a kiss.

"For what?" she asked, as he led her to his car.

"Well you just bought us the tattoos we've been talking about for a year," he said, smiling at her.

"Oh," she giggled. "Yes. You're welcome. It's the least I could do. You pay for too much."

"Well I just have more of an ability to do that right now."

She sighed, nodding in agreement. "Yeah. I just…" she began.

They'd had this conversation before. It always left her feeling a little upset, and she didn't want to push that right now.

"Yeah," she finished. "I'm gonna get a job during this school year though. To save up for some things."

He looked over at her in confusion. "Baby you don't need to do that," he said.

"Yes I do. I want to," she shrugged, as they got in the car.

"What are you saving up for?" he asked.

"My student loans. Because that's my responsibility," she said.

"You know..." he began.

But she didn't let him finish.

"I know. But...it's _my_ education. My parents paid for a lot of it, and I appreciate that so much. And now the rest is on me," she said.

He'd brought up just taking care of all of them at once for her. But she didn't want that.

He nodded. "Alright. I admire you for that, you know."

"That just feels like the right thing."

"What else then, besides your loans?"

She looked down at her lap, smiling to herself a little bit. "Your wedding ring."

He looked over at her as he drove. "What?"

"What?" she asked.

"Livvie," he said with a smile. "That's so sweet of you. But—"

"Nuh-uh. I don't wanna hear any of what you're about to say," she said.

"But—"

"Nope. Nope, nope, nope. I'm buying my baby's wedding ring, and that's that. And it's gonna be nice. The best one, because that's what he deserves. And I'm gonna have it engraved," she stated.

He raised his eyebrows at all that. "Engraved?"

"Yeah. Engraved."

"What will it say?" he asked.

"Forever your favorite. Right on the inside."

He looked over at her, mouth open in awe.

"Baby, that's...you really don't have to do that."

"I want to," she shrugged. "It might take...you know, a Starbucks barista job all school year to get me there, along with all the money from this summer, but I'm still gonna do it."

He laughed. "You are being so serious right now, aren't you?"

"Yes! Do you see this rock? Right here?" she asked, putting her engagement ring in his line of vision.

"Hell yeah I do," he nodded.

"Well this is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. So...I want yours to be...just as beautiful," she replied. "And I want to buy it for you, just like I know a lot of other women do for their fiancés too. I'm no different than them."

"Oh Olivia I know you're not, in most ways. But there are a couple ways that you are different, and one of them is that you're very young, much more so than most brides these days. You've got the best work ethic I've ever seen and you're already more successful than any other senior in college I know. But that doesn't change the fact that you're still 21 and it would be downright impossible for you to be as financially stable as some other 35-year-old woman."

"Yeah, I know," she nodded. "But I'm still doing it."

He nodded back. "Thank you, Liv."

"You're welcome," she said. "And I got you that there tattoo. That made you throw up. So overall I'm really feeling accomplished."

"You should," he chuckled. "The only times I've thrown up in the past...probably six years, have been when you got me sick, and this tattoo."

"Ah good. I'm two for two," she said, shaking her head.

"You certainly are," he agreed.

"I'm just really glad you didn't pass out. That would have been a whole lot of man falling over," she said.

"Yeah. Thankfully the last time that happened to me was when I was like 15, I think. Got way too dehydrated outside," he chuckled.

"Yeah and I'm willing to bet you weren't wearing sunscreen, either," she said.

"I never wore sunscreen when I was a kid. I just got tanner each time I was outside," he shrugged. "Now my skin's adapted to this...Arctic place of death."

"Arctic...place...of death," she said, tilting her head. "I've never heard Connecticut described that way," she said with a laugh.

"Well it is! It's cold here."

"You're a _baby_ in the cold," she giggled.

"Yes. I am. I will admit that," he nodded. "The only reason I like it is because you look adorable when you're bundled up."

"So do you!" she said.

"You just like the trapper hat," he said.

"Damn right I do," she nodded.

"I think I should get you one too," he said.

"You should, and we can twin. Just like with our aprons," she giggled.

"Are we that gross couple that does that kinda shit?" he asked.

"Yep," she nodded.

No shame.

"Hm," he shrugged. "I don't care."

"You shouldn't," she agreed. "My friends think we're cute."

"Everyone thinks we're cute," he said.

"You think so?" she giggled.

"Mhm. And we're gonna be even cuter with a dog."

"Arieeee," she said, smiling big. "I don't wanna wait two more weeks!"

"I don't either. I'm so happy about her, Liv."

"Me too. I'm glad we decided to go for it."

"I am too."

They went home and took the necessary cautions with their tattoos, as Trevor had told them to.

They were definitely sore for both of them, Olivia in particular, it seemed.

But they would heal.

She was just finishing up loading the dishwasher after dinner, using her left hand as much as possible just to keep her right wrist out of the way, when she saw the island. It was full of mail that had come throughout the week.

Some was junk. One letter was a dentist appointment reminder for Fitz. Some were bills.

The bills made her think about their money conversation. So she decided to let him know. To tell him what was on her mind, as she promised she would do when things bothered her.

"Fitz?"

"Yeah, babe," he answered from the living room.

"Can we talk about something?"

"Yeah, what's up?" he asked.

"Well…" she began. "It's just…do you, um. Do you think that I can't help you pay for things? Do you think that because I'm too young?"

He looked over at her from the couch, giving her an odd look.

"Where is this coming from?"

She shrugged. "It's been bothering me. So…I wanted to talk with you about it."

"Um…" he replied, getting up. "Okay. But why is it bothering you?"

"I just want to know why," she replied.

"Why…I pay for this apartment?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Yeah. The apartment. Things in general, I guess. Most things."

"I don't pay for _most_ things. You buy us dinner. You buy groceries sometimes. You just paid for today, too," he said, leaning on the barstool.

"That's nothing compared to what you pay for and you know that," she replied. "I've seen what you pay for this place. I see what you pay for your car. I've seen…all the things you pay for."

"Well why would you pay for my car, Olivia," he replied.

"That's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying…you pay for a lot of stuff. And it feels like you don't want me to pay for things because you think I can't."

He shrugged. "You paying for this apartment doesn't make any sense, baby. No 21-year-old would ever choose to live here. You know that. It's not at all fair for you to have to pay that just because I asked you to move in with me."

"Well obviously I know that I can't pay the whole thing. But that doesn't mean I can't help you. At least a little bit," she replied.

"Why, though? You don't need to. You just said today that you were saving up for a few things. And even though I don't necessarily agree with that either, you can take this opportunity to do that," he said.

"I'm going to make enough to save what I need to save. I have a good-paying job and I'll get another one for school. Which is why I still think I could help," she said.

He sighed. "Olivia. You don't need to help right now, okay? You will get to the point where you can. Because you are going to do…great things. I know that, I've _always_ known that. But I'm just trying to _help_ you right now. A lot of people your age are way behind you at this point. I'm just trying to get you even further ahead of the game."

"I don't pay anything right now. I used to pay rent for my apartment with Abby. Obviously I don't pay that anymore. My parents paid off my car two years ago. I literally do not pay for _anything._ And it kind of just…it just makes me feel like you think I don't have to contribute right now because I'm some kid."

He shot her a look. "Olivia. That is not my point at all and you _know_ that."

"I just don't really understand your point though. This place is expensive, yeah. But what happens when we move into a house. And…and we build a cabin. Then what? That's going to be a _lot_ more," she said.

"Well yes, Olivia, but we wouldn't do those things if we didn't have the money for it," he said.

"Yeah. _Your_ money. The money you've had the minute you were born just because your last name is Grant."

He stood up straight, and furrowed his eyebrows at her. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're loaded, Fitz. And you _know_ you are, so you think it's fine for me not to ever pay anything in my life. Which, I appreciate in…a weird kind of way. But at the same time, I don't. It makes me feel like I can't contribute just because I'm young and I don't have all the money that you have. I want to feel like I've earned something, that's why I want to pay off _my_ student loans for _my_ education. Why I want to pay for my _husband's_ wedding ring. Even though you don't agree with that. I'm not going to sit here and deny that my parents don't have money, and that I haven't grown up more blessed than most. Because I have, and I'm thankful for that. But at the same time, not everything has just been given to me on a silver platter. I just want to feel like I've earned something, is all."

"So everything was given to me on a silver platter. That's what you're saying right now," he said.

"Well, yeah Fitz. It was. You're the best man I have ever known, but yeah. And you know that."

"That's just…that is not fair, Olivia," he said, shaking his head.

"Why not? Why is it not fair when you know that that's the truth?" she asked.

"Because it isn't the truth? Have I always been taken care of financially? Yeah. But that doesn't mean I didn't work hard for what I fucking got."

"I _never_ said you didn't work hard," she replied.

"Yeah. You just did, you _just_ said that. Not only did I work hard for shit, I worked hard for shit I didn't even want, Olivia. Shit for my dad, not for me."

"Yeah, you did. And that was your fault."

He looked at her with a hurt look on his face.

"Yeah. It _was_ my fault. But I can't exactly go back and redo that can I? I think you know that just as much as anyone."

She inhaled sharply, knowing he was referring to her past mistakes.

"You're being a dick."

"And you're not?" he asked, putting his arms up in question.

"I'm just trying to tell you why I want to pay for the things I want to pay for."

"And I heard you. But I already told _you_ why I pay for the things I pay for. This shouldn't even be an argument right now, Olivia. This whole thing isn't productive at all."

"Why? Because I'm defending my point of view? You think I should think what you think?"

He sighed, shaking his head. "You're being intentionally difficult right now."

"No I'm not. You tell me you admire me for wanting to pay my student loans myself, and then you say you don't agree with it. Same with the wedding ring. I just don't get how you can understand what I mean and still essentially tell me I shouldn't do it."

"Olivia, I said you should do it. I said that was fine, because I do get it and I do admire you for it. All I'm ever trying to do is help you. All I ever want to do is take care of you, don't you understand that?" he asked.

"That's my entire point of this…dumb argument. I _do_ understand that! I've told you many times that I appreciate your offer. You _know_ that I do. I appreciate and love you for _everything_ you do for me. But there are things I want to do on my own too and I want to be able to take care of _you_ too! I want to look at you and know I can buy you things. Take…take _care_ of you. Not just…not just the other way around," she said sadly, looking at him.

He leaned down against the barstool and sighed. "Baby…"

"What?" she asked.

He shook his head and laughed a little bit. Almost like he couldn't believe she had even said such a thing. "You take better care of me than anyone else _ever_ has. You worry more about me than anyone else ever has. You do things for me that nobody else ever does. It isn't just about money, Olivia."

She looked at him, thinking about what he said.

"You scratch my back in the mornings because you know I think it feels good," he said, looking up at her.

And she listened.

"You massage my hands when we watch TV, and…and you laugh at me because it's a little weird. But you do it anyway because you know I like it."

That got her smiling a little bit.

"You always make sure we have the coffee I like at home. The Starbucks brand. Because I'm picky with my coffee and you know that."

Yeah, that was true.

"You _always_ put my shoes away when I take them off in weird places because you know I'm gonna forget where I took them off. You...you fold my laundry before I even have the chance to sometimes because you know I hate folding laundry with a _passion."_

She giggled quietly.

On the mornings when you have a little more time, you make me breakfast and leave it in the fridge for me for when I wake up. Because you want to compensate for the fact that you don't know how to make that many dinners and breakfast is your specialty."

 _That was also true._

"You buy me Ivy Wok whenever we want takeout, even though the scent of it _still_ makes you sick to your stomach. I just...I just threw up at a tattoo parlor today, because I was afraid. But you sat there and you held my hand and…and showed me pictures of Arie and you made me feel okay."

Her smiled faded, watching him look sadly at her

"When my dad died, you were my shoulder to cry on. _Literally._ You held me, and you told me everything would be okay. That it would always be okay, and that my dad loved me. That he was proud of me. And you were right. About all of it."

She thought back on that day, remembering how sad he had been. How sad she had been _for_ him.

"Every day, you get home from work and you're so tired and so worn out. But it never stops you from spending time with me. It never stops you from hanging on me and loving on me because you knew that I missed you all day."

She just continued to stand there, looking at the floor while he listed off things about her. Things she never even thought to do, but just...did.

"You take the _most_ care of me. Not a single person has ever compared, and nobody ever will. So don't tell me you want to be able to take care of me because…because you feel like you don't already. You _do_. Nobody could love me better, or take care of me better, than you."

She nodded, making her way over to him slowly.

And she hugged him. He slowly reacted, wrapping his arms around her too. And they stood there in an embrace, for a long time.

It was silent for a while, too. Until she spoke up.

"I'm sorry."

"For what," he whispered.

"What I said. About…the silver platter."

He shrugged. "You are right."

"No. I'm not," she replied. "That wasn't fair of me to say."

"Maybe not. But it was still true in some form. I did work hard. But what you said is still true and…I got defensive about it for that reason."

She shook her head. "I just…I just wanted to have a conversation about it. I didn't want it to be an argument and I turned it into one. I didn't…I wasn't trying to. I'm sorry. I'm…sorry. I do not want to fight with you."

"I don't either," he replied.

"I just…I just wanted you to hear me. I wanted you to understand," she said quietly.

"I do understand, baby. I do," he nodded. "I'm proud of you."

"For what?" she asked.

"For…just being you. You're independent and you want to do things yourself. You want to do things for other people," he said.

"You are the same way," she replied.

"I think that's…how this argument came to be," he chuckled.

She nodded. "I understand what you said too. I...know that you are right. I'm not the most financially stable person right now. I would be lying if I said that I was. You are just right."

He sighed. "You're right on some things, and so am I. But we're both wrong too. We're just going about this wrong, I think. We shouldn't be talking about your money and my money. It's our money. We're starting _our_ life together. This is _our_ money. I know it's separate still, and I think that that can be a good thing, too. But in the end, it's still...ours."

She nodded. "Yes."

He looked at her with a slight smile. "You can help me. With the apartment. As long as it's reasonable for _you,_ with what you make at work."

She smiled. "Okay."

"And as long as you know…you're still saving for my wedding ring. Because…that's gonna be, like…the best wedding ring out there," he said very seriously.

She giggled, hugging him tighter. "It _is_ gonna be the best wedding ring out there."

He looked down at her, leaning his forehead against hers. "None of this is gonna stop me from treating you, you know."

She smiled. "You do that too much."

"No," he said, shaking his head. "You deserve to be treated."

"So do you," she nodded.

"You do treat me," he said.

She shot him a look. "Not like I want to be able to. Someday…I want to be able to really treat you. To all your brands that you like. Those…Fitz brands."

"Fitz brands, huh?" he asked, grabbing a hold of her waist.

"Yeah. You know…Calvin Klein," she said, rubbing a hand down his chest. "Michael Kors…Hugo Boss…Ralph Lauren…Armani…"

"You've given me Armani," he said, looking down at her.

"I wanna be able to get you…everything you could ever want."

"I already have that," he said, smiling at her.

"Alright…well, everything you could ever want, and _more,"_ she said, playing with the waistband of his shorts.

He looked down at her left hand, playing around a little bit.

"You know…ten minutes ago you were _calling_ me a dick and now you're almost touching mine."

She winced. "I should not have called you that. I apologize about that."

"I kinda called you one back," he shrugged.

"I deserved it," she said.

"No. You don't deserve that," he said.

"You don't either. You'll have to let me make it up to you later."

"Deal," he said. "You have to kiss me now."

"I have to kiss you now?"

"Yes."

"How come?"

"Because...then I know that you're not upset with me anymore," he said.

She looked at him contently. "I'm not upset with you, baby."

He nodded. "Kiss me."

She stood on her tip toes and planted a nice kiss on his lips. "Do you feel assured now?"

"Yeah."

"Are you upset with me?" she asked.

"No," he said, shaking his head.

"Okay," she nodded, leaning her head back on his chest again.

He sighed. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too. Again."

"You're forgiven," he replied.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

He looked down at her wrist, and put his wrist by hers.

"I can't believe we did this today."

She smiled. "We're inked."

"We _are_ inked," he nodded.

"Sorry mom and dad," she winced.

He nodded. "Eli...Maya...please don't kill me."

She laughed. "They won't kill you. They love you."

"I hope so...because I have their daughter's name written on my body."

She grabbed his arm, looking at his wrist more carefully. Both of their wrists were a little swollen and a little red. Fitz's more so than hers. But the artwork was still beautiful.

"I love that," she whispered.

He grabbed her arm and looked at hers, too. "I've never been so happy to read my name anywhere else."

She smiled. "Me neither."

He let her wrist go and grabbed her hand.

"You wanna watch TV or something?"

She nodded at him.

He led her to their bedroom, so they could watch more comfortably.

"What do you wanna watch?" he asked, turning the TV on.

"Whatever you want," she said, snuggling up to him on the bed.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "That doesn't help me much, pretty girl."

"Sorry," she whispered, closing her eyes against his chest. "I love you, Fitz."

He looked down at her, contently laying against him.

"That came outta nowhere," he chuckled, rubbing a hand over the top of her head.

"Yeah," she whispered. "I just...never want you to forget. Even if I say something stupid that I shouldn't have said."

"Well I hope you know that I love you back," he said.

"I know," she nodded.

"Good. I never want you to forget, either."

"I won't," she promised.

Her phone started vibrating in the front pocket of her jean shorts. And she was pressed up against him, so it made him jump.

He looked down at their bodies pressed together, raising his eyebrows.

"My dear fiancée...you are vibrating."

She giggled, reaching into her pocket to see a text from Abby.

"It's Abby," she said, opening an eye to read it. "Oh...great news!"

"What?" he asked.

"She and David got their apartment this fall. It's official."

"Aw," Fitz said with a smile. "Good for them. I'm happy for them."

"Me too," Olivia said. "Oh...but...oh."

"What? 'Oh but oh' sounds like no good."

"Well...it's just...she says that the lease starts in early October. It's not a University-owned apartment so it's not like our other apartment."

"Why's that so bad?" he asked.

"Well...David's parents are from around here so he can easily stay there until they can move in. But I don't know where _she_ will stay."

"Ask her," Fitz said, scrolling through the Netflix shows.

So she asked her. And was not pleased with the response.

 **Harrison and Huck said their pullout couch is all mine!**

"What?" Fitz asked, looking at Olivia's face.

"Look at this," she said, showing him her screen.

"A couch? She's gonna live on a couch? No."

"That's what I'm saying!" Olivia exclaimed, rapidly texting her back.

Fitz took out his phone and started scrolling through his contacts.

"What are you doing?" Olivia asked.

Fitz put his finger up to her, signaling for her to be quiet.

"Abigail," he greeted.

"Are you seriously—" Olivia began.

"I'm putting you on speaker."

"Oh-okay. Hi. Am I speakerfied?" Abby asked.

Olivia laughed. "Hi, Abby!"

"Hey! How's my favorite couple?"

"Great," Fitz said. "How are you?"

"Good! Really happy about the apartment with David. Did Liv tell you?"

"Uh, yeah. She did. And she also told me where your temporary home would be," Fitz said.

"Yeah...I feel kinda bad, taking up their couch. But...Teagan's got no room at her place and neither does Quinn. I'm certainly not gonna stay with Charlie. And I just...I feel awkward, staying with David's parents for over a month, you know? I feel like...isn't that weird? I don't want to disrespect them. I don't know."

Olivia thought about it. "I don't know...maybe a little bit."

"Plus, I know Huck and Harrison's apartment well. We both do. I'll always love that building. I can bear their couch for a little over a month," Abby said.

Fitz looked at Olivia in thought.

She looked back, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

"You didn't ask... _us,"_ Olivia said.

Abby paused. "Well...I'm not gonna ask you guys! I don't wanna intrude. You guys are like...the adults of our friend group. You realize this right? You both got your shit together and I just...I don't."

"That is so far from the truth I can't even see it anymore," Fitz said.

"Which part?" Abby asked with a laugh.

"You most _definitely_ have your shit together. And you're not staying on a pullout couch," Fitz said.

"You're not staying on a pullout couch," Olivia agreed.

"Why? It will be perfectly fine. Liv, I told you late last year that I didn't know how where I was going to live. That I'd figure shit out on my own. And Huck and Harrison aren't even bad guys to live with. Probably..."

"Abby," Olivia said, looking at Fitz. He nodded at her.

"What?" Abby asked.

"Do you want to stay here?" Olivia asked.

"No. I'm not staying there, I'm not...I don't want to intrude. Seriously you guys. You're...planning a wedding. You're getting a dog. You're _engaged!_ I'm not gonna just barge right in."

Fitz shook his head. "Abby. It's a month. It's not a lifetime," he chuckled.

"I know but still! That isn't...I can't do that," she replied.

"It's really not that big of a deal," Olivia shrugged.

She sighed on the other end.

"We have two other rooms besides ours. You can take your pick. The guest bathroom's yours, too," Fitz said.

"I really just don't...I just don't want to intrude."

"Abby. You aren't!" Olivia said. "I'll get to live with you one last time."

"Oh don't pull that emotional shit on me. That's not fair!" Abby exclaimed.

"Okay. If you really would prefer to stay at Huck and Harrison's, you can stay there. I certainly don't want you to feel _uncomfortable_ staying with us, or something. But...we have so much space, Abby. So if you want to, you can seriously stay here. This place is too big for Fitz and me," Olivia said.

"Plus, we're going to have a dog," Fitz added.

"Yeah. We're going to have a dog," Olivia agreed.

"I don't know," she said, sounding stressed.

"Abby, you're very sweet for being so concerned but it is seriously not a big deal. It's a month," Fitz said.

"Yeah. And plus, who wants to live with two boys? You can live with your best friend and… _one_ boy. And this boy isn't so bad," Olivia added.

"Yeah, he's not so bad," Fitz agreed, shooting a look at Olivia.

She laughed, poking his arm.

"You guys are...for real on this?" Abby asked.

"For real," Olivia nodded. "Offer always stands."

"You guys, I feel so bad being such a burden on everyone just because _I_ can't move into _my_ apartment right away," Abby said.

"Abby you are not a burden. What the hell! I lived with you for two years, I know you," Olivia said.

She sighed. "You're sure?"

"Yes," Olivia and Fitz said.

"Okay…okay. I'll...stay with you guys."

"Yay!" Olivia said.

"I'm sorry about _having_ to stay there but thank you very much," Abby said.

"No apologies. You're always welcome," Fitz replied.

"So…we're gonna all gonna be roomies for a little while?" she asked.

"Mhm," Olivia nodded.

"And there's gonna be a dog!" Abby said.

"Arie," Fitz said with a smile.

"Arie? That's so adorable!" Abby exclaimed. "Like...Ariana Grande?"

Olivia laughed. "Man everyone thinks that! The tattoo artist said the same thing. It's supposed to be a tribute to her mom, Ariel."

"Oh that's so sweet, you guys. Arie," Abby said. "Speaking of. How do the tattoos feel? The pictures you sent make them look painful!"

"They kind of are a little bit," Olivia agreed.

"Yeah, at least right now. We should probably wrap them again soon, like he said," Fitz replied.

"Oh yeah, right," Olivia agreed.

"Well I'll let you guys go then. Thank you... _so_ much again. For letting me stay with you. _Thank you,"_ Abby said.

"You're welcome," Olivia replied.

"No problem," Fitz said.

"Alright I'll talk to you guys soon."

"Okay. Bye!"

"Bye!"

Olivia put her phone on her nightstand, and looked over at Fitz.

"Our apartment just got a little more crowded," he chuckled.

"Yeah," Olivia nodded. "Abby is easy to live with, though. Promise."

"I know, I don't have a problem with it at all. She's our friend."

Olivia smiled. "You and Abby…you two are becoming good friends, aren't you?!"

He shrugged. "Yeah, I'd like to think so. She has always been our number one supporter and…she helped me propose to you. I'll never be able to thank her enough for that. Maybe this will help."

Olivia smiled. "You are so sweet. I'm glad you two get along and are friends. That means a lot to me considering she is…seriously, my best friend."

"Well I like all your friends, Liv. Really, I do. Abby is probably my favorite though, yeah. And I really like David, too. I think they're good together."

"They're great together. So are Huck and Teagan, I think. They fit well. So do Quinn and Charlie. They've had their issues, but…who hasn't," she sighed.

"Yeah," he nodded. "And…Harrison is enjoying the single life," Fitz chuckled.

"Mhm," Olivia nodded. "He dated a couple girls these past years. I always thought he liked having a girlfriend, but apparently not," she said with a laugh.

"He'll figure it out eventually. When he finds the right one," Fitz said. "As soon as he finds her, it'll all fall into place in some shape or form."

"You think so, huh?" Olivia asked, smiling up at him.

"I know so. I thought all was lost, you know. I didn't find the right one until I was 36," he said.

"I know you didn't," she replied, tapping his chest.

"Harrison's just gotta know to never give up," he whispered, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand. "'Cause they're out there. And…sometimes you'll fight with them about stupid stuff. And you'll call them names. And you'll say things you don't mean. But in the end, nothing can ever come between you. 'Cause…they're the one."

"You are so cute, Fitzgerald Grant," she whispered.

He winked at her.

"Ditto."

* * *

Well, with the insane chilliness outside, came this chapter. You can thank my university for canceling classes for two and a half days and giving me tons of time to write and post this chapter fast!

A little ink, a little puppy talk, a little more future plans, a little argument, but some making up too.

Oh...and a little vomit. Lol, poor Fitz.

Hope you enjoyed!

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	80. Arie

"Shhhh," Olivia said, putting her finger up to her mouth.

"I know, I know," he whispered, lifting both their bags into the doorway.

It was late, and they were trying not to disturb her sleeping parents as they entered their house.

She took Monday off, so they could stay a bit longer. But that meant she got off late today, trying to get ahead.

They'd wanted to get here as soon as possible, so they left right after her work, which was around 6:30.

And now, it was almost midnight.

"Okay, lock the door again," she whispered.

He turned the lock and started taking off his sandals with a duffel bag slung around each shoulder.

"Here, baby, I'll take my bag," she offered, reaching out to him.

"No, no it's okay I got it. Let's just get upstairs."

So they made their way upstairs quietly, using Olivia's phone flashlight as their guide.

He put their bags down and they both immediately started getting ready for bed.

"Just come in the bathroom with me," she said, waving him along.

He grabbed his things and followed her, taking slow steps in the hallway to avoid creaking.

They brushed their teeth together and then Fitz watched Olivia wash her face. Quite the process.

He wrapped his arms around her from behind as she lathered the soap on her skin.

She felt his warm body pressed up against her own, as he was shirtless and she was wearing just her bra.

He pressed a few kisses to her shoulder and then rested his chin there.

"What's up," she whispered, looking at him in the mirror with a smile.

"Nothing. I was just looking at you."

"How do I look?" she asked, posing for him. Her face was covered in white, soapy bubbles which was quite the sight.

"Perfect," he whispered with a laugh.

"Thanks!" she whispered, leaning down to start washing it off.

He looked down at her back as she bent over in front of him. That beautiful swimmer's back that she still had.

Muscular. Defined. Smooth.

He ran his hand over her bra strap, and over her skin while she rinsed her face off.

Her waist. Her hips, which were covered by nothing but a little pair of underwear at the moment.

It was all his. Every inch of her beautiful, soft skin. All his.

He pressed himself up against her ass, still feeling her soft skin beneath his hands as he hugged her from behind.

She smiled at him in the mirror, drying her face off with a towel.

"Hi."

"Hi," he whispered.

"You're warm," she said.

"So are you. You done?"

"Mhm. You wanna hand me my shirt over there," she said, looking behind her.

He reached back and took it from the towel bar where she had hung it.

"You know...this is my shirt, not your shirt," he said, handing it to her while she took her bra off. "Or...it _was_ my shirt."

She looked it over in her hands. A grayish, blue T-shirt. And he was right, it was definitely his.

And she smiled. "You want it back?"

"No," he said with a smile. "You look far better in my clothing than I do."

"Hmm...I think that's just because you look so good in nothing," she whispered in his ear.

She put the shirt on over her bare chest, and it fell down to her mid thighs. She smiled at him over her shoulder as she left the bathroom.

He bit his lip and watched her leave. Mm.

He put a shirt on as well, and shut the lights off so he could follow her quietly to her bedroom. Which, was the sole reason they had come this weekend, that bedroom.

Aside from wanting to see her parents and her friends back home, they'd come to officially move her out of her house.

It wasn't like she even had all that much left at home. She could keep all the furniture there. Her room would still be...her room.

But all her clothes would be gone. All her little trinkets and things.

She'd either put some stuff in their storage room downstairs, or she'd pack it along and take it with to her new home in Connecticut.

So, by the end of the weekend, they'd have some more things to put away at their apartment.

He got in bed with her and she shut the lamp off, snuggling up to him in the dark.

"Thanks for driving tonight," she whispered.

"You're welcome," he whispered back, kissing her forehead. "You better get to sleep. I'm sure you're exhausted."

"I am," she sighed, tightening her grip around him.

"I love you."

"I love you," she whispered back.

And so they slept.

* * *

"Livvie?"

The door opened quietly, and footsteps neared her bed.

Olivia tiredly opened an eye at her mother, who looked so happy to see her.

"Mom," she greeted, her voice raspy.

"Hi, baby. It's already past ten, I just wanted to make sure you two were okay in here," she said with a laugh, coming to sit next to her on the bed.

"Past ten?" Olivia asked sleepily, looking at her phone.

Almost 10:15. Jeez.

She looked over at Fitz, who was breathing softly. Absolutely dead to the world.

His right arm was under Olivia, and he was on his back, head turned the other way. Mouth slightly open. Very peaceful and very clearly tired.

She giggled, smiling at him. "We had a late night, getting here."

"I see that," her mother laughed, looking at Fitz. He was completely out cold but still holding onto her daughter as best he could.

"Hi," Olivia said, opening her arms for her mother.

"Hi," she greeted back, leaning down to hug her. "We've missed you here. We're so happy you came home."

"I'm happy too, mom. I've missed you guys," she said, rubbing her eyes.

Maya caught a glimpse of her left hand. Shining so bright.

"Ohhhh, baby!" she said in a hushed whisper, grabbing her hand.

Olivia immediately smiled. "I know. Isn't it beautiful?"

"Sleepyhead here did well," Maya nodded, admiring her engagement ring. "It's even more beautiful in person."

"I know! I really love it so much. I still ogle it every day...for a long time," Olivia said with a laugh.

"I would too," Maya nodded, smiling at her.

And then Maya caught sight of something else.

She stared at Fitz's arm, completely exposed as he was wearing a T-shirt.

She grabbed his hand and lifted it up to look closer at his wrist.

Fitz didn't even move.

"Oh..." Olivia said, scratching her head. "Yeah."

Maya looked at her, and then back at his wrist. "Oh baby, what did you guys do."

Olivia winced and showed her mother her wrist, too.

"Surprise."

Maya's eyes widened, seeing her daughter's skin permanently marked.

She sighed. "You really did that."

"Yes. We really did," Olivia nodded, smiling at her mother.

Maya just looked back at her, raising an eyebrow at her questioningly. "I don't love this, you know."

Olivia bit her lip and nodded. "But...you love _me,"_ she said, leaning into her mother.

Maya shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Sometimes."

"Nooo, _all_ the time. You just said you missed me lots," Olivia said, nudging her mom's arm.

Maya sighed, looking at Fitz's wrist again.

How on earth he hadn't woken up after all this was an anomaly to her. But he looked so peaceful when he slept so she wasn't complaining.

"When did you do this?" Maya asked.

"Two weeks ago," Olivia answered. "That's why they're still not...fully healed."

"Well have they been healing okay? You didn't have any problems? You researched the tattoo place well enough didn't you?"

"Yes, mom. We did, I promise," she replied, answering the rapid-fire questions.

"Okay..." Maya said. "You two are just on a roll with all these decisions lately, aren't you?"

Olivia smiled. "Maybe..."

Maya sighed. "Alright. Well, you get to be the one to tell your father you have ink in your beautiful skin. I'm not touching that subject," Maya said, putting her hands up innocently.

"Well the tattoo makes my skin better, doesn't it? Because it's so beautiful?" she asked with a smile.

Maya laughed quietly. "It is not the worst thing you could have marked up your skin with, I suppose."

"Yeahhhh, seeee," Olivia nodded, rubbing Fitz's arm. "It's for him. 'Cause he's just so cute and I love him." She put her head by Fitz and smiled at her mother.

" _Mm_ hm," Maya nodded, shooting her a look.

"Come onnn," Olivia said, brushing the curly hair out of Fitz's eyes. "Look at his sweet face. See? How could I not get a tattoo for him."

Fitz remained dead to the world.

"Yeah, okay. You see how well that speech works for your dad," she said with a laugh, getting up.

"I'll polish it up a little bit. And leave out the cute part," Olivia agreed.

"Good plan," Maya nodded. "And maybe check to make sure your fiancé is still alive? The fact that he still hasn't moved is slightly worrisome."

Olivia looked over at him, breathing softly and quietly. And she laughed. "Oh he's fine," she said, patting his arm.

"Well come downstairs soon, say hi to your dad. We have breakfast."

"Okay, be down in a sec," she nodded.

Maya nodded and closed the door.

"Oh Fitzgerald," she said, pressing kisses to his neck.

Nothing.

She kissed his ear and made her way up to his face. And she ran her hand down his chest, feeling him up a little bit in certain areas.

Which, definitely did the trick.

"Mmmm," he moaned, wrapping his arm around her body as she kissed him.

She pecked his lips lightly. "Wake up, I miss you."

"Yeah I think I can feel which part of me you miss," he groaned, scooting closer to her.

She smiled, continuing to feel him up. "Hmm...no, see I think it's the other way around because I'm definitely feeling something."

"It's morning, woman, leave me alone," he whispered, hugging her tightly.

She smiled, kissing the side of his face and pulling her hand away.

He moaned disappointedly. "Mmm. Put it back."

"I can't, baby we're already running late, you see," she said, brushing the hair out of his eyes.

"What time is it?" he asked, his voice raspy.

"10:15."

Then his eyes opened. "Huh?"

"Uh-huh," she nodded.

"Oh...shit. Really?"

"Mhm," she replied. "My mom was already in here and everything. And she may have seen your wrist. And then mine."

"Oh," he said, rubbing his face with his hand. "So it's been a great morning so far, then."

She laughed. "She wasn't even really mad. We do, however, have to go tell my dad. Or I have to."

"That sounds like fun," he said, looking up at her.

"Doesn't it?" she teased.

He pulled her hand back towards him and she snuggled into his body again.

"Mmmm," she groaned, closing her eyes again. "I just want sleep."

"For a second I thought you were gonna say 'I just want sex'," he chuckled.

"That too," she nodded.

"Tonight," he whispered," scooting out from under her and kissing her neck.

"Tonight, huh?" she asked.

"Yes. We will have the quietest, slowest sex in the world. As not to alert your parents that we are having said sex."

"How sexy," she whispered, giggling.

"Oh yes. Extremely," he whispered, kissing her lips.

She laughed. "I'm looking forward to it. But for now, we're wanted downstairs."

"Mmkay," he whispered, pecking her lips.

They got up and she put on actual pants and then took off the oversized shirt, replacing it with a sweatshirt.

All while Fitz stood up and...adjusted himself before he had to go out in front of her parents.

"How you doin' over there?" she asked with a laugh.

"Wonderful. I'm gonna use the bathroom quick," he said.

"Kay. I'll wait for you," she replied.

He patted her butt as she opened the door in front of him, which she shot him a smile for.

She waited until he was done and then they headed downstairs together.

They rounded the corner at the bottom of the stairs and entered the kitchen.

"Hey, dad," Olivia greeted, coming over to him at the table.

He turned from his iPad and smiled at her. "Hey, kiddo."

He stood up and pulled her in for a big hug. "How you doing?"

"Great," she said, smiling up at him.

He looked at Fitz and extended his hand.

"Fitz, hi."

"Hey," Fitz replied, shaking his hand. "So good to see you."

"You too. How was the drive? How late did you get here?"

"Almost midnight," Olivia answered, sitting down next to him.

"Ah, that explains why you slept so late. We didn't even hear you come in," he said, sitting back down.

"Good, we tried not to wake you guys," Fitz said, sitting down too.

"Well let's see the ring," Eli said, grabbing his glasses that were clipped on his shirt.

She smiled and put her left hand on the table in front of him.

He admired it and nodded in approval. "Very beautiful," he said, to both Olivia and Fitz.

Fitz smiled proudly back at him.

"I actually have something else to show you. Well, _we_ do," Olivia said.

"What's that?" Eli asked.

"You remember...we were going to do this," Olivia said, putting her right wrist out for him.

He looked down at her wrist and his eyes widened.

"Oh, yes. Wow...that's..." he said, running his hand over the ink on her skin. "That's not coming off. Ever."

"That's kind of the point," she said with a laugh.

"You two don't mess around, do you?" he asked.

Olivia shook her head.

"So you have one too then, I presume?" Eli asked Fitz.

Fitz nodded, putting his wrist out on the table.

"Ah," Eli said, nodding at his. "They are very well done."

"Yes, they are, aren't they?" Olivia said with a smile, looking at her mom.

Maya brought their plates of food over, rolling her eyes at her.

"See, mom. Dad likes them," Olivia nodded.

"Well...I don't know if I would _prefer_ that you had one but it doesn't necessarily upset me," Eli shrugged.

"I'm just glad they are meaningful. Darcy, you know Darcy down the street?" Maya asked.

"Yes. Darcy. Who's married to one-arm," Olivia nodded.

"Yes," Maya nodded "Well-"

"Wait," Fitz said. "One-arm? You just...you call him that?!"

Olivia laughed. "No, no. Oh, that probably sounded bad. He has both his arms. But when he mows the lawn, he does it with one arm."

"Ohh," Fitz said, exhaling. "I really thought you called him that because he had one arm. I was like...that's sad!"

"No," Eli chuckled. "Have you ever seen someone mow the lawn with one arm? It is very strange."

Olivia laughed, putting her head in her hands just thinking about it. "It is so funny, Fitz."

"I'm picturing it now. That does seem weird," he said with a laugh.

"Anyway. Yes, Darcy, who's married to one-arm. Well her daughter got a butterfly tattooed across her chest. _Just because_. That was actually her reason," Maya said. "Darcy said she cried."

"Well, Maybe she likes butterflies, mom!" Olivia shrugged.

"Well, I certainly hope so, at the very _least!_ I would be upset with you if you did that, Olivia. Please don't do that," Maya said, pointing at her. "You either, Fitz."

"Darn," Fitz said, shaking his head. "That was exactly what I wanted to do! Same spot and everything!"

Eli laughed. "I would support it, Fitz."

"Thank you, that means a lot," Fitz nodded.

"I think if you got one on your chest, you would pass out, sweetheart," Olivia said.

"Hey, maybe not," Fitz said.

"Not a big fan of the process?" Maya asked.

Fitz shook his head. "No. Needles...make me sick to my stomach."

"Literally," Olivia agreed, taking a bite of her eggs.

"Do they really?" Maya asked.

Fitz nodded at her.

"He only threw up once, though. Which we are proud of," Olivia said, patting his hand.

"Oh _thank you,"_ he chuckled.

"You were sick? At the parlor?" Eli asked.

"Oh yeah," Fitz said.

"Well, honey, why on earth did you get a tattoo if you are that deathly afraid? You should not be doing something that makes you sick to your stomach out of fear!" Maya exclaimed.

"Because it was for Olivia," he said contently. "We promised."

"I swear. I asked him a million times if he wanted to back out. He made me extremely nervous," Olivia said.

"She did. I wanted it though, I really did," Fitz agreed.

"Oh good gracious," Maya said, putting her hand on her chest.

"I give you props then," Eli nodded, looking at Fitz.

"Thank you," Fitz chuckled. "I should just...get over that. I don't know why I can't."

"Well from the sound of it I don't think you will _ever_ get over that," Maya said worriedly.

"I am the same way with heights," Eli said. "If I am up higher than I want to be, my legs shake. Don't they dear?"

"Yes, they do. That's why we have to hire a service to do our outdoor Christmas lights every year," Maya nodded.

"Mhm," Eli nodded. "I _cannot_ do heights."

"Ah those don't bother me much," Fitz replied.

"Me neither," Olivia agreed. "I don't actually...have one of those fears I don't think."

"Mine's snakes. Ick. Those for sure would make me sick. So gross," Maya said, shivering at the thought.

"Yeah snakes are gross," Fitz agreed.

"I bet this is a fun conversation to have over breakfast," Eli chuckled.

"Very fun," Fitz nodded. "And very good by the way."

"Thank you," Maya said with a smile. "You'll need some food in you two. Lots of packing to do, which I don't think I have accepted yet."

Olivia smiled. "It'll still be my room, mom."

She looked sad. "Yes...I know."

"She's not our baby anymore, honey," Eli said. "She has a ring on her finger. And...a tattoo. And she's getting a dog."

"She's always gonna be our baby I don't know what you're talking about over there," Maya said, giving him a look.

Eli chuckled. "You're right. I take it back."

Olivia smiled, happy to be with her parents. But sad at the conversation. Of course she would always miss them when she was away.

Being on her own and with Fitz in Connecticut was where she wanted to be. But Virginia with her parents would always be her home.

So it was sad when she was packing up her things that weekend. It was sad to put her remaining clothes in bins and load them up in the car. It was sad to put some of her swimming medals and trophies in a box for the storage room.

She kept some up there, just a few, for her parents to see.

By the end of the weekend, her room still looked like her room. But it was definitely more bare.

It still had the dark purple walls that she had chosen as a seven-year-old, when her parents let her redesign her room.

It still had some posters up in the closet, from bands and TV shows she liked.

It still had her old white bed frame, with a matching dresser and nightstand. And her comforter was still a light gray, with a few throw pillows on top.

It was still Olivia's room, and always would be.

But after that weekend, it was official that she would never live at home anymore.

Eli and Maya's baby would never return home to stay for the summer.

The goodbye that weekend was probably one of the worst ones, just because it was sad. But happy too, for Olivia and Fitz's future.

She reminded her parents that it wasn't like she would never come home again. It wasn't like she would never stay with them again.

They, of course, knew that, and told her they hoped to see her again soon.

She assured them they would.

* * *

The next week went by fairly quickly, despite the impending excitement over the dog that would soon be joining them.

They'd gotten everything they needed for her and _more_ at the pet store weeks ago.

Literally, everything they could possibly need.

So many different kinds of treats and toys, the food that Deb recommended to continue with, a kennel for her, a separate dog bed, a leash, a few collars, and even a little name tag that they got engraved at the pet store.

It had "Arie Grant" on it, with both Fitz and Olivia's numbers below her name.

They were completely set.

Arie was gonna be one hell of a spoiled dog.

The entire drive to go get her that next Saturday, was awful.

Only because they were both excited, and it took forever...

As soon as they got there, it was completely chaotic.

It was "pick up day" as Deb called it. Everyone got their dogs on the same day and that was that.

All eleven puppies went to their new homes that day.

And it was _quite_ the process. All the couples, the families, the individuals waiting for their dogs stood around the fenced-in area, waiting for Deb to call their dog's name.

Olivia smiled when she heard Buster's name called. She remembered him and the couple that now owned him, Nikky and Becca.

The two women happily grabbed Buster together from one of the guys that worked for Deb. Buster looked excited.

They waited until Deb said "Arie," and Fitz went to go sign some last minute papers. Olivia took Arie in her arms from the guy, and hooked on the collar and leash that they brought with them.

The collar and leash, both blue. Because she would always be little blue girl.

"Hi, baby," Olivia said, smiling at her.

Arie sniffed Olivia excitedly, which Olivia hoped meant was a good thing, and that she remembered her.

They'd visited her countless times for that reason.

"Oh my goodness you are too cute," Olivia said, sitting down in the grass with her. She kept hold of her leash while Fitz signed away.

Arie was full of energy, jumping and trying to play while Olivia sat there.

"Oh, I know I know! So exciting! We just have to wait for dad!" Olivia said, looking at her.

Arie tilted her head, which made Olivia smile. "What? What's up? What?" she asked, enjoying the response it got out of the little puppy.

A lot of the other little kids from their families were playing with their puppies in the grass too. Waiting for one of the parents to be done signing paperwork. Giving the puppy one last play time before the car ride home.

Fitz gasped, walking over to them in the grass. "Is that my Arie?"

Olivia smiled as she watched Arie turn her head to look at Fitz.

"I think that's my dog. I think it is. Yep, yep, yep," he said, kneeling down in front of her.

Olivia held onto her leash while Arie went and jumped on Fitz excitedly. "Hi baby girl. How are you? How are you today? Oh yes. Yes. Thank you," he said, accepting her kisses.

He smiled at Olivia.

"Fluff."

She laughed and nodded. "Fluff."

"You're fluffy. Did you know that? Yes. You're very fluffy," Fitz said.

Arie tilted her head again.

Fitz opened his mouth in awe. "That was the cutest thing I've ever seen."

"Isn't it? That and her ears!" Olivia said.

"You are beautiful, yes you are. So beautiful," he said, laying down in the grass.

Arie loved that, using the opportunity to climb on him.

"Oh you're just gonna walk all over me, huh? You're just gonna do that?" he asked, looking up at her.

She sniffed his face and gave him a big kiss, which had Fitz laughing. "Ah yes. Your breath is very nice."

Olivia laughed. "Arie. Come here. Come here," she said, patting the grass in front of Fitz so she would get down.

That seemed to intrigue her because she did go over to the spot Olivia had patted. "Good girl. That was so good!"

She got lots of praise for that.

They stayed there a while longer, over the moon at the fact that they officially had a dog.

The drive proved to be a little interesting, though.

They had a blanket set out over the passenger seat, just so her nails wouldn't scratch the leather. And Olivia held her as best she could.

But she was a very excited puppy and didn't want to sit still, at least at that point in time. She actually preferred the ground by Olivia's feet more than her lap, which Olivia assumed was because she was maybe a little afraid of the car.

"I know, Arie, the car's no fun," Olivia said, reaching down to scratch her ears.

"We will be home soon!" Fitz said, looking over his shoulder to switch lanes.

 _Bark._

"Oh!" Olivia exclaimed. "That's the first time I've heard you bark!"

"Arie that hurt my ears," Fitz said.

 _Bark._

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" Fitz exclaimed.

Olivia laughed. "Hey, shhh. Don't bark. It's okay, really."

 _Bark._

"Oh so you think you're clever, huh?" Olivia asked.

Arie looked up at her, paws on the seat in front of her. Happy as could be.

"Okay. I forgive you for the uncalled for barks," Olivia nodded.

"I forgive you too," Fitz nodded.

"Did you hear that? Daddy forgives," Olivia said.

Arie started licking Olivia's hands. "Thank you. Yes, thank you for that. Are you hungry?" she giggled.

"We should feed her lunch when we get home," Fitz said.

"Yeah. But first we have to make sure we pick a spot outside to take her to go to the bathroom. Like Deb said, so she'll remember," Olivia replied.

"Mhm. Most people take their dogs out back because there's tons of room. So we'll take her back there and find a spot," he said, exiting towards their apartment.

He parked next to Olivia's car and turned the key. "Alright, Arie. Are you ready to go?"

She could barely contain herself. She jumped back up on Olivia's lap and started doing circles.

"Oh! Okay, okay. Yeah, let's go!" Olivia nodded, making sure she had a firm hold on her leash before opening the door.

They went out to a spot out back and told her to "go potty", the same command that Deb said she had used already with the puppies.

According to Deb, at two months she could hold it for about two hours, but of course, shouldn't have to. They should let her out whenever possible.

She was beginning to grasp that outside was where she went to the bathroom. But being in a litter, it was essentially impossible that each and every puppy was house trained by two months.

Plus, the new environment would likely confuse Arie, and Deb said to prepare for accidents because they obviously would happen.

It was just important to react to them the right way, because it was on the owner to house train the dog, not on the dog.

They only know what they know.

It took almost ten minutes for her to finally go to the bathroom, which they then praised her very highly for, so she knew she had done something good.

They took her upstairs for the first time, but Fitz picked her up and carried her through the apartment building. He didn't want her jumping on anyone.

Even though she was absolutely adorable.

Arie liked to be held, it appeared. Maybe not in a car. But outside of the car, yep.

She seemed to feel safe in Fitz's arms because she was content to sit there and look at all her surroundings as they walked.

Once they got to their apartment, they walked in and Fitz gasped, looking at Arie.

"Here we are! Here is Arie's house!"

He set her down and undid her leash, letting her free for the first time.

She walked around and started sniffing uncontrollably, getting a feel for this new place.

Olivia smiled, watching her sniff around.

"Oh my god, Fitz. We have a dog."

"We have a dog!" Fitz nodded. "Hey. Hey, Arie come here," he said, going to crouch down by the kennel they had in the living room, right by the entrance to the hallway.

As soon as Fitz sat down, Arie padded over there excitedly.

"Go in there. Go look!" he said, patting the inside of the kennel.

She walked right in, sniffing around a little bit. The bottom of it already had a comfy lining in it for her to lay down on.

It would be where she slept. Dogs really did like their kennel if they were trained to, and German Shepherds were no different. They learned that they felt safe and secure there, and they wanted her to feel the same way. So they introduced her to the kennel.

Olivia got her food and water ready. They started her off on a wet food diet, as Deb recommended she do. It kept her hydrated and had been a way to transition from milk to food.

Over the course of the month, they were supposed to transition her from wet food to dry food, mixing it in little by little. And eventually, she would only be fed twice a day. But for now, breakfast, lunch, _and_ dinner were essential for the puppy's growth and development.

The wet food smelled gross, but Arie was a _huge_ fan.

Olivia and Fitz let her be while she ate, even though they were so completely enamored with her already. They had a hard time staying away.

They laid on the floor in the living room and watched as she ate her food and drained her entire water bowl in a matter of about four minutes.

Her little bowls were set up right by the bar, just below the barstools.

"She's so perfect," Olivia said.

"Perfect," Fitz agreed.

They watched her lick up all the food and water she had spilled near the bowls.

"Great manners," Fitz added. "Cleans up her messes."

Olivia laughed, grabbing his hand. "Look at her."

Arie tapped the water bowl with her nose repeatedly, causing it to bang against the wooden cupboards that extended all the way to the floor. Eventually the water bowl flipped over completely and clattered back down.

Arie tilted her head at the whole situation, clearly having confused herself.

Fitz laughed. "Oh my god, I'm in love."

"I'm so in love," Olivia said.

"Arie. Come here," Fitz said, patting the carpet.

She really seemed to understand the whole "come here" thing, because she always obeyed. Even if she wasn't sure what the command meant yet. That, mixed in with patting or pointing seemed to make sense to her.

"Hi, Arie. Hi!" Olivia said, petting her head.

She rolled over on her back, allowing her new masters to give her a nice belly rub.

They both happily obliged.

They took her out exactly thirty minutes after she ate her lunch, trying to follow the schedule that Deb had told them to try and follow.

The whole first day with her was amazing. She was so adorable, and so happy.

They sent tons of pictures to all their friends and her parents, too.

Olivia would definitely be getting some of them developed in the coming days.

They broke out all her new toys and even gave her a few treats. They discovered she was a _huge_ fan of peanut butter, for one thing. They'd definitely have to remember that one.

They also tried to take her on a little bit of a walk. Which, she didn't really get yet.

She got extremely distracted and didn't do much walking. But she would learn.

By the end of the day, she was extremely tired anyway. She hadn't napped a single time, which seemed to make her open to the idea of the kennel.

She went right in and let Olivia close the door.

"Goodnight Arie!" Olivia said, reaching in through the openings and petting her paws.

"Goodnight! I will come let you out in two hours," Fitz said.

"And I'll let you out after that," Olivia added.

Arie just looked at them questioningly.

"I don't wanna leave her," Olivia said sadly.

"I know. But she needs to adapt to her kennel. She needs to learn that this means it's time to sleep," Fitz said, shutting off the living room lights.

"I know," Olivia nodded. "She might bark."

"She probably will," he agreed. "It's alright though. Walls in this place are sound. I mean, let's face it, we haven't gotten noise complaints yet and you and I make a lot of noise."

She looked at him and laughed. "Touché."

They made their way to their bedroom and didn't hear a peep from Arie. Until they started getting ready for bed. It seemed _then_ she had realized they had left her on her own. She was not a fan.

"I hope she's not scared," Olivia said, listening to her bark.

"She might be a little bit. But she has to learn," Fitz replied, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it in their laundry bin.

She nodded, starting to brush her teeth. "She will. She's really smart, I can already tell"

"Oh yeah, definitely. Really smart, really cute, loves peanut butter."

Olivia laughed. "Mhm," she nodded.

"I'm not gonna sleep. I'm just gonna stay up for a couple hours so I can take her out," Fitz said.

"Okay," Olivia nodded, finishing up in the bathroom. "Well, what are you gonna do for two hours?"

He shrugged. "I'll just read, or...I don't know. Something that doesn't disturb you."

"Well what if I'm not sleeping either?" she asked, getting into bed and smiling at him.

He stopped brushing his teeth and looked at her, leaning against the doorway.

"Hmmm," he replied.

"Hmmm..." she nodded, taking off the shirt she had on.

"You just...you just stay right there," he said, mouth full of toothpaste.

"Ugh," he said, wiping it off his mouth.

"You're at your sexiest right now," Olivia giggled.

"Shhh," he chuckled, going to the sink.

He crawled back in bed, with minty fresh breath, of course. All while Arie continued to bark away.

But as soon as Fitz got on top of Olivia, kissing her, running his hands down her body...

She stopped barking. Complete silence.

Fitz pulled away, looking behind him questioningly. "Did she just..."

 _Bark._

Fitz leaned in to kiss Olivia again, and silence filled the apartment once more.

"Olivia, our dog is a perv," Fitz whispered against her mouth.

She cracked up underneath him, accepting the few kisses he pressed against her mouth.

"You better kiss me back, woman, or she's gonna start barking again!" he exclaimed in a hushed whisper.

Olivia kissed him back, tangling her fingers in his hair.

He pulled away and trailed kisses down her neck, running his hands down her chest.

He replaced his hands with his lips, taking her nipple into his mouth.

She exhaled, leaning back against the headboard and opening her legs wider unintentionally.

He lay perfectly between her legs, holding onto her slim torso, tongue swirling around her nipple. Giving both breasts equal attention, of course.

She let out a moan, holding his head against her chest because she didn't want him to stop. But when he started going lower, she couldn't say no to that, either.

She watched his tongue drag across her stomach. All the way down, until he reached the waistband of her underwear.

He pressed kisses against the fabric, right where he knew would be just dreadful for her. Just _agonizing._

His breath was so warm against the fabric, it felt like there was nothing there to cover her at all.

He must have read her mind.

His fingers hooked inside her underwear, starting to slide them down her legs.

He immediately started kissing her skin as he pulled them down. All the way off, then, too.

He buried his face between her legs, holding both thighs open wide for himself.

She inhaled sharply, trying to be at least somewhat quiet so that Arie wouldn't start barking at any potential noises.

It felt so good, and it certainly looked good, watching him do it.

Kissing, licking, sucking every part of her that he possibly could. Eyes closed, hair already starting to get in his face.

There was something beautiful about him in such an intimate moment, doing what he was doing. At least, she thought so.

She reached forward and brushed the hair out of his face, holding his head while he continued.

"Thank you," he whispered, smiling up at her.

She smiled back down at him, watching him press a single, soft kiss against her clit.

She watched him with desperate eyes while he returned his mouth to her core.

He played around a little bit, not entirely trying to make her orgasm yet. He kissed the insides of her thighs, and all around her clit.

Teasing _galore._

He didn't stop teasing until she was begging him to. Begging him to get her there.

He smiled, obliging only after a little while. After he had had his teasing fun.

She knew he loved to go down on her. That it was one of his favorite things he could possibly do to her.

And it definitely showed.

Only _after_ he had gotten her off with his tongue, did he please himself, too.

After removing his shorts, he slid into her with ease, as she was perfectly wet for him already after all previous activities.

He grasped the headboard and thrust into her hard, rocking it against the wall repeatedly.

She squeezed her eyes shut, gripping the sheets while he rocked into her over and over again.

He leaned down and kissed her, continuing to move his hips.

Until she rolled him over herself and finished the job for both of them.

He panted as he laid under her, gripping her hips hard.

"Keep going," he breathed, reaching up to touch her breasts.

And she did.

The sound of her name coming from his lips, so desperate and so pleasured, pushed her over the edge.

She felt him finish inside of her, rolling her hips a few more times to succumb to the feeling as well.

She moaned, not stopping her hips until she came down from her high.

She braced herself against the headboard, looking down at his exhausted face.

"Whew," he panted, resting one hand on her thigh, and brushing his hair out of the way with the other.

"Good work," he whispered, putting his hand up for her.

She smiled at him and high-fived his hand, slowly getting off of him. "That was good."

"The high-five or me?" he asked, biting his lip as he watched her get off of him.

"You," she said with a laugh. "I'll be back."

"Mmm, _yes_ you will," he nodded, smacking her ass as she got up.

She smiled at him over her shoulder, turning on the bathroom light.

And then Arie started barking again.

Fitz's eyes widened. "Baby, quick. Come back here and fuck me again. Arie likes it."

She laughed, shaking her head in the mirror as she cleaned up. "Our dog really is a perv, isn't she."

"Apparently," he chuckled.

"Her bark is...quite piercing, isn't it?" she asked, bringing him a washcloth.

"Yes," he winced. "That'll get deeper. I...hope to god."

"It will," she nodded.

He reached down under the covers, looking under there as he cleaned himself up.

"Here," she said, reaching for the washcloth.

"No, see, I got it," he said, tossing it across the room. Right into the hamper.

"Wow, look at you go," she said, impressed.

"Coulda been in the NBA," he shrugged.

"Let's not get _too_ cocky, baby," she giggled, snuggling back up to him.

"I'm allowed to be cocky. _You_ are my fiancée. You. The most beautiful thing I've ever seen. And my dog is a smart, adorable, peanut-butter obsessed fluffball. So...I'm gonna be really fucking cocky," he said, nodding his head. "Oh. And I have a fucking tattoo," he added, putting his wrist up in the air.

She laughed, putting his wrist down. "Baby, shhh, she _just_ stopped barking."

"Sorry," he whispered. "And I have a fucking tattoo," he said, much quieter.

"And it definitely didn't make you throw up or anything," Olivia teased.

"Nope. No it did not," he said, shaking his head. "No vomit was involved in receiving this body ink. None whatsoever."

"And needles are not scary at all," Olivia nodded.

"No they are not," Fitz agreed.

"And ghosts are fun," Olivia said.

"And...ghosts are...fun," Fitz winced.

"Look at you! Being such a big boy," she said, patting his cheek.

"I regret it. I take it all back. Ghosts are freaky and needles should not be allowed to exist," he said.

"Annndd _there's_ the Fitz that I know and love," she said, hugging him tightly.

"But I'm still, like...kind of badass, right. Because I have a tattoo," he said, more a statement that a question.

"You're extremely badass because you have a tattoo," she agreed.

"Thanks, I thought so," he nodded.

She just laughed. "I love you."

"I love you back. You gonna sleep?" he asked.

"I will try to stay awake," she said. And she yawned as she said it.

"You do that," he chuckled doubtfully, pulling her impossibly closer to his body.

She definitely didn't do that. She tried for as long as she possibly could, but after the long day for all of them, she was out.

Fitz stayed up until about an hour and a half after they'd gone to bed, and then he didn't want to wait any longer. He didn't want Arie to have an accident, and he didn't want her to have to hold it.

So he got up quietly and he went to take her outside. It took a good twenty minutes for her to go to the bathroom. But she finally did.

Olivia was asleep for all of that, until she woke up to the alarm she had set for 5 am, to take Arie outside.

She woke up abruptly, sitting up immediately.

She looked at Fitz's side of the bed, expecting him to be there. But he wasn't.

She was still completely naked, which made her laugh a little bit.

After throwing on one of Fitz's hoodies and a pair of leggings, she walked quietly out into the living room in search of Fitz.

And then she found him.

He was sprawled out on the hardwood floor in front of Arie's kennel. Literally, as sprawled out as a human being could be.

His long limbs were a little comical, especially in that position. But one arm was directly in front of him.

He had his fingers inside the kennel's openings, resting next to Arie's paws

She was out like a light, snoring softly.

Olivia just smiled at the cute sight. And since she clearly wasn't going to take Arie out because she didn't want to disturb her, she laid down next to the curly-headed guy on the floor.

And all three of them slept.

* * *

Fitz jolted awake, feeling wetness on his hands.

He looked tiredly in front of him, at the puppy currently licking the hell out of his fingers and pushing against them slightly with her wet nose.

He smiled, resting his head on the floor. "Hey, baby girl."

Arie sneezed. Twice. And then started scratching at the front of her kennel to get out.

The sneezes woke Olivia up right away.

"Hey, look, it's my other baby girl," Fitz said, leaning over her with a smile.

"Mmm, hey," she groaned, stretching out her arms. "What time is it?"

"I sure as hell don't know but Arie thinks it's time to get up," Fitz said, opening the kennel door.

Arie got on top of Olivia right away, licking her face.

"Oh hello baby. Hello. How are you?" Olivia asked, scratching her ears.

"How come you're out here?" he asked.

"'Cause you're out here," she shrugged, accepting all the puppy love from Arie.

Fitz shrugged back. "Fair enough."

"Why didn't you come back to bed?" Olivia asked.

He sighed. "Well I knew she'd bark if I left her...and I didn't wanna wake you up. So I stayed, and she didn't bark."

Olivia smiled, patting his thigh. "You gave in!"

He nodded. "Yeah, I know. Just...the first night. I won't give in tonight, because she _does_ have to learn. But I really didn't want her to wake you!"

"Well thank you, but that's okay. I signed up for this. We both did," Olivia said.

"Yeah. Apparently I signed up to sleep on a hardwood floor. Yes, I did. All for you," he said, scooting closer to her and Olivia.

Arie looked as happy as could be, accepting all the morning attention from them.

"We should get her outside. It doesn't look like she had any accidents though! That's impressive for night one!" Olivia said, peering in her kennel.

"That is impressive. I'm sure we won't always be so lucky but good job, Arie," Fitz chuckled.

"I'll take her out," Olivia said, getting up slowly.

"Alright. I'll get that..nasty smelling food ready," Fitz winced, relaxing his neck. Which, kind of hurt after that night's sleep.

"Oh goody," Olivia giggled, grabbing the leash.

"Arie, come here! Should we go outside? Let's go outside," Olivia said.

Arie pranced over to Olivia, clearly attracted to the jingling of the leash.

"She seems to like that...one tree. The first one closest to the side of the building," he said.

"Mhm," she nodded, slipping on her sandals. "You ready? Come on!"

Arie could barely contain herself. Another adventure in this new place, how fun.

And Olivia and Fitz were thrilled. Not only because they now had a dog, who was probably the cutest thing they had ever seen.

But because they were now at the point in their lives where things could really progress, without them having to worry anymore.

And that weekend, their little family grew from two to three.

Thanks to Arie.

* * *

Awww. I love Arie.

And so do they!

Time's moving pretty fast. You may see the start of the school year coming up again. Time jumps are already slowly being put into effect.

I can't believe this is chapter 80. Wow.

Hope you enjoyed.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	81. Birthday Girl

"Aww, I love that one," Olivia said, scrolling through Fitz's iPad.

"Which?" he asked.

"This one. Where we're looking at each other."

He looked over her shoulder and nodded. "Yeah that's a good one. That should be the main picture on our save the date."

"Yeah...or this one," she said, pointing to another one she had favorited.

That one was of Olivia smiling at the camera, and Fitz smiling down at her.

"Ah...damn," he sighed. "Baby, I'm...I'm not good at deciding these things."

"Teagan. Thoughts?" Olivia asked.

Teagan looked up from her spot on the floor with Arie. "I don't know...a lot of couples do double sided save the dates, in my experience. You could use both of those."

Arie butted Teagan's hand in the brief moment she wasn't petting her, which had Teagan smiling. "Okay, sorry, I was just talking to your mom!"

Olivia laughed. "Arie, let Teagan be."

"No, it's okay. You can snuggle me all you want," Teagan nodded, looking down at Arie.

"Hmm..." Olivia said, resting her forehead in her palm. "I don't know...I'll have to think on it."

"You have plenty of time. You're so on top of the game already, trust me. So many couples I've worked with don't know what they're doing," Teagan said.

"I definitely don't know what I'm doing," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Yes, you do," Fitz nodded.

"Yes. You do," Teagan agreed. "You're very organized. That's half the battle."

"I guess," Olivia nodded. "We did get a lot of things done today."

"Yes, we did," Teagan agreed.

"Many thanks to you," Fitz said to Teagan.

"I'm just glad I could help!" she said.

"You did. Seriously, you're amazing," Olivia said, scrolling through all the pictures. Which, were beautiful.

"Well thank you," Teagan blushed. "You two were a lot more fun to shoot than anyone else I've ever done."

"Is that because Fitz couldn't stop laughing?" Olivia giggled.

He chuckled. "Pictures make me laugh!"

"That's a good thing! It makes your smile real. A lot of men that I shoot have trouble with fake smiling," Teagan replied.

"Oh, yeah, Fitz has no trouble with that. He just has the opposite problem," Olivia said, linking her arm with his.

"It was only a problem when you both were supposed to look at each other contently. And...he started giggling like a school girl," Teagan said.

Olivia burst into laughter. "You did, didn't you?!"

His cheeks flushed red and he shook his head. "In my defense, Olivia _did_ squeeze my ass only seconds before that."

"I did not!" Olivia exclaimed.

"You did _too,"_ he nodded.

Teagan just laughed. "Never once did I envision witnessing this conversation between my professor and his fiancée."

"That must mean I am a very _cool_ professor, right?" he asked.

"Sure," Teagan nodded, unable to hold in her laughter.

Olivia giggled. "Just tell him he's badass because he has a tattoo. Then he'll be happy."

"That's true," he agreed.

"Well your tattoos _are_ pretty badass. They looked good today," Teagan said.

"Hell yeah they do," Olivia agreed, blowing up the picture of their tattoos side by side.

"Nice," Fitz said, nodding his head with a smile.

"I'm glad you like them guys, really. I'm happy I got to do it. Honored," Teagan said. "I would have been happy to do it for free."

Fitz shook his head. "With pictures that look like _that?_ A professional photographer wouldn't do it for free, now would they?" he asked with a smile.

"I'm nowhere near professional," Teagan said, blushing.

Olivia shrugged, looking at the pictures. "You sure about that? I don't know...I've never seen Fitz and I look so good."

"Really good," Fitz nodded.

"Well thank you guys," she said, smiling big.

"Of course, T. Thank _you,"_ Olivia replied.

"Yes, thank you," Fitz nodded.

"You're welcome. I'll let you guys look through your pictures. I'll have the physical copies back from my printer's within a week or so. But...for now, enjoy the digitals!" Teagan said, getting up.

"We will, thanks so much. Feel free to come by any time! Abby's actually coming next weekend, if you didn't know. She's staying with us for a little while," Olivia said.

"Oh cool! Before her lease starts, right. I'm sure I'll see you all soon then," she nodded.

"See you soon. Have a good night," Fitz said, giving her a wave.

"You too!" she said, slipping on her shoes. "Bye! Bye, little Arie! And happy early birthday Liv!"

"Thank you! Bye!"

Arie got up and padded over to the door after she had left, looking up at it.

"Baby, she left," Olivia said with a laugh.

"I know, aren't mom and dad just so boring!" Fitz exclaimed, going over to her and picking her up.

He held her, smiling at her while she licked his face. "Ohhh, so we're _not_ boring now, huh? Thank you. Yes, thank you for the kisses."

He set her down between them on the floor, and she stretched out, inviting them both to rub her belly.

So they did, of course.

"You want your nightly treat? I bet you do. _I bet you do,"_ Fitz chuckled, touching his nose to hers.

Olivia gasped. "Peanut butter time!"

"Peanut butter time!" Fitz agreed, getting up.

He grabbed her Kong from her basket of toys in the living room. Her Kong, which was a red, rubber toy that treats were able to fit inside of.

Or in Arie's case, peanut butter.

It was completely cleaned out from last night's treat, it looked like a brand new Kong. So Fitz went to the cupboard and took out the peanut butter jar labeled with an "A" on the top.

She even had her own damn jar of it.

He scooped some out with a knife and put it in her Kong, while she waited at his feet very patiently.

She knew what he was doing by now. She'd figured it out as time went on.

Olivia came and leaned against the counter, watching the adorable sight with a smile.

Fitz put the peanut butter back and held the Kong in his hands for her to see.

"Okay, baby girl, what've we been learning? Show me how you sit," he said.

She didn't sit.

"Arie..." he warned. "Sit down, please. _Sit."_

She then sat down on the hardwood, paws sliding a bit on the slippery floor.

"Good girl! Such a good girl!" he said, leaning down to pet her first. So much praise.

"Good girl, Arie," Olivia echoed.

"Here you go. Good girls get treats. Yes they do," he said, handing her the Kong.

She took it and ran off to her dog bed in the living room.

Olivia smiled, and walked up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"What else do good girls get?" she smirked. "Asking for a friend."

He chuckled, lifting her up in his arms. "That makes sense because you certainly are _not_ a good girl," he said.

She gasped. "How dare you."

"Whatcha gonna do to me?" he asked, touching his nose against hers.

She pressed her lips against his softly.

"Mmm, a girl never kisses and tells."

"Mmkay, but...you can just...kiss. Right?" he asked.

She smiled. "I can."

He leaned in and pulled her upper lip into his mouth, tracing it with his tongue.

He turned her around and set her on the island, pushing himself between her legs.

"You know...we can't do this with Abby in our apartment," he said, kissing her neck.

"Do what?" Olivia asked, holding the back of his head.

"You know...be all...me and you," he said, pulling back to look at her.

"Be all 'me and you'?" she giggled.

"Yeah. You know what I mean," he said.

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"You know. Like...all over each other all the time," he said, resting his palms on either side of her.

"We're not all over each other all the time," she reasoned.

He shot her a look. "Really."

"No. I don't...I don't think so," she replied.

"Baby, nobody's listening here. It's just me. And our dog. But she's...she's busy," he said, peering over the bar top at her.

She was still eating away.

"I'm serious!" Olivia exclaimed. "Aren't we just...like, a normal couple?"

"No," he replied.

"What? Why?" she asked.

"I'm afraid to ask this question but I'm going to anyway just because I feel confident it will prove my point. Were you the same way with Edison? I mean...in terms of physical affection. In front of people or not."

She thought back on it. "Well...I don't know. I guess...no. Not really, no," she answered. "But we weren't really _normal."_

"How so?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I didn't love Edison. And he didn't love me. It was just...I don't know. Our relationship was so weird."

"Like...how?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Well I've told you for the most part. I just figure...you don't want to hear every detail if you hate him."

He shrugged back. "I don't really care about him, so talking about him certainly doesn't bother me. I'm actually curious. Enlighten me."

"Okay. Well...I don't know. Our relationship just felt like a friendship for the most part. Except...it wasn't a good friendship, but we both didn't necessarily want to let go. It was like we didn't want anything to change, so we just...stayed together? I don't know. It was dumb, we were like 17 when we started dating...it was just dumb. I think I'm actually glad that he cheated. Honestly. Because it gave me an actual reason to let go of that toxic...friendship? Relationship. I don't even know. Whatever it was, I was really stupid not to get out much sooner."

Fitz nodded. "Well obviously it was more than a friendship."

"I mean...yes. Obviously in _that_ way, it was," she said.

He cringed. "Ick."

"You brought it up!" she exclaimed.

"I know, I know," he chuckled.

"Trust me. I...I wish that I hadn't," she sighed, brushing the hair out of her face.

He looked at her contently. "You do?"

She nodded. "God yes. _God_ yes. Him? That...piece of garbage? It's one of the things I regret most in my life. Not waiting for you. Not waiting for the right guy."

He gave her a small smile. "I understand that completely."

"Aww, did you lose your virginity to a piece of garbage too?" she asked, smiling at him.

"As a matter of fact, yes," he chuckled.

"You did _not,"_ she said.

"I did. She was...she was so mean to me," he replied, shaking his head.

"But you had sex with her anyway?!" she exclaimed.

"We've had this conversation, you know about her!" he said.

"I didn't know she was _mean!_ I just knew it was in high school to...like, Lillian? Is that right?" she asked.

"Yes. Lillian Forrester. She was almost 18. The older woman," he said very seriously.

"Ohhhh, the older woman, huh? Apparently the older _mean_ woman," she nodded.

"Yeah...she told me to contact her when I wasn't scrawny anymore," he chuckled.

Olivia gasped. "What?"

"Yeah," he said, laughing. "I never contacted her, that's for sure."

"I assume she said this after you two screwed," Olivia guessed.

"Yes. That was certainly not the worst thing she said, though. I thought she kind of liked me or something and that's why she was rude to me. I _really_ don't know what was going through my head at that point in time."

"Well how old were you?" she asked.

"Fifteen."

"Fifteen?! Jesus, baby, did you even know what you were doing?" she asked with a laugh.

"No!" he exclaimed. "Not at all!"

"Fifteen," Olivia said, shaking her head. _"Fitzgerald,_ that is _far_ too young. No wonder you were scrawny and made dumb decisions!"

"I know. I'm sorry. If I had known, at 15, that I was going to marry you, I would have waited and stayed celibate for 21 more years," he nodded.

She burst into laughter. "That is...a _lot_ of virginity right there."

"Yes," he nodded proudly.

"Twenty-one more years and...like, four months. Or however long it took you to get into my pants," she giggled.

"A little over four months," he nodded. "And I didn't _just_ get into your pants, I went all the way the first night. Like a true gentleman."

"Yes, you did," she agreed, laughing. "And it started off as just an innocent kiss."

He smiled. "I'd been waiting a long time to do that."

"And now look at us. We're engaged. With a dog," she said proudly.

"What do you call that again? A glow up?" he asked.

She laughed. "Yes. That's a glow up right there."

 _"_ _Nice,"_ he nodded. "I'm so proud of us for that."

"Me too," she giggled. "But apparently you still think we aren't a normal couple."

"Okay, no, we _are_. Just...I feel like we're...kind of different, in a way," he shrugged.

"Because we show a lot of affection," she said.

"Yeah. Kind of," he nodded.

"Well did _you_ do that in _your_ past relationships?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "It weirded me out."

"Does it still?!" she exclaimed.

"Baby, _no_ , why do you think I am the way I am with you," he chuckled.

"Yeah, okay," she nodded. "Well there you go, we _are_ normal. We just didn't have normal relationships _before,"_ she shrugged.

"Well...I felt like I kind of did," he said, thinking back. "Not...not Mellie. Obviously."

"Ohhh Allison and Grace then, huh?" Olivia smirked, nudging his chest.

He thought for a second. "Okay...maybe not. I...wasn't entirely truthful to them. Which, I'm not proud of, but I just wanted to _feel_ normal."

"What do you mean?" she asked curiously.

He chuckled. "Now it's my turn to enlighten you, huh?"

She laughed. "Uh-huh. You've told me about your past relationships before, they were _not_ as odd as mine," she said.

"They probably weren't," he said. "But I just kind of thought that that was as good as it was gonna get for me, you know? I thought that's how it was supposed to feel. I never loved them. I told them I did. I mean, I loved them like...how I love a friend. They were attractive. I liked them, I didn't want them to... _die,_ or something. But I wasn't...in love with either of them."

"But you told them you were," Olivia nodded.

He winced. "...yeah. I did. I thought I was, maybe. I didn't know. I was...a young, dumb guy. Which doesn't excuse it. I think in the back of my mind I knew I wasn't but I said it anyway. I regret that a lot," he sighed.

She nodded. "Unfortunately, I get that. That's how I was with Edison too. I don't even know if that...pig is capable of being in love. Maybe with like...a stripper or something. But we both knew we weren't. We just said it to say it. It was dumb. You have no idea how much I regret _allll_ of that. So...I feel you, babe."

He smiled. "You wanna know how I knew? I mean...with you."

"You've already told me," she giggled. "But tell me again. Tell me it all again," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I thought something was wrong with me," he whispered.

"You thought something was wrong with you," she nodded with a laugh. "So romantic when you say it that way."

"It's true!" he chuckled. "You had me all messed up. You still do. The only difference now is that I know I mess you up too and we can continue to do that to each other for the rest of our lives."

"Aww. How sweet does that sound," Olivia teased.

"Pretty sweet," he agreed.

"You do mess me up. You and this sweet face of yours," she said, holding his chin.

He smiled back at her proudly. And then he leaned in to hug her.

She smiled, running her hand down the side of his head, which was against her chest.

His arms were around her back.

She stroked his hair, looking down at his content face.

"What's the hug for?" she whispered.

"I don't know," he whispered back. "I just love you."

"You just _for real_ love me, right? You don't just _fake_ love me?" she asked, smiling down at him.

"For real," he whispered. "So much that it...kind of hurts sometimes, and I usually don't really know what to do with myself."

She laughed quietly, kissing the top of his head. "I believe you. And I love you that much back."

"I know you do," he nodded.

She combed through his hair, definitely ruining its previously styled state with her fingers.

He lifted and turned his head so that he faced her chest directly, letting her mess up his hair.

She smiled because his reaction told her that it felt good.

His hair was really long these days. The back of his head was just curls, and the front was a little more manageable when it had product and was styled.

But after he got out of the shower, or like now, when it was messed up, it was curls galore.

"Your hair's getting so long, sweetie," she said.

"I know. It's so hot," he said, scratching at it.

"Yeah, it really is," she nodded.

He laughed. "You know what I _meant."_

"I do. Morning runs aren't so fun in the heat I'm guessing?" she asked.

"Well I usually look like Will Ferrell when I'm done but they're okay. Especially when Arie comes with," he said.

"Will Ferrell," she giggled. "Don't insult his hair, it's very nice!"

"I'm not insulting his hair, it's just...I try to...tame mine a little more. And then heat _untames_ it and makes it all...frizzy, or something."

"Welcome to my world, baby," she said with a laugh. "Curly hair can't be tamed. Unless...you put it up, or you press it. In which case, it will be tamed. But neither are very good options for you," she giggled.

"Damn," he said with a laugh.

"You just gotta embrace it," she said, patting his head.

"Mmkay," he nodded, kissing her chest and making his way up. He planted a nice big kiss on her lips and smiled at her.

She looked down at his outfit. V-neck T-shirt underneath a casual, open button-down shirt. Khaki shorts being held up by a belt.

Everything accentuating every part of his body perfectly.

She reached down and unbuttoned her shorts, beginning to slide them off all the way to the floor.

"Hmm. What's...what's going on here?" he asked, watching her hands move.

And then she lifted up the bottom of his shirt, her fingers brushing against his firm abdomen.

He looked down at her fingers, already beginning to fumble with his belt.

She pulled on the belt and it came loose, allowing her to unbutton and unzip his shorts.

He even helped her a little bit. Before he just braced his palms on the counter and watched.

"You want to?" she asked, pushing his shorts down and pulling his length out of boxers.

He looked down at her hand, now stroking him.

"Well my dick is already in your hand so I mean the answer is a very clear yes," he chuckled. "But...right here?"

"Yeah," she nodded, taking off her shirt.

Alright. Sex in the kitchen it was.

"Lay back," he said, taking off his, too.

She laid flat on her back on the island, letting him yank her underwear right off. He dropped them on the floor, stepping out of his boxers, too.

He licked his fingers and prodded her entrance with them, spreading his saliva around her opening before sliding a finger inside her.

She arched her back and gasped, gripping the edge of the granite countertop.

It didn't take him long to harden, or get her wet.

His fingers could usually do the trick. He just didn't want her to come. Not yet.

He teased her with his tip, which was already almost equally wet. He rubbed it against her clit, letting her watch.

Letting her open her legs wider for him on the counter.

She licked her lips in desire, watching him do it. Teasing _both_ of them.

Always such a damn teaser. But it felt good. She couldn't necessarily complain.

She could beg, though. She could plead. And he'd finally oblige, sliding inside of her. Being met with slick, moist walls after all the teasing.

"Fuck," he moaned, gripping her thighs hard.

He was able to stand and trust into her while she laid there on the island. The perfect height for it, actually. And they'd never even done it before.

There was a first time for everything.

"Oh my god, Fitz," she breathed, closing her eyes. Letting herself enjoy the wonderful feeling building up in her abdomen.

Sometimes he couldn't even breathe, he was too focused on the feeling. On how she felt.

Tight and wet. Perfect.

He pushed in deep, watching her let out a big breath and smack the counter with her hand.

He smiled, knowing exactly what spot he was hitting. Not just because he felt it, but because of her reaction.

He reached down and starting moving his thumb back and forth across her clit, which only heightened her reaction.

She started touching her breasts, and clenching around him.

"Oh-" he moaned, holding onto her leg.

He rolled into her, trying to keep his orgasm at bay until she reached hers first.

Because she was so close. She was almost there. But so was he, and he bit his lip as he held it off.

Her body started convulsing, and a string of profanities came out of her mouth while she thrusted towards him.

He finally allowed himself to let go along with her, holding so tightly onto her leg that he feared he would hurt her.

He grabbed the counter's edge instead and pumped in and out of her desperately, until he finally slowed.

He stood there, still inside of her, watching her chest rise and fall so fast.

He leaned over her and panted hard, still catching his breath.

"Oh my god we need—to sanitize this kitchen," she panted.

"Your idea," he shrugged, pulling out of her slowly.

He reached over by the bar and grabbed a few tissues to clean them up.

And then they heard a little jingle, and paws padding across the hardwood floor.

He looked over at Arie, looking up at them as if everything was normal.

"Ahh! Caught in the act!" Fitz exclaimed.

Olivia laughed, still laying on the island. "We are...an absolutely terrible influence."

"Again, this was your idea," he pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time, mister," she said.

He laughed, patting her thigh. "Did I hurt you? I'm sorry if I did," he said, looking over her thigh.

"When?" she asked, lifting her head up.

"Before. Here," he said, brushing his thumb over a red spot on her thigh.

"I didn't feel anything except an orgasm," she replied.

 _"_ _Nice,"_ he nodded proudly. But he still leaned down and kissed a few spots on her thigh, where the skin was red.

She looked down at her naked body, still laying on the counter.

"I'm really naked on our island right now," she said.

"Yes, this is exactly the type of thing we can't do when Abby's here," he said.

"Oh, we _won't_. Besides, even if we did, it's Abby. Do you even know who Abby is? She and David fuck like rabbits," she shrugged, running her fingers through her hair.

"Oh. I didn't...I didn't need to know that but somehow I feel better," he chuckled.

"Trust me. If she walked in right now, she'd probably say 'hi', give us a wave, and walk right to the room she's staying in," Olivia said with a laugh.

"We're both naked!" he exclaimed.

"That literally would not phase her a single bit, I promise," Olivia said with a laugh. "Plus, she's already seen me naked so."

"Well she hasn't seen me naked and I would prefer for it to stay that way," he chuckled, reaching to throw the tissues away.

"I would prefer for it to stay that way _too,"_ she agreed. "We shall keep our clothes on like normal people do."

"I knew there was a reason that being normal wasn't any fun," he said, reaching down to grab her underwear for her.

She laughed. "Well...by all means, please continue to walk around naked in our bedroom."

"Will do," he said, handing her the little pair of lacy underwear. "I think these are yours. They're not my color."

She took them, pretending to examine them. "Really? _I_ think they are. Green looks good on you."

"Mmm...green? I don't know. I prefer black," he said, putting his black pair of boxers back on.

"Well everyone can see that you prefer black," she said, putting her hands up as she still laid there on her back.

He looked over at her and laughed, patting her thigh. "That's true."

"Hell yeah it's true," she nodded.

He ran his hand up her body. Her smooth, caramel skin so soft underneath his fingers.

She sat up, putting her underwear down next to her. Living in the gloriously naked moment.

"You know all my preferences," he said quietly, resting his palms on the counter on either side of her legs.

"I do?" she challenged, smiling at him.

"You do," he nodded, tracing a single finger along her thigh.

"You should tell me again," she whispered.

"Hmm..." he began, looking her naked body up and down.

"Your eyes."

"What about them?" she asked with a smile.

"They're dark. And beautiful," he replied.

She smiled sweetly at him.

"Your lips."

She definitely couldn't help but smile bigger at that one.

"They're perfect," he whispered.

She felt the color rush to her cheeks.

"Your hair."

"Ahh, the hair," she giggled.

"It's beautiful," he said, smiling at her.

"Thank you. I work hard on that," she replied.

"Your boobs."

She frowned, looking down at them. "But they're small."

"They're perfect to me," he said.

She wrapped her legs around him, tilting her head on her shoulder as she looked happily at him. "You're very sweet."

"I'm not done," he said.

"Oh, okay," she smiled.

"Your feet."

"My _feet!_ I thought you were gonna say my ass," she giggled.

"Your ass is next," he nodded.

"What the hell do you like about my feet?" she giggled.

"They are small. And very cute," he shrugged defensively.

She smiled. "Well thank you!"

"You're welcome," he nodded.

"Okay...you can talk about my ass now, ass man," she said.

He laughed. "You do have an _amazing_ ass."

"Thanks," she nodded with a laugh.

"Anytime," he said. "I _would_ say...this," he said, leaning down on his elbow and rubbing his finger across her clit.

"But...I just can't rank everything, you know. Your body's perfect, nothing can be ranked," he shrugged.

"Based on how often your mouth is down there I think it would rank high," she said. "You know...if you were ranking."

He nodded, smirking at her. "I agree with that."

She looked him over carefully.

"Your hands."

He smiled back at her. "Oh, we're doing this for me now?"

"You know I'm into returning the favor," she nodded.

He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, you are. What about my hands?"

"They're strong. And...you have long fingers."

"Hm," he smirked. "They're good for many things, aren't they."

"Yes," she nodded. "Your hair."

"I knew that one," he said with a smile.

"Your chest."

He looked down at his chest and flexed both his pecs and his abs.

"Yes, I think we know why," she giggled, rubbing a hand over the muscles.

He smiled back at her.

"Your eyes."

"They're not dark," he said.

"No. They're very bright actually. They're pretty," she said, looking at the blue eyes looking back at her.

"Thank you," he nodded, resting his chin in his palm.

"Mhm," she nodded. "Your smile."

"My smile?" he asked.

She nodded. "Rarely do you not have that smile on your face. Nice teeth. Nice lips. Makes for a good smile. And a contagious one."

"Nice teeth, huh? I wasn't expecting that, I like it," he chuckled.

"Well it's true!" she shrugged.

"Well thank you, I knew those awful braces would do me good," he said.

"True that," she agreed.

"I like your preferences," he said.

"I'm not done either," she replied.

"Oh," he said, leaning in again. "Go on."

She leaned forward, tracing the prominent outline in his boxers.

"Hmmm..." he replied. "No words needed."

"Mhm. And your ass."

"Ahhh how could I forget the ass when I, myself, said the same thing," he chuckled.

"I don't know but it's a very nice ass," she giggled.

"It's...an ass. It's a pale, white ass. Far from special," he said.

"It isn't pale. And it's very special to me, don't insult it!"

"Okay, sorry!" he chuckled.

"I mean, I guess you do have a pretty prominent tan line down there," she said, pointing towards his boxers.

"Yeah, see, I'm multicolored," he nodded, pulling the waistband of his boxers down a little bit to reveal the drastic tan line.

His chest was pretty dark at this point in the summer, and the skin below the waistband was much more fair. But still not _overly_ pale.

Running shirtless outside certainly did a number on him.

"You _are_ multicolored," she giggled.

"Like baby girl. Where's baby girl," he said, peering over the counter.

She was in the living room, chewing on one of her rope toys furiously.

"She got sick of our nakedness," Olivia said, looking over at her with a smile.

"Understandable," he said, shaking his head with a laugh. "We should probably take her out. It's been a little while."

"Yes," she nodded. "And we need to...sanitize this counter."

"I got Arie. You got...that?" he asked.

"Sure," she agreed, hopping off the counter.

They both got dressed again, going to do their respective jobs.

Fitz took Arie outside and Olivia sterilized the kitchen. Thoroughly. Mostly just the island.

Fitz and Arie came back, and he set her back down. They always carried her through the apartment still. She was almost three months, but they didn't want her jumping on people. She still did that with them, one of the things they were trying to work on.

She was, however, doing well with the house training. She'd had an accident four or so days ago. But before that, it had been a while since the last one.

"How did she do?" Olivia asked.

"Good," he nodded, locking the door.

She pranced right over to her water bowl and drank it all, clearly thirsty.

He laughed. "And in an hour we will be back outside again."

"I'll take her," Olivia said with a laugh. "Are you so thirsty, baby? Here I'll get you more."

Olivia refilled her water bowl and Arie drank half that one too before she seemed content.

Fitz smiled, going to lay down on the living room floor and patting a spot next to him.

She happily ran over to him, climbing up on him.

"You drink like a camel!" he chuckled, scratching her head.

She liked his chin and let him pet her happily.

"I love you. Yes I do," he said quietly. He grabbed her face and kissed her snout. "I love you."

Olivia wanted to join the puppy love party so she went on over and laid down next to him. Which, Arie loved.

She laid right in between them, very content. And a little sleepy.

"Oh is someone getting tired?" Olivia asked.

She panted against the carpet, her head resting on her paws.

"We did go on a pretty long walk this morning," Fitz said.

"We did," Olivia nodded.

Her head perked up at the word "walk."

Fitz chuckled. "Sorry, sorry. We aren't going on one now, baby girl, I'm sorry."

"We need to spell it," Olivia said, running her fingers through her soft fur.

"Until she learns to spell too," he chuckled.

"You _are_ pretty smart aren't you," Olivia said, leaning her face down by her face.

She licked Olivia's nose, and laid her head back down on her paws.

Olivia smiled and kissed her nose back.

"She's getting pretty good at runs, too," Fitz nodded, leaning his head on his palm as he propped it up on his elbow.

"Yeah?" Olivia asked.

He nodded. "She can go for longer now. She loves to run. She still just has to work on running _with_ me, not too far ahead of me. And...just pacing herself a little more. We're working on it, aren't we."

"You two fit together well. Loving to run and all that," Olivia said.

He leaned down by Arie. "We love to run together don't we?"

Her eyelids were heavy, looking at him contently.

Olivia giggled. "My loves. You are so cute."

"Mostly her," Fitz said, tapping her paw.

Olivia leaned in and hugged their puppy, nuzzling her face into her soft fur because she just loved her so much.

They laid there for a while until Olivia took her outside one last time for the night.

As soon as they got back inside she could tell she was tired.

"Is it time for bed? Night time?" Olivia asked.

Arie's ears perked up and she trotted right over to her kennel.

Fitz smiled. "Oh you were just waiting for that, weren't you? So sleepy? Sleepy puppy?"

She laid down in her kennel and sighed deeply.

Fitz got up and went to close her kennel door.

"Goodnight Arie," he said.

Olivia locked up and shut off the lights, heading over to say goodnight.

"Goodnight fluffy girl!"

"I'll be up bright and early to play," Fitz said, patting her kennel.

Olivia leaned into his body, closing her eyes against his shirt.

"Both my girls are tired, huh?" he asked.

Olivia nodded without a word.

"Okay," he said, lifting her up.

Olivia laughed, clinging to his shoulders as he carried her.

"Wow I don't even have to walk huh?" she asked.

"No, it's a full-service kind of apartment," he said, entering their bedroom.

"Hmm...full service?" she asked.

He put her down on the bed. "Yeah that sounded intriguing didn't it?"

"Yes, extremely," she nodded.

He smiled down at her and pecked her lips.

"You're very nice sweetie but...I need to go get ready for bed. In the bathroom," she said, pointing to the bathroom.

He looked over at the bathroom and then back down at her. "How silly of me."

He picked her back up and brought her over to the bathroom, setting her down.

"What a gentleman," she exclaimed.

He smiled at her, patting her ass. "For you, always. Especially when your birthday's tomorrow."

"That _is_ true," she agreed.

They got ready for bed, not having to listen to Arie bark anymore.

She'd learned by now that they weren't leaving her forever. That they would be back in the morning. And really _early_ , at that. Usually one of them was up at four or five to let her out.

But, no more barking at night.

And they slept wonderfully, all three of them.

* * *

Olivia slept in a little bit the next morning. Which, was until about eight. Her internship had her sleep schedule kind of messed up.

Sometimes on weekends, she'd sleep until ten. And sometimes she'd wake up early, as if her body was trying to remind her she has to get up.

Either way, her internship was done now. She wouldn't go back until next summer. Which, by then, would be her full-time job. No longer an internship.

That excited her.

And soon it would be back to school. Her final year at Yale. And that made her a little sad. But also, excited for her future.

She rubbed her eyes, hearing some commotion out in the kitchen. Mostly the fan, which meant Fitz was making breakfast.

It was her birthday, after all.

She smiled and got up, smoothing out the flyaway curls on her forehead and making her way out to the kitchen.

And it was quite a sight.

There was her fiancé, scrambling eggs with one hand and holding a puppy like a human child in his other arm.

Arie just sat there in his arm so content, looking back and forth between Fitz, who was talking to her, and all the food that he was making.

She _loved_ to be held.

Olivia stopped in the hallway just to watch because it was so funny.

"Okay...these are done now," he said, tipping the pan and spreading them onto two plates next to him on the counter.

Arie leaned down, trying to sniff them.

He chuckled. "No, no, no. You cannot have those, I'm sorry. You had your food this morning, don't you remember?"

She tilted her head at him.

"Of course you don't remember. You can't trick me baby girl, no you can't, because I very clearly remember feeding you," he said, turning the burner off and checking the bacon, which was sizzling in a different pan.

"Almost done...okay. We're gonna do this now and it's gonna be really loud," he said, shaking the ninja bullet cup, filled with strawberries, bananas, some milk, some almonds, and some yogurt.

They had a pretty consistent smoothie recipe by now. Although he sometimes put protein powder and flaxseed in his if he was just making them for himself.

"Are you ready? Momma's gonna wake up and she might be a little mad at us. But I'll take the blame. Yes I will," he said, nodding at Arie.

She smiled and watch him turn the cup over and push it down into the base to be blended. He turned and cringed at Arie while it blended.

It was an extremely loud blender. But it was also magic.

He pulsed it a few times and then flipped it back over.

"Okay. Now...we pour them out..." he said, scooting the two glasses closer for himself.

"And we give momma more than dad because...she's momma and it's her birthday," he said, pouring them out. One glass had more than the other.

She laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.

"And then we take the bacon off...because momma loves bacon probably more than you love peanut butter," he said, grabbing the bacon with a set of tongs and dividing them out.

"Okay...that's probably not true. But I'll give you some bacon okay? How's that? It can be our secret," he said quietly.

She looked at him and tilted her head again.

"Stop doing that," he chuckled, touching her nose lightly. "You are too cute for me, I can't handle it."

The toaster popped up and he reached over and grabbed the two slices, putting them each on a plate.

"Okay. I gotta put butter on these, I gotta put you down," he said, setting her down on the ground.

She whined at him as he buttered the toast and cut them into two pieces each.

"Oh do not whine at the daddy. Daddy loves you and daddy gives you bacon," he said.

He ripped off a piece of it and blew on it, making sure it wasn't too hot.

"Can you sit? Show me how you sit," he said.

Arie sat down right at his feet, looking up desperately at the bacon.

"Oh that was so good. Good girl," he said, handing the bacon to her. She took it and ate it within about two seconds.

He laughed. "You could not have possibly tasted that."

She licked her lips and looked up at him as if waiting for more.

"No more bacon. You can't have _too_ much human food. It's not so good for you," he said, leaning down to pet her.

"I promise I will give you lots of peanut butter tonight, though. Okay? Yes. I promise," he nodded, kissing her nose.

"Okay, come on. Let's go give momma her food and hope she's not too mad that we woke her up on her birthday."

Olivia leaned against the hallway wall, crossing her arms with a smile on her face.

Fitz grabbed both Olivia's plate and her glass and turned around, starting to walk towards the hallway.

He looked down at the food, and then finally straight ahead. And then he stopped, seeing her for the first time.

She just smiled at him.

"Busted," he said, looking at Arie.

She laughed. "You are adorable."

He set the plate and glass on the table and walked up to her with a smile on his face.

"Happy birthday, baby!" he exclaimed, hugging her and lifting her up.

"Oh!" she gasped, surprised. "Thank you!"

He spun her around slowly, hugging her so tight.

"I love you," he said happily.

"I love you too!" she exclaimed as he put her down. "Do you always have full on conversations with our dog when I'm not around?"

"Yes."

She laughed. "Good, then I'm not the only one."

"She has a hard time...you know, conversing _back_. But we're working on that," he nodded. "Mostly I just talk to myself and Arie looks at me very confused."

"And waits for bacon," she added.

He gasped and looked at Arie. "Crap! She saw the bacon too! I'm sorry, Arie, I tried to keep it a secret."

Olivia just laughed. "And you made us all that food, huh?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Yeah. Arie and I did. She was my moral support. Birthday girl gets a birthday breakfast."

"Well thank you very much!" she said, going to the table.

"You're very welcome," he nodded, going to grab his own plate and glass

And they had a nice birthday breakfast together. All thanks to Fitz. And Arie, of course. For moral support.

"Eat up, 'cause you have a massage at 11:30," he said with a wink.

She looked at him in awe. "A massage?!"

"A massage! With... _Camila,"_ he said.

"Ooo Camila," Olivia replied with a laugh. "Well that's a fun surprise!"

"I thought maybe...a professional could do it a lot better than me," he said.

She shook her head. "Noooo, you give great massages."

"Well then this one's gonna be even better," he nodded. "And then I thought we could grab lunch after you're done. Whatever you want."

"That's very sweet, thank you!" she exclaimed.

"Mhm. And...we have reservations tonight at that place you love in Hartford," he said with a smile.

"Ohhh ON20?!" she asked.

"Yes," he nodded.

"Wow, look at me getting spoiled today," she said.

He smiled. "Well of course. Birthdays are a big deal, right? Especially yours?"

"Right," she giggled.

And it was a very fun day, that was for sure. As soon as they got to the massage place, he stopped her before she got out.

"Wait. Babe. You got a little something. Here," he said, scratching a particular spot on his cheek to indicate where on her face.

She frowned and flipped the mirror down above her head, so she could look.

Only the second she did that, a card fell right out into her lap.

She looked down at the card, which read "Livvie" on the envelope.

"Oh my gosh!" she said, starting to open it. "How long's that been there?"

"Three days," he chuckled.

"Such a planner, you are," she said with a smile.

He smiled back, watching her read it.

 **My dear Olivia,**

 **Happy birthday! 22 looks so good on you. But...so does everything (or nothing). I thought you deserved a nice massage today. Kick back, relax, and enjoy. I love you to the moon and back, my beautiful fiancée.**

 **Fitz**

"Awww," she smiled. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome," he replied, accepting the kiss she planted on his lips. "Okay. We can go in now. You don't actually have anything on your cheek."

"I figured," she giggled.

He got her all checked in and she went off to get her massage. Fitz went back to run errands or...wherever. Who knew.

All she knew was that the massage was amazing.

She'd never actually gotten one before at a massage parlor, and man, it was a great first time.

A whole hour, doing nothing but laying there and letting someone work out the knots and kinks.

By the time it was over, she felt so refreshed and relaxed. And...hungry.

They'd go out that night, and ON20 was a pretty fancy sit down place, so she decided they should just have something quick and easy for lunch.

So they went to Five Guys. That place had amazing burgers, so Fitz certainly didn't have a problem.

When they got to the front of the line, she ordered first, getting a cheeseburger and fries. Then Fitz ordered, but looked back at her before he finished. "No...milkshake?"

She thought about it. It did sound good, but she decided against it. "Nah, that's okay," she shrugged.

He looked at her and then back at the cashier. "And also two milkshakes. Like...really big ones. Strawberry and...cookies n cream."

She laughed quietly, shaking her head at him.

"So...larges?" The cashier asked.

"Yes. Larges," Fitz nodded.

"Whipped cream and cherries on top of those?"

"Absolutely," Fitz nodded.

He paid and then went to wait for their order.

"Thanks for the wonderful birthday lunch," she giggled.

"You're welcome. Now I want this for _my_ birthday lunch. Large milkshake and everything, I like it," he said.

"I told you I didn't need one," she said with a laugh.

"Well...yeah, but no always means yes in regard to milkshakes," he shrugged. "Come on, milkshakes used to be our thing."

"You have a point," she nodded.

They got their food and headed back home, where fresh flowers were in a vase on the island, as well as another card, and four wrapped gifts.

"Ohhh, you were busy while I was getting a massage!" she exclaimed.

"Mhm," he nodded, going to let Arie out of her kennel. "Hi, baby girl."

"Hey!" she exclaimed, as Arie ran up to her.

"These are beautiful, Fitz," she said, admiring the flowers.

"Like you," he said, coming to give her a kiss.

He lifted Arie up and held her. "Give momma kiss."

He leaned Arie towards Olivia, and then she licked Olivia's nose.

"Thank you!" Olivia said, smiling.

"Arie helped me set up your presents. Yes she did," he nodded. "Right?"

Arie just looked back and forth between them happily.

"She's saying yes in her head," Fitz said.

"Thank you both! Very sweet. Should we eat and then I'll open them?"

"Yes. Eat your wonderful birthday lunch first," he agreed, putting Arie down and washing his hands.

The birthday lunch was, indeed, wonderful. And then she got to spend the afternoon with her two favorites. Fitz and Arie.

He brought her gifts into the living room and let her open them.

She opened the second card of the day, smiling the entire time.

 **My dear Olivia,**

 **I hope you like your gifts! Only the best for my Livvie. I love you, pretty girl. I can never tell you enough. Oh yeah, and happy birthday!**

 **Fitz**

Another beautiful card, and another beautiful message.

Accompanied by four gifts.

"Which one first?" she asked.

"Any one you want, babe," he said, picking Arie up and holding her as he watched.

"Hmm...okay. I'll do this one first," she said, grabbing one of the boxes.

She opened the paper, revealing a white box. "I'm intrigued," she giggled.

"This one's kind of practical. But you'll like it."

"Well I love practical," she nodded.

She opened up a black Yeti mug.

"Ohh!" She exclaimed.

"It's like the one you got me. The one you are jealous of," he chuckled. "Now your tea will always stay hot."

"Thank you! This is perfect, my other ones don't do that!" she replied.

"I know!" he nodded. "Now this one will. And it can keep things cold for a long time too. Whichever you want."

"Well thank you. I will put this to great use."

He nodded, smiling at her. "Pick another."

"Okay...I'm gonna go with this one."

It was very flat, and oddly wrapped, which made her smile.

"I tried...I'm not such a good wrapper," he chuckled.

"I think it's perfect," she said, starting to unwrap it.

And there in front of her, was a framed picture of her, Fitz and Arie. A cute selfie she'd taken of the three of them just a week after they'd gotten her.

"Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed, smiling at the frame.

"I thought it would go good on your nightstand," he said with a smile.

"Oh it will go perfectly! Thank you!" she nodded.

She'd already framed another one of just Arie alone, for the living room. But this one would look great in their room.

"Mhmm," he nodded. "Hey. Arie. Is that you?"

Olivia turned the frame towards her with a smile. "That's you!"

She just looked at both of them contently. Sitting perfectly in Fitz's lap.

Olivia laughed. "You are too cute. Okay...I'm going with this one next."

"Oh that's a good one," he nodded, looking at the small box.

"Alright, here we go," she said.

She opened an elegant white box, with a brand name she definitely recognized. Bvlgari.

Her eyes widened as she opened the box, pulling out the beautiful bottom of perfume. "Woah," she said appreciatively.

"You always like my men's version so I thought you should have some," he nodded.

"Bvlgari?! Seriously?" she asked.

"Mhmmm," he said with a smile.

"Wow. I was a good girl apparently," she said, turning the bottle over in her hands. "I wish I knew how to pronounce this without sounding like an idiot."

"Eau Parfumee Au The Blanc," he said.

She smirked at him. "I love it when you pronounce things for me."

He chuckled. "Try it out."

She tested it on her wrist and gave it a sniff.

"Oh wow, that smells really nice. I like that a lot," she nodded.

She put her wrist out for him to smell and he smiled and nodded. "Mhm. I smelled a lot of different ones. That one seemed the most...Olivia."

"Well thank you! I'm well on my way to having a collection like you," she teased.

He laughed. "I know. I'm ridiculous."

She shrugged. "Well no matter which one you pick you always smell nice so I don't think it's ridiculous."

"Well _thank you_. Okay, open your last one!"

She nodded and started unwrapping the box.

And inside, were tons of different Lush products.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed.

"I went back to that store and that same lady was there! She helped me find all the goodies. Or...all the ones you didn't already have," he shrugged.

"Did you buy the whole store?!" Olivia giggled, looking through the multiple jars inside the box.

"Well, I didn't get any more bath bombs for you because I knew you had some left. But I got some of the other stuff you don't have. You know...the good...cream stuff. I don't really understand what they do but she explained it to me and it says on the jars."

She laughed. "I really do love the _good cream stuff_. Thank you, baby."

"You're welcome," he nodded.

She saw a "Mask of Magnaminty" in there, something called "skin drink", an "ocean salt" facial scrub, and a "helping hands" hand lotion.

"Wow. I don't know what I did to deserve all this but thank you!" she exclaimed.

"It's your birthday," he said happily, putting Arie down. "You deserve the world."

She smiled at him, walking over to her. So she stood up and gave him a hug. "Well thank you again. I'm so happy to finally spend my birthday with you."

"You're welcome," he said, hugging her tightly. "I'm happy too."

She looked down at all her gifts. "I am one spoiled fiancée."

He smiled, tilting his head at her. "Yes, _ma'am."_

She pecked his lips and smiled.

"I really wanted to get you this necklace—"

"Fitz!" she exclaimed.

"What?!" he exclaimed.

"I'm not complaining here, I swear I'm not. But...you have given me a lot of jewelry already," she reasoned.

"So! You like jewelry and...it's pretty. And...shiny. And...comes in so many different forms," he shrugged. "How can you even protest at this conversation. Seriously."

"Okay, I'm not, I'm just saying!" she said with a laugh.

"Ah so...that means I can get you jewelry again?"

"I never said you _couldn't,"_ she giggled.

"Good. So that's settled then," he nodded.

"What did the necklace look like?" she asked curiously, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Well it had a heart on it. And I thought it was pretty," he said.

"What kind of heart?" she asked, smiling at him.

"It was...that pinkish gold color. You know what I'm talking about?" he asked.

"Mhm. Rose gold," she nodded.

"Yeah, yeah. Rose gold. And...I don't know, I could probably find it again on Pandora's website," he said.

"Pandora?" she exclaimed.

He frowned at her. "Yes?"

She leaned her head against his chest. "Oh, baby."

"You act like I was looking at Tiffany's or something," he chuckled.

She looked at him in surprise. "You know what Tiffany's is?"

He looked at her like she was crazy. "Of course I know what Tiffany's is. I kinda thought about getting your engagement ring from there but then I thought you might...murder me."

She started laughing.

"Which, you know, is strange, considering I feel like most women would _want_ that. But...you're different...and...regardless, I think that would have been overkill," he said.

"Yes," she nodded. "I'm just surprised you don't know what rose gold is but you know what _Tiffany's_ is."

"Livvie...you remember my dad's house. Right?"

"Uh, yes. It would be hard for me to forget that...mansion of a house. As well as the first thing you said when we walked in together. 'I hate this fucking house,'" she nodded.

"Yeah," he nodded, thinking back on it. "Probably not the best thing I could have said in the situation, come to think of it."

"Whenever I hear an F-bomb come out of your mouth I'm intrigued, so," she shrugged.

He chuckled. "Well, that house. Half the decoration in it was Tiffany's. The pots, the lanterns, the...paperweights, the quite _literal_ silver platters. Hell, I think he had a sterling silver ice cream scoop in that godforsaken house."

"What?!" she exclaimed.

"Yes. He was ridiculous."

"And how'd you know about the ice cream scoop?" she asked with a smile.

He bit his lip. "Well. I may have used that a few times, you know. Because...well, ice cream."

"Of course," she giggled. "So you sold _alllll_ that Tiffany?" she asked.

He nodded. "Uh-huh."

Her eyes widened. "Whew."

"Why? You want some Tiffany?" he asked.

"No. God no," she said. "Well...I mean, Tiffany's is beautiful. But I would want to be at a point in my life where I could afford something like that for myself. Treat myself a little, not...you. You treat me too much."

He shook his head. "Nah."

 _"Yah,"_ she replied.

"We could do this all day," he shrugged.

"Probably true," she agreed.

"You could already treat yourself now. You just refuse because you're saving for my ring," he said.

"Yeah, maybe I should get you a Tiffany's ring, what do you think about that?" she teased.

"No way, don't do that. Just...just make me one. That's what I want," he nodded.

" _Make_ you one. _Make_ your wedding band? With what, paper freaking mache?!"

"Yeah, paper freaking mache!" he chuckled.

"You are actually crazy," she said with a laugh.

"Yes, and what's your point?" he asked.

"My point is no paper mache," she said.

"Okay. Then...how about those things that are fuzzy and long and you can bend them to make whatever shapes you want?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes. "Pipe cleaners?"

"Yeah!"

"No! No paper mache, no pipe cleaners. We're going for platinum here," she said proudly.

"Platinum, huh?" he asked, leaning in.

"Mmmhm."

"So I'm gonna be a spoiled fiancé too then?" he asked.

"Mmmhm."

He smiled. "You already spoil me anyway."

"How so?" she asked.

"'Cause you love me. And that feels like...the best thing in the world."

She smiled back. "Well I do love you. More than Arie loves peanut butter," she nodded.

He looked around for Arie. "Speaking of. Where is the little fluffball."

And there she was on her dog bed by the TV, taking a nap. With almost every single one of her toys with her.

"Man, I wish I could power nap like she does," Olivia nodded.

"Well. _We_ could take one now. Or..."

She looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

He smirked and lifted her up, slinging her on his shoulder as she laughed.

"You, miss birthday girl, are all mine now," he said, walking her to their bedroom.

She laughed. "Shhhh don't wake her up."

"I won't, I won't. But I will take these with us," he said, grabbing the milkshakes.

He held them to his chest with his other hand and kept a firm grip on her with his other.

"Mmm. Milkshakes and birthday sex? Could it get any better?" she teased.

He smirked, starting to shut their bedroom door.

"Nope!"

* * *

Happy birthday, Liv!

Looks like 22 has started off right, lol.

Now school will start next chapter, as well as Abby moving in! I just had to give you this one first.

It was her first birthday that they spent together, after all.

I hope you liked it.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	82. Roomies

"Ugh. I don't want to."

Fitz smiled. "Yes you do."

"Yes, I do. School is just a love-hate relationship," she reasoned.

"Yes, it is for me too. Mostly love, though," he said, packing his briefcase.

"Baby its 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Why are you packing that already?" she asked.

"Because I'm excited," he replied.

"What time will you be up running tomorrow?" she giggled.

"5:30," he nodded.

"Oh my god," she groaned, falling back on the bed. "Baby that is toooo early."

"How come? I like mornings. And Arie does too," he said.

"Arie likes every time of day," Olivia said. "Or night."

"Okay. That's fair. Speaking of...Abby!"

"Yeah!"

"Is Arie still with you?"

"Yep! She's watching Vampire Diaries with me!"

"Okay, just checking," Fitz chuckled.

"They really do love each other," Olivia said with a laugh.

"I know they do," he nodded. "Which is good. I'm glad she can adapt to other people well."

"Yeah. I think the dog park we take her to helps with that. She interacts with more dogs and people than she does on just normal walks or runs," Olivia replied.

"Yeah. I like taking her there. And the baseball field," he chuckled.

"The baseball field is her favorite place on earth, I think," she said with a laugh.

They loved to take her to this baseball field, a couple blocks down from the apartment. Whenever it was empty, they let her run in there. And man, she could run for hours. It was quite a useful trick to tire her out, first of all. And also, just because German Shepherds needed a good amount of exercise.

"Yeah. I can't wait until she has a big yard of her own to run in. Shepherds love to run and man…she is fast."

"I know…she continues to amaze me. I think she's gotten faster since you started taking her on runs with you."

"Probably. She's already so much bigger than when we got her. Already more muscular, too. She's gonna be a big girl, that's for sure," he nodded.

"Definitely. She already thinks she is a big girl. Not the…28 pound puppy she still is," she giggled.

"Ugh…by her next check-up the vet's gonna tell us she weighs 45 pounds and I'm not ready to accept that," he said.

"Is someone a little sad that she's growing so fast?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes," he nodded. "She's still small and fluffy and I can hold her in one arm and eventually she'll outgrow me."

"Oh she will never outgrow her dad. You know that," Olivia said, sitting up to reach out to him.

He grabbed her hand and she pulled him onto the bed with her.

"You don't think she'll get sick of me?" he chuckled.

"No way. She clings to you like she's physically attached to you. She loves you," Olivia said, brushing the hair off his forehead.

He smiled, resting his head on his elbow. "Hmm…sounds familiar."

She smiled. "Are you referring to me?"

"Yes, I am."

"So…I cling to you like I'm physically attached?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

He paused. "Yes. And you love me."

She giggled, putting her head down on the comforter.

"What?! You love me right?" he chuckled.

"Yes, Fitz, I love you. You know I love you."

"Yeah I know," he nodded proudly. "I just like when you say it."

"I know you do," she laughed. "So now you know that I'm right. Because apparently Arie and I are the same way with you. And I never get sick of you so she definitely won't."

"Mmm…I think _sometimes_ you get sick of me," he said.

"Like _when?"_ she asked, shooting him a look.

"Like when…I never painted that one spot on the wall. Where I…hurled a picture frame at. And then you got mad because it was this, like…ugly, white spot on the wall—"

"Fitz," she interrupted with a laugh. "You painted the spot, I'm alright. It wasn't that big of a deal," she giggled.

"Oh. Okay. Well also when I accidentally closed the kitchen drawer on your finger," he nodded.

She laughed again. "Okay, that did hurt, yes. But I wasn't sick of you."

"Hmmm…okay, well sometimes I interrupt your shows because I want to have sex with you and then…you have to miss your show because you obviously can't resist me," he said.

She scoffed at him. _"Because I obviously can't resist you?"_

He burst into laughter, laying his face on the bed. "Damn, I was trying so hard not to laugh."

"You are such a cocky…yet modest…but cocky thing," she said, smacking him with a pillow.

He laughed, shielding his face from the pillow. "Ow! I'm being attacked by…my tiny, yet fierce, fiancée!"

She laughed. "Oh, poor baby…does the pillow hurt you?"

He opened his mouth in awe. "Oh I see. I see how you're gonna be."

He grabbed her sides and flipped her over onto her back, taking the pillow from her and tossing it to the floor.

"Ah! No, you can't take my weapon!" she exclaimed.

"I just did," he smirked, pinning her hands above her head on the bed.

She was already laughing uncontrollably, anticipating what he was about to do.

"No, no, no. Please, this isn't fair at all, this is _never_ fair!" she pleaded, laughing at his fingers starting to tickle her.

"Hey, baby, you started it. Pillow attacks equal tickle attacks. It says it in the rule book," he said.

She laughed so hard that tears started streaming down her cheeks, as she tried to wiggle out of his grip. That, of course, never ever worked.

 _"_ _Oh, poor baby….does tickling make you sad?"_ he imitated.

"You are such an ass," she giggled, wiping her cheeks against her shoulder to dry the tears.

"Well this ass has you in a sticky situation here, doesn't he?" he smirked.

"Yes, he does," she agreed.

"Whatcha gonna do about it?" he asked.

"I haven't decided yet."

"Well you let me know. In the meantime, I'll just sit here," he said, swinging a leg over her body and kneeling above her hips. All while he still had her hands pinned above her head.

She looked up at him, smiling down at her. He was so cute. Even when he was playfully putting her in an impossible situation.

"Okay, I've decided what I'm gonna do," she said.

"Okay and what is that?" he asked, clearly intrigued.

"Take off your shorts," she said.

He raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"You heard me. Take the belt off. Undo the button. Unzip the zipper. Take 'em off."

He shot her a look. "No, you horny little thing."

"No?" she challenged.

"No!" he chuckled.

"How come? You know you want to," she said.

"I do _not_ want to," he said, shaking his head.

"Oh really?" she asked.

"Yeah, really," he said.

"Pffft. _Bullshit,"_ she replied.

"I am not whipping it out with Abby down the hall," he chuckled in a hushed whisper.

"Yeah, there's this thing called locking the door," she nodded. "it's already closed."

"Uh-huh and that would require me getting up and giving up my position of…dominance at the moment," he replied.

"Well then you just whip it out and hope Abby doesn't walk in," she shrugged.

"No!" he chuckled.

She slowly brought her knee up to his crotch and rubbed him gently, smirking at him while she did it. It was her only way of contact at the moment. "Come onnnn," she whispered.

He looked down at her knee and closed his eyes, sighing gently. "Oh come on…don't…don't do that," he whispered.

She watched him slowly lean his body into her knee, contradicting what he was saying.

"Don't do that?" she asked.

"No..." he breathed.

She could already feel him. It took about five seconds.

"Okay…" she said, bringing her knee back down to the bed.

He licked his lips, exhaling deeply. Clearly trying to hold whatever he was feeling off.

He gripped her hands with one hand instead, freeing up his other hand.

And then he started undoing his belt.

She smirked.

He opened his eyes, undoing everything with one hand and finally pulling his length out of his pants. He was hard as a rock, she had barely had to try.

She lifted her head up and leaned forward as far as she could with her hands still pinned above her head. And it was just far enough to where she could take him in her mouth.

He let out a surprised breath, having no clue what she was actually going to do once he pulled his shorts down.

Without even thinking, he just scooted up her body, making it much easier for her to do it. She just laid her head back, playing with it.

With her mouth.

She could feel his grip on her hands tighten just because of what she was doing to him.

He looked down at her so content, so pleased. It made her happy.

His hips began to move a little bit. But still gently, as he penetrated her mouth.

She let him. It was easier for her, anyway, given that she had no hands at the moment and was completely pinned down in general.

She played around a lot. Flicking her tongue across his tip, pressing her lips to it, and dragging them all the way down his shaft. Swirling her tongue in circles, tasting the liquid slowly seeping out.

He kept his voice quiet for the most part, not allowing himself to be too loud. Which, she was impressed with. She sure as hell couldn't keep quiet when she was on the receiving end of things. No matter how hard she tried, she always made some type of noise.

And he did too this time, but it was mostly his breathing. He panted hard, especially when he got near his breaking point, and he couldn't seem to silence that.

It was hot, watching him that way, though. Moving his hips slightly toward her mouth. His breathing so messed up. His chest rising and falling so quickly.

She made him come faster than she thought she ever had with her mouth.

She swallowed a few times, watching him released his grip on her hands and collapse on her body, panting hard.

Aaaand, mission complete. She got him off and also managed to free her hands.

"Oh my…god," he panted.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," she replied, examining her nails as his body calmed on top of her.

He lifted his head up to look at her. And they both burst into laughter.

"Don't ever do that again!" he exclaimed in a hushed whisper.

"What, blow you? Yeah right, you weirdo, you'll be begging me tomorrow night already," she replied.

He put his head down on her chest, laughing. "No. Not—no. I _mean_ don't…give me some weird kind of knee massage thing to give me a hard-on."

"Well you clearly liked the _weird kind of knee massage thing_ , hence the hard-on," she shrugged.

"Yes, I did. But I do not want to scar your friend, who is currently living two rooms down," he replied, reaching down to fasten his shorts again.

"Well, you put me in a sticky situation and...I made it stickier," she shrugged.

He looked at her and laughed again. "Okay. Good one," he said, giving her a high five.

"You know, you were the one teasing me about not being able to resist you. So you could have just…resisted. Because there's this thing called self—"

"I swear to god, woman, if you say self-control I am going to pin you down again," he replied.

"Alright, do it, we saw how well that worked for you last time," she giggled.

He laughed against her chest, looking up at her with a smile. _"You are such an ass."_

She shrugged, laughing. "I guess we're just a couple of asses then."

"I guess so," he nodded. "You're my favorite ass, though."

"Aww, baby that's so sweet of you to say," she replied.

"What can I say, I'm a gentleman," he shrugged.

"Yes, you are," she agreed, smiling up at him.

He smiled back at her. "Kiss."

She lifted her head up and pecked his lips a few times.

A few knocks at the door interrupted their kisses.

"Yeah?" Olivia answered.

"Are you both clothed?" Abby asked.

"Yes," Fitz chuckled. "You can open the door."

She opened it, looking in at them on the bed. Fitz was laying on top of her, resting between her legs. And Abby just laughed.

"It's funny because this is exactly what I expected to see."

Olivia had a hard time not laughing. Would've been even worse a few minutes ago.

 _"_ _Ha ha._ What's up?" she asked.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you, I just wondered if Arie needed to go out," Abby replied.

Fitz looked back at the clock on the nightstand. "She was out an hour ago, but yeah, she could go out," he said, starting to get up.

"Oh, no you don't have to get up. I was actually gonna take her if that's cool. We're bonding and I want her to like me," Abby said with a laugh.

Fitz stopped and stayed where he was. "Oh, yeah okay. Are you sure? You don't have to by any means."

"Yeah it's totally fine. I just take her out back right?" she asked.

"Yeah. She should go right away, just tell her to 'go potty'," Olivia replied.

"Kay, cool. As you were," she said, closing the door.

"Thanks, Abby," Olivia shouted.

"Thanks, Abby," Fitz echoed.

"You're welcome, weirdos."

"We prefer the term 'asses'," Olivia shouted back.

"Yeah. That's our new preferred term," Fitz nodded.

"Yeah okay, just proves my point even more, weirdos," Abby yelled again.

Olivia smiled, shaking her head. And she looked back up at him. "I'm a little upset you didn't finish kissing me."

"Uh, you mean _you_ didn't finish kissing _me,"_ he replied.

She shrugged, pecking his lips a few more times over.

"Kay, I'm good now. Wanna get up?"

"Yeah," he nodded, letting her get out from under him.

Their last day of summer was pretty good. They'd had essentially a whole week of freedom just last week, when Fitz had been done with summer semester already and Olivia didn't have work anymore.

They'd enjoyed their time off. Time together, time to do a lot of wedding planning, and time to give the apartment a deep clean before Abby moved in.

Which, certainly didn't affect their lives very much. She literally had brought one suitcase, her backpack, and a duffel bag and that was it. It was only a little over a month, anyway. But it definitely didn't take her long to get settled with them.

Olivia was pretty sure it took her longer to set up her things in the bathroom than it did for her to unpack in her bedroom. She'd _always_ taken forever to get ready in the bathroom. Had since the first day Olivia met her.

She'd picked the first guest room because it was across from Arie's kennel and she already was in love with her. Which, was understandable. She was a lovable fluffball.

She'd already done her grocery shopping for herself, which was humorous because she tried so hard to take up as little room as possible in the fridge and pantry with her food.

Fitz told her they had plenty of room, and that one other person's things would not do any harm.

But, Abby was pretty organized about things. In fact, that Sunday night she started doing her meal prep for the week, like she always did. But, of course, her new roomies came to hang out with her.

"Is this…I mean is it okay if I make my lunches? I'm not in the way?" Abby asked concernedly.

Fitz chuckled. "Abigail."

"Pretty boy."

"You are okay. No need to worry so much," he nodded.

"Okay, sorry, sorry. I just…don't wanna be a bother or anything," she said.

"Abby, you are not a bother. And I know for sure that you would not ask if you were in the boys' way if you were staying at their apartment," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Okay, not in their _kitchen_ , no. When do the boys ever use their kitchen? I mean, I don't think I've ever seen either of them cook anything," Abby said, laughing.

"Well, Huck made me an omelet once. It was…burnt. But I ate the whole thing because…under no circumstances could anyone ever want to make Huck feel bad," Olivia replied.

"Yeah, Huck's too kind a soul," Abby agreed.

"So what kind of meals are you prepping?" Fitz asked, leaning against the counter and folding his arms.

"Yeah, miss chef, what are you prepping this week?" Olivia asked, pushing herself up to sit on the counter by Fitz.

"Well I was thinking of that one teriyaki chicken and vegetable bowl thing I sometimes do. Some pasta salad recipe my mom gave me and obviously vegetable fried rice because when can I ever go without that," she said, starting the burner.

"Oh, yeah. She loves fried rice," Olivia said to Fitz.

"Mm, ditto. Those all sound great," he nodded.

"Thank you," she replied. "Where's Arie?"

"She's busy in the living room with some treat ball I gave her. The treat's inside this rubber ball thing and she has to figure out how to get it out," he chuckled.

"Ohhh, sounds like puppy heaven!" Abby nodded.

"Oh see her puppy heaven is peanut butter," Olivia nodded.

"Ooo, peanut butter. Good to know," Abby replied.

"She has her own jar in the pantry," Fitz chuckled.

Abby shot them a look. "You're kidding."

"Nope," Fitz replied. "It's marked with an 'A' and everything."

Olivia nodded and smiled in agreement.

"So she's spoiled as all hell, then?" Abby asked.

"Yep," Olivia nodded.

"A hundred percent," Fitz agreed.

"Well, she _is_ pretty cute. It would be hard not to spoil her," Abby nodded.

"Ah, see, that's what I keep telling Olivia about herself, too," Fitz said, looking at her.

Olivia smiled. "And I tell him it isn't necessary but that really never stops him."

"You're my fiancée. How can I not spoil you?" he asked.

"I may be your fiancée but I am not as cute as Arie," she said, scooting over on the counter so she was directly behind him, and could wrap herself around him.

He chuckled, holding onto her arms and leaning back into her body. "I think you're cute."

"I think you're cuter," she said, wrapping her around his neck from behind and resting them on his chest.

He smiled, kissing her hands a few times.

"I love you guys," Abby said with a smile.

"We love you too," Olivia said, leaning her head on Fitz's shoulder.

"Yes we do," he agreed.

"I'm just so happy I can stay here and...be with you guys. I really just...love you guys and have rooted for you since the beginning when you were tiny and scared, and refused to accept that you literally can never be away from each other."

Olivia laughed. "That's true. And we have always appreciated your support. You have always been our number one fan."

"We didn't have many fans...but we could always count on you," Fitz nodded.

Abby smiled brightly. "So...you know, as like...your number one fan, or whatever...I really just think you should let me contribute."

Fitz chuckled. "Abby, I already told you we're not taking your money."

Olivia flashed her a look, shaking her head.

Abby groaned in disappointment. "Seriously, I'm staying here for over a month. I can't just...you can't just...I can't stay here for nothing. In...friggin Paxton Hills. That does not sit well with me."

"Abby you were fully willing to stay on a pullout couch for over a month, but _we_ told you to come stay here. We would never ask you to pay if _we_ brought it up to begin with, and we wouldn't ask for that anyway. You're Abby. You're like family," Olivia said.

"My girl is right," Fitz nodded.

She sighed. "Okay well then...how about at least _something?_ A dinner? On me? A nice, fancy one and we can all go out together, David too. Like that double date we always talked about."

Olivia eyed Fitz, who shrugged.

"Alright. _One_ dinner."

"Yessss!" she said, fist pumping the hair.

He just chuckled. "But fair warning...if it's at a restaurant around here, Olivia and I may be really awkward."

She looked over at them. "You guys _still_ haven't been out in New Haven together?"

Olivia shook her head. "Nope."

"How come? You're free to?" Abby asked.

"Well we've never had a reason to. We've been working our way to closer restaurants but whenever we go out we go...you know, _out_. Further away than five minutes," he shrugged.

"Yeah. And plus, it was good for us to keep a fairly low profile over the summer. By now it's perfectly fine for us to be seen together wherever. Campus, restaurants, downtown New Haven. You know...other places besides, like...the damn grocery store," Olivia said with a laugh.

"I guess that's true," Abby nodded. "I'm gonna take your New Haven restaurant virginity...I like this idea. I will have to pick the perfect place," she winked.

Fitz chuckled. "You do that. Then your debts are paid in full. Even though...you have no debts."

"Well, just know you are making me feel better, allowing me to do _something_. I really am just so thankful that I can stay here," she said.

"Of course," Fitz nodded.

"Always," Olivia agreed.

"And I really am your number one fan," she nodded, stirring the noodles that she was currently boiling. "And now my favorite couple is fricken getting married. They really do grow up so fast," she teased.

"We're getting married?" Olivia joked, looking at Fitz with a surprised look on her face.

"Oh shit are we? I don't know, do you want to?" he asked.

"Hmm..." she said, putting her finger up to her mouth in thought. "Let me think on it."

"Okay, could you maybe let me know by the end of the day?" he asked. "I'm just really crunched for time these days."

"Sure, of course," she nodded.

"You guys," Abby said with a laugh. "How has the planning been going?"

"Well we had a big week, that was for sure. Picking the venue is a huge weight off our shoulders," Olivia said.

"Yes. That was stressful as hell," Fitz nodded.

"What's it called again?" Abby asked.

"Chippanee Country Club," Olivia replied.

"Whew," Abby said, eyes widening. "A country club. I betcha they enjoy taking all your money."

 _"_ _Oh_ they do," Olivia replied.

" _But_ , there are tons of perks," Fitz pointed out.

"Yes there are, which is why I think Fitz was right in suggesting one. They take care of the catering, you don't have to go through a separate company. And their food is amazing, I mean it's a 4.5-star country club. They take care of the ceremony and the reception since it's all in one place. They have valet parking and rentals for taking people back to their hotels after. It's absolutely _beautiful_. And they have a day-of coordinator and I think I would die if we didn't have one of those," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Yes, I would really prefer for her to not be stressed. The less stressed she is, the less stressed I am," Fitz chuckled.

"Well it sounds amazing. I think it's good to do it all in one place and have as many things handled by one company or venue. Lord knows everything else is stressful enough," Abby said.

 _"And_ they also provide the alcohol," Fitz winked.

"Mmmhm," Olivia smirked.

"Oooo, this is gonna be sooo fun!" Abby exclaimed. "Okay, important question. Band or DJ?"

"DJ," they both answered.

"YES!" Abby exclaimed, accidentally flinging a noodle off the wooden spoon. "Oh, oh, oh shit. My bad. Flying noodle."

Fitz doubled over in laughter, watching her frantically go to pick the noodle up off the floor.

"Abby sacrificed a noodle," Olivia giggled.

"I did, I'm sorry, noodle," she said, throwing it away. "I'm just pumped about the DJ."

"We obviously need to have a DJ. We are gonna have...so many different types of music played at that reception...it will be crazy," Fitz said.

"Yes it will and I'm extremely ready for it," Olivia nodded. "You ever seen him on a dance floor? It's probably the best thing ever."

"I have not, but I look forward to it," Abby chuckled. "I'm curious as to what all this music will be."

"Everything imaginable," Fitz said.

"Like?" Abby asked.

"You know...oldies, country, pop, some slow stuff, because obviously my wife and I are gonna slow dance in between the crazy dances where I make a fool of myself," he explained.

"Country?!" Abby asked excitedly.

"Abby loves country," Olivia said, looking at him.

"Yes!" Fitz's exclaimed, reaching his fist out for her.

She bumped it, and jumped up excitedly. "I'm so happy about that. Someone else that likes it."

"I do. Liv even kinda does," he nodded proudly.

"Ehhhh," Olivia winced. "Some songs, yes. I do not hate it, I can say that. But also it isn't my favorite. Except, honestly, the _really_ country songs are just funny as hell."

Abby laughed. "I think one of the countriest songs I've ever heard was International Harvester."

"Yes! That one is gold!" Fitz exclaimed, pointing at her.

"Yes! Craig Morgan, right?" she asked.

"Uh-huh. Also sings Redneck Yacht Club. So...I mean, this guy just clearly is from the...fucking boondocks or something," he said, scratching his head.

"Oh, Boondocks. Another great song," Abby said, pointing at him.

"You're so right," he said, pointing back at her.

"Okay, wait, I'm still stuck on this International Harvester thing. There is seriously a song called this?" Olivia asked.

"Oh yeah," Fitz nodded.

 _"_ _I'm the son of a third-generation farrrrrmer,"_ Abby sang.

 _"_ _I've been married ten years to the farmer's daauuughter,"_ Fitz added.

"Oh my _god!"_ Olivia exclaimed, bursting into laughter. "You guys are so white, how on earth did I get myself into this."

"'Cause you love us," Fitz chuckled, leaning his head back into her chest.

"Yeah. You've had to deal with my country-loving, white ass for three years now. You're not stopping anytime soon," she said, draining her hot water.

Fitz nodded, smiling up at her.

Olivia smiled, kissing the side of his head. "Okay so there are going to be embarrassing country songs at our reception? I have to not only prepare myself for this, but my family too?" she asked, laughing.

"No, no. We won't have the DJ play the super country ones. Only good ones," he nodded. "I mean...unless our friend, Abigail, here, requests International Harvester. In which I will dance to it proudly because I am not lame."

Olivia laughed, shaking her head. "Oh good god. Okay, if you dance to that...you have to dance to J Biebs too."

He opened his mouth in protest, his cheeks flushing. "Okay, you know what, sure. I'm gonna be out of my mind happy that night so I'll dance to anything. As long as you're dancing with me.

She nodded. "Deal, baby. Deal."

"I feel like I'm missing something here," Abby said with a laugh.

"Oh, you are. _Everyone_ is. You see, Fitz is a secret Belieber," Olivia nodded.

"WHAT?" Abby giggled.

He sighed, shaking his head. "I am a man of many tastes, okay."

Olivia laughed behind him, patting his chest. "He is. The range of genres and artists on his Spotify...is insane."

"Like what?" Abby asked curiously.

"Everything," Fitz chuckled.

"Everything includes some T-Swift, I've noticed. As well as Katy Perry and the occasional boy band," Olivia giggled.

"Boy bands?! Oh, pretty boy, I am learning so much about you tonight," Abby laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, all the women in the house should just gang up on the poor man here for his taste in music. Where's baby girl? She should join in too."

"You _are_ very outnumbered," Olivia nodded.

"I know. It's really not very fair, I don't think," he shrugged.

"I can't get over the boy bands, I'm sorry," Abby giggled, bending over as she laughed.

"Okay, laugh it up, but you can't deny that they always have this...really catchy shit," he said.

Abby just stood there laughing her ass off, which had Olivia laughing too.

"I think they have catchy shit, baby, I support you," Olivia said, patting his head.

"Thank you, baby, that means a lot," he nodded.

"You're welcome," she nodded.

"Okay which bands are we talking here?" Abby asked.

"Only the best ones to have ever been created," he said.

"For him, that means *NSYNC, and the Backstreet Boys," Olivia clarified.

"Uh-huh. See. This is why I'm marrying her," Fitz said, pointing behind him.

"Hmmm, okay, so like 'Bye, Bye, Bye'," Abby giggled.

"Yes, absolutely. 'It's Gonna Be Me', 'I Want It That Way'. All released around the same time and all made us college kids go absolutely nuts."

"Oh my god," Abby laughed. "That's actually hilarious."

"Isn't it funny how songs bring you back to a certain time in your life?" Olivia asked.

"Yes. Like...I don't even know how many times I listened to 'Call Me Maybe' in ninth grade," Abby said.

"Oh god, yeah," Olivia agreed. "And at my middle school, we were all obsessed with 'Bedrock'. We thought we were so cool, oh god," she sighed.

"Mmm, I can make your bed rock," he chuckled.

She laughed. "Of course you know that song, why am I not surprised?" she laughed

He turned around, smiling at her as he started singing it. "Ooh, baby. I be stuck to you like glue, baby."

"What the fuck!" Abby giggled, watching him.

He pulled Olivia off the counter, pushing her up against the counter. "Wanna spend it all on you, baby."

Olivia laughed, grabbing his hips.

"My room is the g-spot,

call me Mr. Flinstone,

I can make your bed rock."

Olivia turned to Abby, bursting into laughter after he finished singing. "I'm telling you, he just whips out these old songs out of fucking nowhere sometimes, I am never prepared."

"Pretty boy, you actually _can_ sing, oh my god," Abby said, putting her hand up to her mouth.

"Ah, so you liked it! See, Abby liked it," Fitz said to Olivia.

"I liked it too, I had no idea you even knew that song," Olivia giggled.

"Hey, I might be old but I don't live under a rock, jeez!" he exclaimed. "I'm cool. Remember. I know these things."

"You're right, you're very cool," she said, patting his chest. "Also not old."

"I'm very impressed," Abby nodded. "What other songs does he know? This should be a fun game!"

"No I think that was enough singing for the night," he chuckled.

"You can't possibly be embarrassed after we just praised you so highly," Olivia pointed out.

"Yeah, come on. What other popular songs do you know," Abby nodded.

He thought back on it. "God, I don't know. There were some good ones in my late college days. 'Hey Ya!'...'Where Is The Love?'...'Suga Suga'," he chuckled. "When we were in high school, Brett and I learned all the words to 'California Love'. That was..embarrassing."

"Oh, a little Tupac huh?" Olivia giggled.

"Uh-huh. Still know every word. Definitely not proving it though," he said, shaking his head.

"I have no question in my mind that you still know every word," Olivia replied, laughing.

"What's suga suga?" Abby asked.

"Oh, you know. Suga suga how you get so fly," he said.

"I know it," Olivia nodded.

"That's 'cause you're my suga," he said quietly, smiling up at her.

She giggled. "I am, huh?"

"Yes," he nodded.

"Am I being dumb over here? I seriously don't think I know it," Abby said.

"I don't know that was probably...2003 or something. You guys would've been pretty young," Fitz said, looking at her.

"Well you better just sing the whole song so I can see if I know it," Abby teased.

"Noooo," Fitz chuckled.

"Aw, but your voice is so sweet and I love it," Olivia said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"It's...it's tired. It can't sing anymore," he nodded.

"Ohhh bullll," Abby said.

He shrugged, lifting Olivia up and setting her back on the counter. "Sorry ladies."

"It's okay. You should go tear our dog away from that treat toy. So she can spend quality time with us," Olivia said.

"Mmkay," he nodded, pecking her lips.

He went to go grab her, and came back holding her in his arms.

Olivia gasped. "There's my Arie girl!"

"She got the treat out. She had moved on to that damn braided rope thing. It's almost demolished so...we need to get her a new one," he chuckled.

"Ohhh we can do that, can't we? Yes we can. You can't help it, your puppy teeth are so sharp aren't they," Olivia said.

"Yes, they _are,"_ Fitz agreed. "That's why it hurts when you get rough with me, right? Your teeth hurt the daddy." He nodded at her and Arie just licked his nose right back.

"Oh, yes okay. I forgive you. Thank you," he said, leaning back against the counter in front of Olivia again.

"Hi," Olivia said, smiling at Arie as she leaned her head on Fitz's shoulder. They were facing each other now and Arie seemed very content with that. And also, with being held by dad. She loved that.

"You guys are complete parents oh my god," Abby giggled.

"Well that's a good thing right?" Fitz asked.

"Yes it is. Very, very good," Abby nodded.

"Abby says it's good. That's what Abby says," Olivia nodded, leaning her chin on Fitz's shoulder as she looked at Arie. Arie gave her a nice big kiss, too.

"Thank you," Olivia laughed. She grabbed her furry little face and kissed her wet nose. "I love you. I love you very much, yes I do."

"Me too," Fitz nodded.

"Me too," Abby agreed.

"Everyone loves you," Fitz said, readjusting her on his hip. She looked like a human child there on his hip.

"Yeah I see she made it up on the famous picture bar," Abby said, nodding behind them.

They looked at the bartop right behind them, which did have a ton of pictures on it. One of just Olivia. One of just Arie, laying in the grass. A selfie of them and all her friends sitting in the living room. And one of Olivia, Fitz and her parents at the Washington Capitals game.

Fitz nodded. "Yeah. She's in the living room too. And on Olivia's nightstand."

"We have a lot of pictures in this apartment," Olivia nodded, laughing.

"I think it's cute. I'm glad our birthday present to pretty boy is still there," Abby chuckled.

"Of course it is. I love that picture," he nodded.

"But why can't we take this one down," Olivia groaned, reaching for the picture of just her.

"No! Don't touch it," he replied.

"It doesn't fit! Every other picture is of us with someone. Or...our dog. And then there's just me! Ew!" she said.

"Uh, no. Not ew. And I don't care if it doesn't fit, that was my first ever picture in this apartment. That one and the one on my nightstand. I'm never taking it down," he stated.

"Ughhh," she groaned.

"Liv, what the hell! It's such a cute picture, who cares!" Abby exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Fitz nodded. "I look at it. When I'm cooking. 'Cause you're pretty."

She felt herself blush as she shook her head. "So there's no way I can convince you to replace it with one of us _together?"_

"No, not at all. See it has special meaning to it, you can't argue with me on this one," he said. "Just you. I just want you."

Olivia leaned her head on his back, laughing. "Alright, alright. I won't argue with you on this one."

He smiled back at her. "Thank you," he said, very satisfied.

"You're welcome," she giggled. "Well. I gotta go take a shower, wash the hair, you know. All that good stuff," she nodded at Abby.

"Okay. Have fun, thanks for hanging with me," Abby said with a wave.

"Of course," Olivia nodded, scooting around Fitz and hopping off the counter.

"We're gonna go with," Fitz said, holding up Arie's paw and waving it at Abby. "Quality time, you know."

Abby giggled and waved back. "Of course. Bye Arie!"

Fitz followed Olivia, patting her butt with his hand as he walked.

"That was baby girl," Fitz said.

"I'm sure it was," Olivia said, laughing. "Felt like a paw, not a human hand."

"Yeah, that's right. It was a paw," he nodded.

"Paws off," she said, looking at him over her shoulder.

He nodded at Arie. "Yeah…jeez, Arie."

She tilted her head in confusion.

He shut the door behind them and set Arie down, watching her prance around their bedroom.

"I'll be a little while okay?" she asked, stripping off her shirt.

He stared at her beautiful back, and then her breasts when she turned around and took off her bra.

"Fitz…"

"Huh? Oh, right. Yes. Okay," he nodded. "We'll just be waiting for you."

"Okay," she said with a laugh, tossing her bra at him. And then she headed into the bathroom.

He held her bra and nodded at Arie. "I'm tellin' ya, Arie. She still leaves me speechless sometimes and she doesn't even know it," he whispered.

She looked up at him, awaiting something. A treat. Playtime. Something.

"You have no idea what I'm saying," he nodded, sitting on the bed. He listened to the sound of the shower turning on and looked into the bathroom. And there she was, taking off her pants, too. Now…naked.

He sighed, patting the bed. "Jump up here. Come distract me."

She put her paws on the bed frame, standing up on her hind legs.

"Come on. You can do it. Jump!" he said.

And she did!

He gasped, rolling her onto her back. "Good girl, good job! See, I told you you could do it," he said, scratching her belly.

She laid there and let him give her a belly rub. Clearly very happy with herself.

He laid back on the bed and turned on Netflix, looking for something to watch while Arie snuggled up to him.

"Are you tired?" he whispered, scratching her ears. She remained curled up in a ball next to him. "We had a good, long walk today didn't we."

He looked in the mirror's reflection in the bathroom, seeing Olivia in the steamy shower. Now he couldn't see her. The clear shower door was steamed up. But he saw the outline of her body. So beautiful.

He looked at Arie. "You know momma leaves that bathroom door open on purpose right? She likes to tease me," he nodded.

He scrolled through the shows, clicking on Ozark, a show he'd been watching recently.

And then he reached over to Olivia's nightstand and grabbed the Skittles she'd been eating earlier before dinner. And he laughed at Arie.

"Don't tell her."

Arie licked her lips, sniffing the red package. "Hey. Get away from my skittles. Or…mom's skittles."

She did not stay away. But he had a great time anyway. He was excited for the semester to start and finally get back to regular work again. He was watching a good show, laying with his favorite little fluffball. His beautiful fiancée was just in the next room, wonderfully naked. And he was also eating Skittles. What a night.

Olivia finally came out, towel wrapped around her body and in the process of wrapping her hair. And then she looked at him oddly.

He was laughing his ass off, feeding Arie a skittle.

"What on earth are you doing?" she asked.

He laughed, looking up at her. "Um…not eating your skittles."

"You _are_ eating my skittles and you are also feeding them to our dog," she said, finishing tying her headscarf.

"No, no. I'm not. This is the first one, seriously. She kept sniffing me and…and she's so cute, I couldn't help it," he chuckled.

She laughed, shaking her head. "Did you at least save me some?"

"Of course I did," he replied.

"Good," she giggled. "I'm gonna do a facemask, I think. One sec," she said, heading back into the bathroom.

"Ah, yes, my wonderful birthday presents being put to good use," he nodded, putting a few more skittles in his mouth.

"Mhmmm," she replied from the bathroom. She rubbed a thin layer on her face and he watched her in the mirror, laughing. "You look amazing."

"Oh shush," she laughed, looking at him through the mirror.

"Green Olivia's back!" he chuckled, smiling at her.

"You wanna be green Fitz?" she asked.

"Not particularly," he replied.

She looked like she had just gotten a bright idea in her head, and started walking to the bed with the green facemask jar in her hand. "Oh god. Liv! No!" he said.

She laughed, getting on the bed.

"Really," he said, as she straddled his lap.

"Yes," she nodded, brushing the hair off his forehead, which, didn't stay.

"Ugh. Your hair doesn't listen to me. One sec."

He looked at Arie, shaking his head. "I did not ask for this, Arie. I very clearly said 'not particularly.' Did I not say that?" he asked.

"Yeah you totally did, but now I'm intrigued," Olivia said, coming back with her blue headscarf.

"Oh no. What…what's going on here," he said, watching her get back on top of him.

"Well I gotta keep your hair out of the way, silly," she said, tying it as a sort of bandana on him. She burst into laughter at the sight. It was pretty cute. His brown strands curled up all around the bandana, but stayed out of the way, at least.

"What?!" he asked, feeling the wrap on his head. "You look…like…a teenage girl on the Fourth of July!" she said, barely able to speak.

He grabbed his phone and looked at himself on his screen. And then he laughed. "Oh my god. What have you done."

"Just wait, just wait. This'll make it better," she said, dipping a finger inside and rubbing the mixture on his cheek

His eyes widened. "Oh. It feels…tingly."

She started laughing. "Okay, ready." She fully covered his face as she had done for herself, laughing the entire time.

"You look hilarious!" she exclaimed, doubling over in laughter.

He looked at himself on his screen and laughed. "Oh man. That's so bad!"

She grabbed her phone and leaned in, taking a selfie with him. He, of course, gave his brightest smile, anyway.

"Please never show that to my buddies. I will never live it down," he chuckled.

Arie was thoroughly confused, trying to sniff their faces because the masks smelt a little bit like mint. And were bright green of course.

"Can I touch it?" he asked.

"No, not yet. You have to wait a little bit to wash it off," she said.

"Okay but what's it doing? It's so tingly, I don't…I don't like it, why won't it stop doing that?" he said.

"Its supposed to do that," she laughed, eating a few skittles. "It's _working,_ is what it's doing!"

"I really wanna touch it, are you sure I can't touch it?" he asked.

"Fitzgerald Thomas, do not touch it," she replied.

"I think I'm gonna touch it," he said, scratching at the makeshift bandana tied around his head.

"Don't touch that either," she giggled.

"I'm sorry, it's really itchy," he said.

 _"_ _Mhm,"_ she nodded. "Tell me about it."

"Well how come you look so cute when you wear these? I look like I'm dressed up for Halloween. As...Leonardo the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle."

She doubled over in laughter. "Oh my god, you seriously do. You're green and everything!"

"Yeah, I know! Wait…Leonardo is the blue one right," he said.

"Yeah. Or…wait, maybe that's Donatello?" she questioned.

"No, Donatello is definitely purple. Yeah, okay. Leonardo is definitely blue."

"Yeah right, because Raphael is red and Michelangelo is orange," Olivia nodded.

"Yeah, exactly right," he nodded. "Wait…are we sure?"

A few knocks on the door interrupted their _very important_ conversation.

"Yeah, come in," Olivia said.

Abby peered in and raised an eyebrow. "I heard all this laughing, and…what in the—"

"Okay, Abby, Leonardo is the blue ninja turtle right?" Fitz asked.

"Yes, obviously," Abby replied.

"Ahhh! Okay, I was right the first time," he nodded at Olivia.

"What the _fuck_ are you guys doing?!" Abby exclaimed.

It was quite the amusing sight. Olivia wearing nothing but a towel, straddling his lap. Both with wraps on their heads and green face masks on. Eating Skittles. And Arie, sitting in the midst of the chaos, looking as happy as ever.

"Uhhh self-care," Olivia shrugged.

Abby bent over, holding the door frame as she burst into laughter. "You guys are so weird!"

"Okay, in my defense I told her I did _not_ want to be green Fitz. And then she made me green anyway! And then she tied this thing on my head to keep my hair out of the way, and it looks way cuter when she wears it and…I look like a ninja turtle. Leonardo, to be specific," Fitz ranted.

Abby continued to laugh her ass off, not even sure where to begin.

"You want me to tie yours like how I wear mine to bed?" she asked, pointing to hers.

"No, it's fine, I'm gonna embrace the...bandana...ninja look," he nodded, adjusting the scarf on his head.

"You guys are the best roomies I could ask for," Abby said with a laugh, looking at them.

"Hey, by all means, please come join this party. Fitz bought me all this Lush stuff...you can do a face mask too," Olivia giggled.

"Seriously?" Abby asked.

"Uh-huh. We have Skittles. And...a dog who will sniff your face a lot," Olivia nodded, waving her inside.

"Okay," Abby chuckled, putting her hair up in a bun.

"Oh and fair warning I'm definitely naked at the moment, it's just masked by this towel," Olivia said, adjusting it on her breasts.

"That's okay I don't care," Abby said, joining them.

"See, baby, I told you," she said to Fitz, eating another skittle.

He shrugged and nodded, eating one too.

"What?" Abby asked.

"Mm. Well. Last week we sort of had sex in the kitchen and then said we couldn't do that when you were here," Olivia summarized.

Abby laughed. "Ha. Why would I care?"

Olivia turned to Fitz and smirked.

"Okay well we're still not doing that," he said, pointing to Olivia. "She already thinks we're weird."

"Nah. You guys are cute," she nodded, covering her face in the face mask.

Both girls got up to wash off their hands and resumed their little party.

"I thoroughly enjoy self-care. I should not have judged. This is a great way to spend my last night of this summer. Because this summer was a good one," Abby said.

"Yes. It really was," Olivia nodded at Fitz. He smiled and leaned in to kiss her.

"Next summer will be better though," Abby said. "Wedding!"

"Oh you know that reminds me. Fitz, I'll marry you," Olivia said.

"Oh thanks for the timely response, babe," he nodded.

"You're so welcome," she giggled. "Wedding!"

"Yes!" Abby nodded. "I'm so happy and excited for you guys."

"Yeah?" Olivia asked, smiling at Fitz.

"Yeah. Seriously. That will be...such a great day," Abby nodded.

Fitz winked at Olivia and she got up, grabbing something from her nightstand drawer. "Well...it will be a great day. But only if you're up there with me by that altar, too."

She handed Abby a card and a thin, square box. And Abby just looked at her in awe.

"Open it," Olivia said with a smile.

Abby looked down at it, already knowing what it was going to say. And she looked away, wiping at her eyes. "Oh my god."

"Abby...open it," Olivia said, squeezing her hand.

She looked back down at the little gift in her hand and nodded, taking a deep breath.

She silently read the card to herself, a single tear already streaming down her face. Or...face mask.

Olivia looked at her with a smile. Abby's peppiness, her sarcasticness. All gone in such a moment, while she read the card. Which, at the bottom said;

 **I can't say "I do" without you.**

She opened the box, sniffling. "Liv. I can't even wipe my tears away right now because I have this green shit on my face," she sniffled.

"I'm sorry," Olivia giggled.

In the box was a silver bangle, the same color as her engagement ring band. The same color as Fitz's ring would be, as well as her own band. And the same color as all of her bridesmaids' bangles would be. But Abby's was even more special.

On the box, it read;

 **Will you be my maid of honor?**

She sniffled and nodded, reaching for Olivia, who hugged her right back. "Of course I will, you dumbass," she cried.

Olivia laughed, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes too. "Thanks, dumbass."

Fitz sat there, silently fist pumping the air.

"This is so sweet, Liv," Abby said, pulling back to look at it.

"Look on the inside," she said.

"Maid of honor" was engraved on the inside, which made Abby smile. She took it out and tried it on, marveling at how well it fit her.

"Oh man. This is...this is amazing, Liv. Thank you so much. I want to help you with anything. Everything," Abby nodded.

"Thank you. Nobody I'd rather have by my side," Olivia said, nudging her arm.

"Who else is part of the party?" Abby asked excitedly.

"Well Fitz has his best man," Olivia said.

"Ah, and who will be my fellow counterpart?" Abby asked.

"Cyrus," Fitz said.

"The department head guy?" Abby asked.

Fitz nodded. "He's one of my best friends. Always been there for me, especially when Liv and I met."

"Aw, cute. Cyrus and I are gonna have to become good friends too then," Abby nodded. "And everyone else?"

"Sandra, my friend from home, is a bridesmaid. She knows, but my other bridesmaids don't know yet so you can't tell," Olivia said.

"I won't!" Abby exclaimed.

"Teagan and Quinn," Olivia nodded.

"Yay! Aw that will be so fun!" Abby exclaimed. "Are the groomsmen your friends, pretty boy?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Brett, Jason, and Matt."

"I have no idea who those guys are but I've heard they're fun," she giggled.

"They _are_ fun," he nodded.

"So there's only three each? That's really manageable," Abby nodded.

"Well we have an uneven amount of men and women...friends. So we had to get a little creative. But we're thinking of doing a party bus or something in between the wedding and reception anyway and obviously all our friends can be involved then and come along," Olivia said.

Abby nodded. "Yeah we do have a lot of guy friends don't we."

"Yeah. The good thing is I don't think the boys will care as long as they can party with us," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Oh god yeah. They won't give a shit. As long as they don't miss out on the party and the booze," Abby nodded. "Quinn was the one all excited about being in the wedding party."

"I know," Olivia agreed. "She knows I'll ask her but it'll still be fun to give her the bangle."

"Yes. I knew but...we hadn't really talked about it yet so I just didn't know. This makes me really happy Liv," she said, admiring the bangle. "So we will all wear these on your wedding day?"

"Mhm. All the women, at least. The groomsmen won't. Fitz just _called_ all his friends and they were like 'yeah, Grant. For sure, buddy'" she imitated.

Fitz chuckled. "That is _not_ how my friends talk!"

"Are you kidding? That's _exactly_ how they talk. That's how you _all_ talk when you're together," Olivia giggled.

"Okay, Yeah. Maybe," he agreed.

"That's kind of cute, I think," Abby chuckled.

"What?" he asked.

"When guys call each other buddy!" she said. "Like…guys are so rough and tough and…big. And then they're with their friends and they're just like, 'hey buddy!'"

Olivia laughed. "That's exactly how they are. But with _multiple_ nicknames."

"Yeah. I don't know if I'm ever 'Fitz' to them, except for maybe in serious situations," he said. "Their new favorite one is captain. Or cap, because of that damn boat."

"They sound like my kind of people," Abby nodded with a smile.

"You'll love them," he chuckled.

"Man, I'm even more excited now," Abby exclaimed.

"I'm like...a little excited," she shrugged, looking at Fitz.

"Yeah just a tiny bit," he shrugged.

Abby shook her head. "You guys are ridiculous with each other."

He started laughing and pulled Olivia into his body for a hug. "I'm _so_ excited and she knows it."

"I do," Olivia nodded into his chest. "Me too. I've never been more excited for anything."

"Me neither," he whispered, hugging her.

"Woo! I'm...third wheeling so hard right now, I feel bad," Abby said.

"You're not third wheeling. You're the maid of honor!" Olivia exclaimed.

Abby thought for a second. "You're right! I'm the maid of honor! _And_ we're roomies."

Olivia and Fitz laughed and nodded.

"Roomies."

* * *

Wedding planning...they're doing it!

Hope you enjoyed.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	83. Planning & Timing

Fitz sighed, looking over his notes from yesterday's meeting. And rolled his eyes.

"Such a...pointless meeting," he whispered, scratching his forehead.

"What?"

He looked up at the door to see Cyrus standing there, holding a stack of papers.

"Oh. Hey Cy," he said.

"You wouldn't be talking about my department meeting are you?" Cyrus asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Fitz winced. "Would it make you feel better if I lied and said no?"

"Yes," he nodded.

"Okay. No, I was talking about a different meeting," Fitz chuckled.

Cyrus sighed, walking in. "I know the start of the semester meeting is pointless, but I have to do it and you all have to come. You know that."

"I do know that, my apologies. It was a very educational meeting," he said, smiling.

Cyrus rolled his eyes. "Hey, I don't come up with the PowerPoint, the University gives it to me. You're the one who takes notes every year."

"I'm an organized person!" Fitz exclaimed.

"Well, that, I can't deny. And I appreciate it, by the way," Cyrus nodded.

"Thank you," Fitz nodded.

"Speaking of organized, how's the planning going, _groom?"_

Fitz nodded. "It's going good. We're pretty ahead of the game right now, I think. Mostly because we wanted to get a jumpstart before the school year started. Things are going well. She's been having a lot of fun browsing dresses lately, that's for sure."

"Oh, has she let you look with her?" Cyrus chuckled.

"Nope. She and her best friend just love looking, though, I swear. They're going out to look at them in person this weekend. She won't let me see the ones she really likes, though," Fitz nodded.

"Cute. The planning will take over your life for the next year, that's for sure," he nodded.

"Oh, I know. It already has. It's stressful, but exciting at the same time," Fitz replied.

"Well hey, you just let me know what kind of bachelor party you want...I'll get right on it when the time comes," Cyrus winked.

"Oh yeah, I was thinking Vegas. You know, all that gambling and booze and entertainment," Fitz teased.

"Adult entertainment," Cyrus chuckled.

"Oh yeah. Totally sounds like me, right?" Fitz asked, laughing.

"Definitely. That idea's got Fitz written all over it," Cyrus nodded.

Fitz chuckled. "Yeah...I don't really have any ideas, buddy. I mean...I don't want some fancy, crazy bachelor party."

"Well it doesn't have to be extravagant. It can be whatever you want it to be. It can be...me and your buddies taking you out for drinks, if that's all you want. Whatever you want it to be. And...maybe a few surprises orchestrated by me. We'll see," he winked.

Fitz's eyes widened. "Okay, But seriously, no strippers."

"Well of course not," Cyrus replied. "That's not my style, or yours."

"Thank god," Fitz sighed.

"I don't think Olivia would like that too much anyway," Cyrus said, wincing.

Fitz shook his head. "Nope. She would not."

"How about her party? Strippers?" Cyrus chuckled.

Fitz's heart dropped. "Oh god...I don't know. I don't exactly enjoy that thought."

"Mmm. Maybe she wants one," Cyrus teased.

"Not helping, Cy," he said, shooting him a look.

Cyrus laughed. "I'm just teasing you. That woman can't keep her hands off you and you alone. I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"I know that. I just...ugh. Thinking about...ugh. Yeah, no," he cringed.

"Okay, I'll change the subject. The reason I came here was _not_ to discuss strippers, believe it or not. But I need these off my desk," he said, setting them on Fitz's desk.

"Is this the...lecture material for Supreme Court?" he asked, flipping through the sheets.

"Yes, not for IP. That stack is still at home but I'll get it to you," Cyrus replied.

"Okay, thanks Cy. I'll be happy to use this," he nodded.

"No problem. Sam liked his, so I figured you would too. I better go though, I have a meeting in half an hour. I'll see you later this week, I'm sure," Cyrus said, heading out.

"Alright yeah. See you," Fitz nodded.

Cyrus waved back and was gone.

Fitz sighed, looking at his watch. The watch Olivia has given him for his birthday. He loved that watch.

It was early yet, but he was sick of being at the office and he figured getting home to Arie as soon as possible was good. So he packed up how things and headed out.

He immediately took a very excited Arie outside when he got home.

Ever since the semester had started, she'd had to get used to staying home and in her kennel a little longer than normal.

Between Fitz, Olivia, and even Abby having class, they all could usually make it work to get her outside at least once during the day. Plus, none of them got home late, by any means. Fitz was usually the last one home if he stayed at the office to work or for his office hours.

Olivia and Abby started their days fairly early and ended them fairly early for the most part. It all worked out alright.

Fitz wouldn't feel too bad if she could at least have more space than what she had in her kennel. But it would still be a little while before they gave her free roam of the apartment when they weren't home.

They didn't have to worry about accidents much anymore. She was pretty good about that and her accidents were very rare these days. But she was still a puppy and she still loved to chew on things. She'd already demolished a few of her toys and they'd had to replace them.

And they'd caught her chewing on the couch leg once, just gnawing away at the wood.

That was the first time Fitz had gotten mad at her, and had raised his voice. She definitely hadn't liked it much.

Otherwise, she was a pretty good puppy. Just...not fully trustworthy yet.

He gave her lots of attention when they got back inside, still in his work clothes and everything. He liked to lay on the living room floor and let her climb on him. She found that game very amusing and would do just about anything for dad's attention.

He was in the middle of a tug of war battle with her, when the door opened.

They both looked up at the door, watching the tall redhead walk in. Only she didn't look like her normal self.

"Hey, Abby."

"Hi," she replied back.

She looked briefly at Fitz and gave him a small smile and wave, mostly trying to shield her face from him, it seemed.

She sniffled and took her shoes off, heading straight to her bedroom.

"Abby...everything okay?" He asked, lifting his head up as Arie continued to pull on her rope toy.

"Yeah, it's fine," she nodded sadly, starting to close the door.

"Hey. Abby. What's up, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing, Fitz. I'm okay, really, everything's okay," she assured him, closing the door. He heard the lock turn and everything.

He furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Arie, and then back at the door. "She just called me...Fitz?" he whispered.

Arie tilted her head.

He got up and went to her door slowly, wondering what to do. Seriously? What the hell was he supposed to do?

He walked up to her door, hearing her softly crying inside already. He didn't like the thought of her being sad. She was never sad. Ever. She was always...this excited, slightly crazy, peppy person. Never in his life had he seen her sad.

He stood by her door, wondering if he should knock or not. Did she want space or did she want someone to talk to? How was he supposed to know? He decided to knock. "Hey, Abby. Um...are you _sure_ everything's okay?"

"Yes," she called out.

"Okay...well, you know...you could talk to me. If...if things weren't okay. If you are sad," he said, scratching his head.

"I'm all good," she said. "Thank you, though."

He sighed, getting the sense that she really did not want to talk.

"Okay. I just wanted to check. I'll leave you alone. But...if you change your mind, you could...come hang out out here. Arie misses you and...you don't have to talk about anything if you don't want to."

He shook his head. That probably sounded stupid. He was not good at this. With Olivia it was so much easier. He just knew what to do, with her, and always had. With kids, it was easy, too. But other women were an anomaly to him.

"Thank you," she sniffled.

"Okay. Yeah, no problem. I'll just be out here," he said.

He backed away, looking at Arie in the hallway. He shrugged at her. "I don't know how to help," he whispered.

He leaned down and picked her up, holding her in his arms. "I understand _you_. You're easy," he nodded. "Peanut butter. Running. Tons of water. Toys. I get you, girl. You make sense to me," he whispered.

She licked his nose happily.

"Yes, and kisses. Thank you," he chuckled. "Momma needs to come home, I think. I'm no good at this. Momma will know what to do."

He thought about what he knew about Abby. He knew enough to consider her his friend. But in reality, it wasn't like they were close.

For some reason the only thing that was popping into his mind was fried rice.

Fried rice? What the hell?

She liked fried rice, right? He was pretty sure they'd discussed that.

He shifted Arie to one hip and went back to Abby's door.

"Okay, I swear this is the last time I'm gonna bother you…I just was thinking you would maybe want something to eat? I could make fried rice. 'Cause…you like it a lot, right? Or…or not, if that doesn't sound good," he stumbled.

He shook his head. Good lord.

"Um…yeah. Okay. Sure. Thank you," she replied.

He breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't a total idiot. Hopefully.

"Awesome, okay. I'll start it now," he replied, heading to the kitchen.

He looked at Arie and sighed. "She's probably gonna want to move out now."

He set her down and washed his hands, getting out a large skillet. Arie followed his every move, which he was used to.

"Arie, we've discussed this. You can't walk that close to me. I don't want to step on your tail again, that almost made me cry the first time."

But she didn't move.

He shook his head. "You are nothing but trouble. You know that?"

She tilted her head.

"Nuh-uh. Don't do that. You know that's my weakness. Don't do that," he said.

She tilted it the other way.

The corners of his mouth tugged up in a smile and he chuckled. "I love you."

She jumped up and put her paws on his thighs, standing on her hind legs and wagging her tail. "Oh are you telling me you love me too? That's very sweet of you," he nodded, leaning down and letting her lick his nose.

"Yes, okay. Thank you. Yes. I can't pet you, though, I just washed my hands," he nodded.

And then Abby's door opened, and she made her way into the kitchen.

Fitz stood up straight and cleared his throat, turning on the burner.

She sat at the bar and tried her absolute best to appear normal, tucking her hair behind her ear.

He snuck a glance her way, seeing her eyes were red and puffy. She just didn't look like Abby, and he wasn't really a fan.

He scratched his head and went to the pantry to grab the rice. This was…awkward.

He could make small talk easily. He could connect with people if he needed. But for the love of god, he did not know how to make his fiancée's best friend feel better. Especially, if she wasn't in the mood to talk.

He decided just to get her talking. That, he knew how to do, and hopefully, that would get him to where he needed to be.

"So how were classes today?" he asked, grabbing some vegetables from the fridge and freezer.

"They were alright. How were yours?" she asked.

"Pretty good. I was happy to come home early today," he nodded.

"Yeah, I'm…sorry about all this. I didn't know you would be home because…you usually aren't yet. I didn't want anyone to...I just didn't want it to be a big deal," she said, shaking her head.

Fitz looked up at her. "Because you're sad."

Abby nodded, wiping her eyes. "It's stupid. It's really not a big deal, I'll be fine."

"It isn't stupid if it makes you sad. If there is something that has the power to do that…it is never stupid," he replied.

She gave him a half smile. "I never thought about it that way."

Fitz gave her an encouraging smile back. "I know I'm like, your…best friend's weird…old, lame fiancé. But…I'm a good listener. I can…listen. But only if you want."

That got a few laughs out of her. "You're not weird or old or lame."

He chuckled. "Well, regardless…I'm here. And if you don't want to, then I'll just make this fried rice and we can talk about...country music or something," he suggested.

She smiled. "Thank you. I don't think I'm feeling country today, that's too happy."

"How come?" he asked.

She sighed. "I just…have had the worst week. I'm already so stressed and we've barely started the school year. I've seen David a total of three times since I've been back. He's always working and…and it's so hard to even have a moment to ourselves to text each other, for god's sake. It will be so much better for us when we live together, it's just...hard right now. And...today we got in this stupid fight over the phone about it. I was supposed to see him tonight, I was so excited to. And then…he told me I shouldn't bother even coming now, after our fight."

Fitz looked at her curiously. "He did?"

"Yeah," she said, putting her head in her hands. "I don't even know how it all turned so wrong," she whimpered.

"Well how did you end things when you talked on the phone?" Fitz asked.

She shrugged. "Not great. He just said I shouldn't…I shouldn't even come to see him. And…we'd talk later because he had to work."

He gave her a sad look. "Aw man. I'm sorry about that, Abby. But you know David probably regrets saying that already. He loves you so much and I'm sure he's just as sad that he hasn't seen you very much. Sometimes we say things we really don't mean to the people we love the most if we're upset."

"I know," she nodded. "There are things I shouldn't have said, too."

"Well...maybe you should text him to see when he can take a break to call you. Communication is just...so important. Talk it all out again, it will help. You never want to end a conversation feeling upset," he replied.

"Yeah," she sighed, rubbing her temple. "Thank you."

"Hey. No problem," he shrugged, starting to scramble some eggs for the rice.

"Thanks for the fried rice, too," she said, laughing.

"You're welcome. I just...knew you liked it."

"I do, it's one of my favorites," she nodded.

He gave her a smile and continued to cook. He loved fried rice too, so it certainly wasn't a bother.

Abby turned on her music and connected them through the speakers. Which, was Fitz's idea to cheer her up. Although she still didn't play happy country music.

She played the radio station, so they enjoyed the variety that they received.

Abby got up to go to the bathroom, and Fitz fed Arie a chopped up carrot from his current pile of them, about to be mixed into the rice.

And then the front door opened, but Fitz couldn't hear it. The music was too loud and he was focused on the food.

Olivia listened to the deep bass that played in the apartment, and heard...Post Malone? What the hell?

She watched Fitz cook something. Which, seemed odd at 3:30 pm. But he looked damn good anyway with those dress shirt sleeves rolled up and that watch that she'd given him. Those slim dress pants that made his ass look great. His curly hair. Phew.

He was sort of nodding his head along to the song, which made her giggle. Especially considering the song, which she actually knew and liked...

 _ **Cut the roof off like a nip-tuck**_

 _ **Pull up to the house with some big butts**_

 _ **Turn the kitchen counter to a strip club**_

Her eyes widened. "Uh...Fitz?" she asked, above the loud music.

He looked back surprised at his fiancée. "Oh, baby, hi!"

"Hey," she said, setting her backpack down on the floor. She leaned down and picked up a very excited Arie from the ground.

"Hi, baby. How are you? How was your day?"

Her tail wagged excitedly and she covered Olivia's face in kisses, making Olivia laugh.

She walked over to give Fitz a kiss.

"Mwah."

He pecked her lips a few more times, and then her cheek.

"So...what's with the Post Malone?" she asked, laughing.

"Oh, it's Abby's radio playlist. She came home and she was...so sad. And she called me Fitz, and that really just made me oddly uncomfortable, and...and so I started making fried rice because I didn't know what else to do," he ranted in a hushed whisper.

She raised an eyebrow after all that, looking over at the stove. "Fried rice?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, I don't know...she likes it and that's all I could think to do."

"Well what's wrong? Is she okay?" Olivia asked worriedly.

"I think so, now. I don't...know, though, she's probably still sad. She had a fight with David and she's really stressed about that and school. You should talk to her. You will...definitely know what to do to help," he nodded.

She looked at him sweetly. "Well it sounds like you did a pretty good job already. She does love fried rice."

He scratched his head. "I talked to her too. I think I helped? I don't know. I'm...not super good at this."

She smiled, shaking her head. "Yes you are baby. _Yes_ you are. You don't give yourself enough credit."

"Really?" he asked.

"Really. You're a great listener," she said, grabbing his chin with a smile.

He smiled happily back, accepting the kiss she pressed to his lips softly. "I did tell her that," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"You did, huh?" she giggled.

"I did," he nodded, kissing her nose.

"You're not gonna turn our kitchen counter to a strip club are you?" she asked, listening to the loud bass still blaring throughout their kitchen.

He chuckled. "No. But I have to admit, I kind of like this song. It's called 'wow.'"

She nodded, laughing. "Yeah, baby I know this song."

"Oh. You do? Really?" he asked.

"Mhm."

"Damn. Now I feel out of the loop," he said.

Footsteps emerged from the hallway, and Fitz looked at Abby.

"Olivia is joining our fried rice party," he chuckled.

Abby smiled, waving at her. "Hey, Liv. How was class?"

"It was good. How are you? Everything good?" she asked, walking over to the bar.

"Yeah. I'm all good now," she nodded.

"You sure?" Olivia asked.

"Positive. Can I hold my little furry friend?" Abby asked.

"Of course you can," Olivia said, handing Arie over.

Arie had no problems with it. The more attention she got, the happier she was.

Abby of course still told Olivia what had happened, but that she was totally fine. Just had gotten a little sad about it, and had already texted David.

And they hugged it out, like they always did.

Abby was all good, with much thanks to Fitz's fried rice.

"So...I have an important question," Fitz said, as they all ate their rice.

"For who?" Abby asked.

"Um...both of you. I was wondering if I'm allowed to ask about Olivia's bachelorette party?" he asked.

The girls gave each other odd looks.

"What do you want to know?" Olivia asked, laughing.

"Well...like, can I know what you're gonna do?" he asked.

Abby chuckled. "Liv, he's a hundred percent asking if there are gonna be strippers."

"What?! No...that's not...true," he replied.

Abby raised an eyebrow. "Really."

He sighed. "Okay, I was just having a conversation with Cyrus today about my party...and—"

"Wait. Are _you_ having strippers?" Olivia interrupted.

His eyes widened. "No. What? No."

 _"_ _Pretty boy."_

"No! No, no. I don't want them, that's the first thing I told Cy. And now I can't get them out of my head because of that conversation about our parties and because of...that guy in the song singing about strip clubs, and—"

"Post Malone," Abby said.

"Yeah, him," Fitz agreed.

"So, you can't get strippers out of your head, huh?" Olivia asked.

He leaned his head down on the counter in defeat. "I give up."

She laughed, rubbing his back. "Baby I'm just teasing you. I know what you mean, and _no_ I am not having strippers."

He peered up at her. "You're not?"

She shook her head. "I mean...I haven't really given my bachelorette party a _ton_ of thought yet. But...no. I don't even need a party. And if I have one I just want it to be a night out with the girls," she shrugged.

"Well, of course, you're having one," Abby cut in. "You're damn well having a bomb ass bachelorette party. With no strippers, of course," she said, pointing at Fitz.

"Well...no, I mean I don't want you to... _not_ have them if you want them. I don't wanna get in the way, that's why I wondered if I could even ask about it," he said.

Abby laughed. "So now you're telling your fiancée to _have_ strippers at her party?"

"Uh...no. Well...yeah? If...she wants? I just don't want to get in the way. I'm just gonna stop talking now," he said, starting to eat his rice.

Olivia leaned her head on his shoulder. "Do strippers make you uncomfortable? I'm getting that vibe from you right now."

Abby nodded in agreement.

"Perhaps," he said.

"I don't want strippers, sweetheart," she giggled.

His cheeks were pink, she could see. "Okay. Sorry. I just wondered."

"You don't have to apologize for anything, Fitz," she assured him, pecking his cheek.

"And you make some damn good fried rice by the way," Abby said.

"Thank you," he nodded.

"You're welcome," Abby replied. "Oh...David's calling."

Fitz and Olivia immediately looked up at her. "I'll be back," she said, heading to her room.

"Good luck," Olivia whispered. Fitz gave a her thumbs up.

And it all turned out just fine. They made up over the phone, and she went out to see him, as she had originally planned.

However, that was _after_ Abby and Olivia had done some homework together, and looked at more dresses online.

So, Fitz took Arie with him to his bedroom and worked in there, getting the rest of the work he needed to get done, since he had come home early that day.

He didn't want to disturb the women and their wedding dress talk, after all. And he got to hang out with his other favorite girl. Who happened to be a little ball of fluff.

"Baby girl, please don't look at me like that," he said, looking down at her sitting by his desk chair.

She sat so pretty for him, as if waiting for food.

"I don't have any food!" he chuckled.

She just continued to look at him.

"Okay, you wanna come sit with me while I work? You wanna sit with dad? Come here."

He picked her up and sat her down on his lap, and her back right paw dug into a spot he did not anticipate.

"Ah fuck-" he groaned, adjusting her on his lap. He leaned over, squeezing his eyes shut in pain.

"Oh Arie. That was...that was extremely unfortunate paw placement," he groaned, exhaling deeply.

She licked his face, having no idea what he was being such a wimp for!

"No. Don't lick me. That will not make me feel better," he said. "Oh god you have powerful paws."

She jumped off his lap, returning to her earlier position at the foot of the chair because clearly she wasn't going to get any food or snuggles from this situation.

The pain started to subside very _slowly_ and he took a few deep breaths. Finally feeling like he wasn't going to throw up anymore.

But he just sat there with his head down on the desk, clutching...certain areas.

So naturally, Olivia walked in at that very moment.

"I got bored, doing homework alone. So I came in...what are you..."

He put up his hand in a wave, to acknowledge that he knew she was there. But he kept his head down on the desk and groaned.

"Fitz..." she said.

"Hi, baby," he replied, his voice strained.

"Whatcha doin' over there?" she asked.

"Recovering," he winced.

She walked over to the desk and raised her eyebrows. "Were you, uh...having a little Fitz time?" she asked, looking at his hand on his crotch and also the computer screen, which was asleep at the moment.

"What?" he asked.

"Well you're touching yourself and your computer is in front of you," she laughed.

He shook his head, touching the mouse to wake the screen up, and revealing his work in front of him. "I would not beat off to a historic Supreme Court decisions PowerPoint."

She laughed at the screen. "Hey you never know...you do love to teach..."

He shot her a look, which made her laugh even harder. "I was not...no. I was _working_ , and I brought Arie up to sit on my lap. Her paw just...really got me."

"Awww, you want me to kiss it better?" she asked, smiling at him.

"No. No, no, no. No touching it," he said, putting his hand out.

"Well that's the first time I've heard that come out of your mouth," she giggled.

He groaned, letting out a deep breath.

"Fitzgerald, is your dick okay?" she asked, frowning at him.

"No, it is not," he replied.

"Alright, let me see," she said, walking toward him.

He moved his hands away and lifted his head up, allowing her to spin his desk chair towards her and kneel down.

She tugged his gym shorts down and got a good look at it. "Looks perfectly normal to me," she shrugged.

He sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "Yeah. It's not as excruciating anymore."

"You want me to kiss it better _now?"_ she asked.

"Yeah okay," he nodded, still looking leaning back in the chair and looking up.

She leaned down and pressed a kiss on his tip. "All better."

"Maybe just one more," he whispered.

She gave him _two_ more, and slowly put his shorts and boxers back in place.

"So kind of you," he said.

She smiled, picking Arie up. "Prepare your junk."

He put his hand over his crotch and Olivia set Arie down on his lap again, before she sat down on the floor in front of his chair. "There you go. Say sorry to dad. He's a wimp."

He scoffed. "Dad is not a wimp. You have no say in that amount of pain."

"Alright, I don't. But when I'm pushing a human child out of me, you better not be one of those guys' that's like 'nah, bro. Getting hit in the balls is so much worse, dude,'" she said, with her deep "man" voice.

He started laughing. "First of all, I would never call you bro or dude. Especially when you are pushing a human child out of your body. That will be much... _tougher_ than Arie stepping on the goods."

"The goods," she laughed, leaning her head on his knee as she laughed.

He chuckled, giving her a shrug as he pet Arie. "Yeah we're gonna need the goods for that human child so…you know, Arie, let's be considerate of people's private areas, okay?"

She shook her head in laughter. "You are something else, Fitzgerald Grant."

"Thanks," he nodded happily.

"So…about before. Were you really worried I would have strippers at my bachelorette party?" she asked with a laugh.

He looked at her, shaking his head and smiling. "I don't know. I don't want to meddle in your bachelorette party, I'm just the lame groom. You can have strippers."

She laughed. "Babe, you're not just the 'lame groom.' And were you not listening to me when I told you I didn't want them?"

"Well I know, but you might change your mind, I don't know," he shrugged.

"No. I don't want some…oiled up, strange man rubbing up on me."

He grimaced. "Oh…god. Oh god."

"Yeah," she nodded. "Not my thing."

"I don't even…want to picture that and now it's being pictured," he said, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Well don't do that!" she exclaimed.

He shivered in disgust. "I can't help it now. I don't want to talk about strippers anymore."

She couldn't help but laugh. "You are the one that started this whole conversation earlier."

"I know, I know. I was just curious about it. I blame Cy."

"Well do you want to talk about _female_ strippers?" she teased.

"No," he replied. "Unless _you_ are going to be the female that strips for me. Then yes, let's for sure discuss that."

"Mmm, I don't know if I can come strip at your bachelor party. I think me being there is against the rules," she giggled.

He nodded. "Well then I don't want any replacement strippers," he chuckled.

"Me neither. I think a lot of people are moving away from the whole strippers thing anyway," she said.

"Probably. Some people don't even have parties anymore. I didn't really have one the first time. Which…made sense because that wasn't a normal…situation. And Brett didn't have one his second time around," he said.

"Yeah. I just want a normal hangout, I already told the girls that even though it won't be for a while. I'm pretty sure Quinn just wants to plan whatever she can, whenever she can. She's so excited," Olivia laughed. "She's already been talking bridal shower, bachelorette party, and gift registry."

"Well that's good! We may need all the help we can get. I have a feeling we have signed ourselves up for quite the extravagant wedding, baby," he replied.

She nodded. "Yes. We have. Your country club suggestion set a precedent for that, mister."

He shrugged. "But it was a good idea, right?"

"Yes. It was. An expensive one, but a good one. Very convenient."

"Well considering how much your parents are contributing to this wedding…I don't think that venue's gonna make much of a difference," he said.

"I know…my mom always told me 'don't you worry baby. We've got your wedding covered.' They've had it covered since I was fifteen. I just didn't expect it to be…that much, I guess."

He shook his head. "Well weddings are expensive. I just wish they would…let us pay for a little more than what we're paying for."

She nodded. "I tried…they wouldn't hear of it."

"I know," he sighed. "I'm very grateful for what they're doing. It's just…a lot of money."

"It is," she nodded.

"But I get it. You're their only child and they both have great jobs. Yale is not a cheap school and they got you through most of that, too. Now they're doing the same with your wedding," he shrugged.

"Yeah. They're too kind," she replied.

"They just love you a lot," he said, poking her arm.

She smiled. "I know they do. They love you too."

"I hope so," he said, smiling.

"You know what we get to pay for?" she smirked.

"Hmm?"

"Our honeymoon."

His face perked up. "Mmmm. I can't _wait_ for that. Tropical…Olivia in a bikini…piña coladas…white sand…"

"Ughhh," she groaned. "That sounds so amazing right now."

"Where do you think we should go?" he asked.

"I have no idea. I've been putting that out of my mind because I know once we start thinking about it…that's all I'm gonna wanna plan because it's a lot less stressful," she laughed.

"True. But we do have to think about it," he replied. "How about…tonight we think about it."

"Tonight, huh?" she asked.

"Yeah. No more working, no more homework. No more wedding planning tonight. No dresses, no guest lists, no calling annoying people. Let's just…talk about our honeymoon."

"I can get behind that idea," she nodded.

"So give me a few places. Just…throw them out there," he said, leaning back in his chair.

"Just…first thing that comes to my mind?" she questioned.

"Yeah. go."

"Uhhh…Mexico. Hawaii. Jamaica. Uh…I don't know, literally anywhere in the Caribbean. That's all I got right now."

He nodded in approval. "Nice. I'm glad you're thinking tropical."

"Of course. What about you? What are you thinking?" she asked.

"Just somewhere with ocean. Lots and lots of ocean."

"Baby you realize we live on the coast right? And that New Haven is quite literally…on the coast of Connecticut," she giggled.

"Yeah, but when do we ever go to the harbor? Never! We go to…the _lake_ more than we go to the ocean. That's one thing I miss about California. I was on the beach all the time. I loved that so much," he said.

"Hmm, well maybe you want to go to Hawaii then. Get back to your beloved Pacific," she teased,

"Nah, it can be the Atlantic, I don't care. I just want lots of it."

"Well I'm on board with that. So lots of ocean, that's…that's all we got," she giggled. "What do you think, Arie?"

Arie sneezed. Three times.

Olivia's eyes widened. "Oh! That's what you think, huh?"

Fitz laughed. "Bless you, baby girl!"

"So Arie has no input in our honeymoon decision. I guess we're back to square one," Olivia said.

"We got ocean. That's it," he chuckled.

"We better just go on a cruise then," she shrugged, laying back on the floor. "We know _that's_ got a lot of ocean."

He paused and then nodded. "Okay."

She folded her arms under her head and looked up at him. "Wait…are you serious?"

"Are _you_ serious?" he asked.

"Well…I wasn't really serious, but I mean…I don't see why it couldn't be an option," she shrugged.

He shrugged back. "I've never been on one. That could be fun."

"Me neither. My parents have. They loved theirs," she replied.

"Which cruise line?" he asked.

"Uhh…Norwegian, I think?"

"That's a good one, I've heard. We'd have to do tons of research. I don't know anything about cruises," he chuckled.

"Well we have to research regardless," she shrugged. "We can keep it as an option."

"Nice! I like that option. When would you want to…go?" he asked.

"I think we should have a few days between our wedding and our honeymoon," she said.

"Agreed. I don't want to be hungover and having to hop on a plane the very next day," he chuckled.

"Yeah. So it'll be really hot wherever we go, then. I mean…if we're aiming for early August," she said.

"Hell yeah. Bring it on, this place is arctic," he said.

She shook her head, laughing. "Baby it was 75 degrees today."

"Okay, today was a good day," he said. "Usually it's not so good."

"Oh you're just a spoiled Cali boy. You're fine," she giggled.

He scoffed, turning to Arie. "See how she talks to me?"

She nudged his leg with her foot, and smiled up at him. He nudged her back.

"So we've got a potential honeymoon option. And a timeframe. I think this has already been productive," he said.

"It has. We were really productive this _week_ actually."

"I feel like it was more you than me," he chuckled.

"That's not true. You finalized the guest list, that was good!" she replied.

"Okay, well I just typed it. That wasn't that hard," he said.

"You still did it. That allowed me to order the save the dates," she replied.

"Yes, that's true. And when do we send those out?" he asked.

"Not for a while yet, it's just good to have them. I'll send them out around November…gives everyone eight months in advance," she explained. "I'll probably order the wedding invites soon, too, since they're mostly designed. But I won't have to send those out until May."

"You are so on top of things," he chuckled, putting his foot on top of hers.

She shrugged. "It makes me feel better…knowing I have those kinds of things done. God knows as time goes on…it will only get more stressful as it is. Better to have as much done as I can, sooner."

"You're right. I just don't want you to get too stressed with things. School still comes first," he said. "I mean...besides tonight, because, you know, we're talking about our honeymoon..."

"Yes, of course. It's stressful, but I have people to help. And I have an amazing fiancé and an adorable little fluff ball to come home to every day," she smiled.

Fitz gasped, looking at Arie on his lap. "You hear that? Momma's talking about us."

She smiled, looking up at her two favorites. Her two loves.

"Hey baby girl, whaddya say we have some peanut butter, huh?"

Arie looked up at Fitz.

"That sounds good, yeah? Have a treat?" he asked.

Her tail started wagging uncontrollably and she kept readjusting her restless paws on his lap. She sure knew what "treat" meant.

"Okay, okay! Let's go! Let's get off dad's lap before you step in the wrong place again," he chuckled, patting her little butt so she'd get down.

She excitedly jumped down by Olivia, starting to turn in circles at the base of the desk chair.

Olivia laughed. "Go follow dad! Go follow him," she said.

Fitz got up and tugged at his shorts, readjusting them after a long time sitting. And he patted his thigh, signaling for the little puppy to come with him.

She did.

Olivia bent her knees, still laying on her back by Fitz's desk. Very comfortably, actually.

Fitz came back a few minutes later, tilting his head at her on the floor.

"You wanna get up?"

She shrugged. "I'm kinda comfy."

"Mmkay," he said, kneeling down and propping himself up on his knees and forearms above her.

"Well hi there," she said.

"Hi," he said, kissing her lips slowly.

"I would like another one of those, please," she said puckering her lips.

He touched his lips gently to hers, giving her a wink when he pulled his face back up.

"Guess what," she whispered, playing with his curly hair.

"Hm."

"I love you," she whispered.

He looked down at her with a soft smile on his face. His pink cheeks and his happy eyes made her heart flutter, even though it was a common sight for her to see. Every time. Every damn time.

"I love you back," he said.

"I was thinking about our vows the other night," she whispered.

His face softened and he smiled again. "What about them?"

"About how I want to write them."

How his smile got any bigger, she didn't know. But somehow, it was the happiest she thought she'd seen him. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "It will be nerve-wracking, to say them in front of everyone. But...I won't care about anyone else in that moment. Just you. I don't want...pre-written promises. I want to write my own promises to you."

"Me too, baby," he replied. "Me too."

"So we should?" she asked.

"We should," he nodded. "You know I will take any chance I can get to write to you."

She smiled. "And you know I will take any chance I can get to read what you've written. Or...in this case, listen."

"Look at us go. What else you wanna plan tonight?" he chuckled.

She sighed. "Nothing else. No more planning. I just want to be with you."

He winked at her and started getting up, reaching down for her. "Let's be together in bed, not on the floor."

She shrugged. "Kay."

He grabbed her underneath her arms and lifted her up like she weighed nothing. She smiled, clinging to him as he brought her over to their bed.

And they laid down together, under the covers.

"You wanna take advantage of this empty apartment?" she whispered.

He smirked. "Right now?"

"Well, yeah. Abby will probably be home soon. This is our chance," she teased.

"What I'm getting from this is that you _don't_ like it when I keep my hand over your mouth and we fuck in damn near silence so Abby doesn't hear."

She laughed, pulling the covers over them tighter. "Silence? You and me? Pffft. Baby, you must never listen when we fuck."

"Ohhh yes I do. I listen to _you,"_ he nodded.

"And how do I sound?" she laughed.

"Sexy."

"You too," she nodded.

"I'm not that loud, though," he shrugged.

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Ohh, baby. Yes you are."

He looked at her confused. "Really?"

"Yes. You just don't hear yourself."

He shrugged. "I guess not. I always thought I wasn't."

"I think everyone thinks that because nobody listens to themselves," she said.

"Yeah, for good reason. I don't want to hear myself," he chuckled.

"God you're so hot," she sighed.

He looked at her and laughed. "Well thank you!"

"You're very welcome," she nodded.

He pulled the covers up around her more and gave her a kiss. Which she escalated.

"So yeah?" she asked.

"Yeah," he whispered, disappearing underneath the covers.

She felt him pull her leggings down, one leg at a time because they fit so tightly to her body. Her thong was next, and he dropped those on the floor beside the bed.

"Hurry up," she giggled, tugging at his gym shorts.

"Let me do it, woman," he said, batting her hands away.

"You're too slow!" she exclaimed, continuing to pull on his shorts anyway.

He chuckled as he pulled his shirt over his head. "I can never get naked fast enough for you, can I."

"Nope," she said, starting to touch him.

He let out a breath, bracing himself against the mattress while she ran her hand down his length. "Just…just wait one sec."

She didn't wait anyway, as he tried to get his shorts off all the way. He did, and he threw them down by the rest of their clothes.

He readjusted the covers on them again, save for his back, which was completely uncovered.

And he kissed her for a while, doing nothing but interlocking their fingers and allowing his tongue to tangle with hers.

She liked feeling him pressed up against her, even if that was all it was. The contact always felt good, and his skin was always warm.

He finally reached down and started rubbing her clit, letting his fingers slowly move in circles.

He slowly moved his fingers downward and slid one inside, using his thumb, instead, to play with her clit.

She bit her lip, looking up at him with a smile.

"Mmm. You're wet," he whispered.

"You tend to do that to me," she nodded.

"But…you're really, _really_ wet, baby, Jesus," he said, pausing knuckle-deep inside of her.

She could hear it.

She gripped one of the bars of the headboard behind her and watched his wrist thrust against her body.

He slid another finger in, placing kisses all over her neck while he did it. His erection was pressed up against her skin, and it made it all even more agonizing.

"Fitz," she pleaded.

He winked at her, smirking. "Impatient?"

"Yes," she groaned.

He laughed quietly against her skin. "So horny tonight."

"Please," she moaned, arching her back.

He bit his lip, moving his fingers faster in and out of her, loving the reaction he got.

Wanting him to be inside her but not wanting his fingers to stop. It drove her crazy.

She gripped his arm, watching his other one move back and forth quickly.

"You want me to stop now?" he asked.

"...No," she whimpered. Such hard decisions.

He got her all the way there with his fingers, first. Fully intending to get her there again, because he knew that he could.

He had her begging all over again, sliding just his tip inside her and watching her face contort in pleasure.

He licked his lips, rubbing his thumb over her clit while he let his tip rest there inside her.

Her legs were bent and widened about as far as they could be for him. Such a wonderful sight, her spread wide for him.

Allll for him.

And it made him finally stop the torture. It was torture for him, too. But the reaction he got out of her when he teased her was amazing.

To have her wanting something so bad, be turned on by something so much, that she was begging him. Pleading for it. Whimpering his name. That was what he wanted.

And he got it. So he finally gave in to the begging and the pleading and the whimpering. And he fucked her. Hard.

Neither of them lasted very long by that point, it had been too much.

She finished first, and he thrust a few more good times before he finished too.

"Ohh," he groaned, collapsing on top of her. He didn't pull out. He just stayed there, letting her wrap her legs around him.

"So I _am_ loud."

She giggled underneath him. " _Yeah."_

"I never knew," he whispered.

"It's mostly your breathing. Please don't ever stop that, it's so fucking hot," she panted.

" _You're_ so fucking hot," he replied, looking down as he slowly pulled out of her.

"Mm," she moaned, looking down too. "Aw, come back."

So he sunk back in slowly, looking up at her. "Feels better."

"Yeah," she nodded, clutching his arms.

He went back out and in again slowly, just enjoying the feeling. "You feel so good."

She just watched him, sliding in and out of her with ease. His length glistening wet, looking so desirable.

Laying there with her legs open for him. Slowly feeling him move in and out occasionally. Not for the purpose of finishing again. Just because it felt good.

Eventually he stopped, staying nice and snug inside her because their bodies just fit so well.

"My ear is ringing," she said, running her fingers through his hair.

"What?" he chuckled.

"My left ear. It's ringing," she replied.

"Well I got that part," he laughed.

"Weird," she sighed.

"Maybe I screwed you too hard."

She caught his eyes and they both burst into laughter.

"Maybe."

"I'm thirsty. Are you thirsty?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"Mmkay," he said, pecking her lips and getting up. He slowly pulled out of her and went to the bathroom to clean up.

He wet a washcloth and personally handed it to Olivia before he put his boxers back on.

"Why thank you," she teased.

"Mmhm," he nodded, heading out of the room.

He walked down the hall, scratching at his head. He needed a haircut soon. Just a trim, of course, or else Liv would be sad. This hair was just getting ridiculous.

He peered into the living room, seeing Arie still going at that peanut butter in her Kong toy. "Still not gone, Arie?" he chuckled.

She looked up briefly, hearing his voice. But only briefly. That peanut butter consumed all her attention until it was a hundred percent gone.

He got them both tall glasses of water, watching his favorite little fluffball lay on her dog bed that she'd come to love so much.

He adjusted himself inside his boxers, which was certainly a process considering they were briefs. And of course, since his timing that night had been so spot on, that's exactly when Abby walked in the door.

Well. Better than if they had still been fucking.

He pulled his hand away and scratched at his head again, clearing his throat. "Hey."

She raised her eyebrows at his nearly naked body. "Hey..."

"Uh, sorry—sorry," he said, casually folding his hands down and covering himself.

"No worries. Your apartment, not mine," she laughed. "By the way, you're really not concealing anything _,"_ she added, gesturing down at his hands.

He looked down at the visible bulge in his boxers, feeling the color rush to his cheeks. "My timing's been just amazing tonight."

She laughed, heading down the hallway. "Timing's a bitch, pretty boy."

"Yeah. It is," he nodded to himself.

He heard the girls talking near his bedroom.

 _"_ _Nice,"_ Abby chuckled, looking in at a naked Olivia under the covers.

Olivia laughed. "How was your night?" she yelled out.

"Ended just like yours did, so pretty damn good," Abby replied.

 _"_ _Nice,"_ Olivia said, before the bathroom door shut.

Fitz grabbed the waters, thinking that now would be a good time to head back to the bedroom since he heard Abby go into the bathroom.

He walked into the bedroom, shutting the door and looking embarrassingly at Olivia.

"How come people walk in on me at the most inopportune times?"

"Like when?" she giggled.

"Uh, like all the time? Your friends in your kitchen. You know, when Harrison clocked me in the face. And then on my birthday, when my fingers were literally inside of you. Earlier, when you thought I was...having 'Fitz time', and just now, with Abby."

"Oh god, what were you doing just now?" she asked.

"Well I'm half-naked and I was adjusting things," he answered, setting her glass down for her.

She couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, but it's just Abby. If there's any woman I'm okay with seeing you in your current state, it's her," she said.

She tilted her head at his crotch, reaching out to it. "Although... Jesus, baby you're still hard."

"Yeah, I know!" he exclaimed.

"How are you still hard?" she laughed.

"Oh, I don't know, probably because I just laid there inside of you for ten minutes."

"Oh that's right. Yeah you should get that under control," she giggled, rubbing her hand over it.

"Well definitely keep rubbing it then, that'll sure help," he joked.

"Kay," she nodded, continuing to feel him up.

He sighed, starting to drink his water while she touched him. Well now he couldn't really complain.

"Mm, you know, briefs are just too tight. Let it breathe" she said peeling them right off again.

He stepped out of them as she pushed them down, without really thinking.

"Come back to bed," she said, reaching around him and grabbing his ass to pull him toward her.

He almost choked on his water, laughing as he swallowed. "Warn me before you grab my ass."

"You never warn me!" she exclaimed.

He nodded. "Good point."

He got in bed with her and snuggled up to her, both of their bodies bare.

They didn't do anything else, they just laid there in the comfort of their bed, with the comfort of each other.

Their good friend Abby just down the hall, and their little fluffy dog, still trying to get that last bit of peanut butter out of her toy as she laid on her favorite dog bed.

In the midst of lots and lots of wedding planning. And as of that night, honeymoon planning too.

Life was good.

* * *

Awwww. So happy for these two. Even if Fitz's timing isn't so great ;)

I just know y'all will love the wedding. It will come faster than you think. I have already started to write it.

Hope you enjoyed!

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	84. The World Was Theirs

" _Where_ are you?" Fitz asked.

"Like right by your office. Between Harkness and Grace Hopper," Olivia replied.

"Across from Sterling?" he asked.

"Yeah!"

"Okay, which trees?" he asked.

"Uhhh...the two closest to Harkness," she answered.

"Okay. I'm at passing Vanderbilt right now, I'll be there in like...six minutes."

"Okay! Hurry here, I miss you," she replied.

"I will," he chuckled. "Bye."

"Bye."

He hung up the phone and adjusted his briefcase strap on his shoulder, heading exactly to where Olivia said she was.

He took a back way that he knew of to get to the library, because that was across from Harkness Hall where she was.

He'd taken that route endless times as a student, to get to his favorite study spot on campus. A little bench near a tree in central campus.

That was his favorite. He passed it often and it always brought back fond memories.

And now, twenty years later, he was headed near there again to meet his fiancée, who was apparently chilling with her best friend in their hammocks.

He remembered those days too.

He wasn't exactly sure what the plan was, but she'd just told him he could come hang out with them when he finished his last class of the day, if he wanted.

So he agreed. But he'd never really met her on campus before. Not recently, and certainly not since they had been free to be together.

Maybe it was about time? But it still made his heart jump a little bit.

Regardless, he met her and Abby. There were tons of hammocks around campus, because it had been a pretty nice autumn there in Connecticut.

He went to the cluster of three trees nearest to Harkness Hall, which did have two hammocks on each side. But whoever was in both of them, wasn't visible because the sides of the hammocks came up too high.

"Uh...Olivia?"

Her head shot up and so did Abby's, and they smiled at him. "Hey!"

"Hey," he said, walking up to Olivia's hammock. He looked awkwardly around them. Students were walking around, heading to and from class. Some were in hammocks in other tree clusters.

"Do you think this is okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, why not," she shrugged.

"I don't know. We've just never done this," he replied.

"I know. But we're going out to dinner tomorrow. I figure if we're doing that, we can do just about anything."

"Yeah, but this is... _campus,"_ he replied.

"Yes," she nodded. "And _you_ are not my professor," she whispered.

He nodded. "I guess you're right."

"I am," she nodded happily.

He looked over at Abby, who was frantically talking on the phone and curled up in her hammock.

"Who's she talking to?"

"Oh. A videographer she knows from home. She says he's really good and will give us a friend discount for our wedding," she giggled.

"Oh really?" he asked. "We're having one of those?"

"We don't have to. But Abby insisted she call so I couldn't really stop her. It might be fun anyway."

"No complaints here," he said. "Now if only that photographer could get back to us."

"Ugh. Seriously," she said.

"You look pretty cute in this hammock, by the way," he whispered, smiling down at her.

"Thanks," she giggled. "I haven't used this since freshman year."

"You should. I used to love using mine in undergrad," he said. "You know, when it wasn't freezing out."

"I'm guessing you're cold right now," she said, laughing.

"A little," he admitted. Even though it was still fairly warm and he was wearing dress pants and a dress shirt.

"Well come in here with me. I'll warm you up," she said.

His eyes widened. "Eh...I don't know."

She frowned. "Ouch."

"No, baby, no, it's not like that. It's just...maybe you can warm me up at...home?"

"Well...I just kind of wanted to hang here with Abby for a little bit. It's so beautiful outside. And I thought you'd want to."

"I...I do. I do," he nodded, scratching his head. "I wanted to come, I just…I don't feel very comfortable here with you if I'm being fully honest."

"It will take some time. I don't feel completely comfortable either, but how long are we going to let this get in the way of us living our life together?" she asked.

He sighed, looking around. "Um...look, Livvie, I'm just gonna go, okay? Can we maybe talk about this at home?"

She shook her head at him. "Really? Fitz, look. Nobody gives a damn," she said, gesturing to the people in the courtyard.

He looked around at the students. Nobody was directly looking. But that didn't really make him feel better. His heart didn't stop pounding.

"I'm just…I think I should just go home. I'm sure Arie would love to go out in this weather, too," he said.

He could tell that she was visibly sad, and probably a little hurt. He just didn't know if he was ready for this.

"Alright," she replied, laying back down in her hammock.

"I'm sorry, baby. I'm sorry," he whispered.

"It's okay," she replied.

"Okay. I'll…I'll see you at home?" he questioned.

"Yeah."

"Okay. Have—have fun with Abby. I'll see you later," he said.

"Yeah, see you," she nodded.

He heard Abby talking to Olivia again, undoubtedly asking where he was going already.

But he headed back to his office, where his car was parked. He sighed, knowing that he'd probably just fucked some things up. But he couldn't exactly help the way he felt.

He drove home feeling upset, and was only happier when he saw how happy Arie was to get out of her kennel.

"Hi, baby girl," he said, picking her up.

She covered his face in kisses and could barely contain her excited little body.

"Oh, I know, I know. You wanna go to the baseball field? Go run again?" he asked.

She couldn't contain her excitement, just at the sound of him talking to her.

"Alright. Let me change my clothes and we'll go," he replied.

He changed into a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve shirt, and grabbed Arie's leash so he could take her out.

She went to the bathroom along the way to the baseball field, but she'd begun to figure out their route whenever they were headed there. So she was quite excited when they took the turn down the long sidewalk that led straight there.

The field was empty, as it usually was at this time of day. Usually later at night was when it was filled with players practicing or playing games. Plus, the season was over now for most teams.

He closed the gate in the dugout behind him and unhooked her leash so she could run free.

And man, did she run. She _loved_ that baseball field.

He watched her with a smile on his face, even though something much heavier was weighing on his shoulders.

He figured he was being ridiculous, and that Olivia was right. Everything she said had made sense. But he couldn't help that it all still made him nervous and uncomfortable.

And he should feel grateful. Grateful that this was what worried him these days, just him being uncomfortable with his fiancée on campus.

Not like what he used to have to worry about. The job he loved in jeopardy. The woman he loved getting punished. All the people that had known about them while they weren't supposed to be involved.

His life was a lot less stressful now. There was a lot less weight on his shoulders. He just wished _this_ wouldn't continue to weigh him down.

He watched Arie for a little while, and even ran around with her too. After an hour of that, they were both spent. They'd already gone on a run this morning, like they always did. So after that, he hooked her leash back up and they walked back home. She would have happily kept running, though, even though she was clearly tired.

He saw Olivia and Abby's cars in the parking lot, so he knew they were home now.

He walked in, seeing both the women in the living room watching something on TV.

"Hi," he greeted, reaching down to take Arie's leash off.

"Hey," they both said.

Arie immediately ran to her water bowl, extremely thirsty after all that play time.

He grabbed some water himself, and headed to the bedroom with his glass. He figured they'd talk later when she wasn't with Abby, and just wanted to take a shower. He felt gross and sweaty.

He downed his water and set his glass on the nightstand, stripping off his damp shirt.

"All I get is a 'hi'?"

He turned to the doorway and looked at her confused. "Huh?"

"I just figured you'd want to talk," she shrugged.

"Yeah, Liv. I just ran around with Arie for an hour, though. I want to take a shower," he sighed.

She raised her eyebrows. "Well alright then."

He put his arms up in defense. "What?"

"Nothing. I didn't say anything. I just didn't know you were this upset with me."

"When did I say I was upset with you? I thought it was the opposite here," he said, turning into the bathroom.

He heard her shut the bedroom door, and then felt her presence behind him as she followed him into the bathroom.

"You didn't have to _say_ anything, I can read your body language. And yeah, I mean I want to be able to be with you in public. In New Haven, where we both _live_ for god's sake."

"Olivia, we _have_ been together in New Haven. For months. We've gone grocery shopping. We got tattoos here. We've done things here. You just want to…be together on _campus_ and I got nervous about it. This isn't a big deal," he said, undoing his belt and starting the hot water.

"I know it's not a big deal. I don't want it to _be_ a big deal. But I also don't want this year to be like the last two years of our life. All we've ever talked about is being free. And…you walking away from me today felt like you wanted to hide again," she said, putting her hands on her hips.

"You know I don't want to hide again, Olivia. That was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. That _we've_ had to do," he replied, completely undressing himself now.

She nodded. "Exactly. So I just didn't really understand. I mean, I understand that it made you nervous, I guess, because it made me a little nervous too. But…I don't want that to keep us from being normal, Fitz. Tomorrow we're going out to dinner in New Haven. We've never done that before either. So does that mean you're going to…leave me when we're there, too?"

He shot her a look. "Jesus, Olivia."

"What? I feel like that's a fair question, after today," she replied.

"You're acting like I did something awful to you. I'm sorry I didn't...cuddle with you in a hammock, Olivia, _"_ he replied.

"Don't get smart," she said.

He shook his head, just looking over at her as he stood by the shower door. Completely naked. "Well, I'm gonna shower. So we can continue this conversation when I'm wearing clothes, okay?"

Her annoyed eyes wandered down his body as she stood there, arms crossed against the vanity. His muscular arms and legs. His chiseled abdomen and firm pecs. Not to mention what was below the abdomen. Based on what her body was telling her, there was really only one response to his statement.

"No."

He furrowed his eyebrows at her. "What do you mean, no?"

"No," she said, walking over to him.

She moved him backward, towards the bathtub.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Just shut up," she said, taking off her shirt.

He looked at her confused while she started stripping down, simultaneously pushing him up against the edge of the bathtub.

"Are you kidding me right now?" he asked.

"Does it look like I am?" she asked, tossing her pants behind her.

"Quit, Olivia," he said, shaking his head.

She stepped out of her underwear and looked down at his growing erection. "Quit?"

He eyed her now naked body, feeling the warmth on his cheeks because they both damn well knew neither of them wanted to quit.

"Just stop," he said. "We're not doing this right now."

"Hmm. Interesting," she said, looking down at his rigid length.

He rolled his eyes. "So I can't be smart but, oh yeah, you sure can be. I love these rules."

She looked at him unimpressed, and somehow even more turned on. "You're kind of being an ass right now, Fitz."

"Right back at you, Liv," he replied.

She looked down at his lips, and back at his eyes. She gave him a look that told him she was upset. But she didn't move away from him.

She saw his chest rise and fall fairly quickly. Whether that meant he was angry, horny, or both, she didn't know.

He grabbed her ass and pulled her into him, without warning.

She gasped against his lips as he pulled her upper lip into his mouth. She'd made the move on him, and she _still_ hadn't been expecting that.

She couldn't kiss him hard enough. Which was weird, because she was still a little annoyed. Now she was just…annoyed _and_ turned on.

"Thought you…told me to…quit," she breathed, grinding her hips into his as she sat on his lap, while he sat on the edge of the bathtub.

"Just shut up," he panted back, tucking his head in the crook of her neck.

"Using my lines on me now?" she asked, rubbing up against him.

He moaned and picked her up, completely ignoring what she said and taking her into the shower with him.

He pressed her against the wall and trailed kisses down her neck. "You're so...fucking horny all the...god damn time."

"Says you," she shot back, reaching down and starting to stroke him.

"Says me? You're the one who...stopped our fight to—fuck me."

"We were...fighting?" she asked, leaning her head back against the shower wall.

"I don't know...maybe not," he sighed, pressing her harder into the wall.

"Well you're so fucking horny...all the god damn time too, so...don't even fucking try that," she said, squeezing her eyes shut while he dragged his tongue along her collarbone. His mouth was all over the place, and so were his hands.

"We're not starting another fight—when we didn't finish the...last one," he said, in between his kisses.

"Oh my god just...stop talking," she replied.

He let out a big breath and batted her hands away from his dick, lifting her up and pressing her against the wall in his arms.

He looked down and guided himself up and inside her, watching her reaction.

She leaned back against the wall, moaning in pleasure.

He smirked, pulling back out and pushing all the way back in. That got even more of a reaction from her.

"Happy?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I hate you right now."

"Bullshit," he replied, thrusting deep inside her.

She gripped his body so hard, given that that was the only thing she could hold on to. "Alright. That was...that was bullshit," she agreed.

"You fucking...love the fuck out of me," he panted, tucking his head into the crook of her neck.

"What did you say?" she asked, looking at him.

"You...heard me."

"Say it again," she said, laughing a little bit.

"I thought you wanted me—to shut up?" he asked.

"Yeah I do, desperately," she nodded.

"Apparently not the...only thing you're desperate for tonight," he breathed, biting his lip as she clenched around him.

She laughed. "I'm never desperate for it. Because you give it to me—whenever I want it."

"That's 'cause you're so fucking horny...all the god damn time," he repeated.

"No, I'm not. And even if I were—who are you to fucking complain?"

"If you actually _listened_ to me tonight, you'd know...I never _once_ complained," he replied.

"When did you get such a...smart ass mouth on you?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Always had it. You just never realize because your sass...overpowers mine," he replied.

"Hard to believe that—right now. Listen to yourself," she said.

"I'm trying not to listen to myself...considering we're fucking."

"Oh. Yeah," she nodded, laughing a little bit.

He laughed quietly back, dipping his head down to her breasts and taking her nipple in his mouth.

"Yeah. Finally something to...shut you up," she said, smirking down at him. She was quite fond of this game now.

He looked up at her, swirling a tongue around her nipple, then moving to the other one. And he rolled his eyes at her comment in the process, which made her laugh harder.

"Over there," she panted, eyeing the corner bench, built into the shower.

He lifted her off of him for a brief second while he walked her over there, and sat down on the bench. But he immediately guided her back down on him. And let her ride him.

He leaned back lazily against the wall, gripping her thighs and watching in pleasure.

His hands reached out, either gripping her ass or her breasts. Whatever he felt like touching.

He moaned, biting his lip as he watched her. "I'm gonna come, Liv."

"I know, I know, just...just hold on," she panted, gripping his thigh behind her with one hand and the shower wall with the other.

He reached around her and pulled her close to him, pressing their bodies together as he let go. He couldn't hold it off any longer.

His moans filled the shower as he clutched her small body _hard_ , emptying inside of her.

She felt the warmth, continuing to roll her hips and finally hitting hers too.

She collapsed her head on his shoulder, still grinding her hips against him but gradually slowing down.

She felt his chest rising and falling against her own. Both of them were dead tired after that.

She just stayed there, sitting on his lap while he remained inside of her. And she rested her face against his shoulder, as the water slowly trickled down their bodies.

"I do fucking love the fuck out of you," she said quietly, running her fingers over his chest.

He let out a big breath, rubbing her arm affectionately. "Me too."

"You love the fuck out of yourself or me?" she teased.

"Don't start something else with me, woman," he replied.

"Sorry," she laughed, which made him smile.

"Apology accepted," he nodded.

"And I'm sorry for...not hearing you out," she said.

He took a deep breath, looking at her and shrugging. "I'm scared, Liv."

"I know," she nodded. "Me too."

"I don't know how not to be scared besides to just...go for it. I thought all these months, slowing easing ourselves in would make this easier. But...I'm still scared," he said quietly, almost as if he was ashamed of it.

"Tomorrow is a good step. It's not campus but it's still New Haven," she nodded.

"Yeah," he agreed. "I don't want you to think I want to hide. I don't. You don't know how bad I...want someone to ask me about that picture of you I can finally have on my desk at work. Or...about the picture I have of Arie. I don't want to hide. I want to be free."

"I know you do. Me too," she nodded. "We will go at whatever pace we need to go at. We've spent two whole years hiding. That's a lot of time to get used to something. We're barely over a month into the school year. I think us being nervous is reasonable."

"I think we've paced ourselves pretty well, though. You were right. We just need to...go for it. I shouldn't have left you today. That was a perfect opportunity," he said.

She sighed. "It's...it's not that big of a deal. Like you said, you didn't cuddle with me in a hammock. Big whoop."

"I thought you told me I was getting smart when I said that?" he challenged.

"Oh you definitely were. But it was still true," she replied.

"I didn't intend to be a smart ass," he said. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay. I was one too. Plus, the attitude was still slightly sexy," she shrugged.

"I gathered that. By...how this fight ended," he chuckled.

She shook her head. "I never want to fight with you."

He gave her an encouraging smile back. "All good. We banged it out."

She tried to hold in her laugh but couldn't, laughing into his shoulder. " _Yeah_ , we did."

"You like that? I thought it was a good choice of wording," he chuckled.

"Amazing choice of wording," she agreed. "My fiancée's a smart ass _and_ a comedian."

"What else could one possibly want in life?" he teased.

"I don't know but I sure got what I want," she said, smiling at him.

"I hope so. That's all I want. For you to have what you want," he said quietly, leaning his forehead against hers.

"Me too," she whispered.

"I'm gonna actually…shower now," he chuckled.

"Right," she nodded. "I suppose I might as well too."

So they did. It ended a lot better than it had started, that was for sure.

They both headed out to the living room to be with Abby, which resulted in her giving them weird looks. Both their hair wet and curly, clearly just having gotten out of the shower. It likely looked weird, considering she knew the two were at odds before they'd gone to their bedroom.

"Everything okay?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at them as she pet Arie laying next to her.

"Yep," Olivia nodded.

"Perfect," Fitz agreed, sitting on the other end of the couch.

Olivia sat sideways on his lap to be as close to him as possible, of course, but so that she could still face Abby on the other end, too.

"Good. Arie missed you," Abby said.

"Sure looks like it," Fitz chuckled, watching a very content Arie laying next to Abby.

"Whatcha watching?" Olivia asked, looking at the TV.

"Impractical Jokers. Nothing else was on," she laughed.

"I used to watch this show all the time," Fitz chuckled.

"It's honestly kind of amusing," Abby replied.

Olivia's phone started to vibrate inside the waistband of her pajama shorts, which had Fitz raising an eyebrow. "Baby, you're vibrating again."

Saw bit her lip, reaching down to grab it. "Who on earth is calling me."

He looked over her shoulder at the contact name and saw "Mom."

"Momma Pope. Better get that," he said, poking her sides.

"Mhm," she nodded, leaning back into the couch's armrest and into Fitz's body more.

He wrapped his arms around her and leaned his head against her back, watching the TV with Abby.

"Hey mom."

"We're good. We're just watching Impractical Jokers."

"Yeah. And Abby, too."

Abby smiled. "Hi Mrs. Pope!"

"Did you hear that?" Olivia laughed.

"She says hi back, Abby," Olivia replied.

"Hi Maya," Fitz said into the phone. He heard Maya greet him back before he leaned back against the couch again.

"So what's up?" Olivia asked.

"The officiant? No. Not yet."

Fitz raised his eyebrows.

"Pastor Joel?"

Fitz looked over at Abby, who shrugged her shoulders at him.

"Alright. Yeah, I'll talk to him about it. We weren't really sure yet."

"Okay. Yeah, thanks," she nodded.

"Nothing much. Just been planning. Did you get the links I sent you to our invites?"

"Good."

Fitz just smiled, listening to this one-sided conversation with the mother of the bride.

"You showed a picture of us to who?"

"She said _what?"_

Fitz looked at Abby curiously. "Me?" he mouthed to her.

Abby shrugged.

Olivia burst into laughter. "Well she's right, he is adorable."

Fitz leaned over and raised an eyebrow at Olivia, who smiled back at him.

"He's looking at me funny now because he knows we're talking about him."

Fitz shook his head and laughed.

"What else did she say?"

"Yeah I figured. At least that's better than what grandma Gina said."

Fitz chuckled quietly.

"Yeah. Well aunt Faye's been asking every time I see her if I have a boyfriend so nobody's reaction can beat hers."

Olivia laughed at something her mother said. "Alright. Well I'll keep you updated. Yep. Okay. Tell dad I love him. Love you too. Bye, mom."

She hung up the phone and tucked her phone back in her shorts.

"I feel very out of the loop because that entire conversation seemed like it was about me," Fitz chuckled.

"Oh, not all of it. She started it by telling me she was talking to our pastor at home and mentioned our wedding to him and that we should think about him as our officiant."

He nodded. "Well do you like him?"

"Yeah, he's a very nice man. He baptized me, so my parents have loved him ever since, of course."

"Of course," Fitz nodded. "I don't have any problems with it. I'd like to meet him, though."

"Oh, well of course. I just told her I'd discuss it with you."

"It is good to think about," he agreed.

"Yeah. And she sent a picture of us to my aunt Talia. She said you were adorable," she laughed.

"Awww!" Abby exclaimed. "What about the grandma Gina thing?"

"Oh. Well Talia just said again that she had been surprised to hear the news back when my mom told everyone. Which I said was better than what my dad's mom said."

"Which was...?" Abby asked.

"That she thought I was _way_ too young to be engaged," Olivia winced.

Abby grimaced. "Ooh..."

"Yeah. So the holidays will be really fun for us," Fitz said.

"Oh yeah. Looking forward to that for sure," Olivia nodded.

"I'm guessing they're just weary because they obviously think you got engaged really fast?" Abby asked.

Olivia shrugged. "Most of them aren't weary, it doesn't sound like. Maybe my grandma Gina because she's...sort of, uh... _traditional_. They also don't know...you know, everything yet. But everyone else seems happy for me. Most of the men get bored with wedding talk, and most of the women just _love_ wedding talk so I think both those things help my cause."

"There you go. Just fill those table conversations with tons of wedding planning talk. The men will get bored and the women will be mesmerized," Abby winked.

"That's not a bad idea," Fitz chuckled, looking at Olivia.

"You are gonna be in for an interesting holiday season, sweetheart, that's for sure," Olivia said.

"Yeah, I'm sure," he nodded. "If all goes wrong, I know I at least have the blessing of the two most important people."

"It will not all go wrong. But my parents matter the most, yes. You won them over no problem, babe, you got this," she said, nudging his arm.

"Thanks, Livvie," he said, high-fiving her.

"So what do you say we have some fun?" Abby asked.

Fitz raised his eyebrows. "Okay, but we ran out of peas so if fun means fried rice, it will be...pea-less."

Abby laughed. "No, I don't mean fried rice, pretty boy. I mean booze."

"I can get behind that idea," Olivia nodded.

"So now I gotta go get it?" Fitz asked.

"Yep," the women said.

He laughed. "Sounds about right. Okay. What do my two favorite gals want?"

"I'll take red, please," Olivia said, pecking his lips.

"I didn't even need to ask _you,"_ he chuckled.

"I'll take...whatever you're having. Makes it easier on you," Abby said.

"You sure about that? I'm probably gonna have scotch."

"Sure, why not," Abby shrugged.

"Oh god, Abby, do you hate yourself?" Olivia asked.

"Hey, I can handle a little scotch. What do you think I first drank with my dad when I turned 21? Scotch, Liv. That's all the Whelan men drink."

"Okay, I take it back. I'm impressed," Olivia nodded.

"Okay. Red and scotch. I'll be back," he said, lifting Olivia up momentarily and setting her back down. He, of course, pressed a kiss to her cheek, and fist-bumped Abby as he left the living room.

"Thanks, baby," Olivia said.

"Yeah, thanks," Abby echoed.

"My pleasure," he replied.

A nice big glass of wine for Olivia, and two glasses of scotch are what he brought back with him. And that certainly wasn't the end of their consumption.

Multiple rounds and some snacks later, they were _definitely_ having some fun. Certainly not sober.

"Okay, look at this one. How adorable," Abby said, showing the picture of a teenage David on her phone to Olivia.

She giggled. "Very adorable. He had longer hair in high school didn't he?"

"Yeah, much longer. I kind of like his shorter hair better. And I like that he wears his glasses now."

"Yeah, gave up on the contacts, huh?" Olivia asked.

"Sometimes he'll wear them for presentations. But otherwise, yeah, he doesn't like them much. He prefers glasses."

"I think they suit him," Olivia nodded.

"I'd say so. 'Cause look at this one," Abby said proudly, showing Olivia one of David's most recent headshots for his job.

He was wearing a suit, and looked very polished. Perfect smile and happy eyes. Olivia had to admit he did look very handsome.

"You two will make beautiful babies, Abby," Olivia nodded happily. "You both got the looks."

"Yeah, uh, _you_ too. Whew, I can't wait to see your little creations," Abby said.

"I have a feeling they'll look a lot like Fitz. I've seen pictures of his whole extended family. The Grant genes…they're strong."

Well good thing that Grant guy over there's not too bad to look at," Abby teased, peering at Fitz.

He was so invested in Impractical Jokers, lazily leaning back against the couch with a scotch in his hand.

Olivia laughed. "Yeah. Not too bad," she joked.

"Alright, let's see some young pretty boy. I'm intrigued."

"Huh?" Fitz asked, hearing "pretty boy."

"Nothing, baby, you just keep watching that," Olivia said, turning to look at him.

"Mmkay," he nodded, turning back.

"He's such a dork," Olivia giggled quietly. "You want to see younger pictures of him?"

"Yeah I obsessed over David's, let's see some of his," Abby nodded.

"Well, lucky for you, I have some good ones I stole pictures of when I was going through his boxes in California," Olivia whispered, pulling out her phone.

"Oooh, look at you go," Abby laughed.

"Uh-huh. Oh, here. Like this one," Olivia said, flipping her screen. "Sorry, they're blurry. I took pictures _of_ pictures."

"Oh my god," Abby giggled, putting her hands up to her mouth. "How old is he there?"

Olivia zoomed in to look at the date printed below the newspaper photo. "He would have been around…29."

"Aww, so cute," Abby said.

"I know!" Olivia giggled. "Oh. Also this one. He was older here. 32-ish."

Abby looked at this next one Olivia showed and smiled. "He hasn't really changed much. He's got…longer hair now. That's it."

"Which I love," Olivia nodded.

"Yeah. I mean, he's...I think you know what I would say," Abby laughed.

"Mhm. He's…he's got it goin' on in these," Olivia nodded, examining her phone.

"Are you talking about me again?" Fitz finally asked, his words slightly slurring.

The girls laughed. "Yes. I'm showing Abby how extremely hot you were back in your governing days."

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

Which, made the girls laugh harder.

"Look," Olivia said, showing him her phone screen.

He took it from her and winced at the picture. "Ugh. Why'd you save this?"

"Because I'm proud of you and I wanted to," Olivia shrugged.

He couldn't help but smile as he handed it back. "Thank you, baby."

"Mhm. _And_ because you were hot. As fuck."

He laughed a little bit, but then raised an eyebrow. _"'Were'?"_

"Are," she corrected.

He winked at her and turned back to his show.

"There are probably better photos on Google than the ones I have," Olivia said to Abby.

"Oh…true," Abby laughed.

Olivia scrolled through her phone, widening her eyes at a few of the pictures she had in her camera roll. "Oh. Better delete those."

Abby gave her a look. "Oh Jesus. What on earth do you have on your phone?"

"Nothing," Olivia answered innocently.

"Pretty boy," Abby yelled.

Olivia laughed. "No, no. Don't ask—"

"Do you and my best friend do anything dirty over the phone?" Abby asked.

Fitz's cheeks slowly turned pink and he smirked. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, you know. Sexting. Phone sex. FaceTime sex," Abby said.

Fitz looked at Olivia and shrugged. "I don't know, baby, why don't you tell her."

"No. We do _not,"_ Olivia said, looking at Abby. Abby just shook her head with a smile, clearly not believing a word she said.

"What?!" Olivia exclaimed.

"You are a _liar._ Everyone does _something_ dirty over the phone," Abby replied. "How can you not?"

"You're gonna regret telling me that tomorrow when you're sober," Olivia laughed.

Abby burst into laughter. "Me? Abby? Why on earth would I regret telling you something like that."

Fitz just laughed to himself over in his corner on the couch.

"And what are you laughing about over there?" Abby asked.

He chuckled to himself, taking a drink of his scotch.

"It's just funny watching Olivia attempt to lie to you."

"OHHHH!" Abby exclaimed, nudging her arm.

Olivia's cheeks flushed and she shook her head at her fiancé, who gave her a smile.

"Baby, you're supposed to be cool about it!" she said, pointing at him.

He laughed. "Sorry."

"You've had too much to drink," Olivia said, even though _her own_ words slurred as she spoke.

He tilted his head at her with a smirk and then downed the rest of his scotch.

She shook her head at him. "You and your attitude over there…"

"Don't even talk to me about attitude, woman," he replied.

Abby just laughed. "Man. I'm really gonna miss your guys' crazy asses. I can't believe I move out tomorrow."

"Don't go," Olivia sad sadly. "Who will save me from my fiancé's attitude?"

"Hey!" Fitz exclaimed.

Abby laughed. "Arie will!"

Arie sleepily looked up at Abby at the sound of her name, but otherwise didn't move.

"True," Olivia nodded.

"On the plus side, though. You and pretty boy won't have to attempt to be quiet when you fuck."

Olivia and Fitz paused, looking at Abby in surprise.

"What do you mean _attempt?"_ Olivia asked.

"Attempt, because it doesn't work, and I still hear you," Abby laughed.

"No way," Fitz said, shaking his head.

"Uh-huh. Not from my room. But if I'm in the bathroom, yes."

"Noooo," Olivia replied, laughing.

"Oh yeah. _Definitely_ yeah," Abby nodded, eyes wide.

Fitz grimaced. "God, I am so sorry."

"It's okay," Abby chuckled. "I don't give a shit. This is your guys' apartment, I've been a guest. Fuck all you want, walk around in minimal clothing, fuck over the phone, I don't give a damn. Our friends are way crazier than you guys, I've seen it all, honestly."

"The walking around in minimal clothing is all me, that's my bad," Fitz said, scratching his head.

"Yeah, you do tend to do that," Olivia nodded.

"Overall, this past month and…one week or whatever, has been really awesome. I can't thank you guys enough," Abby said.

"Hey, you're buying us a nice dinner tomorrow, that's more than enough," Fitz replied.

"Yes it is. And we're looking forward to that," Olivia nodded, looking at Fitz.

"Yes. We are," he agreed.

"Hell yeah. It's about damn time the world really sees you two together," Abby nodded.

Fitz nodded. "About damn time," he agreed, smiling at Olivia.

And it really was.

Eventually their night of drinking ended, in which they finally went to bed. Even though none of them were tired. But, they did have some packing and moving to do tomorrow.

During the day, they all planned to help Abby and David move in, which would be fun. All their other friends were coming too, for the occasion. So they thought it best to get some sleep.

They all went to their rooms, and Arie, of course, went to her kennel.

As soon as Olivia and Fitz entered their bedroom, Fitz picked Olivia up and laid her down on the bed, kissing her neck.

"Fitzgerald, what the hell?" she giggled, circling her legs around him.

"What?" he asked, letting his hands wander.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Lovin' on you," he replied, moving down her body.

"How come?" she asked.

"'Cause I love you and I'm sorry about our argument before," he answered.

"Oh. Fitz, you don't need to be sorry. That was on me," she replied.

"No. It was on me," he said, pulling back to look at her.

She shook her head with a laugh. "Now we're arguing because we're both trying to take the blame?"

He sighed. "That sounds like something we would argue about."

She held his face in her hands, looking up at him. "You smell like scotch."

"Sorry," he grimaced. "I'm, uh…I might have had...a lot. Too—too much."

"I know," she laughed.

"But I'm serious, though. I'm…I'm sorry," he said, looking down at her.

"Stop apologizing, would you?" she asked, pressing a kiss to his lips.

"Okay," he whispered, laying his head down beside hers.

"Good," she nodded, running her hand over the back of his head.

"I'm also sorry I told Abby about our sexual phone encounters," he whispered.

She laughed. So much for no more apologies. "It's okay. You didn't tell her _what._ And even if you did, it's only Abby."

He smirked, looking at her. "Those summer FaceTime calls…" he said quietly, kissing her neck again.

"Uh-huhhhh," she nodded, clinging to his body.

"Did you like those?" he asked, smiling at her.

"I did like those. Very sexy," she replied.

He smiled. "Mmyeah."

She smiled back, rubbing her thumb over his cheek. "Why don't we get to bed, mister. Big day tomorrow."

He groaned, laying his head back down. "Noooo."

"Fitzgerald Thomas," she said.

"Don't Fitzgerald Thomas me," he said, not moving an inch.

"I just did, though," she said.

"You don't maybe wanna…fool around a little bit?" he asked, smiling hopefully down at her.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Fitzgerald, it's late..."

"Come on..." he said quietly, covering her neck in kisses. "You know you miss it."

"Fitz, we had sex three hours ago."

"Three hours ago? Impossible..." he said.

"Yes," she laughed. "And you say I'm the horny one. Nope."

He laughed, resting his face on her shoulder. "I...it's your fault! I was never like this before."

"Like what?" she asked, wondering what his drunken self would say to such a question.

"I never even, like... _thought_ about sex before I met you," he said.

She burst into laughter. "Okay, _that_ is a lie. You're a man."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" he exclaimed.

"It means I love you very much and you're very sweet, but you still have a penis," she replied.

He looked down at his crotch and nodded. "Yeah, I do, don't I."

"Yes," she laughed. "Actually, just the fact that you're human is explanation enough. Everyone thinks about sex. But...yeah the penis proves my point even more."

"How much do you think about it?" he smirked, starting to kiss on her again.

She giggled, his mouth tickling her neck. "That's classified information."

He groaned loudly. "Ohhh not _this_ crap again!"

She laughed, not able to keep it in. "Well how much do you think about it? Do _you_ wanna answer that question?"

"Hell yeah, I'll answer that question. I'll answer any question."

"Alright answer then," she smirked.

"On average...I would say I think about sex, you naked, or anything of the sort, approximately a shit ton."

She put her palm to her face. "That's not a real _answer!"_

"Yes it is! How is it not? I think it took balls to admit that," he protested.

"Alright, fine. I'll give you that," she nodded.

"Okay, show me you've got balls now. Tell me how much you think about it," he said.

She looked down at _herself_ now. "Hmm...I don't think I have balls."

He closed his eyes and leaned his head on her shoulder, laughing. "I'm so happy I'm marrying you."

"Because I don't have balls?" she asked.

He continued to laugh against her shoulder. "Well I suppose technically that is a reason for me, personally, yes," he chuckled.

She laughed, running her hand over his head. "I'm happy I'm marrying you too."

He looked down at her chest, leaning down to press kisses to it. She was wearing a tank top, so it was pretty easy for him.

"You know what I think?" he whispered.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"I think...you should take these off," he said, tugging a little bit at the waistband of her shorts.

"Oh yeah, and then what?" she asked.

"And then I will eat you the fuck out."

Her eyes widened. "Wow. Getting right to the point there, baby."

"Sorry. Was that blunt? I was...I was going for sexy," he yawned.

"I don't know if you have the energy, Fitz, there was a yawn," she replied, running her fingers through his hair.

"No. No, I think that was you yawning," he replied.

"It was you, considering I just _watched_ it happen," she giggled. "Plus, it couldn't have been me. I'm not even tired."

"Oh good. Okay, take off your shorts then. I'm ready," he said sleepily, snuggling up to her shoulder.

"You are not ready. You're _drunk_ and you should sleep," she said with a laugh, patting his bicep.

"I prefer…inebriated," he said.

"Right, right. Inebriated," she nodded.

"I should sleep, huh?" he asked.

"Yes, you should," she nodded. "You wanna get up? You're heavy," she added, rubbing his arm.

"Oh baby I'm sorry," he said, rolling over onto his back.

"It's okay," she giggled, getting up to her feet. She was a little dizzy, certainly not sober. But the wine had impacted her far less than the scotch had impacted him. He'd had way more to drink than either of the women. Abby had had one glass and she was buzzed from that, so she switched to wine. Fitz, not so much.

He now lay on his back, reaching his hands up to Olivia who stood at the foot of the bed in front of him. She smiled and interlocked her fingers with his.

"You're so beautiful, Olivia," he said, looking at her admirably.

"Thank you, Fitz," she nodded, smiling at him. "You gonna get up?"

"Yeah," he nodded. Of course, he didn't move.

"Okay...One, two, three," she said. And on three, she attempted to pull him up. But instead of _that_ happening, he pulled her on top of him with ease.

He captured her lips in a kiss, while both of their hands stayed locked together against the sheets.

She giggled against his mouth. _"Fitz!"_

"What?" he murmured against her mouth, continuing to attempt to kiss her.

"You are nothing but trouble tonight," she said.

"Kiss me," he whispered.

She pressed her lips to his softly, tasting the liquor on his lips. But one kiss was never enough for them. So it escalated. Certainly not far, but it wasn't just one little kiss, either.

His tongue was eager to slip inside her mouth, so she let it, and it danced with hers.

He breathed heavily against her mouth, both of them pulling each other's lips into the others' mouths.

He rolled her over and got up on his knees and forearms, bracing himself above her as they made out.

His lips always felt good against her own. And it made it hard to stop, when it felt that good.

But he kissed her a few more times and pulled back to look at her, anyway.

"Sorry," he said quietly.

"For what?"

"Kissing you," he replied.

"Baby, it's okay," she laughed.

"I just love you and...and I love kissing you. And I love you," he said, his words slurred.

"Fitz, I love you too. Let's go to bed, okay?" she asked, smiling.

"Yeah, okay, I'm sorry," he nodded, getting off her.

"How many glasses of scotch did you _have_ tonight?" she asked, looking at him as she got up.

He shrugged, walking to the bathroom. "Only like two!"

She burst into laughter. "Two, my _ass."_

He turned around immediately. "What about your ass?"

She shook her head with a laugh. "I'm gonna get you a big glass of water. Okay? You are in desperate need."

"Okay," he nodded, starting to get his toothbrush ready.

She made her way quietly out to grab him water, seeing Arie snoozing in her kennel. So cute.

When she got back, she watched Fitz come out of the bathroom in his boxers and no shirt and head for bed.

"Drink _all_ of this," she said, handing it to him.

He pulled the covers up over himself and grabbed the glass, eyeing her. "I'm gonna have to go to the bathroom like...19 times in the middle of the night!"

"I think you'll be okay," she giggled.

He downed it pretty fast and handed the glass back to her. "Bam."

"Good job, I'm very proud," she said, setting the glass down.

"I try to make you so proud," he said, smiling at her.

She shook her head with a laugh, walking to the bathroom. "Scotch: one. Fitz: zero."

"What? Not true!" he exclaimed.

"Shhh, Abby's sleeping," Olivia said from the bathroom.

"Oh, shit. Sorry Abby," he whispered to himself.

She brushed her teeth, looking in at Fitz the whole time. He propped himself up on his elbow and waited for her to come to bed.

She shook her head at him. "You are so cute."

"Thank you," he said.

When she shut the lights off and crawled into bed with him, he immediately pulled her into his body.

"Oh well hello there," she whispered.

"Hi," he whispered back, pecking her lips.

"You taste minty now. That's better than the scotch," she said.

"You taste minty too," he nodded.

She snuggled closer to him and felt him hold her tight. "Olivia."

"Yes, Fitz."

"I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you."

She lifted her head up to look at him. "Well I don't know what I would do either, sweetheart. You're being such a softie tonight I don't know what's gotten into you," she said, smiling at him. "Well...okay, yes I do."

Alcohol. Lots of alcohol.

He looked sleepily at her and put his finger up to his mouth. "Shhh...I'm not a softie," he whispered.

"Yes. You are," she nodded.

"Noooo," he replied, shaking his head.

"It's okay. There are _much_ worse things to be when you're drunk."

He put his finger up in protest. _"Inebriated."_

"Sorry, inebriated," she corrected.

He shrugged, snuggling up to his pillow. "I guess I'm a softie then! I just love you."

"I know you do," she giggled.

He moved his face closer to hers, the tips of their noses touching.

"Sorry I drank so much. I didn't mean to."

"Would you stop apologizing? You are okay," she laughed, moving her hand up to the side of his face.

"Okay," he whispered.

"Go to sleep, babe," she said.

He leaned forward ever so slightly and pressed his lips to hers softly, and closed his eyes.

"Goodnight, Olivia."

"Goodnight, Fitz."

* * *

The next day, he woke up feeling a lot less…happy.

"What the fuck did I do?" he groaned, putting his palm to his hand.

"I don't know, baby, one minute we were…sex-fighting in the bathroom and the next you were smashed, watching Impractical Jokers."

"God," he said. "Sorry about that, Liv."

"Fitz, it's fine," she laughed. "I took care of you, don't worry."

"Thank you. I hope I wasn't...a bad drunk for you."

"You mean…inebriated," she corrected.

"Huh?"

"That's the term you insisted I use."

"Oh…good god," he said, shaking his head.

"You were fine. You were a little horny, really goofy, and you kept telling me how much you loved me. I can handle that no problem."

"Oh jeez."

"I honestly don't think I've ever seen you that drunk before, so at least I know what that looks like," she joked.

She certainly knew what it felt like when he was drunk and sad…she'd received that call on her 21st birthday. She preferred softie, drunk Fitz.

"It sounds like I'm just like you when you're really drunk," he chuckled.

She laughed. "Oh jeez. Probably. Abby's told me I'm a very happy drunk person."

"Yeah, you are. And you mostly just never let go of me. Like…ever. You always want to be with me," he laughed.

"Honestly, that doesn't sound too different from sober me," she shrugged.

"True. And I can handle that," he said, kissing her forehead. "But right now…I need Advil. And, like…McDonald's or something."

"Oh god why does that greasy, disgustingness sound so amazing right now," she groaned.

He looked over at her, biting his lip. "Get up, we're going."

"Seriously?" she asked.

"Yes," he nodded, getting out of bed. "My body has made the decision already."

She reached over and smacked his ass, covered by nothing but his boxers.

"Ooh," he exclaimed, touching his backside. "Baby that was hard!"

She laughed. "Sorry, it was just really tempting when you stood up."

"Now you know how _I_ feel," he nodded. "Come on, get up. I want a…hashbrown or something."

He reached out for her and she scooted closer. "Mmm…breakfast burrito, or…egg mcmuffin," she said, reaching up to him.

"All of the above," he said, lifting her up. He groaned, acting as if she was extremely heavy, which made her laugh.

She clung to him, pressing kisses all over his face. "Thank you. You and Arie are very good at this particular form of affection."

"Mm. Speaking of. I'll go take her out," she said.

"Mmkay. You wanna wake that redhead down the hall up too? I'm sure she could use some grease."

"Will do," she nodded, as he set her down.

Abby definitely approved of the McDonald's breakfast run plan, because she had a bit of a hangover, too. Olivia was pretty sure she, herself, had fared the best of all of them.

But either way, the Advil and the hangover breakfast did the trick within a few hours. Which was good, considering they had some work to do that day.

It didn't take long for Abby to pack up her things, because she didn't have all that much, to begin with. She cleaned the bathroom and the bedroom, washing the sheets and vacuuming too, so that it was ready for any potential guest once again.

And when they all made the trip to David and Abby's new apartment, it was quite the party. All their friends made an appearance for the special occasion, helping move her in. And it went a lot faster that way.

Plus, it did take a few of them to bring up the heavier furniture that David and Abby had gotten from their parents. Fitz, Harrison, and Charlie were by far the strongest of the group, so they handled most of that.

But that didn't stop the women from showing off their muscles either.

Olivia, Quinn Teagan, and Abby brought up a big entertainment center, that would go in Abby and David's bedroom. It was heavy as all hell.

"Okay, we should have left this one for the guys," Quinn said, laughing.

"Nah, girl power. We got this," Olivia nodded, adjusting her grip on her edge of the piece of furniture. It was more uncomfortable than anything. It didn't have the most convenient places to hold on to, because it was so tall.

"Yeah, all this shit's kind of old," Abby said. "A lot of it is either unused furniture from my parents or David's."

"Perks of having a pre-furnished university apartment, I guess," Teagan nodded.

"True that," Abby agreed, as they all started heading up the stairs.

"I wish the elevator was bigger," Teagan giggled.

"Ugh, I know. At least we only have to go to the second floor though," Abby nodded.

"Woah, you ladies need any help?" A younger guy asked as he passed them on the stairs.

"No, I think we're okay. Thank you, though!" Abby replied.

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah. We'll manage," Teagan replied.

"Alright. You all moving in?" he asked.

"Just me and my boyfriend. My wonderful friends are just here to help," Abby laughed.

"Oh, very cool, very cool. Well, I'm Isaiah. I live on the third floor with my girlfriend. Nice to see another student resident!" he exclaimed, nodding at Abby, who was wearing a Yale sweatshirt.

"Of course! Well it's nice to meet you, Isaiah, I'm Abby. And this is Teagan, Quinn, and Olivia," she nodded at all of them.

They all gave him a smile.

"Cool nice to meet you girls. Well, I'll let you get back to it. I don't want to make you hold that for too long," he chuckled. "I'll see you around!"

"Yeah, see you around! Bye."

They kept going, waiting till he was out of earshot to talk again.

"Well I think you're gonna like this place. The people seem nice," Teagan said.

"Yeah. I'm glad there are some students. I worried maybe there wouldn't be too many. Hopefully, we can make _some_ friends with neighbors," Abby replied.

"Mhm, and maybe they're all cute, like he was," Quinn winked.

"Quinn, I'm literally moving in with my _boyfriend,"_ Abby said.

"Oh, I _know_. I'm just kidding, jeez! Well, partially."

"Yeah and _your_ boyfriend is just above us right now," Teagan laughed.

"Who I love the hell out of. Just saying. If that guy was single and I didn't have my wonderful boyfriend in my life, I'd…"

"Climb him like a tree?" Olivia guessed.

"Yeah, exactly," Quinn nodded, as they neared the apartment door. "You put the words right in my mouth."

"Yeah that's 'cause I've heard you use those words before. About my fiancée," Olivia said, eyeing her.

Quinn looked confused as they entered the apartment's propped open door, all still shuffling along. "What?"

"Oh, that's right," Abby nodded, looking at Olivia.

"What? I mean, hey, we all _think_ it, let's be real, but I would never _say_ that about your man!" Quinn exclaimed.

"You would if you didn't know he was mine," Olivia laughed.

Quinn was utterly confused and so was Teagan.

"At BAR last semester. There was a guy talking to Olivia at the bar once that you saw. Remember him?" Abby asked.

Quinn thought back. "Khakis and a blue plaid shirt. Yep, I do. He was hot. Well, at least from the brief view I got of him."

Olivia shot her a look.

"That was pretty boy, you dumbass," Abby said.

Quinn's eyes widened and she shook her head. "No…"

"Uh-huhhhh," Olivia laughed. "I almost spit out my drink when you said that."

Quinn's face turned a deep red as all the girls laughed. "Oh, shit…Liv, I didn't know…I'm so sorry."

"I know you didn't, it's okay," she assured her, laughing.

"Man, I'm kind of sad I missed that period of your guys' lives!" Teagan exclaimed. "Quinn, you said it _right_ to Olivia?"

Quinn nodded, closing her eyes in shame. "I looked him up and down and said 'I would climb him like a tree,' right to Olivia's face," she said, blushing, as they turned into the bedroom. "But I didn't know!"

"Climb who like a tree?" Charlie asked.

The women glanced in the bedroom, seeing some of the guys re-assembling the bedframe and some moving around other furniture.

All the girls looked at each other in surprise and then started laughing. "I swear, anything involving pretty boy just has terrible timing," Abby laughed.

"What'd _I_ do?!" Fitz exclaimed. "I don't disagree with you, by the way. My timing is awful. You have first-hand knowledge."

"I do," Abby laughed.

"You didn't do anything, sweetie," Olivia said, laughing.

"All you did was walk away apparently," Teagan laughed.

His cheeks turned slightly pink and he looked at the other guys. "I swear, I have no idea what's going on, right now."

Quinn looked over Fitz, who by happenstance, was wearing the same khakis he was wearing that night at BAR. But she glanced over his body type and the way he stood, too. "Yeah, it was definitely him, wasn't it. Dammit, I feel like a bad friend."

"I am so confused," Charlie said.

"Me too," Fitz nodded.

Harrison looked at Quinn, and then at Fitz. "Climb him like a tree…wait...Oh! _OH!_ That was prof?!"

Abby pointed at Harrison, laughing. "Ahh! See, Harrison remembers too!"

"Oh my god. You…oh my god," Harrison said, laughing. "Oh, Quinn. Olivia's gonna beat your ass."

"No I'm not," Olivia laughed. "She didn't know who he was."

"I'm sorry, okay. I'm sorry! I didn't know that was her boo!" Quinn exclaimed.

"Ohhh! I remember that too!" Huck exclaimed. "Wow, Quinn. Nice job," he laughed.

"Wait…that night at BAR?" David asked.

"Yes," Quinn sighed, shaking her head as they all looked at Fitz.

"Everyone is looking at me and I feel slightly uncomfortable," Fitz said, looking around.

"Yeah, can someone please fill me in?" Charlie asked.

"Okay, it was last semester when we were…taking a break," Quinn said to Charlie. "We were all out together at this club, and I may have said something about…this really tall, brunette guy that was talking to Olivia. Who...also happened to be…Fitz."

"You said you would climb him like a _tree?!"_ Charlie asked, pointing at Fitz.

Fitz's face got extremely red and he looked around at everyone, scratching his head, embarrassed.

"Wait, he's not _that_ tall," Harrison said

"Pffft. Way taller than any of us," Abby said.

"How tall are you?" David asked Fitz.

"6'2"."

"Oh."

"I'm 5'10"," Harrison said.

"I'm 5'9..." David added.

"Me too..." Huck agreed.

"I'm 5'10" and a half. Suck it," Charlie said. "But...whatever this has no relevance!"

"Yeah it does. He's tall and sexy, always relevant," Olivia said.

Fitz winked at her in the midst of all the chaos.

"Yeah apparently you're not alone in that thought," Charlie said.

"Charlie, relax. There's a reason his official name is pretty boy. He's pretty, everyone knows," Abby said. "But he very clearly belongs to someone else."

"Yeah I'm surprised you're not attached to him right now, Liv," Harrison joked.

"Leave me alone, why do people always say that?" Olivia said.

"That's my official name now? I wasn't aware of the name change," Fitz said.

"Liv, probably because you don't ever let him breathe," Quinn teased.

"Clearly I let him breathe, or his 6'2" ass wouldn't be alive right now," Olivia said.

"6'2" isn't even that tall!" Charlie exclaimed.

"Someone is jealous he's only 5'10"," Huck chuckled.

"5'10" and a _half!"_ Charlie corrected.

"Oh like half an inch makes a difference," David said.

"Ohhhh, babe. Half an inch could make allll the difference," Abby said.

Olivia caught her drift and started laughing.

"Ick! What the hell!" Harrison exclaimed, realizing what she meant.

Abby shrugged. "Someone's gotta derail this ridiculous conversation."

"Please...please derail it," Fitz nodded.

Olivia reached her hand out to Fitz in the middle of the discussion and he grabbed her hand.

He sat in one of the chairs against the wall and Olivia sat down in his lap.

"I'm just making sure he doesn't get punched somehow," Olivia said, wrapping her arms around him.

He smiled, pressing a kiss to her cheek as he wrapped his arms around her stomach.

"Ah, see. That's what I mean," Harrison said, gesturing to the two of them on the chair.

"Oh you be quiet, I can sit on his damn lap if I want to, I'm gonna marry him," Olivia said.

"Okay, then can we not bring up the punch _every_ time we're together?! I'm _sorry_ , I apologized so many times!" Harrison said.

"Harrison, I _know_. You're forgiven," she laughed. "That was directed at Charlie, not you."

"Don't you just love such a close-knit group of friends?" Abby joked, making everyone laugh.

"Okay, for real though, Charlie, don't punch him because one friend doing that is enough," Huck said.

"Even I'm not that much of a dick," Charlie said, looking at Harrison.

Harrison scoffed. "Come on! I was trying to protect our gals!"

"It's okay, Harrison, I appreciated your protectiveness," Fitz nodded.

Harrison nodded at Fitz, gesturing to him. "Ah, see. A mature man, ladies and gentlemen. He knew my intentions."

"You're over there talking about _maturity?"_ Quinn laughed.

"Says you, Mrs. 'I would climb him like a tree'," Harrison replied.

"Okay, can we stop saying that now, because I'm starting to look at Grant differently," Charlie said.

"Why, 'cause you wanna climb him too?" Harrison chuckled.

Fitz's eyes widened.

"No, 'cause now I know my girlfriend secretly wants to fuck him!" Charlie exclaimed.

Fitz looked at Olivia with innocent eyes. "Destruction. Destruction all around me."

Olivia, Abby, and Teagan burst into laughter.

"No I do _not!_ I just want you, you dummy, why do you think, even through all my stupid ass decision, that _you're_ the person I can never stay away from?!" Quinn exclaimed.

"Awww…how romantic," Abby said, putting her hand on her heart.

"Honestly, that was strangely...well said," David chuckled.

Charlie quieted down and looked at Quinn. "Aw."

"Yeah, damn right, _aw,"_ Quinn said.

"Ah, yes. See, everything's fine now. We all only fuck our significant others and that's that," Abby nodded.

"Yeah, and Harrison fucks the rest of the world," Huck added.

That got everyone laughing again.

"Okay, seriously. How come it all just comes back to making fun of _me?!"_ Harrison exclaimed.

"Harrison, you know I love you. But it's just too easy," Abby laughed.

"Yeah, bud, what's your body count at now?" Huck joked.

"Ewww, let's _not,"_ Quinn laughed.

"Yeah, let's not," Abby agreed.

"Why? You can't take talking about body count?" Harrison chuckled.

"No, not when you probably don't even _know_ yours," Abby replied. "That's nasty."

"Yeah, I don't," Harrison said. "What, like _all_ of you know _yours?"_

They all looked at him oddly and nodded.

"Uh, dude, yeah. Because we're not gross," Charlie said.

"What? I'm seriously…no way. Prof's got some years on us, there's no way _he_ knows _his_ number," Harrison said, looking at Fitz.

"Um, ew. Don't project your hookup culture onto my sweetheart," Olivia said. "He's an angel and he's perfect."

Fitz tilted his head at Harrison with a smile. "Yeah. I'm an angel and I'm perfect."

"Bull _shit,"_ Harrison chuckled.

"Nuh-uh, no bullshit," Olivia replied.

She knew his number. It was certainly a lot more than her _two_. But for a 38-year-old guy, she thought it was a pretty modest number.

"Okay, that's coming from the purest person here," Harrison said to Olivia. _"Two."_

Olivia shrugged. "I don't mind being the purest person here, what's wrong with that?"

"Except…" Teagan said, her cheeks turning a little pink. "One."

"One," Huck agreed, smiling at Teagan.

They all looked at Teagan and Huck, surprised that they jumped in at such a conversation.

"Oh wow. I respect the shit out of that right there," Quinn nodded.

"Me fucking too," Abby nodded.

Olivia nodded in agreement. "I'm jealous."

"Jeez, you two forever making us all feel shitty about ourselves because you're both perfect people," David chuckled.

"Nah, just T," Huck said, looking at her.

Teagan blushed and smiled back at him.

"My heart can't take it," Abby said, looking at Teagan and Huck so happily.

"I'm feeling self-conscious about myself now," Charlie chuckled.

"Same," Abby nodded.

"I'm not," Harrison shrugged.

"Yeah, we knew that, weirdo," Abby said.

"Okay, before we go into another shit on Harrison session, we should probably move the rest of this shit inside, considering the truck is still just chilling outside," Harrison replied.

They all nodded.

"Good point," David laughed.

So, they finished up the rest of what needed to be done, which David and Abby thanked them all profusely for. It had truly gone much faster with everyone there.

Eventually, though, they all headed out. Olivia and Fitz went to get ready back at their place and they discussed meeting Abby and David at John Davenport's, the nice restaurant they had reservations at.

So, all four cleaned themselves up and went out on that double date they always talked about. _Finally_. And, Abby's way of saying thank you.

The second Olivia and Fitz walked up to that restaurant, it felt like a big moment of anticipation.

"Hold my hand," Fitz whispered.

She looked up at him for confirmation as they walked inside. Inside a _New Haven_ restaurant. For all to see.

He nodded, reaching for hers. She grabbed it and smiled as they walked in.

It felt so good.

Not that it necessarily felt much different than walking into a restaurant outside of New Haven hand in hand, as they had done many times before.

But it still had a different meaning.

"Well don't you two look nice," Abby said, waving as they approached them.

"Right back at you," Olivia nodded at them with a smile.

"You feel normal?" David asked, laughing.

"No," they said in unison.

David and Abby laughed. "It'll get better."

And it did.

Nobody stared. Nobody gave them strange looks. Nobody batted an eye really.

It certainly wasn't the type of restaurant that you'd see many students at. It was similar to Oak Haven in that way, geared more for older adults. But even still, any of the people inside could potentially pick out an age gap between a couple, or recognize a professor at the town's beloved University.

But nobody said a word.

It was that night that both Olivia and Fitz were really able to see that they were just like everyone else, and that everyone else thought so too. In their world, they had been forced to think otherwise for a long time. Years. Even through the first months of their engagement.

But now, they understood. Finally taking that first step in New Haven. Showing themselves for the first time. They could do anything they wanted.

They could have dinner in the town they lived in. They could show affection in public.

They could even cuddle in a damn hammock on campus.

The world was theirs.

* * *

Whew. Long one!

Got to see some more of their friends in this one.

Well, it was fun while it lasted with Abby living at their apartment! But, now she's got her own apartment with her significant other, too. They've all grown so much.

Time's going to move, friends. It will move faster than you think. This story isn't over yet, but I want you to remember that it can't drag on. It is much, much closer to the end than it is to the beginning. :(

You will see a lot of their most important life moments, as I have said before. But there will be some you don't see as well, merely because it can't go on forever.

I don't have an estimate of remaining chapters for you guys because I truly don't know. I know exactly what I have left to tell, but we all know I tend to write a lot of detail. So, that may add up to more chapters than I anticipate, I'm not sure.

When I feel confident that it's _very_ close to the end, I will let you all know. I don't want you to be surprised in any way.

You all are the best. Thanks again for the support and the very kind words.

Read on.

With Love,

~T


	85. The First Meeting

Fitz flipped through the final exam he had just finished writing, and printing, making sure it looked good.

A knock at his office door interrupted his thoughts.

"Yeah, come in," he announced.

He looked up and saw one of his good work friends.

"Sammy, hi buddy," Fitz said, immediately looking back down at his work.

"Fitz..." Sam said, closing the door.

"What's up?" Fitz asked, continuing to write.

"Uh...what on earth is this?" Sam asked.

Fitz looked up and saw what Sam held in his hand.

His and Olivia's save the date. They'd just sent them out not too long ago. November was Olivia's timeline, and they'd been sticking very well to it.

Fitz felt a brief spark of panic arise in his chest, but he calmly pushed it away. And he smiled. Everything was just fine.

"What does it look like? I'm not a sad lonely man," Fitz chuckled, before turning back to his exams. "And you're invited for the occasion."

"Um...well, yes, I see that. But...this is Olivia Pope?" Sam questioned.

"Mhm. And on July 27th of next year, she'll be Olivia Grant," Fitz replied casually.

Sam looked at him like he was insane. "I don't understand. You're getting married?"

"I am," Fitz nodded.

"To Olivia Pope?" Sam asked.

"To Olivia Pope," he nodded.

"She's...she was just my student last year. She was yours, too, at one point, was she not?" Sam asked curiously.

"She was indeed," Fitz nodded, flipping through his pages.

"Okay, am I missing something? Since when...what is...can you just explain, man?" Sam asked with a little laugh.

Fitz put his pen down and sat back, turning the picture of Olivia on his desk around for Sam to see. "You know, people really don't notice things."

Sam looked at the picture. It was a beautiful picture of her. Just her. It had been on his desk for months now, and nobody had uttered a word. It did face him obviously, so it couldn't be seen by a passerby. But even still. He kind of wanted someone to see it and ask, he had been ready!

And now his colleague was asking.

Sam shook his head in confusion. "I like to think of myself as a fairly intelligent guy. I really do. But I'm so confused, Grant."

Fitz got ready to tell the story.

"Olivia and I were really good friends for a long time. Maybe you knew that, I'm not sure. We got pretty close over the years, she's brilliant and I always admired that about her. She was a no-bullshit student, always. And...this summer...we were finally able to see that there was a reason for us becoming such good friends. This summer...it turned into so much more," Fitz explained.

It wasn't...a complete lie.

Sam still looked confused.

"Goodness...well, could she be your student again?" he asked.

"No. _God_ no. We'd never let something happen if that were the case. She's a good person. I would never risk wrecking her life, or mine, for that matter," Fitz replied.

Okay. _That_ was most definitely a big fat lie. All they'd ever done for years was risk wrecking their lives. Literally.

"Wow. So you and a...former student? You two..." he began.

Fitz nodded. "Yes."

"So it's official, you don't tell me _anything."_

"Are you just saying that because I didn't remind you about my birthday a couple years ago?" Fitz chuckled.

"Partially! But how do you not tell me you're getting _married?"_ Sam asked. "Especially to a former student? That warrants a...discussion or something, don't you think?!"

Fitz shrugged. "Well, maybe if you stayed later than four every day and actually had lunch with me on occasion like you used to, I would've!"

Sam shook his head. "Hey. I stay later than four on Tuesdays."

"On Tuesdays I'm out of here by two," Fitz chuckled.

"Two? Okay, even _I_ don't leave that early," Sam said.

"Well someone's gotta get home to let her out," Fitz said, turning the picture of Arie around too.

Sam's eyes widened. "A dog too?" he chuckled.

"Yeah, a shepherd. Her name's Arie. She's my baby girl."

Sam nodded at him. "So…this is all for real."

"This is my _life_ , Sammy," Fitz said, gesturing to the pictures of his two girls.

"Not to be blunt, but does.. _.Cyrus_ know about all this?" Sam asked.

"Of course. Who do you think my best man is?" Fitz asked.

Sam looked surprised. "Really?"

"Mhm," Fitz nodded. "I'm surprised he hasn't told everyone by now, actually. He's very excited."

 _"Wow,"_ Sam nodded. He looked impressed _and_ surprised, as if not quite understanding that this was all _okay_ , until he got the confirmation that Cyrus was okay with it.

"Well I'm happy for you, then. I look forward to it," he said, nodding at the save the date.

"Yeah, I'm glad you can come. Nancy will be there too. She already came to pick my brain about it too," Fitz replied.

"Did she know Olivia beforehand too?" Sam asked.

"No, not personally. Nobody else in this department really does save for you, Cy, and Barb, who she's got this semester," Fitz said.

"Well I'm honored then. To be invited to your…secret, unknown wedding," he chuckled.

"It's not secret. I just don't talk much about my personal life here, and I'm not inviting the whole department. Plus, I'm sure there would be those who don't approve," Fitz said.

"Unfortunately that may be true. There are always people with something to say, don't I know it. Don't worry about it, though. If you're happy that's all that matters," Sam said. "I think people forget to just...be happy sometimes."

Fitz smiled. "Wise words, Sammy."

"I'm looking forward to this," he said, pointing at him. "Joan will be too. She always loves a good wedding."

"I'm glad you are. How's Joan doing these days?" Fitz asked.

"She's doing really well, thank you for asking! She's enjoying retired life," he nodded.

"Oh good, I'm glad. Well tell her I say hi," Fitz said.

"Will do. I'll let you get back to work, I just had to come and pick your brain about this like Nancy," he chuckled, holding up the save the date. "I feel like I've learned way more about you in the past few minutes that I did in the past few _years."_

"Well hey, now you know. Have a good day, buddy," Fitz replied, smiling.

"Yeah you too, I'll see you," Sam said, giving a little wave as he opened the door.

"See you," Fitz nodded.

He sighed, turning his pictures back around to face him. And then he smiled. "That wasn't so bad," he said to himself.

Then again, Sam had always been his friend. So he knew Sam would be supportive. But didn't even care about his department anymore, either. The first semester was almost over already. He and Olivia had already been out together on campus multiple times. She'd even come to his office a few times if she had time on certain days.

So he didn't care about the department. The only people that still made him nervous, were Olivia's family members. Her _extended_ family members.

And this weekend, they were driving back to Virginia for their Thanksgiving break.

Olivia wanted to see her friends back home, and they also had a meeting with their potential ceremony officiant, so they were heading back tomorrow and staying the whole week. Which, he didn't mind at all. He liked Virginia. He liked that they lived right next to D.C. _And_ he loved her parents.

So a good portion of the week would be nice. Hanging out with Olivia and her friends. Doing god knows what when her parents were at work Monday through Wednesday. Going out in D.C.

But then, there would be Thursday. Thanksgiving Day, when her family members came.

That was going to be interesting.

Not to mention Christmas wasn't far away, either. He was looking forward to this holiday season more than he had since his mom had passed. He missed her every day, and when it got to be the holiday season, it was even more prominent.

She had loved Christmas.

But now, he actually has a family to spend the holidays with again, which made him happy and excited. But nervous was definitely mixed in with those other emotions too.

He tried to push away all those things and focus on his work, which he wanted to get done before he left for break. He knew he'd have to bring some things along anyway, but might as well get as much done as he could beforehand.

He worked until six, only stopping when he was interrupted by another knock at the door.

"Come in," he announced.

He looked up at the door opening. "Oh. Baby, hi."

"Hi! You didn't answer your phone all afternoon, I was worried," she said, closing the door.

He looked at his phone and saw two missed calls and a text from her. "Oh shit. I'm sorry, Liv, it's on silent. I was just trying to get some work done."

"That's okay. I just wanted to make sure you were all good," she said, walking over to him with a Starbucks coffee in hand. "For you."

He smiled. "Ahh...the perks of you working at Starbucks are being brought to my attention again," he chuckled, grabbing the coffee. "Thank you, baby."

"Of course," she said, leaning in to give him a kiss. "Another perk for you, I smell like coffee right now. Enjoy."

He laughed, giving her one more kiss. "You do. Hey, at least you like the smell, even if you don't like the taste."

"Very true. The smell is nice, and reminds me of home. Otherwise, I just continue to get made fun of by my boss because I'm so good at making specialty coffees, and I've never even tried them."

He laughed. "Well, I can confirm that you're good at making them, you can take everyone's word for it. I'm sure you're good at tea, too. I just won't try it again, I'm so sorry."

"Yeah I know, I know. What did you call it...? Leaf water—"

"Brewed from the depths of hell, yes," Fitz nodded.

She giggled into his chest. "Right, right."

"You know, it's funny, I was just talking to Sammy earlier about you, and now you're _here."_

She gasped. "You told him? Oh baby, how'd it go?" she asked curiously.

"Well he got our save the date. So he came in all confused. Which I figured he would. I just haven't seen him much this semester, our schedules are very different. So I had some explaining to do. He was pretty surprised, but...supportive."

"Oh that's so good to hear. I know he's your friend," she said.

"Yeah. Both he and Nancy think they can make it, so I'm happy. They are my...only work friends, really, along with Cy. And even still, I'm not very close with Sam and Nance. And I don't even see Cy that much at work, since his office isn't in this building. Only when he has to bring me a physical copy of something," he chuckled.

"Did you tell him Cyrus is your best man?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah. I think it all confirmed it for him when I told him that," he laughed.

"Well good, baby. I'm so happy about that," she said, smiling at him. "Now are you ready for next week?"

He nodded, smiling. "Ready as I'll ever be."

"We'll be okay," she assured him. "I'm feeling good about it."

"Good. That makes me feel better then," he nodded.

"You wanna head home with me?" she asked hopefully. "I'll make you dinner. You can sit at the bar and watch me and I can admire your face."

He started laughing. "And you can admire my face?"

"Yeah. It's very admirable."

"Deal," he nodded. "Let me just pack up quick."

He packed up and drove Olivia to her car, which was parked in one of the student permit lots. They drove back home separately and headed upstairs to make dinner, having a nice chat with Logan beforehand.

Fitz did take Arie out quickly for a nice walk around the park while Olivia got some things ready for dinner. She was very excited, as usual.

They put on some music and had a nice dinner that night, which had started to become a little routine on their Friday nights.

The surround sound speakers in the apartment, playing whichever playlist they wanted. Maybe a little dancing. _Definitely_ singing. It never got old for them.

Cleaning up after dinner was usually much of the same. Olivia washed up the remaining dishes that didn't fit in the dishwasher, and Fitz dried.

She finished and pushed herself up onto the freshly wiped island and kicked her feet at his backside, as he finished drying the remaining dishes.

He looked over his shoulder at her and it made her smile.

"Don't touch my ass."

She kept lightly touching it with her toes, as she swung her legs.

"I'm touching your ass."

He shook his head, going to put some dishes away. "I am in no way surprised."

he put a pot away to her right side and came back to grab more just-dried dishes, but she grabbed his arm on the way, pulling him toward her.

He smiled, standing between her legs while she wrapped them around him.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and his hands went around her body, too.

"You're distracting me."

"Good," she said, pecking his lips.

He softly kissed her back, smiling against her mouth.

She adjusted her feet around his hips and immediately felt his pants slide down a bit just at the contact. She looked down at his hips and lifted up his shirt.

And she laughed. "Fitzgerald Thomas, _where_ is your belt?"

The waistband of his boxers was entirely visible because his khakis hung so loosely on his hips, not being held up by a belt which would normally always be there. _Always._

"I don't know. All my gym shorts are being washed so I just put on the first pair of pants I saw. And I don't know where the hell I put my belt."

"You have more than one!" she said.

"Yeah but not my good one," he shrugged.

"So this is more comfortable?" she asked, looking down at his pants, that were clearly too big around the waist otherwise.

He held up his shirt and looked down at his pants. "Yes."

She tugged them up, but they fell right back down, returning to their earlier position. "Baby, why are these so big?" she asked, examining the rest of the pair of pants. They fit him perfectly everywhere else. They were slim all the way down, and the perfect length.

"Well I have to get this size otherwise they're too short for me," he said, tugging at the waist.

"Long legs problems," she laughed.

"Yeah! It's a real problem, actually," he nodded.

"I don't have that problem at all, I can't relate," she replied.

"That's because you're cute and small," he said.

"Perhaps," she shrugged with a smile.

"I'm not," he said.

"No you're just cute and tall. It's even better," she said.

He pulled her off the counter and looked down at her. The 10 inch difference in height was extremely prominent, especially when neither of them were wearing shoes.

"You wanna know something?" he asked wrapping his arms around her.

"Hmm?" she replied.

"I'm really happy to be spending the holidays with you. The real holidays. Not...after the fact," he said.

Her face softened and she smiled. "Me too, Fitz. That's all I want, is to spend them with you. That was two years in a row that we didn't get to. I didn't like that."

"Me neither. It just means a lot that your family is letting me come," he said.

"Oh, baby, of course," she said. "You'll love the Pope holidays, and I think you'll love my family. My grandparents are all...pretty young actually, and 'hip' as they describe it. And...my dad's parents are kinda southern. They both grew up all over in the south," she laughed. "It's a tiny bit chaotic there at my house, but...you're marrying _me_ so I think you understand how to deal with chaotic already."

He laughed. "Chaos doesn't scare me."

"I know. Considering you said you wanted three or four kids," she said.

"I like three," he nodded.

"Yeah. I like three too," she agreed.

"We already have a fur baby," he said, looking over the bar top. "Arie."

They waited a few seconds before hearing the jingling of leash and the patter of her paws on the hardwood floor. She pranced over to them, looking up at them happily.

"Hi baby girl! What were you doing? Were you destroying that poor elephant toy again?"

She wagged her tail, looking up at them and waiting for something.

"Okay. You want a treat? Come on," he said, patting his thigh. "Let's find your Kong."

Olivia smiled and watched him talk to her, going to hunt down that damn Kong toy of hers that they put peanut butter in.

He came back with the Kong and an excited Arie at his heels. "Oh I know, I know. We are so excited for this peanut butter," Fitz nodded.

Olivia gasped at Arie. "Peanut butter time?!"

"Momma says peanut butter time," Fitz said, looking down at Arie as he grabbed a butter knife.

"Momma's always right," Olivia nodded.

"Mhm. Always," Fitz nodded. "Dad can't get that wrong."

Olivia laughed, putting the remaining dishes away. "Nooo, dad's right on occasion too."

"Yeah, Arie, just on _occasion_. Don't forget that," he chuckled.

"We also cannot forget that peanut butter when we go," she said, gesturing to Arie's jar.

"Oh god no. I'll pack her bag tonight," Fitz said, spreading it inside her toy. "Okay, okay. Here it is. Show me how you sit."

She sat down perfectly in front of him.

"Shake."

She reached up her paw at him and he leaned down and shook it. "Ohhh good girl! Sooo good. Can I have a kiss?"

She leaned forward and booped her snout against his mouth. "Oh thank you. _Thank_ you. Good girl, here you go."

She took the toy excitedly and ran off to her favorite dog bed to eat it. That would occupy her for a good long while.

"Such a smart little fluff ball we've raised," Olivia said, smiling at her in the living room.

"The kiss is all creds to you. You taught her that one," he said.

"Yeah, I just want her to not go around licking everyone's face," Olivia laughed. "The little nose boops are very cute."

"They are. She's very cute. And so damn big."

"Yes she is...I can't really hold her anymore."

"Let's not talk about it," he chuckled.

"Awww, you miss your little baby fluff ball," she said, poking his arm.

"Of course I do! I love her to death and I love that she's getting so big and muscular. But I will always remember her being little," he said.

"Well she's still got _some_ growing to do. She's only 50 pounds. The vet said she'll likely be around 65 to 70."

"Oh I know. She's always gonna be my baby girl no matter what. Even when she's 70 pounds."

"She will always be your baby girl," Olivia nodded.

"I hope your parents like her," Fitz said, watching her enjoying her treat.

"They will. My dad's not really a dog person so he probably just...won't interact with her. But he certainly won't have a problem with her."

"But your mom is, right?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, she loves dogs," she nodded.

"And you're sure they're okay with us bringing her? They know we could still check her into the dog place tomorrow morning if they prefer, right?"

"Yep. Mom said to please bring her because she wants to meet her," Olivia said.

"Alright. I just don't want her to be an issue. I feel like we're already going to be the center of attention as it is," he chuckled.

"Oh don't worry. The kids will be running around like crazy. We can count on them to absorb some of the attention," she laughed.

"Okay, perfect. And whose kids are these?" he asked.

"My cousins' kids. Claire and her husband have Tre and Gabrielle. And Donovan and his wife have Jordan, Anthony, and Kiara."

"How old are they?" Fitz asked curiously.

"Well Tre is the oldest of them all. I think he's thirteen or so. Gabrielle isn't far behind, I'm pretty sure she's eleven. Jordan and Anthony are the twins, they just turned five last month. And Kiara is the youngest. She's two."

"Oh, I was thinking...the twins had different names," he questioned.

"Oh, yeah, we have multiple sets. You're thinking of my other cousins, Macy and Dillon. They're twins and they'll be there too."

" _Two_ sets of twins? Oh my gosh," he chuckled.

"Yes. And my mom's great grandma was a twin, too. We have a history," she laughed. "But all my cousins are fraternal twins. You won't get them mixed up," she replied.

"Okay, okay let me practice. So your grandparents on your dad's side...Regina, whom we call Gina and William, whom we must call Will."

"Mhm," she giggled.

"And their kids are Theo, who married Talia. And Elijah, who married Maya," he said.

"Yes, good work," Olivia teased.

"Elijah, only known as Eli, and Maya only had one child. Her name...hm, I can't seem to remember. But I'll get it eventually," he said casually.

She laughed. "Yeah, she's not important."

"Okay, and Theo and Talia had Donovan and Claire. I don't know who they're married to!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, right, right. Donovan married Michaela. Claire married Marty."

"Okay. Donovan plus Michaela equals...Jordan, Anthony, and Kiara. And Claire plus Marty equals Tre and Gabrielle."

"You're so good at this, good job!" she said.

"That's only your dad's side though! The fact that both sides of your family celebrate together makes this extremely hard, babe," he said.

"Hey. When both sides instantly click and are both friendly and unproblematic, _this_ is what happens!" she bragged. "Well...maybe except for me. I might be the problematic one."

"Don't worry, we're problematic together," he said.

She high fived him and they laughed.

"Okay. Your grandma on your mom's side, grandma Michelle, whom we do _not_ call Shelly..."

"Never," Olivia said, shaking her head.

"Right, and your late grandpa..." he struggled.

"Lionel. Rest In Peace," she added.

"Yes, Rest In Peace grandpa Lionel. Okay, their children are Maya and Faye. We already know Maya married Eli and had some weird girl that we're still unsure of," Fitz said.

"Yes, she's weird," Olivia agreed.

"And Faye and her husband...Jackson, or Jack, had twins. Macy and Dillon."

"Yes! You did it!" Olivia exclaimed.

"No, I'm not done yet!" he said.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Well unless there's more of my own family members I'm not aware of, you _are_ done," she laughed.

"That one girl's name is Olivia," he said.

She smiled.

"Olivia...married Fitzgerald. Known only as Fitz."

"Both with...multiple nicknames for each other," she acknowledged.

"Right," he chuckled. "And Olivia plus Fitz equals...three little babies. Who all look like their momma, I hope. And also, a fur baby, named Arie."

"I think they're gonna look like their dad. And I'm 100 percent okay with that," she said, tightening her grip on him.

"You think so, huh?" he asked.

"I do think so," she nodded.

"How about an equal mix," he winked.

"You know, that's very plausible," she giggled.

He looked down at her so contently, rubbing her arms. "I can't wait, Liv."

"For...babies?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm just so excited."

She put her hands up to his face, holding it. "Baby you know we have to get married first," she laughed.

"No I know, I know. I'm just...thinking out loud. Sorry," he replied.

"Well don't be sorry! I'm excited too!" she exclaimed. "I always want you to think out loud."

He started laughing. "No...no, I don't think you do."

"Yes, of course, I do. Why wouldn't I? What goes on in that big brain of yours that I _wouldn't_ want to hear about?!" she exclaimed.

"Things," he said.

She frowned, pulling her hands away from his face. "Baby...like what."

"Nothing, Livvie. Forget I said anything," he said.

She scoffed. "Fitzgerald Thomas, do you really think I'm going to forget now? You know how I work."

He bit his lip, standing there in thought for a moment. And then he grabbed her hand.

"It's nothing bad. I promise. It's just...I just don't want to...complicate things."

"Complicate things, I don't care," she said. "I just want to know now."

"Okay...come on," he said, pulling on her hand.

She looked at him in confusion, as they walked down the hall to the bedroom. She had no idea what he was going to show her, or say, but it made her a little nervous.

"Fitz...you're kind of scaring me."

"No, baby, no. I don't want you to be scared," he said. "It's not bad, like I said. It's just...big."

"Big?" she asked.

"Yeah. Literally. And...and metaphorically."

"Is this about the cruise?" she asked. "Because you're right, that ship is big as fuck."

"No, not the cruise," he chuckled. "Although, I _am_ very excited for that."

He grabbed his laptop from his desk and sat down on the bed, opening it up. She sat next to him and looked down at the screen.

He logged on and went to his internet browser, going into his bookmarks.

"I'm not about to see porn, am I?" she teased.

"Yeah, that's the big reveal," he chuckled.

"I knew it!" she exclaimed.

He looked through his bookmarks, trying to find what he was looking for.

"Just don't freak out," he said.

"Baby, _show_ me."

He opened a page, filled with lots of pictures.

Pictures of houses.

She leaned over and looked closer as he scrolled through.

"I started looking. I would never do anything without you. I just didn't want to stress you out even more with this because I know how stressed you are with the wedding. It's just...the reality is, our lease is up in the fall and I don't want to stay here for another year after that. I just don't. I want to get out of here. I want Arie to be less cramped. I want us to have our place. Our _home_. I found a few already that are so beautiful. I just didn't want you to be upset—"

"Oh my god would you shut up?!" she exclaimed with a laugh, throwing her arms around him.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise and hugged her back. "Oh!"

"When did you start looking?" she asked, pulling back to look at him.

"Only a couple days ago," he said. "I've just been browsing, honest. I wouldn't start _really_ looking without you. I just don't want you to stress, Liv. I know you could handle it, but what I do _not_ want to do is stress out a bride-to-be, and...pile on. That's the last thing I want. You have so much on your plate right now, with planning, and school and work."

"I'm not upset. I'm happy. I want you to have what you want," she said.

"That's all I want for you too," he said with a smile.

"But I know you've wanted this for a long time, and I know that. You've told me. I think it's a good idea. If we renewed our lease we'd be here another two years essentially, starting now. I don't want that either," she agreed.

"Yeah, and this...it's going to be a _long_ process. I just don't want it to be too late, you know? I just wanted to make sure we had time."

"I think it's perfect, baby. But no more looking without me anymore...I wanna see what you've found," she said nudging his arm.

"Deal. I'm happy you feel the same. I'm sorry, again. I'm really sorry, I just was trying to...I didn't want..."

"Fitz, stop apologizing," she said.

"Okay," he nodded. "You wanna look?"

"Yes!" she replied.

And so the house hunt began.

* * *

Not only did the house hunt begin, but also, the adventure back to Virginia.

Virginia was good. It had become a place that both of them loved to go, when that hadn't always been the case.

Since both of them were on the college schedule of long breaks, Virginia always felt like a vacation to both of them. Time spent with family, and with just each other too. Some friends of hers that Fitz liked. And some time out about in Arlington or in D.C.

But given all that fun, the first half of the week went by way too fast. Before they knew it, they were getting ready for family to come on Thanksgiving Day.

Olivia's parents had been up late the night before and early on Thanksgiving morning, trying to make sure everything was set and prepared. So Olivia and Fitz made sure they were always helping with whatever needed to be done. Fitz actually helped with a lot of the food, likely trying to keep his mind distracted. Olivia cleaned up quite a bit and made sure the house looked spotless. It did.

Fitz took a break after Olivia did to take a shower and get ready, shortly before noon, when everyone planned to come.

Afterward, Olivia went upstairs to put some finishing touches on in the bathroom.

She had just gone up there to put on the earrings she'd set out and put on a few sprays of perfume. She thought she looked very polished in her wine-colored dress, and black tights. Her heels added to the look, she thought. She decided she looked good.

But when she went to check on Fitz in her bedroom, she was met with a very nerve-wracking sight.

She didn't go in at first, because she stopped as soon as she saw him through the crack in her door.

He sat on the bed, wearing the khaki pants she loved, and no shirt. The dress shirt was laid out perfectly on the bed next to him, along with the white undershirt folded beside it. The missing belt that he'd found just before they'd come to Virginia, was also wrapped around his waist, unbuckled. Arie was laying at the head of the bed a few feet away from him. And he just sat there, looking down at his hands folded slightly in his lap. Thinking.

She waited for him to move, to do anything. But he didn't.

So she went in there.

"Fitz."

He looked up at her and smiled. "Oh, hey baby. You look beautiful," he said, eyeing her.

"Thank you. Is everything okay?" she asked, sitting down on the other side of him.

"Oh yeah, Livvie, of course," he nodded, taking her hand.

She looked at him concernedly. "Baby there's this thing you do when you get nervous, and you're doing it right now."

"What thing?" he asked.

"The thing where you pretend everything's fine, like you don't want me to know that you're feeling nervous," she said.

"I don't really do that, do I?" he asked.

"You do. And you don't need to hide it from me, okay?"

He sighed. "I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head. "This is just really important to me, meeting your family. I don't want to fuck it up, because I know I'm probably not…what they expect, or…I'm just…there's a lot of things about me that maybe aren't what they…want."

"Fitz, you will not fuck it up. You could never. And what do you mean? You are everything that I want, so that's all my family needs to see," she reasoned.

"That's not what I mean, babe," he said.

"What do you mean then?" she asked.

"Well...I just mean...your family would probably rather see you with someone that...isn't me."

She frowned. "Fitz, this isn't about... _race_...is it?"

"No, no, no," he said, shaking his head. "It's not that. But it's everything else. I'm not 22, Liv. I'm not a nice, young senior in college with a 3.98 GPA and a promising future. A lot of my future...has already passed. And a lot of it was _not_ promising. At all."

"Fitz, I don't even know where to start with all that," she replied. "There were so many things wrong with what you just said."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean...yeah, you're not a student. And I like that about you. I don't want you to be a student, I want you to be yourself. You have tons of future left, I don't know how old you think you are, mister, but you're not going anywhere anytime soon. And if you're going to sit there saying the things you've done in your life aren't promising...baby, that's just not true, and you _know_ it. You may not have liked certain paths you took, but that doesn't mean you aren't absolutely remarkable, in every way. I don't want to hear things like that come out of your mouth. That hurts to hear."

He scratched his head, looking at her contently. "Thank you, Olivia."

"Hey, that's just the truth. I don't know where your confidence has gone, sweetheart but you know that you have it. My parents love you. I love you. And that's all that matters. We've been engaged for months now, I don't want you to feel like you need to question things now just because you're meeting the rest of my family."

"I'm not questioning things," he replied. "This is just so important to me. I felt this way before I met your parents, too. You are my _life_ , Olivia. Your family's approval means a lot to me. I...shouldn't have tried to hide that I was nervous."

Her face softened and she moved on top of his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You are perfect, Fitzgerald Grant. I know as well as anyone that I can't tell you not to be nervous, because that just doesn't work. But just know that you never give yourself enough credit. Ever. You are perfect to me. And even if for some crazy, unrealistic reason you didn't win my family over, you'd still be perfect to me. That will never ever change."

He leaned his head down against her chest, sighing deeply as she sat in his lap. "I love you."

"I love you too," she nodded back, playing with his damp, unstyled curls. "And what was the 3.98 GPA student comment all about? You were a 4.0 student."

He chuckled. "Hell yeah, I was."

"Hell yeah you were," she agreed, kissing his forehead. "You gonna get dressed soon?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Sorry. I don't want to hold things up."

"You're not. But everyone's supposed to be here in half an hour. And for my family that mean's they'll be here in twenty minutes. Always a little early," she laughed.

"Okay," he chuckled, patting her ass. So she got off and let him finish getting dressed.

And just like Olivia said, her family was there right on time. Well, for them. Ten minutes early.

They gradually walked in the door, family by family, all happy and excited to see each other again.

Olivia was quick to introduce everyone to Fitz. She was so proud to do it, introducing him as her fiancé. It was something she really hadn't gotten to do much of yet. On occasion, to people they didn't know. At restaurants or out and about, she would say it. To people they encountered while planning their wedding. But otherwise, not much. It felt good to do it.

Nobody would have ever known he was nervous. He certainly didn't show it. He had a happy smile on his face and was eager to shake each and everyone's hand, including all the kids, who seemed honored to receive a handshake from this new stranger.

Olivia could tell that her family didn't want to bombard him with questions right away, because for the first half hour or so while everyone stood around and chatted, it was not much more than small talk. Talking about everyone's trip down here, or what they'd been doing in recent months since they'd all been together in the same place. Olivia's mom and dad's side doing the usual catch-up with each other.

But when Thanksgiving lunch was served…the questioning began. She had been prepared for it, and so had he. How couldn't they have been. Here comes this new guy, whom nobody had even known she was dating, let alone getting married to. So there were questions, alright.

"So, Fitz, Maya tells us you're a professor. I assume that's how you two met?" Faye asked, taking a bite of her turkey. It was amazing how almost everyone leaned in, interested to hear the new guy talk more. Especially, about himself.

"Oh, wait. I thought…I was under the impression that you were a lawyer?" Claire questioned.

"I am," Fitz nodded. "I went to law school after college, but I don't practice anymore. I'm a professor now, so I never introduce myself as a lawyer. Even though in school, you do learn, 'once a lawyer—"

"Always a lawyer," Donovan finished. "I'm glad you learned that ridiculous phrase too, I was starting to think my school was crazy," he chuckled.

"Oh, I wasn't aware that you practiced!" Fitz exclaimed.

"I do. At a company in Madison, Wisconsin called TDS Telecom," Donovan nodded. "Where'd you attend?"

"Undergrad at Yale back in the day. Then Harvard Law," Fitz nodded.

Macy's jaw dropped, and so did Talia's. Everyone sat there in awe.

"Very impressive," Donovan said. "I'm a Wildcat!"

"Oh, wow, Northwestern, that's awesome!" Fitz said, sounding amazed.

"Yeah. Undergrad at UPenn and then law there. That's really cool, though, I'm sure you're happy to be back at Yale, if you're familiar," Donovan nodded.

"Yeah, really happy," Fitz agreed. "It's where I've always wanted to be."

"And how exactly did your and Olivia's paths cross?" Gina asked.

Olivia prepared to hear the story that they'd rehearsed. The story they had told anyone, if the inevitable question came up. The story that Fitz had only just told his colleague about a week ago. The story that was the closest thing they could get to the truth, without it sounding too insanely ridiculous.

"We met a couple years ago, when she was taking one of my classes. She's brilliant, as I'm sure all of you already know," he said, which made everyone smile and nod. "And we became good friends. She's…she's always been my best friend."

Still true.

"And now, clearly more," Faye nodded.

"Yes," Olivia nodded with a smile. "This summer…showed us a lot. We took a big step this summer and we both couldn't be happier."

Also true.

"So, you were _Olivia's_ professor. You aren't just… _a_ professor. You were _hers,"_ Gina said.

Olivia's heart dropped. Oh god, already?

"I _was_ , yes," Fitz nodded. "For three semesters."

Still true.

"And you're not anymore, so you just _decided_ you two was gonna get married," Gina shrugged.

 _"_ _Ma,"_ Eli said, looking at her.

"What? You told me the basics, but now the boy is here and I'm trying to get to know him better. What's so wrong with that?"

"Well, hey, that's what I'm here for," Fitz nodded. "I couldn't wait to meet you all, I've heard so much about you from Liv."

"So who are you, Fitz?" Theo asked politely. "Let's hear some more. Clearly, some of us are in need," he said, shooting a look at his mother.

Fitz chuckled, nodding at Theo. "Yes, of course. I'm originally from California—"

"And you was governor, huh? That's what my son says," Olivia's grandpa Will chimed in.

"I was, yes," Fitz nodded, while some 'oohs' and 'ahhs' went around the table.

"How come I didn't know that?" Claire exclaimed. "I'm telling you. Move to Indiana and nobody tells you anything."

"Hey, try _Wisconsin_. That's even worse," Donovan chuckled at his sister, which made everyone laugh.

"That's the normal reaction that I get," Fitz laughed. "It was over eleven years ago when I first was sworn in. All those years and a move across the country…people forget, and people don't know, here. And…I really like that."

"Eleven years ago. I'm sorry, if you don't mind me asking, how old you were when you were sworn in?" Olivia's grandma Michelle asked.

"I was 27," Fitz replied.

"Twenty-seven?" Faye asked in surprised. "Well that's got to be some kind of record."

"It is," Maya nodded. "Second youngest in history."

Olivia smiled at how proudly her mom had said that.

"See, now is a time I wished I somehow kept up with California politics," Donovan chuckled.

"It's understandable, that people can't keep up with every state, especially those furthest from them. I don't keep up with them anymore. In California, or anywhere on the west coast. Not to say that that's how I necessarily _should_ go about things. But…what I do now…teaching, from the _outside_. That's what I like, and I think that was always what I was meant to do. I may have taken an odd path to get here, but I'm glad I got here. Because I met the one person who means the most to me in life. Maybe not in the most conventional of ways," he said, nodding politely at Gina. "But I wouldn't trade anything. Where I am today, and who I'm with today…mean the world to me."

Everyone around the table just looked at him and at Olivia, almost in awe at all that.

"This dude came to play, today, man. Respect," Dillon said, reaching out his knuckles. Fitz reached across the table with a smile and bumped them.

"Thank you, Dillon," Fitz chuckled.

Olivia nodded appreciatively at Dillon. They'd always been "bros" as he called it. Like the brother she never had. He and Macy were freshmen in college, so they were not too far apart in age and always had had each other's backs. She was thankful that that had continued today.

"Mama! Anthony threw his mashed potatoes at me!" Jordan exclaimed.

Everyone looked over at the table they'd set up just outside the kitchen, where all the kids sat. The famous kids' table, that Olivia swore took her and her cousins _ages_ to escape.

Claire sighed and got up, heading over to the kids' table to handle the mashed potato fiasco, while everyone let out a little laugh. She stayed there a bit anyway, to make sure Kiara was eating her food. She needed some help occasionally. Olivia thought she was adorable, sitting in her old booster chair that her parents had kept for this very reason. For when the family came to town.

Olivia noticed that her grandma Gina seemed at least a little bit more…open-minded. She didn't say all that much after Fitz announced to the entire table how much she had meant to him. But Olivia still sensed some uncertainty in her, which she knew wasn't going to go away on its own. She and Fitz had some work to do, still. Some proving to do. But, they were used to that. Their relationship always seemed to need it, unfortunately.

So, all afternoon, that's what they did. They had to prove themselves.

Olivia wanted to stick by him. She always had that desire in her, to never leave him. Whether that was some crazy protectiveness instilled in her from her dad, or because she just loved to be next to him, she honestly didn't know. But she was pretty sure it was a mix of both.

New people meeting Fitz scared her, and rightfully so. Not because of anything Fitz had done. He was perfect to her, just as she had told him. But the judgment she knew people passed…it bothered her. She could put that out of her mind pretty well, she thought, for someone in her situation. But sometimes, it still got to her. If only there were a way for her family to really know and understand how good of a guy he was.

Truly, there was no way for them to know for sure. They just had to rely on what they saw and what they heard.

But so far, that seemed to be going pretty well.

She had been talking with her grandma Gina. Sometimes about Fitz, and sometimes about herself and her school year, when she caught her grandmother's eyes wandering behind her. Olivia turned to look, and saw Fitz in the corner of the living room. He had recently been chatting with Dillon and Marty, who were still sitting next to him.

But now, all the little kids were surrounding him. Jordan and Anthony were sitting on the floor, chatting up a storm with him. Gabrielle was standing behind the twins, and little Kiara was on Fitz's lap.

He was bouncing her on her knee, smiling at her. The look on her face was priceless. She was giggling uncontrollably, looking up at him with a smile. She reached her little hand up and poked his nose, which made Fitz laugh. He leaned his head down by her and she tangled her hand in his hair, enjoying the soft texture of it.

Olivia could hear their conversation.

"You like my hair?" he chuckled.

She just continued to laugh, seeming so content with this new person and his fun hair.

"Hey, baby, be gentle, okay?" Donovan asked. "We need to be gentle with people's hair."

Fitz laughed. "It's alright, no worries. My hair is very interesting, isn't it Kiara?"

Olivia got lost, just looking at him with her. Playing with her. Entertaining her and the little boys that were eager for his attention on the floor in front of him. She got lost.

She just watched him with a smile on his face, wondering how on earth she had been so lucky. Wondering how on earth, _she_ got to be the one to marry him. Sometimes, it still felt like it hadn't hit her.

"Your mama and daddy like him."

Olivia snapped out of it, looking back at her grandmother. "Sorry?"

"Your mama and daddy. They raved about him over the phone when they first told me," she said.

Olivia smiled. "He's a likable person, grandma."

Her grandma gave her a little smile. "So I've been told. I figure I should trust my son and daughter-in-law when they tell me something about my grandbaby. And I do. If they had time to meet him and approve of him, then he already got my approval. I don't want you thinkin' your grandmama don't like him right off the bat."

Olivia's heart fluttered a little bit. That at least, was a good sign.

"I seen him today. I seen how he looks at you and how he talks to you. And everyone else, for that matter," Gina nodded. "And I know your old grandma's opinion don't mean nothin' to you."

"Grandma, that's not true at all," Olivia said, shaking her head. "All of your opinions mean so much to me. And they mean a lot to him, too. Do you know how nervous he was to meet everyone? He was _so_ nervous."

"Fancy man like that, with that fancy car outside and that fancy schoolin'…hard to imagine him gettin' nervous for anythin'."

Olivia shook her head. "You want me to let you in on a little secret?"

Her grandma looked at her, nodding for her to continue.

"He stands by the fact that there are three things in this world that make him nervous. You wanna know what they are?"

"Yes."

"Ghosts. Needles. And me."

Her grandma started laughing, which was what Olivia was aiming for.

"Really? Those some very specific things."

"Mhm. Don't tell him I told you, but…at first sight of a tattoo needle, he threw up," Olivia said.

Her grandma slapped her knee, leaning over and laughing. "What?!"

"Yep. Went straight to the bathroom and threw up, I'm not kidding, grandma," Olivia nodded.

"Well that poor thing shouldn't be gettin' permanently marked with a needle, then, maybe," her grandma said, shooting her a look.

Olivia nodded. "I know, I know. Trust me, we heard all about it from my mother."

"Well, you know, your mama told me about them tattoos. She wasn't a big fan of 'em."

"I know she wasn't," Olivia nodded. "Still isn't. But…we wanted them."

Her grandma sighed, and nodded. "I will give you props, baby. You want somethin', you always been the type to go and get it. You don't care what stands in your way or what the obstacles are, you just do it. So…I have my opinions. Everyone's got 'em. But I like that quality, and it seems he got it too. Never lose that. You go and be who you wanna be, and have who you want by your side. Go do great things. I always knew you was gonna, from the day you started doin' grandpa's crosswords at six years old."

Olivia burst into laughter. "I did do those, didn't I."

"Yeah, you did. And I ain't ever seen a more stunned look on Willy's face than when you took his pen and said, 'here, papa, I know that word,'" Gina laughed.

Olivia smiled, shaking her head at the memory. "Poor grandpa. I never left him alone when he was doing those crosswords."

"No you sure didn't," Gina chuckled. "But he loved it. He was so proud when you got that fancy job up in Connecticut. We both were."

"Well thank you, grandma. I'm really happy about it. I can't wait for it to be full-time next summer, after I graduate," Olivia nodded.

"So how will that work, with the weddin'?"

"Well, I already told them about it, I had to call in and have a long chat with my boss. I have quite a bit of time off in July and in August. Leading up to the wedding, and then for our honeymoon," she explained.

"And your daddy told me about that, where are you goin' again?" Gina asked.

"We're going to go on a cruise. We're going on Royal Caribbean, which is a pretty fun cruise line. It's got three stops. St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and the Bahamas."

"Whew, baby, that sounds mighty fancy. And way warmer than it is here!" Gina exclaimed.

"Yes. We're pretty excited. I'm already in the middle of getting my first passport, and Fitz is renewing his," she explained.

"Well I'm sure you both been pretty busy then, with all this plannin' goin' on," Gina nodded. "Did you talk to the pastor your mama recommended for the ceremony?"

"Yes. We met with him earlier this week, actually. We're all set! Fitz likes him," Olivia nodded.

"Good. I always liked him too, when I've gone to church here," Gina nodded.

"Mama, Gina, your tea's ready," Maya said to the two women, peeking her head in from the kitchen.

"Oh, okay, sweetie," Gina nodded. "You want any tea?"

"No, grandma, thank you though," Olivia said.

"Okay. I'll be back in a little bit. I'ma go have some tea and pick your mama's brain more about this weddin'," she teased.

Olivia laughed. "Okay, I'll talk with you later, grandma."

"Mhm," she said, waving, following Maya into the kitchen with Michelle.

Olivia got up and went over to her grandpa, who was standing and chatting with Donovan by Fitz.

He was still playing with all the little kiddos, but now had pretty much all of them in conversation. Even Tre and Gabrielle, who had been on their phones most of the afternoon.

"What's going on over here?" Olivia asked with a smile.

"Oh, I'm just showing Jordan and Anthony how to juggle," Fitz said, handing the three balls back to Anthony.

"Olivia, we found these with all your old toys downstairs!" Anthony said.

"Did you?! Well, you know. Those aren't even mine. You know whose they are?" Olivia asked.

"Whose?" Jordan asked.

"Uncle Eli's," Olivia said. "He's a pretty good juggler."

"So is Fitz!" Tre said.

"Is he now?" Olivia asked, looking at Fitz.

He, of course, shrugged. Why was she not surprised.

Eli turned away from the Thanksgiving football game that was on TV. "Did someone say…juggling?" he asked the little kids with a smile.

"Yes! Do it, do it!" Jordan exclaimed, jumping up and down.

"Alright, alright," Eli nodded, getting up from his chair.

The boys handed the juggling balls to Eli and he sure showed off his skill. He could do one under the leg, one behind the back, and never drop them. Olivia was still impressed even though she had seen the act many times.

He caught the balls perfectly again and gave a little bow at all the dramatic applause.

"Fitz, you can juggle?" Eli asked.

"I can," Fitz nodded.

"Let's see it!"

Fitz's cheeks turned a little pink and he nodded, catching the balls that Eli tossed at him. And he started juggling, too.

Olivia nodded, impressed with him too. But then he whipped out some tricks too!

"OHHH!" Tre yelled.

"Oh man," Dillon chuckled. Fitz tossed one behind his back and caught it, never messing up his rhythm.

"Okay, okay, Eli, get ready," Fitz said, nodding at him.

Eli nodded that he was ready. Fitz one by one, tossed them Eli's way, keeping the rhythm going. And as Eli caught them, he threw them up in the air and started juggling again, never missing a beat.

"Nice!" Fitz exclaimed, as everyone cheered.

Olivia's mom and grandmas returned from the kitchen with their tea to see what all the fuss was about, and saw Eli juggling. And then, he threw them back to Fitz. It was never-ending.

Olivia turned back and laughed, shaking her head at them.

They were all laughing too, watching the funny, but impressive sight.

As if the kids didn't already like him enough, that made them go crazy for him. And uncle Eli, of course.

The kids never left Fitz alone, particularly the younger ones. But, that made it easier for him to talk to the kids' parents. Olivia pulled up a chair and sat across from Fitz, while they chatted with her cousins.

Donovan and Michaela. Claire and Marty. They all got some conversation in, even with all of their children in the mix. Dillon had never really left either, and Macy had come to sit next to Olivia.

And what was once everyone watching the Thanksgiving football game, turned into a big circle, of sorts, in the living room, of everyone talking.

Then, Fitz was in his element. Talking with some of the guys who liked sports. Most of her family was big into baseball, which Fitz could definitely talk lots of.

He even got talking to Michaela about Broadway shows, because she was big into those and so was Fitz.

Eventually, they all had their Thanksgiving dinner, the same exact food they'd had for lunch and lots of it. Because that's what they did on Thanksgiving. Some pumpkin and pecan pie to top it off, even on top of full bellies.

Olivia had always loved the holidays at the Pope's. And she swore she never saw the smile leave Fitz's face. So it was safe to say, she was pretty sure he loved them too.

Gradually, everyone started to go, and goodbyes were in order. Her grandma Gina and grandpa Will were first to go.

"Nice meetin' you," Will nodded, shaking Fitz's hand.

"Nice meeting you as well. I'll be keeping my eye out for the Nationals next season."

"You and me both," Will said with a chuckle.

"You take care of my grandbaby, okay," Gina said, pulling him in for a hug. Fitz looked over Gina's shoulder as he hugged her, with a shocked smile on his face. Like he was so grateful for the hug.

Olivia smiled at him.

"I will. It was so nice to meet you!" he said politely, pulling back and looking down at the woman with a smile.

"You too. We'll be seein' you around Christmas time?" she asked.

"I hope so! That's the plan," Fitz nodded.

"Of course you'll be seeing him," Maya nodded, smiling.

"Okay. I'll see you soon then," Gina nodded.

"Sounds perfect. Drive safely," Fitz replied.

"Oh we will. Bye baby," Gina said, hugging Olivia.

"Bye grandma. I'll see you soon!"

"Yes you will."

Olivia hugged her grandpa goodbye, too, and then they were off.

Faye, Jack, Macy, and Dillon were the next to head out, followed by Theo and Talia. Claire and Donovan's families were staying at Theo and Talia's that night, so they followed them too.

The kids said goodbye to Fitz. And he received leg hugs from the twins, who were very fond of him. Fitz also gave little Kiara a big hug, even though she was sleepy after such a long day.

And after all that, only grandma Michelle remained. She had a bit of a further drive, and Olivia's family never let her drive back over the holidays. She came all by herself anyway, so she always stayed over.

Which, gave Fitz more of an opportunity to talk with her.

Olivia, on the other hand, took the opportunity to go get her fluff ball of a dog who had had to stay put away throughout all the festivities, save for the two times that they let her out to the bathroom.

Olivia clipped on her leash and took her for a brief walk around the block so she could go to the bathroom again, and at least stretch her legs a little bit.

"I'm sorry baby. Tomorrow you can go running with dad, like you were earlier this week. Today's just been a busy day," she said, petting her head.

Arie happily sniffed her hand and stopped just outside the front door after they had circled back. So Olivia leaned down and gave her lots of snuggles, petting her beautiful fur.

"I'm sorry you had a boring day today. We can have more fun tomorrow, okay?" Olivia asked.

Arie licked Olivia's face and stuck her tongue out as she panted, which Olivia knew meant she was thirsty.

"Okay, let's go in and get some water. You thirsty?"

Her tail wagged and she waited for Olivia to open the door. "I love you, you silly dog."

They went in and she filled Arie's water bowl up yet again, but let her roam around the house now, instead of putting her back upstairs in her kennel.

She kept a close eye on her the rest of the night, just to make sure she didn't get into anything or do anything naughty at her new grandpa and grandma's house.

However, Olivia found that as the night went on, she didn't need to keep an eye on her.

Because sure enough, she ended up laying on the couch, by her dad. The man who claimed not to be a dog person.

And he was petting her, as he watched TV. Occasionally even looking down at her with a smile.

Olivia shook her head and laughed at her father, all while Fitz, Maya, and Michelle carried on a conversation about the wedding.

Olivia did talk a little bit more about her school job, since her parents were curious about it. Mostly just the fact that she worked at a Starbucks and didn't even like coffee. She always got crap for that! But it made money, and it wasn't stressful. Something she needed, in the midst of all the other stressful things in her life at the moment.

One of which, was the beginning of the house hunt. So, they slowly introduced that idea to her parents too. It wasn't like they were surprised, after Fitz had made it clear that they wouldn't stay in the apartment for long, to begin with. But it still warranted a discussion, which went well. They seemed to approve, although everything was still very up in the air at that point.

And eventually, they all headed to bed after a long, packed day of family time.

As soon as Olivia and Fitz got ready for bed and closed her bedroom door for the last time that night, Fitz picked her up and spun her around, chuckling into her shoulder.

"Fitz!" she giggled quietly.

"Grandma Gina hugged me!" he whispered.

"I know, I saw!" Olivia smiled.

He exhaled happily and leaned in to kiss her. A few good, long kisses.

"I finally feel like I'm becoming a part of this family, Olivia," he whispered.

"Oh, baby, you already are," she said, putting a hand on his cheek.

"I know, but…I mean, _really_ part of it. And…your grandma might still hate me, but she still hugged me."

Olivia shook her head. "No, actually. She does not hate you, and never has. She still thinks I'm way too young to get married. But she doesn't hate you. She told me."

He looked surprised. "Oh. Really?"

"Mhm. She's really like my dad, that way. Or...I suppose _my dad_ is like _her._ They'll tell it to you straight. The goods and the bads. She has her own opinion, but she likes that I don't care what other people think and I go for what I want," Olivia shrugged.

"Yeah, I noticed that your dad and her were similar. So are your grandma Michelle and your mom. Baby…grandma Michelle fucking loves me."

Olivia laughed, leaning her forehead against his. "Well how could she not?! You're so lovable."

"No, Liv, I mean she _really_ loves me! She asked me when we were giving her great grandbabies," he chuckled.

"And what did you tell her?" Olivia smirked.

"I said as soon as possible," he nodded.

"I am not surprised, baby," she laughed. "Sounds like you. I saw you with all the kiddos. Apparently, grandma Michelle isn't the only one who loves you."

"Oh, yeah," he nodded happily. "Jordan and Anthony are my new buds. I told them I'd teach them how to skate if they're ever here over their winter break, and if their parents said it was okay."

Olivia smiled. "I'm sure they would love that. I think Kiara liked you too. And Gabby and Tre, because I've never seen them off their phones for that long."

"Kiara is adorable. She was obsessed with my hair," he chuckled.

"I saw that, it was pretty cute. She was probably confused because it felt a lot different than hers does," Olivia said.

"Mhm. I think she was intrigued. She also loves the car game."

"The car game?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah. Sit her on your lap and bounce your knees, and make the sound of a car engine so it feels like she's in a race car. She thought that was the best thing ever."

"You are so cute," Olivia giggled. "And a great juggler, by the way."

"Thank you! I taught myself when I was ten."

"I am not surprised by that either. Such a talented little cutie you were," she said.

"Nooo," he said, blushing.

"Mmmhm. And you got some creds for it today," she nodded.

"Well I'm just glad that today went pretty well," he said, walking her over to the bed. Arie got up from where she was laying, wagging her tail at them.

"I'm glad too. You rocked it today. I told you that you could do it," she said, as he set her down. Arie came and snuggled up to Olivia while he hovered her above her, trying to kiss her.

"Baby girl," Fitz chuckled against Olivia's mouth. "I'm trying to kiss momma."

Arie snuggled into both of them, starting to lick the side of Fitz's face.

He chuckled and wiped his wet face on his shoulder. "Baby girl doesn't want me giving attention to another girl right now, huh?"

Olivia gasped, looking at Arie. "Oh no…is baby jealous?"

"Here, give me kiss," Fitz said, puckering his lips at Arie. She booped his lips with her snout and he smiled. "Thank you very much. Thank you for that. Okay, now I give momma kiss."

He leaned down and closed his eyes, pulling Olivia's upper lip into his mouth.

"Mmm. Dad gives the best kisses," Olivia said, pecking his lips again.

"Don't you forget it," Fitz smirked.

"Arie, ready to go night night?" Olivia asked.

Arie's ears perked up and she got off the bed, going into her kennel.

"Oh good girl," Fitz said, looking behind him at the kennel on the floor.

"Such a good girl," Olivia agreed.

Fitz looked down at her, smiling. "Bed?"

"Bed," she nodded.

"Mmkay," he said, rolling off her. He snuggled up to her from behind, wrapping his arms around her.

"Love you, Livvie."

"Love you too, Fitz."

And after that full Thanksgiving day at the Pope's, that had gone pretty, well, the couple went to sleep, happy.

* * *

Happy Thanksgiving! First semester of senior year=almost over.

Time's gonna keep moving, friends!

Hope you liked the first meeting between the extended fam.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	86. The First Family Christmas

"Baby, are you frustrated?" Olivia asked from the passenger seat.

She heard an audible groan as her fiancé shut the back door of his car.

He opened the driver seat and got in, and she caught a whiff of his wonderful cologne, at least.

His facial expression, though, not wonderful.

"We need a bigger fucking car."

She raised her eyebrows at him and looked straight ahead, waiting for him to continue.

Because she knew it was coming.

"Why the hell can't I pack a two-week getaway into a normal-sized car? That seems pretty reasonable to me. Wouldn't you think? I certainly would think," he said, backing out of the parking spot.

She looked over at him, pretty sure he was done now. But...nope.

"I mean, if I can barely fit our things, Arie's things, and _Arie_ _herself_ in this damn car, I don't think this is gonna work for much longer. She's certainly not going to get any smaller."

Okay, _now_ he was done.

Oh, wait, no. Nevermind.

"I thought it was a good idea. I was in my early thirties, lonely as hell, needing a new car as I moved to this arctic place of death. And I think, 'oh, I have an idea. Why don't I spend a ridiculous amount of money on an Audi R7. It's sharp, I've got more money than I know what to do with because what else does a sad, lonely man need to spend it on. Oh and hey, it drives pretty damn nice too, even in the snow.' Well, yeah, now I'm actually a normal human being with a fiancée and a dog, and I can't even take them places because of my once sad, lonely decisions."

She nodded at him, waiting for him to fully be done.

He looked over at her briefly, and nodded back, sighing.

"Okay. I'm done now."

"You sure?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure. That was everything," he replied.

"Babe. Are you cold?" she asked. "I only ask because cold Fitz usually produces something similar to the outburst that just came out of your mouth."

Just at the mention of it, he shivered and reached to turn up the heat in the car. "Yes! I am! Why in the holy fuck is it so cold?"

"Well. It's December. And this is Connecticut," she nodded.

"Sorry," he said, shaking his head. "Sorry. I'm done. I'm really done now."

"You need coffee, take a right," she said, nodding up ahead.

"No, babe, it's fine, I already had some earlier," he replied.

"Not enough, I don't think. And it will warm you up. Go on, take a right. Take advantage of all this discounted coffee while I have this job."

He sighed and hung a right, driving to Starbucks. As she'd said.

Fitz didn't get frustrated a lot. It was so rare for him. Normally he always had a good attitude and a smile on his face, which she loved. But of course, everyone had their moments and their days, and Fitz was no exception to that.

He could be a little sassy even. Have a bit of an attitude.

And man, add on the fact that he was cold? A spoiled Cali boy was _cold?_

Dear god.

He let out a breath, turning into the parking lot. "I'm sorry. I'm all good now."

She smiled, shaking her head at him. "I'll be back, okay?"

"Okay."

She went in and got him his coffee, saying hi to her boss as she waited for his order and telling her they'd just made the last minute stop for her fiancé. Otherwise, she'd be back in a couple weeks for work again.

She came back out with his dark roast coffee, handing it to him as she got in the car.

"Here you go. Strong and black, like you like your coffee and your women."

"Thank you," he said, giving her a little smile.

"So we need a bigger fucking car, huh?" she laughed.

He chuckled, backing out of the spot. "I don't know. I think I had a bit of a dramatic moment, I apologize for that. But I have been thinking about it."

"Really?" she asked.

"Mhm. For...the future, too. You know?" he asked.

"I do," she nodded. "We just have a lot of things on our plate right now, Fitz."

"Yeah. But...I want a bigger fucking car."

She raised an eyebrow. "Fitzgerald, like what?"

"Like...an SUV. You know, so I can go full-on soccer dad mode."

"Okay, and what kind of SUV are we talkin'?" she laughed.

"Audi. Always Audi."

"Okay. So we're currently looking into purchasing an insanely large, way too big for us house, and another luxury vehicle," she said, looking at him. "Oh, not to mention, planning a wedding and a $10,000 honeymoon."

"Eh," he said, waving it away as if it wasn't a big deal.

"Eh? What do you mean 'eh'?!" she asked.

"Well...Livvie, it's a honeymoon. I don't care how much it costs. And for all of the things we're doing on the cruise, and the room we're staying in, that is a hell of a good deal. You go to a place like Bora Bora or Fiji, you're spending ten grand _minimum_ , just for that one place. We're going to _three_ places, going on excursions, and all on top of the fact that we're essentially living on the ocean for a week with unlimited food and booze. Tell me that's not worth it."

She nodded. "It's just...a _lot_ of money. But yeah, it's probably worth it. Especially the...balcony, loft, star suite or whatever that you booked. Completely spoiled us with that."

"Oh hell yes," he nodded. "I wanna be able to go stand out there at night and listen to the waves with you. My wife."

"My husband," she smiled.

He smiled back. "And after that, I can pick you up and take you up the stairs of that loft, and make love to you on that king-sized bed."

"Sounds like a plan," she smirked.

"And how about the car? Does that sound like a plan, too?" he asked.

"You want a new car, you can get one," she said with a laugh.

"Well I want to know what you think," he said.

"I think it would be your car so ultimately you should be the one to decide, you know?"

"Do you want this one?" he asked.

"Oh, baby, no. I like my car," she said.

"But you don't like this one?"

"Fitz, no. I do. This is a beautiful car. But...I'll buy a new one when I need to. And when I can. My car is still running nice."

"Okay. Well...no matter what I wanna do with this one, I'll pay a lot less for the new one. Guaranteed."

"What? Really?" she asked.

"Yes," he nodded. "This is a $70,000 car. Now I can probably get their newest Q5 or Q7 for ten...twenty grand less than that. This is a sports car. All the Audi R models are absolutely ridiculous."

"And yet, here you are, driving one," she pointed out with a laugh.

"Well...yes. Like I said, sad, lonely decisions. Probably ones that only a man would make. I will admit that. It was dumb. But...I do love this car. It's just small."

"I don't think it was a bad decision. This car is very... _Fitz._ And hey, you know what. At least you aren't one of those guys that have to compensate for a small sex organ with an annoyingly large truck. I will take this ridiculously expensive sports car over that," she shrugged.

He looked over at her nervously. "You're not calling my dick small, are you."

She put her hand up to her face. "Fitz, _no._ That was my point," she laughed.

"Okay. I mean…hey, just checking," he chuckled.

"Are you really serious, though? Or was this all a product of cold, frustrated Fitz?" she asked.

"Oh no, I'm a hundred percent serious. How can I be a dog dad if I cannot fit said dog in my own car?"

"She fits…just…cramped," Olivia said, looking back at her in her kennel, which had to face sideways on the seat to fit. She had to be in the kennel, because the kennel itself took up too much room in the backseat. It was a bit sad.

Arie loved her kennel, because that's what they'd taught her to do. She was meant to love it, and feel safe in it. But still, it was a five-hour car ride. And they aimed to have her be out of her kennel as much as possible, given that she slept in it each night, and had to spend a good amount of time in it during the day while they were at class.

Maybe Fitz had a point. She wasn't getting any smaller from here on out.

"I'm sorry, baby girl," Fitz said, looking in the mirror at her. "You're just a big, strong girl, aren't you? Big, strong girls need big cars, right? Tell momma. Back me up. Speak."

 _Bark._

Fitz turned to Olivia and nodded. "See? You heard her. She agrees."

"You and our dog do not need to team up on me. You have momma's approval," Olivia laughed.

"Oh good. Nice job Arie. We did it!" he said.

"You are such a man," Olivia said with a laugh, shaking her head.

"Well...I don't deny that but what do you mean?" he chuckled.

"It means you love all your expensive toys," she laughed.

"Uh, yeah and I love my fiancée and my dog. Both of whom I buy these expensive things for," he reasoned.

"The car is for me and Arie?" she challenged.

"Yes! So that Arie can actually fit. And so...you can...be comfortable. In a...bigger car," he shrugged.

She burst into laughter. "That wasn't your best argument, Mr. lawyer."

"Dammit, I know. The bigger car is mostly for Arie and the future mini yous. Not...present you. Okay, and for me."

"Well I support it and your reasoning behind it. But I will be sad to say goodbye to this car. We have had sex in the backseat multiple times and those are nice memories I would like to hold on to," she shrugged.

"Well...who says we won't have sex in the backseat of the new one?" he asked, looking at her like she was crazy.

"Oh, I don't know. It'll be all new and...leathery and perfect. Sex is messy. That's...that's a big no-no in a new car," she said.

"Yeah that's what the blanket is for!" he exclaimed.

"Oh no. Not the car cum blanket," she laughed.

"Yes. The car cum blanket. Which, by the way, is completely sanitary because I wash it after every potential sexual car encounter."

"Oh after every one huh? Well how many of these sexual car encounters are you having these days?" she asked, looking at him.

"Only like a few a week," he shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road.

She watched the corner of his mouth tug up into a smile, as he held his laughter in.

And then he let go, bursting into laughter. "Dammit!"

"The fact that you can't even lie for the purpose of being funny is quite amusing to me," she giggled.

"Ah, so it's funny anyway?" he asked.

"Yes. Your failure to keep a straight face is very comical," she agreed.

"I'll take that. As long as I can make you laugh. Whether that's because I can't keep a straight face telling my own jokes or...because I occasionally dance in my underwear. I don't care. Anything to hear your laugh," he said.

She started laughing again, just at the mention of the underwear dancing that had occurred the night before.

"I love when you dance in your underwear," she giggled.

"What can I say, I'm a good dancer," he shrugged.

"Oh you are, huh?" she asked.

"Uh...no. Actually, I think I am the worst possible dancer in the entire state of Connecticut but that doesn't stop me from dancing."

"And nor should it!" she exclaimed. "But for the record, you are not the worst. I still think you're good."

"Well thank you, baby. That means a lot," he chuckled.

"Of course."

They made the most of their long drives, as they had learned to do. To think it had been over a year now, since he'd first been to Virginia to meet her parents.

And now, his first real Christmas with them. Not a Christmas spent alone at his apartment, when he was too sad to put up his mom's Christmas decorations. Not one a day late with Olivia and her family, and still trying to win her parents over.

Now, her parents loved him. And for the most part, her extended family too.

This was what he had been waiting for. This was what he had been so excited for. More family Christmases. With real family.

Of course, Christmas wasn't for a few days yet. But a lot of her family was in the near area already for the holidays. Fitz had even got the confirmation that some of Olivia's second cousins wanted to go skating with him at the ice rink in Arlington. He'd promised the twins, Anthony and Jordan, that he would teach them if their parents said it was okay.

So he'd gotten his skates out of his coat closet and brought them along.

When they finally got to the Pope household, it was mid-afternoon and the Christmas spirit was very visible. Decorations _everywhere_ , just like she remembered.

Olivia walked in the house with their bags, and Fitz took Arie around the block to stretch her legs and go to the bathroom.

"Mom! Dad!" Olivia yelled as she entered her house. The familiar smell of Christmas at home filled her nostrils. An evergreen-scented candle was lit, she could tell. Along with the fact that the Christmas tree emitted the same scent. It even smelled like someone was currently baking a dessert, which made sense. It was all familiar, and just smelled like Christmas to her.

"Livvie?" Maya asked from the kitchen.

"We're here!" Olivia shouted.

She set the bags in the entryway and slipped off her boots as her mother came to the doorway.

"Hi, baby," she said, pulling her in for a hug.

"Hi mom. Missed you," she said, rubbing her mother's back.

"We missed you too, it's good to have you home again. Your father's in the shower but he should be done soon. He's in the middle of baking cookies so I'm supposed to watch them for him," she laughed.

"Ah that's what smells so good. Fitz is taking Arie around the block quick," Olivia explained, closing the door behind her.

"And how is she? Even bigger than last month?" her mother joked.

"Oh probably," Olivia nodded. "I swear, she doesn't stop growing!"

"Yeah. That's always how it is. You know, don't tell your dad I said this, but I think he's looking forward to having her here," she whispered.

Olivia laughed. "Well good, I'm happy she can be here with us. It's good for her to experience new environments and interact with new people. Plus, she needs to get to know her _grandparents."_

"Our first ever granddog," Maya chuckled. "How was the drive?"

"Good," Olivia nodded, starting to take her bags through the kitchen and toward the stairs. "Fitz drove. We spent half the drive talking about how he wants a bigger car, so if he starts talking about it, that's why," she laughed.

She set her bags by the stairs and saw the stockings hanging in the living room. It made her heart jump to see Fitz's up there with her and her parents.

She made her way to the kitchen to sit with her mom.

"A bigger car, huh? How old is the one he has now?" Maya asked.

"Almost five years old, which isn't bad. But he is right when he says we almost can't fit all our things. Arie and her things take up a lot of room alone. And…I think he's thinking about…the _future_ too."

Maya gave her a little smile and exhaled almost nervously.

"Every time I see you…it seems you're even more grown-up than the last time."

Olivia smiled. "What do you mean, mom?"

"You're looking for a new house. You're sending me pictures of your wedding dress. You're raising a dog, you're buying new cars and planning big vacations. You're thinking about the _future,"_ her mother listed. "It's becoming harder for me to remember that you're only 22 years old."

"Me too," Olivia agreed with a laugh. "It feels like…one minute I'm worrying about a geology exam, and the next I'm worrying about…finding a safe neighborhood with a good school district for my future kids."

"Which is very important," her mother nodded. "But you're still worrying about your exams, right?"

Olivia laughed. "Yes, mom. In fact, I did extremely well on all my finals. Just got the grades back two days ago."

"Oh that's wonderful, Olivia. Not that I'm surprised. But…I'm glad everything else in your life isn't preventing you from prioritizing school."

"No. School's a priority. I just…I'm so busy, mom. I almost never have downtime," she sighed. "I used to have a little more, when I wasn't working on top of everything else. But…now, free time is really hard for me to come by. Fitz hates it."

"Well," Maya sighed. "You two knew it would be this way. Wedding planning is time-consuming. School is time-consuming. Work is time-consuming. Not to mention you have a dog. You have other friends. You knew this wouldn't be easy."

"We did. We signed up for this. We're managing. I don't want you to think we're not, everything's going fine. Just…I think he wishes I had more time. And I do too. After next summer…I'll be a lot more free. No more wedding planning, no more Starbucks job, no more school. Just…my job at the Hartford."

"Mhm, until you start havin' babies," Maya said, raising an eyebrow.

Olivia nodded. "That is true. I have a feeling that will come sooner than I think. But I'm excited for that. Obviously, that's going to be my new priority when the time comes. Family, then work. But I can handle that. I want to. I'm _ready_ to."

Maya nodded. "I know you are. Like I said…just more grown-up every time."

Olivia smiled, grabbing her mom's hand.

The entryway door open and they heard a "phew, it's cold!" And a jingling of a dog leash.

"Hey, hey, hey. Slow down there, baby girl, let me wipe your paws. Grandma and grandpa do not need you tracking mud inside."

Maya laughed silently at Fitz's conversation with their dog. Olivia shook her head, rolling her eyes.

"There we go. Okay. Go find momma," he said. Arie came prancing into the kitchen, and Fitz followed, with red cheeks and his coat and hat still on.

"Oh she _is_ bigger!" Maya said, immediately putting her hand down to pet her when she came to sniff her.

The women made eye contact with him, Olivia's hand still on top of Maya's other hand on the counter. Clearly, the conversation had been somewhat serious before he walked in.

"Oh…sorry. It looks like I'm interrupting an important conversation," he said, backing away. "My timing is...really bad."

Maya laughed. "Oh come back here and give me a hug."

Fitz's face broke into a smile and he met her halfway, wrapping his arms around her and pecking her cheek. "Good to see you again."

"You too, good to have you back," Maya said, patting his back. "You seem cold."

"Yes. Extremely."

"Isn't he always?" Olivia teased, giving him a smile.

"You know what," he said, pointing at her. "Yes."

Maya laughed. "Well come on in, take off your coat. I'll make some hot chocolate to go with these cookies. How about that."

"Ah, wonderful," Fitz said, draping his coat on the hook by the hallway and starting to take the hat off.

"Nooo," Olivia groaned. "I love the hat."

"Sorry, Livvie. It's itchy."

"I will admit it is a very nice hat," Maya nodded from the stove.

"Thank you," Fitz chuckled. "It's been Olivia's favorite hat of mine for years."

"Mhm," Olivia nodded.

The oven timer went off, and just as it did, Eli entered the kitchen. "Ah, perfect timing. The cookies are done and you guys are here!" he exclaimed. "Oh, _wow_. She is getting big."

"I'm envious of your perfect timing," Fitz said, getting up.

"Good to have you back," Eli said, shaking Fitz's hand.

"Good to _be_ back," Fitz smiled.

"Hi, dad," Olivia said, getting up to give him a big hug.

"Hi, kiddo. So glad you're both home. Your mom's been waiting and waiting."

"It's true," Maya nodded. "Honey, I watched your cookies. For the most part."

"Oh why thank you, dear," Eli chuckled, grabbing a hot mitt.

They had hot chocolate and cookies, and got caught up on everything they'd done since Thanksgiving break, when they'd last seen each other.

A lot of the discussion revolved around the wedding. The progress of Olivia's dress, the DJ that Fitz had been playing phone tag with, exchanging her friends' numbers with her mom for the bridal shower, because her mom was already so excited for that.

It was a packed-full conversation, and that's how Olivia figured much of their week would be. She definitely liked having her mom in her corner when it came to planning the wedding. Her mom always loved talking about it, helping in any way she could, and plus, she and Olivia had similar tastes. So, when she got to come home and be home for two weeks, it was a big help. She could talk as much wedding planning as she wanted.

It was a nice first day in Virginia, and a nice first weekend.

They'd come on Saturday the 21st, and Christmas was on that Wednesday. So, they had a few days before the family festivities began.

Maya and Eli both had to go into work for a little bit on Monday, so Olivia and Fitz took that opportunity to do some last minute shopping, on the day before Christmas Eve.

They had to use their last free day before the chaos wisely, because the next couple days would be packed.

Tomorrow, on Christmas Eve, Michaela and the twins were making their way to Arlington for a fun morning with Olivia and Fitz.

Michaela, Oliva's cousin Donovan's wife, was a hair stylist. Olivia had only ever gotten her hair done from her a few times because she lived all the way in Wisconsin. But every time she had for some family event, she'd loved it.

So, they were gonna talk about her potentially doing it for her wedding. Her kids, on the other hand, Jordan and Anthony, were going to go learn to skate with Fitz at the outdoor rink in Arlington. It worked out quite well, so they'd make a morning of it before the rest of their day took over.

Later, Michaela and the twins would go back to Theo and Talia's house, for their close family Christmas Eve celebration, and Fitz, Olivia, and her parents would have theirs. Which, usually required an afternoon church service, a wonderful meal cooked by Eli, and a few presents to open.

Then, of course, the whole family would be over on Christmas Day, and they'd all get to see each other again.

So when Christmas Eve morning came, Olivia and Fitz both got up early and got ready.

Michaela and the twins got to the house around ten, and man, were the kids excited.

"Fitz! Fitz! Fitz! We are ready!" Anthony exclaimed, jumping up and down in the entryway.

"Me too! Let me go grab my skates, okay? And then I'll be back down and we can go," Fitz nodded.

"Okay!" Anthony said.

Jordan jumped up and down excitedly next to his brother, both of them looking so content.

"You boys be nice for Fitz, okay? I don't want to hear that you were naughty because he's doing a nice thing, teaching you how to skate. Okay?" Michaela asked.

Both boys nodded in agreement and Olivia smiled at her cute little second cousins. Fitz was going to have his hands full, that was for sure.

Fitz came back down with Arie at his heels and assured everyone they'd be back in a couple hours. Michaela gave Fitz some money for rental skates and some concession stand money, if the boys wanted anything, and he accepted.

"Alright. Say bye to your mom, guys," Fitz said.

"Bye, mom!"

"Bye, mommy, we will see you later!"

"Bye, boys," Michaela laughed. "Thanks again, Fitz."

"No problem," Fitz nodded with a smile.

And then they were gone.

Michaela sighed in relief, smiling at Olivia. "Whew. They have been looking forward to that for weeks, I tell you."

Olivia laughed. "I think Fitz has been too, if I'm being honest. He loves kids, he loves skating, and he loves to teach. I'm not kidding when I say I think this will be the highlight of his winter break."

"Well good. I'm hoping the boys aren't too much for him to handle alone. I wondered about that," Michaela said. "They did _not_ want me to come, shot the idea down as soon as I suggested. I think they think I'm too lame."

"Oh no," Olivia laughed. "Well he's got it, don't worry. He'll take wonderful care of them, I promise you that."

"I know. I saw all I needed to see with him over Thanksgiving. The boys are pretty extroverted and get along with everyone. But even still, I don't think I've ever seen them take to someone so easily and so fast. They haven't stopped talking about him since."

Olivia nodded. "He's that way with everyone. He's got something about him. I wish I knew was it was," she laughed.

"Well clearly it's something good, because you're gonna marry him," Michaela winked.

"Mmhm," Olivia nodded.

She looked over and saw Arie standing by the door, wondering if her dad and those two tiny humans were coming back.

"Hey, Arie girl. Come here, come sit by me!" Olivia exclaimed.

Arie's ears perked up and she pranced over to Olivia's side to receive lots of good attention.

"What'd I miss?" Maya asked, entering the kitchen.

"Not much. Fitz and the twins just left," Olivia explained.

"Oh wonderful. Well let's get to it. I'm curious as to how you're envisioning your look on the big day!"

So, they got to it.

* * *

"Push!" Fitz exclaimed.

Anthony gritted his teeth and pushed his foot into the skate against Fitz's leg. And it finally went into place.

"There we go," Fitz nodded, pulling the laces tight.

"You will do mine, too?" Jordan asked.

"Of course, buddy. They're tough to put on, I know," he nodded. "How's that feel on your foot?"

"Good. It is tight, though," Anthony said.

"I know it feels that way. But that's good, you always want them to be nice and tight. It will feel better once we're out there," Fitz nodded.

He finished putting on Anthony's and switched to Jordan's, making sure both boys had perfect, tightly-laced skates.

"Alright. Let me just put mine on quick, and we can go," Fitz said, sitting back down.

He put on his skates with ease, as the boys watched intently. It felt good to put them back on after such a long time of not wearing them.

Last year when he'd skated with Olivia, he hadn't known in advance that they were going to go skating. Olivia had surprised him. So he hadn't packed them. This year, though, the black and red Bauer hockey skates would be put to good use.

"Your skates are cooler than ours," Jordan said sadly, looking down at his and his brother's navy blue rental skates.

"No way," Fitz said, shaking his head. "You know why? You guys have toe picks on your skates, which can help you stop. Mine don't have that, so I have to stop a different way. Yours are _very_ cool."

"How will you stop?" Anthony asked.

"I'll show you. Ready to go?" he asked, standing up.

"Yes!" They exclaimed.

"Okay, see those things on your skate blades? Those are the guards, you have to slide them off," he said, demonstrating with this own skate guards.

They did as he showed them and then they were ready to go. They made their way slowly out of the chalet, and along the short path that led up to the rink. They were slow and wobbly, but Fitz made sure they made it okay.

"Alright," Fitz said as they neared the boards door. "Ready?"

"Ready!"

He got on the ice first and turned around, holding out both his hands so both of them had a hand to grab onto.

They slowly made their way onto the slippery ice, clinging to him for dear life. He smiled, remembering how Olivia had done the same exact thing last year. It was pretty cute.

Their faces were priceless, too. Both looked extremely happy, but extremely nervous.

"Okay, I'll go between you guys and you can hold my hands until you get the hang of it," he said.

Both boys clung to his arms as they glided across the ice, letting Fitz do all the work so that they wouldn't have to push off on their own, and risk falling down.

It was a fairly busy morning out on the ice rink, and lots of kids were in the same boat as the twins. Learning.

"Can I try by myself?" Anthony asked.

"Sure! Here, let's go over here where there's not so much traffic," he said, taking them to the corner boards. He let both their hands go and stood beside them. "Okay, all you have to do is push off with one foot after the other. You want to glide, like this," he said, demonstrating.

He pushed off a few times and hockey stopped, which the boys liked.

They both tried to make their way to Fitz, hobbling and walking, more than skating. But that's how it usually started. It was hard to get used to the idea of gliding, not walking.

But they'd get the hang of it.

* * *

"So you want to do your own makeup?" Maya asked.

"Yes. I don't want…something too bold or flashy. My dress has already got some flash to it. And I'm thinking of having some jewels or hairpieces in my hair. So the makeup and the hairstyle itself, I want to be more simple and elegant," Olivia explained.

"That's a good choice, it really is. You don't want something that's so complicated you don't know how to undo it, and you want something that will stay nice during the reception. I assume you are thinking of doing it up, not down? Or maybe half up, half down?" Michaela asked.

"I'm thinking up. Because I want a shorter veil, one that could be attached to my hair with a pretty hairpiece. Pearls, maybe," Olivia described. "I want it natural. Nothing fancy, nothing over the top. Fitz loves it that way and I do too, so I just think that feels right for that day."

"Oh, well you know what would be pretty, then, is a bun. It would be elegant, I can dress it up a little bit with hairpieces, pearls, whatever you like. But it would still be just the right mix of elegant, classy, yet not over the top."

"I love that," Olivia nodded. "That's exactly along the lines of what I was thinking."

"Can I see a picture of the dress?" Michaela asked. "That'll help me visualize."

Olivia nodded and pulled out her phone, going to find a picture of it to show her.

"Oh wow," Michaela gasped, zooming in on it. "This is beautiful, Olivia. Very beautiful. May I ask who it is?"

"Ann Barge," Olivia said.

"Wow," Michaela nodded. "Just gorgeous. We can _definitely_ work with this."

"She's going to look beautiful," Maya smiled. "Fitz is going to pass out, I think."

Olivia felt the color rush to her cheeks as she smiled and laughed. "Thanks, mom. I can't wait for the first fitting."

"Neither can I. You know, Michaela, I already know what I'm wearing too," Maya said proudly.

"Oh yeah. She's gonna be a show stopper, that's for sure. I think _dad's_ gonna pass out," Olivia nodded.

"Oh well I won't be taking any attention away from you, of course. But I will admit, my sage dress is quite beautiful," Maya nodded.

"Sage? That will look amazing on you!" Michaela said.

"Thank you!" Maya said. "Olivia's bridesmaids are wearing a very, very light peach color to go with the overall color scheme of peach, sage, and gold. So, I found a sage dress. I thought gold would maybe be a little overkill for me. I think I'm too old for gold."

"I said that was not true at all. You would've totally rocked the gold, mom," Olivia nodded.

"I agree. But sage is a beautiful color. That's a good color scheme, it will be very summery," Michaela nodded. "And all the men?"

"Black tuxes, black bowties. They'll have light peach boutonnieres that match the bridesmaids' flowers and dresses. But Fitz's boutonniere will just be off-white, because that's what he wants. Pretty standard, but elegant. And that way he's differentiated from the groomsmen and the best man," Olivia said.

"I can already picture these colors and ideas in my head, it's all very classy. I like it. So any accents in color will likely be gold?" Michaela asked.

"Yes. The only things that won't be gold will be our jewelry. My bridesmaids and my maid of honor are going to wear these bangles I got them when I asked them to be in the wedding party. And then…my jewelry will probably all be silver. Including our rings, too, obviously," she said, gesturing to her engagement ring. "But decorations wise, yes. I think the gold complements the sage and peach really well."

"Yes. Silver is much more popular for wedding jewelry than gold these days, so that's fairly common. The gold is definitely going to complement the peach. I like all your choices. You seem very ahead of the game," Michaela said.

"Oh, she is. Smart girl," Maya nodded.

"I just don't want to be scrambling even more by the time early summer hits. I already know it's going to be stressful, so I'm trying to get as much done as I possibly can before then, so I can maybe make it…less stressful. That's been my goal since I started planning."

"It's a good strategy. Less you have to do later," Michaela agreed. "And I would love to do your hair for the big day. If you want me to," she smiled.

"I would love that," Olivia nodded. "I don't trust many people with my hair. You, I trust," she laughed.

"Well, I'm honored. Your hair is very happy and healthy, and always has been. Makes my job easy."

"Oh trust me, I try really hard with that," Olivia nodded. "It's odd, but…I honestly think being with Fitz has kept my hair healthier."

Michaela laughed. "Really? I think I need to get me one of him, then!"

Maya laughed and nodded.

"Seriously! That man, I swear…he is obsessed with my hair. Not in the annoying, stereotypical white person way, when they're all 'can I touch your hair?' And 'is your hair real?'" she imitated. That had Michaela and her mother laughing.

"But I mean, he _loves_ it. In like…a serious admirable way. He buys all these moisturizers and…and creams for me because I'm always talking about how moisturizing is most important for me. He loves if I wrap it at night, he loves wash day, he loves when it's crazy and out of control in the morning. He's so funny. But…it makes life a little easier on me," Olivia shrugged. "I certainly won't complain."

"He's very sweet. I think my daughter is the same way as him, just…with admiring white hair," she laughed. "Don told me she was very, very intrigued by his hair on Thanksgiving."

"Oh yeah, she was, I watched the whole interaction. His hair is very worth admiring, Kiara is a smart girl!" Olivia nodded.

"You know, he does have pretty good hair. Very curly, I approve," Michaela nodded.

"It is rather cute, isn't it," Maya nodded.

Olivia laughed. "That was such a mom thing to say, but I loved it."

"What? I've always voiced my opinions openly about his hair and his figure. I mean the things I say," Maya shrugged.

"Mom! Seriously," Olivia laughed.

"Ooh, do tell. I'm intrigued," Michaela said.

"Olivia just gets all embarrassed when I compliment her fiancé because she thinks I'm weird. When in reality, I am a _very_ cool mom," Maya nodded.

"Hey I never said you weren't a cool mom. Only cool moms could pull off that sage dress," Olivia winked.

"Ahh, thank you. I agree," Maya said, looking proud of herself.

"Well I look forward to seeing that dress. And seeing _yours_ ," Michaela said to Olivia.

"I look forward to seeing my _hair!"_ Olivia said.

"Oh yeah. You made it easy, giving me all the details and showing me all the pictures. I got it down, Liv!"

* * *

"I got it down, Fitz!" Jordan exclaimed.

"Yes you do, bud! Okay, now turn that outside skate back, like we talked about," Fitz said, skating backward in front of him to keep an eye on him.

"Okay," Jordan nodded, focusing on keeping his skates straight.

"Anthony, how you doing up there?" Fitz asked, turning his head around.

"Good! I think!" Anthony said, keeping his arms out for balance.

Both boys were at least able to stay on their feet for the most part. They couldn't skate super well or very fast, but that was to be expected. They were only five, and had never once been skating.

Fitz was honestly impressed.

"Alright, Jordan. Come here, buddy," Fitz said, reaching out for his little hand.

He grabbed Fitz's finger and Fitz pulled him a little faster, looking behind him as he skates backward to make sure he didn't hit anyone.

"How you do that?!" Jordan asked.

"Do what?" Fitz asked.

"You are going backwards! I don't get how you go that way!"

Fitz smiled, briefly remembering the boy named Devan last year, whom he had begun to teach how to skate backward.

"Well, it just takes practice! You'll get there someday, I know it. But for now..." he said, catching up to an off-balance, wobbly Anthony. "Why don't you hold your brother's hand so you can skate together. I'll be right here in front of you both. Promise."

Jordan reluctantly grabbed his brother's hand and they skated and stumbled together.

"Anthony, don't go so fast!" Jordan exclaimed.

"Well you are too slow!" Anthony exclaimed.

"Hey, hey. You both are going the perfect speed. You don't wanna go too slow because you'll come to a stop. But you don't want to go too fast and fall," Fitz said gently. "You are both doing so well. I'm so impressed!"

"Thanks. We will be able to get hot chocolate now?" Jordan asked.

"Sure. Do you wanna take a break and get some?" Fitz asked.

"Yes!" they nodded.

"Alright," Fitz chuckled. We'll get some."

They took their little break and had some hot chocolate, which was pretty good. And they skated a little longer before the boys started to get restless and tired.

"I'm hungry," Anthony said.

"Should we go back, guys? I think Eli and Maya are going to have some lunch ready for us at their house," Fitz said.

"Yeah. I am hungry," Anthony nodded.

"Me too," Jordan agreed.

"Alright. You both did so good today! I think you deserve a nice big lunch, huh," Fitz said with a smile, patting their backs.

They seemed happy with that and started racing each other back to the boards door, to see who could win.

They weren't going fast at all, but certainly faster than two five-year-olds should be going.

Fitz's eyes widened and he raced to get in front of them so he could prevent any falling child. But he was a bit too late.

The twins bumped together and got all twisted up, sending Anthony tumbling down in a heap on the ice.

They'd both fallen a few times, but this time was different. Harder.

Fitz tried to catch them both, but only managed to grab Jordan by the arm, and missed Anthony by inches.

He could already see that this wasn't going to end well. It was the type of cry that didn't start at first, but took a few seconds to come out.

He'd completely knocked the wind out of himself and was now looking so miserable on the ice, reaching his arms up to Fitz as he finally let out a few wails.

"Oh buddy. Come here," he said, reaching down to pick him up. Fitz moved Anthony to one hip and looked him over, trying to find what was hurting. He knew it couldn't be _too_ bad, because they hadn't been going fast enough for it to be serious. But falling on ice was never pleasant, nonetheless.

Anthony just cried in his arms, while Jordan looked innocently up at him, staying close by Fitz's side.

"Where does it hurt?" Fitz asked gently.

"My knee and my tummy," Anthony sobbed.

"Okay. Let's go and take your skates off and I'll take a look okay?" Fitz said.

"Okay," Anthony cried.

"Here, buddy," Fitz said, reaching his other hand to Jordan.

Jordan clung to his hand almost scaredly, because his brother was hurt and he didn't know what else to do but stay close to the guy he thought could protect him.

Fitz had a crying little boy on one hip and a scared one holding his other hand, as he walked into the chalet with all eyes on him.

He ignored the eyes and sat Anthony down on the bench, bringing Jordan around to sit next to him.

"Which knee, bud?"

Anthony sniffled and tapped his left knee.

Fitz took off his skates so he could be more comfortable, and rolled up his pant leg. There was already a bruise forming, and a little cut on his knee cap from hitting the ice. It was bleeding some, which scared Anthony even more.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. I've got some bandaids in my car, we'll fix you right up, okay?" Fitz said, patting his thigh.

"Okay," Anthony nodded.

"Sorry you fell, Anthony," Jordan said.

"It's okay," he sniffled.

"How about your tummy. Is it okay?" Fitz asked.

"Yeah. It just...it stopped working for a second," Anthony explained.

Fitz knew what he meant. That the wind had been knocked out of him.

"I get what you mean. But you know what, you're so tough. You look like a real hockey player, you know that?" Fitz asked, nodding at the cut on his knee.

"Really?" Anthony asked, wiping his face.

"Really. But you still look better than them. At least you've got your teeth!" Fitz chuckled, which made both boys laugh.

"Well...I think this one is wiggly," Anthony said, touching his front tooth.

"Is it? Well when it falls out, you'll look even more like a hockey player," Fitz winked, wiping his wet cheeks. "Hockey players are pretty cool. I think you both would make great ones."

They seemed happy about that, and Anthony slowly cheered up. Fitz took off both Jordan's skates, followed by his own.

He held Anthony's hand all the way to his car, with his skates under his arm and Jordan's hand in his other hand.

He lifted both boys up to sit on the edge of the trunk, so he could fix up Anthony's knee.

Jordan was very worried about his brother, so he wanted to be there to oversee things, of course.

"Okay...this, I knew would come in handy at some point," Fitz said, grabbing his mini first aid kit from the glove box.

He came back and put some Neosporin on his cut, followed by a bandaid.

"There we go, all better. Not so bad, huh?" Fitz asked.

"No. It is okay now," Anthony said.

"Good man. Should we go home and have some lunch?"

"Yes!"

"Awesome, let's go!" he said, putting both his hands out for high fives.

He drove them back to the Pope house, playing what they preferred to listen to on the radio. "Pop music" as they had said.

But when he pulled in the driveway, he turned off the car and looked in the backseat.

And both boys were out like a light.

Fitz chuckled. Well, he's certainly tired them out.

He unbuckled them and managed to maneuver them out of the car, grabbing one in each arm. They started to wake up, but were both groggy, leaning their heads on his shoulder and wrapping their arms around him.

He smiled, feeling the two kids in his arms, as he walked to the front door. It made him feel pretty happy, he couldn't deny that.

He leaned down and opened the handle with his elbow, walking in and slipping off his boots.

He walked through the mudroom door and into the kitchen, where everyone was sitting and talking, with Arie laying under the table. They all turned their heads his way.

"Oh my goodness," Michaela laughed. "You wore them out!"

"Yeah. I'm just going to go lay them down in the living room. They're waking up," he whispered, heading to the living room.

"He is just darling," Michaela said to Olivia.

Olivia nodded with a smile. About as accurate a description there was.

Fitz laid the two boys down on the couch, one on each end. He gently slipped off their winter boots, as not to get any of the furniture wet. They stirred a little bit, but he left them to wake up on their own, and headed back to everyone else.

"How were they?" Michaela asked as Fitz put their boots down on the rug in the hallway.

"Oh they were perfect. Anthony had a little accident, he fell and hit his knee on the ice. There's a little cut, but I put some ointment and a bandaid on it. I'm so sorry about that, it happened so fast and I tried to catch them both, but only managed to catch Jordan," Fitz said apologetically.

Michaela just laughed and shook her head. "Oh, Fitz, it's just fine. That's what little kids do. One of them is always getting hurt one way or another. Thank you for taking such good care of them! I know two at a time can be overwhelming, I am extremely impressed you caught even one of them," she laughed.

"Otherwise did they have a good time?" Olivia asked.

"Oh yeah. They were starting to get the hang of it, I was really impressed! But they were hungry so we figured we should come back," Fitz said, coming over to Olivia. He leaned down and pecked her lips.

"Well, we do have lunch ready, we're keeping it warm in the oven. Whenever they're up, we'll eat!" Maya said.

"Thank you again, Fitz. That meant the world to them," Michaela said.

"Oh of course. It was very fun," he smiled.

Olivia smiled, holding his hand as he stood behind her. Looking up at him so admirably.

"What?" he chuckled quietly, looking down at her.

"Nothing. You're just a sweetheart."

He smiled, squeezing her hand. "Did you ladies have some big wedding discussions while I was gone?"

"We sure did. You can't know any of it!" Maya teased.

Fitz nodded. "I figured! Won't ask. Trust me, I've already been kicked out of my own living room by Livvie's best friend before because they were looking at her dress online."

"Well I don't want you to see it!" Olivia giggled.

"It's better this way, Fitz," Michaela assured him. "Because when you do finally see it that day, you're not going to know what to do."

"I can imagine. At least I'll have some practice seeing you in your dress when we do our pictures beforehand. Maybe that way, by the time the ceremony starts, I won't be a wreck," he chuckled.

"Awww, are you a crier? My husband's a crier too," Michaela nodded.

"Yes," he admitted. "Apparently only Olivia does it to me because I swear I never used to be."

"I'm the same way, so apparently we're both going to be wrecks. You all are in for a treat," Olivia teased, rubbing his hand.

"You're forgetting about your poor mom and dad," Maya said, raising an eyebrow.

Olivia smiled and hooked her arm around her mother. "Awww, my dear parents are also going to cry."

"We just might. You're our only baby, you know. And we sometimes still like to believe you're our sweet little baby."

"Oh she is. She always will be. Aren't those your words, dear?" Eli asked as he walked in.

"Maybe," Maya nodded.

"Lunchtime?!" Jordan asked, walking in the kitchen doorway after Eli.

"I'm hungry!" Anthony said.

"Ahh, here comes the chaos," Michaela laughed. "Come here you two. We can eat."

"Mama! Fitz says I am like a real hockey player! I have a cut!" Anthony said proudly.

"Fitz told me! Did he fix it up for you?"

"Yes. There is a bandaid on it. So I can't show you. But there was blood," he nodded very seriously.

"That happens sometimes. I'm glad you're all fixed up. Did you boys tell Fitz thank you?" Michaela asked.

"Thank you Fitz!" they exclaimed in unison.

"You're welcome, guys. I'm glad you had fun," Fitz smiled.

He'd had just as much fun.

They had their lunch and eventually Michaela and the boys had to go. They both gave Fitz a big hug, and he assured them he'd see them tomorrow for Christmas.

Then, everyone at the Pope house got ready for their own Christmas Eve celebration.

They got all dressed up and went to church. Fitz and Olivia enjoyed listening to pastor Joel give the sermon. He was, after all, going to officiate their wedding. He was a very nice man.

And they had their wonderful dinner. Eli always made a wonderful prime rib and mashed potatoes. Some cooked vegetables and dinner rolls. It was always absolutely amazing, and this year, Fitz got to experience it for the first time.

He was so happy, sitting next to Olivia at the table. Their normal Christmas Eve dinner for three, was now a dinner for four. Or five, if they counted Arie, laying on her dog bed in the living room.

And then began the presents, which was a fun time. Neither Olivia or Fitz had a clue what their gifts for each other would be. All she knew was that there were four for her, and it had taken him over an hour to wrap them.

So cute.

"Don't laugh at my wrapping...okay," he said. "I tried so hard."

She giggled and hugged him, accepting the...interestingly wrapped presents. "I absolutely love them."

She handed his to him in return. He got _five_.

"Liv's are so perfectly wrapped...you guys will know exactly who wrapped each of your presents," Fitz chuckled, handing Eli and Maya their presents. Some were quite perfect. Some...not so much. Easy distinction.

"The thought that counts, dear," Maya nodded.

"Very true!" Fitz said.

They had some for Olivia and Fitz as well, stacked up by their stockings.

Their stockings, which were all hung up in a row. Eli, Maya, Olivia, And Fitz. All identical color schemes and identical stitching. All a family.

"Okay. Why don't you two open the presents from us," Maya said.

"You didn't have to give us anything! You're already giving us...so much," Olivia said.

"Oh you shush. Open them," Maya nodded.

They grabbed the two presents from her parents and opened one of them together. It was flat, and kind of heavy. Inside was two desk plaques stacked on top of each other, one for the both of them.

They both had one of their engagement photos on it. The camera focusing on Olivia's ring on her finger that she was holding out, with the two of them kissing in the background.

On the bottom it said

 **Olivia & Fitz**

 **~EST~2020**

"Oh wow!" Olivia exclaimed.

"These are beautiful," Fitz said, admiring them both.

"We know you both have more than enough pictures, but...trust me. Moving into a fancy new house. You'll have even more room for pictures. I thought these would be good for your offices though," Maya nodded.

"Thank you so much!" Olivia said.

"Yes thank you! Very sweet," Fitz agreed.

"Alright, last one. This one's really cheesy. But I fully expect you both to use them," Maya said, shooting them a look.

They laughed, opening the small little box, and pulling out two luggage tags. One was white, and it said "Mrs." The other was black, and it said "Mr."

"For your honeymoon," Eli nodded.

"Oh my gosh, these are too cute!" Olivia exclaimed.

"This is the best thing I've ever seen, oh my gosh," Fitz chuckled. "We will definitely use these."

"I live for cheesy things like this. Thank you!" Olivia said.

"Of course," they nodded.

Her parents went next, opening their gifts from Olivia and Fitz.

A couple were alcohol, of course. Always alcohol. A few bottles of their favorite wine, and a bottle of whiskey that Eli liked. As for their big gift...they were not at all expecting it.

Eli tore off the paper on one side, and Maya tore it off on the other. They both looked at the white box in confusion, and the picture of what was inside, displayed on the outside.

"What is it?" Maya asked.

"Read it," Olivia nodded.

"Home...pod?" Eli asked.

"Mhm. You remember we were talking about these on Black Friday," Fitz said.

"Oh! The...the fancy, speaker things?" Maya asked.

"Yes, but it's way more than a speaker. Let's open it up and I'll show you!" Olivia said.

"Do I talk to it? What do I gotta say? Hey Alexa? Hey...google?" Eli asked.

"No," Olivia giggled. "It's Apple. So you would say Siri."

"Oh, like on my phone," Maya said.

"Right. So this can connect to your phone. You know the music you listen to on your Apple account. This will connect. You don't have to listen through that old radio anymore. This will sound so much better," Olivia said, opening the box.

"And, _and_ , you can ask it to tell you jokes," Fitz said.

Maya burst into laughter. "That's exactly what I need, Fitz."

"Don't we all?" he chuckled.

"It'll tell you the time, the traffic, the weather...it's got it all," Olivia said.

"Well, my, my, this is such a fancy gift! You guys did not have to," Eli said to them.

Olivia shook her head. "You both deserve so much more than this."

"Merry Christmas," Fitz said happily.

"Merry Christmas!"

So, of course, they got the HomePod up and running. It required some setting up and updating before they could fully use it. So they finished up some other presents first.

Fitz opened all his from Olivia, and he was quite happy with them. A Fossil wallet, because he'd been needing a new one for a little while. A couple fun pairs of dress socks. Not boring ones of course, because he'd never wear them.

A nice Calvin Klein dress shirt he'd been eyeing at the mall. A new belt, so he would have another option if he lost one again. And his favorite bottle of scotch. It was the first Christmas she felt really proud of herself. Finally able to buy him multiple nice gifts, along with her parents. All that hard work had certainly paid off money wise.

But it still never prepared her for his gifts. He always gave the best gifts.

One was a goofy one, a huge bag of Skittles. She burst into laughter when she opened that one, remembering their little inside joke from it. Eating skittles in bed with Abby and Arie, and ridiculous green crap on their faces. Fitz had a bandana on, called himself a teenage mutant ninja turtle. They had to explain the little story to her parents, so they at least wouldn't seem too crazy.

Then, a few more Lush products, of course.

And a very beautiful Michael Kors handbag, and a watch to go with.

"Fitzgerald..." she gasped.

"We really can never keep up with him," Maya chuckled.

"You like?" he asked hopefully.

She shook her head at him. Not in a "no, I don't like it" way. But in a "I can't believe you" way.

"Thank you, sweetheart," she said, giving him a hug. "I love them."

"Of course," he said, rubbing her back.

"How did you know?" she asked, admiring her new handbag. It smelled like new leather...and it was absolutely beautiful.

"You think I don't see the things you look at? I'm very observant, you know," he smiled. "And the watch is the 'hers' version of mine."

He pulled back his sweater sleeve and showed her the watch he currently had on. The Michael Kors one. And he was right. Hers was a much more petite version of his. Saddle brown leather band and Roman numerals. It was a beautiful watch, and now she could match him.

"Thank you so much," she said, continuing to hug him.

"You're welcome," he replied, kissing the top of her head.

She stayed wrapping her arms around him as they sat on the floor, against the entertainment center. And Arie wanted in on the cuddle session, so she rubbed her face against their thighs, trying to get some attention.

"Oh, don't worry. We have some presents for you too. Do you want to see?" Olivia gasped.

Fitz smiled. "Ohhh, I think we should give them to her."

"Okay," Olivia nodded, grabbing a couple gift bags that sat next to her.

She set them in front of Arie and let her sniff them. She could definitely tell they were food, she'd smelled them before. But she just laid down, waiting for a human to open those damn bags.

"Okay, okay, I'll help you out," Olivia teased. She pulled a huge bag of Beggin' strips out of one of the bags. The smell of bacon made Arie extremely excited. And the next bag had Pup-Peronis in them. Also, very exciting to her.

"You know, I think we have a gift to add onto that," Eli said, getting up from his spot on the couch.

Olivia gasped. "Did you hear that? Grandpa and grandma have a present for you."

Eli came back with the biggest jar of peanut butter the store sold. Wrapped in a perfect red bow.

Fitz leaned his head down against the carpet, bursting into laughter. And Olivia joined him.

"Oh my gosh. She is going to be set!" Fitz chuckled.

Eli nodded proudly, setting it down by Arie. She excitedly sniffed it. She knew what a jar of peanut butter looked like. She would recognize that from a mile away. Probably smell it from that far away too.

"Thank you for that," Olivia said. "We won't have to buy a jar for her in a long time," Olivia said.

"Oh, and did you look at the top, under the bow?" Maya asked.

Fitz reached over and peered under the bow, laughing. He leaned it toward Olivia so she could see.

There was a capital 'A', written very nicely in sharpie.

"Yes, this is exactly what we do to differentiate our jars of peanut butter," Olivia nodded.

"I know. We saw it when you were here for Thanksgiving. We thought it was very cute. She's pretty spoiled," Maya smiled.

"Oh, isn't she," Fitz said, patting her muscular side. She wagged her tail in response, snacking on a Beggin' strip that Olivia had just given to her.

"What is it that you call her Fitz?" Maya asked.

"Baby girl."

Arie turned her head to Fitz and they all laughed.

"See," he chuckled. "She answers to both that and her name."

"She is quite an intelligent dog," Eli admitted.

"Mmhm. You like her don't you dad?" Olivia smirked.

"Well I suppose I do," he nodded. "She is a very well-behaved dog."

"She is. And I think she has a soft spot for you," Olivia said.

"Well of course she does. He's so sweet," Maya said, patting Eli's hand.

"You heard her. She's always right," Eli nodded.

Fitz pointed at him and nodded. "Always."

They cleaned up their gift-wrapping festivities, while trying out Eli and Maya's new HomePod.

"Wait, what, what do I tell her?" Eli asked.

"What song do you want to play?" Olivia asked.

"Oh I don't know...how about that one your mom likes. The fast, peppy one," he said.

Olivia burst into laughter. "Oh jeez. Mom, you are still not into that Jason Derulo song, are you?"

"Hey! I happen to think he is very cute. And the song's very dance-y!" Maya exclaimed.

"What Jason Derulo song?" Fitz asked.

Olivia laughed. "Hey Siri...play 'Swalla', by Jason Derulo."

"Thank you. I would have no idea what the song's called. I can't tell what he's saying half the time," Eli chuckled.

"Swalla?" Fitz chuckled.

"Mhm. You know the one with Nicki Minaj and...I don't know who else it is," Olivia said.

"Ty Dolla $ign," Fitz said.

Olivia laughed as the song started to play on the speaker. "It's very attractive that you just knew that right there."

"Thank you," he smiled.

"Ahh! See!" Maya exclaimed, starting to dance a little.

"Yes, dear. Very Christmasy," Eli teased. As the lyrics said...

 **All you girls in here,**

 **if you're feeling thirsty  
Come on take a sip**

 **'cause you know what I'm servin',**

Fitz shook his head and laughed. " _Very_ Christmasy, I agree."

"Oh we can play Christmas music after this. Let me have my one song!" Maya said.

"Well it's my HomePod too. Maybe I want to play my fun, peppy song," Eli said.

"Oooh, and what would that be, dad? I'm curious," Olivia giggled.

"Oh not that Black Magic one..." Maya said, shooting a look at him.

"I happen to think it's very catchy!" Eli exclaimed.

"What?!" Olivia exclaimed.

"You know. That...that girl band," Maya said.

"Little Mix," Fitz said.

Olivia turned to him. "Look at you go tonight."

He shrugged. "Your dad's right...it's really catchy."

"Dad, since when do you listen to Little Mix," Olivia laughed.

"Since I heard that song on the radio," he said adamantly.

so sure enough, when 'Swalla' was over...

"Hey Siri, play Black Magic by Little Mix," Eli announced.

"Playing Black Magic by Little Mix..."

Olivia burst into laughter, hearing the first couple seconds of the song. "Oh my god, what has happened to my parents and their taste in music?"

"Clearly, it's very good," Fitz said with a smile.

"You guys are freaking me out. Aren't you gonna play your favorite sixties music or something?" Olivia teased.

"Oh yes, of course. We can play whatever we want thanks to your wonderful gift," Maya nodded.

And so they did play whatever they wanted, for a nice long time that night.

Eventually though, they had to go to bed. They had a packed day tomorrow. It was almost Christmas Day after all.

As soon as they had taken Arie out, and gotten ready for bed, they returned to her room for the night. Olivia and Arie crawled right into their bed and kennel, but Fitz wasn't having it.

"Ah, Ah, Ah. Get your sexy ass out of bed, I have one more gift for you," Fitz said, rummaging through his suitcase.

"What?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah, I couldn't give these to you in front of your parents. Well...I could've. But...no thanks," he chuckled, pulling out a thin, wrapped box.

"Baby, you have given me too much," she said, watching him walk over to her.

"Shush."

She accepted the box, but still shooting a stubborn smile at him.

"It's not even anything big. I just had to because I couldn't resist," he said.

She opened the box and took off the lid. All she saw when she opened it was lace. Tons and tons of lace.

"Fitzgerald what did you do," she giggled.

"Only like the best thing ever," he said.

She smiled, flipping through the multiple pairs of lacy underwear. Maroons, light pinks, navy blues, purples.

"I really don't know how you manage to outdo yourself with every single gift-giving occasion," she said, smiling at him.

"Mmm, so I picked the right colors?" he asked. "I know you think they're lame if they're plain. So...I went for the colors I was pretty sure you didn't have a lot of."

"You picked the perfect colors. Thank you! Underwear is such an underrated gift. Everyone loves new underwear. Especially sexy, lacy underwear," she smirked.

"Mhm. See, I think this is just as much a gift for me as it is for you."

She hugged wrapped her arms around him unexpectedly and just held him there in an embrace.

He smiled, resting his chin on her shoulder and rubbing her back.

"I'm so happy to have you here for Christmas, Fitz."

"I'm so happy to be here, baby. I've enjoyed every minute so far and it's not even Christmas Day yet. I've especially enjoyed watching your parents dance to their favorite pop songs. I now understand where you get your great dance moves," he chuckled.

"Oh my gosh," she giggled. "They are so funny. That HomePod experience went better than it did for us with David and Abby's..."

He burst into laughter. "Oh yeah...that was my bad."

"I can't believe you blasted 'Get Low' from David's phone as loud as it could go on the HomePod. At...11 pm."

"It was an accident!" he reasoned.

"It was _hilarious_. David was on the floor laughing for ten minutes because Abby knew every word," Olivia giggled.

"Yeah. Seeing Abby drunk and singing about sweat dropping down her balls...yeah, that was a highlight," he chuckled.

"To alllll skeet skeet motherfucker," she laughed.

"Allll skeet skeet god damn," he said, looking down at her very seriously.

She smiled, trying to hold back. But she couldn't. "Lemme see you get low, you scared, you scared."

"Oh is this...is this happening right now? Because I don't think you know who you're dealing with."

"Actually I do. My fiancé, who literally knows every word to every song," she nodded.

He smirked. "Drop that ass to the floor, you scared, you scared."

She couldn't stop laughing. "Now, back, back, back it up."

"Now stop, OH, then wiggle with it. Stop, OH, Then wiggle with it—"

"Fitz!" she exclaimed, laughing.

"3,6,9, damn she fine—"

She leaned her head down on his lap, laughing uncontrollably.

"We skipped a couple parts but that's it for the most part I think," he chuckled. "Otherwise it just repeats a bunch of times. We may have forgotten something about bending over to the front and touching your toes."

"Oh right, right," she laughed. "And the beginning. You know when they make those sounds."

"Brrrr um dum dum, dum da dum da da dum."

The laughs overtook her body again, listening to him. Also, Fitz rolling his r's? Sexy as hell.

"You just absolutely nailed the fuck out of that," she said. "Lil Jon and...whoever else sings that song would highly approve."

"The East Side Boyz."

She looked up at him in disbelief. "Okay, that is the _third_ time you have done that tonight."

"Done what?" he asked.

"Immediately said the artists were talking about," she laughed.

"Mhm that's 'cause I'm knowledgeable about random, unnecessary things," he nodded.

"I think you have passed me in my trivia abilities, baby. I'm slacking these days," she replied.

"Oooh. I will absolutely take that compliment. The slacking's probably my fault. I don't take you anymore," he said.

"Well we have been a little busy. You know with having to go back into hiding for a whole semester and now planning a wedding," she said.

"Such crazy lives we live huh?" he chuckled.

"Crazy indeed. But I'm glad you're my partner in all of it," she said.

"Me too," he whispered, leaning in to peck her lips.

She readjusted herself on his lap, holding his arm for support. And she caught a glimpse of her alarm clock.

12:00

And she smiled.

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart."

He looked over at the clock, and back at her.

"Merry Christmas, baby."

* * *

Awww. The first Christmas, and some more family time.

Olivia is now just a semester away from graduating college...wow, how the time flies. Remember when she was just a tiny new sophomore, afraid of the crush she had on her professor? Whew. Lots has changed.

If any of you caught Olivia's wedding dress & style details, they are very similar to the Olitz wedding in 6x10. Olivia also wore Ann Barge in that episode, so I figured I would do a little tribute.

Hope you enjoyed!

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	87. Six Months & Counting

"Seven rooms!" Olivia exclaimed, twirling around.

"Yeah, seven! If we bought that house, know what you could do?" he asked.

"What?" she asked curiously.

"You could dance drunk in each one of them. Just like you are now," he chuckled.

She burst into laughter. "Do we really need seven rooms? Baby, I don't think this body could push out...six babies, if that's what you're trying to hint at," she said, running her hands down her hips.

He laughed. "No, no. See. Our room. Three rooms for the little ones, because you know they're gonna want their own room. And we'll spoil them of course. But just enough. Not too much. We don't want that either."

"Right. And then the other rooms?" she challenged.

"Alright so we have four taken up right now. Then Arie gets one," he nodded.

"Arie gets one?!" Olivia asked.

"Mhm. Where her kennel could go, and all her toys. Come on, she would love that!" he exclaimed.

She shook her head, laughing. "Okay, then the last two...hmmm."

"Well, one obviously needs to be a guest room. If we didn't have a room where your family could come and stay, I think I would get murdered," he said. "We could have two guest rooms, like we've got now. Or turn the other unused room into something else. There are lots of options here," he shrugged.

She nodded in thought. "You make this seem quite logical."

"Yes. Yes, I do," he nodded.

"I can't believe we might be buying this house, baby. It's bigger than this entire apartment complex," she laughed.

"Well, we still have a long ways to go yet. It's not available for touring yet, but it will be soon. You might see it in person and not like it. I might too. We'll just have to see."

"That's true. I did like that other one we saw online, though. In Meriden. We've got options."

"Yes, I did too and Meriden is a nice location. _Cheshire_ is just better," he smirked.

She shook her head. "You are a spoiled little boy do you know that?"

"And you are gonna fall, do you know that?!" Fitz exclaimed, looking at her twirling in her shoes.

"Shh, no I'm not," Olivia said, putting her finger up to her lips in a shushing motion.

She spun and posed, continuing to show off her brand new wedding shoes. One of the only wedding items of hers that she'd allow Fitz to see.

They were quite beautiful. Four-inch heels, little jewels on the heels and the toes. White, like her dress, of course. But...not the most comfortable at the moment. She needed to break them in.

"Olivia, seriously, I don't think you should be wearing those drunk," he chuckled.

"First of all, mister...smarty pants, I am _not_ drunk," she said.

Her words were extremely slurred, contradicting her entire sentence.

"Second of all, this is what the big, fat wedding binder tells me to do! As soon as I get the fancy, schmancy heels, I need to practice in them! It's only, like...the most important day of my whole entire life! I have to be able to walk like a...like a fucking queen in these shoes," she nodded, taking another sip of her wine.

Not even a glass. Just a bottle. It had been an interesting Friday night so far, that was for sure. With house and wedding discussions.

"Your big, fat wedding binder huh?" he chuckled, watching her from the bed.

"Yes. It's how I've been so on top of my game! It's...it's like the Holy Bible of wedding planning. But—but don't tell pastor Joel I said that. I'm not...undermining the actual Holy Bible. I'm...I'm a very holy...biblical person," she nodded.

He tilted his head in thought. "Mmm I don't know, baby. You've done some very unbiblical things to me."

She looked at him in awe and then burst into laughter, leaning down and smacking her knee.

"You are so funny," she laughed.

"You are so _drunk,"_ he replied, laughing.

"Really? You think so?" she asked, her voice getting extremely high-pitched.

"I do think so. But you can do whatever you want, you deserve this weekend off of work. Drink as much as you want, just...please don't hurt yourself, okay?" he asked, smiling at her shoes.

"Okay. You're so sweet, you know that? You take care of me all the time. When I'm...when I'm not drunk too," she nodded. "You're just my sweetheart."

He smiled, admiring her from their bed. "I love you."

She got extremely happy, putting her hand up to her face. "I love you more."

He frowned. "I don't accept that."

She shrugged, downing a ton of wine. "Here, accept this. Maybe I should be cut off. This _is_ my second bottle and it's the strongest wine I think I have ever had."

"I agree with that," he nodded, taking it from her.

He gulped down a nice serving too, before setting it on the nightstand.

He was certainly buzzed. Just nowhere near Olivia's state. It felt like they hadn't had a drink together just the two of them in ages.

She'd been so busy all the time. They'd drank some at her house over the holidays. But never just the two of them. That had kind of been the story of their lives, lately.

They were always busy. Olivia was with her friends a lot too, doing wedding planning. Or one of them was gone. It was a bit tiring, not having much time together. So at least this weekend they'd be able to spend a little more time than usual together.

And now they _were,_ in their bedroom. Arie was already asleep out in her kennel as she'd had a nice long walk outside a couple hours ago. It had been freezing, but they'd do anything for that dog of theirs.

"But do you like my shoes? Seriously," she said, putting one leg up on the bed to show it off.

"I love them, babe. You're going to look absolutely stunning. And you'll be a little taller," he winked.

"Yes!" she nodded. "In these, I will be a massive 5'8'."

"That's pretty tall. And you're sure this is the _only_ thing I can see of your wedding ensemble?" he challenged.

"Hmmm," she pondered. "Well..."

She started walking to her dresser, and pulled out the top drawer.

"Mmm, I'm intrigued," he said, kicking back and watching intently.

She pulled out a funny looking...what was that?

"You can see this!" she laughed, showing it to him.

He eyed it confusedly. "Is that a bra?"

"It's not just _any_ bra...it's my wedding dress bra. Specially made and everything," she said proudly.

"Specially made?" he asked.

"Mmhm. So that I got that support...but so you can't _see_ that support," she said.

He started laughing. "Very good idea, Liv."

"Oh yes. We cannot have these unsupported," she said, cupping her own boobs.

"No we cannot," he nodded in agreement.

She stripped off her shirt and dropped it to the ground, unhooking her normal bra right after.

He raised his eyebrows. "Oh, okay. We're taking our clothes off now, this is good."

She giggled, maneuvering herself into the strapless bra.

So now she stood there, with a strapless bra on, high-waisted leggings, and fancy wedding heels. Drunk as hell.

He doubled over in laughter as she posed for him a couple times.

"Livvie, baby, that's an amazing look on you."

"Thank you!" she nodded. "I thought so too. I think the heels really complement the, uh...lack of straps."

"Oh...for sure," he nodded with a laugh.

She laughed at herself and took it off, placing it nicely back in her drawer.

He put his hands behind his head, looking at her from the bed as she stood there shirtless near her dresser. Looking down with a smile at her heels. A little discombobulated, but so adorable.

"Come here, baby," he said, nodding his head toward himself.

She looked up at him with a smile. "How come?"

He shrugged. "I'm thinking we should probably make out or something."

She fought back a laugh. "Oh _really?"_

"Yeah. Come make out with me," he said.

She made her way over to their bed, slipping off her heels by the edge of it. And she got in bed, climbing on top of him eagerly.

"Oh," Fitz said, surprisedly, wrapping his arms around her little body.

Her lips instantly found his desperately, eager to feel them against her own.

He opened his mouth against hers, letting her tongue in to meet his. She tasted like red wine.

She was laying on top of him, her body resting between his legs.

He gripped her ass hard, rolling her hips into his own, feeling her against him. He had already started to harden. Not fully, but he certainly wasn't soft.

That's how quickly it happened for him. Because man, it had been a little while for them.

They were so, so busy...

They were pretty active in bed normally. Probably more than the average couple, he thought.

But lately it had been different for them because of their busy schedules. Olivia's, especially. So he wasn't surprised that his body reacted faster than normal. His heart sure did, it was beating fast.

He sat up and brought her with him, pushing against her ass with his hands so that she'd wrap her legs around him. And then he laid her back down, so that he hovered above her. Their heads were now at the foot of the bed as he'd done a complete switch, wanting to be on top of her.

He gave their mouths a break, pulling away and starting to kiss her neck and her chest. He teased her nipple with his tongue, pulling it gently into her mouth while she buried her hands in his hair.

She laid there with her eyes closed, her breathing picking up gradually.

He switched to the other one now, as his hands started to pull at her leggings.

She laid her arms back on the bed, letting him undress her fully now. She just watched him, biting her lip at his desperation to get her naked.

He buried his head between her legs instantly, without a single bit of hesitation.

The second his tongue made contact with her skin she arched her back and clutched at his hair hard.

"Mm," he moaned, against her skin.

"Sorry, sorry," she whispered, loosening her grip on his long curls.

"S'okay," he murmured, pulling her clit into his mouth.

About two minutes ago, she had been modeling a strapless bra and wedding heels, and now his face was buried between her legs, and his tongue was teasing her entrance slowly.

He rested his elbows on the bed and held her thighs open for himself, rubbing his thumbs gently across her smooth skin.

He was hard as a rock now, pressed against the comforter of the bed. But he ignored it, as hard as that was.

This was one of his favorite things to do to her, solely because his determination was driven by the idea of pleasing her. He just wanted her to feel good. And he craved her like this. He craved her taste, and the way she squirmed above him when he did it.

Sucking and licking and kissing every area he could, elongating the process just enough so that it had her begging for more, but not to where it was too agonizing for her.

He knew how she liked it. He knew how she liked the way he ran his tongue up and down the middle, sometimes so slowly that she grinded against him. He knew how she liked the way he plunged his tongue deep inside her.

He had her holding his hair, or gripping the comforter. Opening her legs as wide as they could go, or resting her feet on his shoulder blades. Squeezing her eyes shut, or watching his every move so intently. Panting hard, and moaning his name and words of pleasure.

All of it was sexy, all of it turned him on, and all of it made him never want to stop.

He slowly brought his finger to her entrance, teasing with the idea of slipping inside her. But he still kept his sole focus on her clit, because it was currently making her legs shake and he knew that meant she was close.

So he rubbed a finger around her entrance, not going inside. Just teasing.

That along with his tongue gliding back and forth across her clit had her unable to form coherent words.

She gripped his forearm so hard, and he kept going. Kept his tongue going, kept his finger going. He didn't stop all throughout her orgasm, when she was shaking and digging her nails into his skin.

And then her body began to calm, and her shaking subsided.

She slowly pulled her feet off his back, letting them fall open wide against the bed. She was beyond tired, and worn out after that.

He pulled his fingers away, but pressed soft kisses above her clit, and all around the area.

"How you feel, baby?" he whispered, continuing his kisses.

"Ohhh," she exhaled. "Drunk. And so good. And so dead."

He chuckled against her skin, laying his head down on her hip. And he just admired her naked self. It never got old to him.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered, running a few fingers over her stomach.

So toned and strong, but so small at the same time.

"So are you," she replied, running her hand over the side of his face.

he slowly inched his way up her body, trailing kisses the whole way.

His erection was still very much there, as he explored his fiancée's whole body with his mouth.

He pressed his lips to hers again, and slipped his tongue in her mouth. Allowing her to taste herself on his lips.

And he eventually spent some time on her neck again. He reached down to unbuckle his pants because, god, he wanted this.

His eyes flickered up at her, laying there with her eyes closed as he kissed her neck. Looking so relaxed.

He stopped undoing his pants. "Babe?"

"Hm," she replied. But her voice was so soft, it was barely audible.

"You awake?" he chuckled quietly.

She didn't say anything for a solid five seconds, but then there was a very quiet sentence. "Mmyeah. Just...so relaxed. So...tired."

He looked down at her, knowing there was absolutely no way she was having sex right now.

He leaned his head down against her shoulder, sighing a little bit. "Oh Livvie. You're killin' me here," he whispered.

"Hm?" she asked tiredly.

"Nothing," he laughed. "I'll be alright."

She was so out of it, but he got off her and grabbed her hand to help her up.

"You gotta get ready for bed, baby," he whispered.

"Right, yeah," she nodded sleepily.

He pulled her up and she tiredly walked over to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Butt ass naked.

And then she crawled under the covers again.

He looked in from the bathroom as he brushed his teeth. She looked to be out like a light within seconds under the covers. And she was still naked.

Seriously, Liv. Was the nakedness really necessary?!

He finished up in the bathroom and went to change out of his clothes and into something comfier.

He took off his pants, seeing the bulge in his underwear that he eagerly set free. So he just put on a pair of his baggiest boxers and took his shirt off. Much comfier.

He shut off the lights, climbing in bed with her naked self.

He, of course, wrapped his arms around her anyway, even though part of his body was going insane. He knew his body, and that he'd calm down in a few minutes. He wasn't that pathetic. But Jesus, she was unintentionally making it... _hard_ on him.

Quite literally.

He made it okay. Because he fell asleep at some point. When, he had no idea. But he certainly woke up to something wonderful and cute.

He awoke on his back, head facing away from Olivia's side of the bed.

Her lips were on his neck, trying to wake him up gently.

"Hmmm," he moaned.

"I made you breakfast," she whispered, kissing his ear.

He opened his eyes, looking up at her.

She was clothed now. That was good. Well, and bad. Depended on how he looked at it.

And she had a nice big tray of breakfast food next to him. _And_ a steaming hot mug of coffee already on the nightstand for him.

He smiled, taking in such a nice sight. "Oh baby. You didn't have to."

"But I did," she shrugged, taking a bite of a piece of bacon.

He frowned, crinkling his eyebrows at her. "My bacon."

She put the rest of the bacon up to his mouth, still chewing the bite she'd taken. It was some damn good bacon.

He opened his mouth and let her feed it to him. Yeah. Some damn good bacon.

"Mm," he nodded in approval.

"Mmhm," she agreed.

"Kiss," he whispered, reaching for her hand.

She took his hand and allowed him to pull her down to give him a few good morning kisses.

"How did you sleep, sweetie?" she murmured against his mouth.

"Good," he nodded, pecking her lips a few more good times. "You?"

"Good. I needed sleep, I drank way too much."

"I know," he chuckled. "I hope your head doesn't hurt too bad."

"No, it's actually decent. I took some Advil though, just in case. Why did you let me go to bed _naked?"_ she laughed.

"I didn't let you do _anything_. You did it all yourself. You're very independent you know," he said, taking another piece of bacon.

"Good point," she agreed. "Thanks for that, though."

"Hey. Favor returned for when I was on the other side of things a while ago. I was way more drunk that time than you were last night so...I think I still owe you," he chuckled.

"Paid in full...because I still remember what occurred last night," she smirked.

He smiled. "Oh you do now?"

"I do," she nodded.

"Good. I wouldn't want you to forget any experience in which you're shaking and moaning, 'Fitz. Oh _Fitz!'_ —"

"Shut up," she giggled, nudging his chest. "Eat your breakfast, you."

"I certainly did last night," he shrugged, taking a sip of his coffee.

Her mouth dropped open. "So sexual this morning."

"I'm always sexual, baby," he replied, digging into his eggs and toast. "It's part of the package."

"It's a good package," she giggled.

"Thank you," he smiled.

"You're welcome. Are you ready to cake taste today?" she asked.

"Hell yes I am. This is like...little kid Fitz's dream. Trying a bunch of different kinds of cakes," he chuckled.

"Probably mine too," she agreed. "It's a bit unfortunate that our favorite flavors are the complete opposite."

"I personally just think it's funny that your favorite is vanilla and mine is chocolate. I think there's a common theme here," he teased.

She laughed, nodding in agreement. "Probably so."

"We should do vanilla anyway though. Isn't a chocolate wedding cake...weird?" he asked.

"No, I don't think so. People do all sorts of crazy cakes these days, we can do whatever we want. That's the beauty of it."

"So can we make the cake into the shape of you?" he challenged.

"Okay, anything except that!"

"How about the shape of me?" he teased.

"Hmm…now that idea, I can get behind," she nodded.

He shook his head, laughing. "No way. I retract that," he said.

She smiled, taking a bite of his toast and handing it to him after.

"So you're gonna make me breakfast…and then eat it in front of me?" he asked, leaning in with a smile.

She took the toast back and took another bite.

He gasped, snatching the toast out of her hand. "Woman!"

She giggled, wrapping her arms around him. "Yes?"

He smiled, pecking her lips gently. "I kinda love you. Even when you steal my food."

She sat in thought, nodding along. "Hmm. I think I kinda do too."

"Really? That would be awesome," he agreed. "'Cause then maybe we could get married or something."

"Marriage? Oh…I don't know," she said, thinking hard.

"I know. Kind of a big deal right," he said. "We better do it."

"Kay," she shrugged, pecking his cheek.

He put his food down on the tray next to him and pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I'm not going anywhere, baby," he whispered, noting her tight grip.

"Sometimes I just feel better if I hold on tight," she whispered.

"Just in case?" he chuckled.

"Yeah. Just in case you decide I'm a little too crazy for you," she giggled.

He smiled, burying his face in the crook of her neck, pressing a few kisses against her skin. "I hate to say it but…you're stuck with me."

"I think _I_ should be the one saying that," she replied.

"Mmkay. Say it."

"You're stuck with me," she smiled.

He sighed happily. "Good."

She eyed the tray of food next to them. "You gonna eat, mister?"

"I am," he nodded. "The question is, are you gonna steal it?"

"No. All yours," she said, climbing off his lap.

But she grabbed an apple slice on her way out of the room, smiling over her shoulder at him.

He shook his head at her. That girl.

He eyed her body in those leggings as she exited the room, and bit his lip.

Mm.

They eventually took Arie outside for a little while so she could run around. It was pretty cold, but she needed the exercise. Especially in the winter, when she wasn't able to get as much.

And they went to their wedding cake tasting. After many, many different options, they truly did decide on the vanilla with vanilla buttercream for the flavor. However, by the end of the tasting, they were more interested in the book of cake designs than the flavor itself.

Olivia in particular, left with a much clearer idea of what she wanted for their cake. Design, decoration, and display.

And that was one more thing they could check off their list.

Later that night, Olivia headed over to Abby's as they had planned earlier in the week. They were going to go over a few wedding party and ceremony things, which included the reception centerpieces. Just little things that needed to be addressed.

Plus, David was spending the night at one of his buddy's houses, so it was a fun girl's night with wedding talk.

Fitz, on the other hand, had a nice night in with his other favorite girl, Arie.

He had on some war movie. He had no idea what it was, but it was slightly intriguing and had lots of action.

He had a glass of scotch in one hand, and was petting Arie with the other on the couch.

After a while, he let Arie out one last time for the night, and headed to his bedroom with a full glass of scotch. He was certainly not sober by that point, after multiple refills.

Olivia and Abby had had a few drinks themselves. But Olivia didn't overdo it, considering she may have overdone it the night before.

However, she decided to text Fitz when she thought she might spend the night. She'd had too much to drive, and didn't want to risk it. Plus, it had been a while since she'd spent a night at Abby's just the two of them.

 **Olivia: Hey sweetie. I think I'm just going to stay the night, I've had some to drink. I'll come home to you bright and early tomorrow:)**

"Are you two gonna be okay? Being apart for a night?" Abby teased, giving her a pouty face.

"Hey now. Don't let him hear you say that, he'll probably get offended. I _have_ been working a lot," she pointed out.

"Oh I know. But he understands. He's pretty boy," Abby reasoned.

"Yes he is," Olivia laughed. "I'll head back bright and early, I'm sure."

"Sounds good. I'm gonna head to bed, though, I think. Your toothbrush is in the drawer in the other bathroom," Abby said, getting up.

"I'm honored, thank you," Olivia replied.

"You'll be all good on the ole pullout?" Abby asked.

"Of course. My favorite guest bed," Olivia nodded.

"Happy to supply!" Abby chuckled. "Love you, dumbass," she said, holding out her hand.

Olivia reached up and held her hand for a second. "Love you, dumbass."

"Sleep well!"

"You too!" Olivia nodded, giving her a wave. "Thanks for helping tonight. Best maid of honor ever."

"You know it," she said, pointing at her from the hallway. "And no problem, Liv. Night!"

"Goodnight!"

She checked her phone, seeing a response from Fitz.

 **Fitz: But I will miss you and stuff.**

She smiled, typing back.

 **Olivia: I'll miss you too. Tell Arie to give you a kiss for me!**

She got her pullout bed ready and went to brush her teeth quickly, before turning off the living room lights. And she crawled under her blanket, watching what was on TV and texting Fitz.

 **Fitz: Alright, I suppose that will suffice. Just missing you.**

 **Olivia: I'll be back tomorrow!**

 **Fitz: I know. How did everything go tonight?**

 **Olivia: Really well! Making more progress every day. Can't believe we're getting closer and closer to our big day, babe.**

 **Fitz: Me neither. I'm more excited than you know.**

 **Olivia: Me too. I'm so lucky.**

 **Fitz: Getting all soft on me this late at night, huh?**

She smiled.

 **Olivia: Maybe. It's hard not to. Just love you so much.**

 **Fitz: I love you back. I wish I could show you just how much right now.**

Olivia's eyes widened.

 **Olivia: You been drinking, baby?**

 **Fitz: What makes you say that?**

 **Olivia: I know you, mister.**

 **Fitz: Yeah. I've had too much probably.**

 **Olivia: Maybe you need some sleep, sweetheart.**

 **Fitz: No. I'm not tired. I'm wide awake.**

 **Olivia: How come?**

 **Fitz: Thinking about you keeps me up.**

 **Olivia: Thinking about you keeps me up too.**

 **Fitz: Where are you right now?**

 **Olivia: Abby's living room. Why?**

 **Fitz: Alone?**

 **Olivia: Yes.**

 **Fitz: Call me?**

Olivia dialed his number without hesitation and waited for him to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," he answered.

"How are you?" she asked.

"Better now!" he replied. "How are you?"

"I'm great," she nodded. "Where are you?"

"I'm in bed. Arie's asleep and...I wish you were here with me," he said, his words a little slurred.

"I wish I was too, baby," she said quietly.

"I miss you," he whispered.

She smiled. "Fitz. Baby. I'm just at Abby's. I'll be home tomorrow, okay?"

"I know, I know," he replied. "I just...this is your weekend off and I wanted to be with you."

"I know. I'm sorry, I should have planned this better. I'll come home bright and early. We'll have the whole day together, just like we did today," she said encouragingly.

"I would love that," he replied.

She could tell he was most _definitely_ drunk. Not just by the way his voice sounded, but by the things he was saying too. He did tend to get a little clingier when he wasn't sober. She couldn't really talk, though, because she knew she was the same way.

It was as if he read her mind.

"I don't mean to be clingy," he said. "I think I'm just drunk and a little turned on and...so fucking in love with you and I don't know how good a combination that is for my heart or my dick."

She laughed. "I appreciate the brutal honesty, Fitz."

"You're welcome. I'll um...I'll let you sleep," he whispered.

She paused, playing with a loose thread on the blanket. "Or...I could stay on the phone with you some more."

She knew he was smiling on the other end, just by the way he said "okay."

"So…before, when you said you wished you could show me how much you love me right now. What did you mean?" she asked quietly.

She heard him exhale deeply. "I meant...I would make love to you. Long and slow."

She calmly took a breath, slowly closing her fist. "Mmm."

"How's that sound?" he asked, his voice low.

"It sounds amazing," she whispered.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Yeah," she whispered.

He breathed deeply over the phone, seeming to switch positions.

"Olivia," he whispered.

"Hm?"

"When was the last time you touched yourself?" he whispered.

She leaned her head back against the headboard, closing her eyes. "I can't...remember. It's been a little while."

"Maybe it's time you refresh your memory."

She bit her lip, letting out a quiet breath. "When was the last time _you_ did?" she asked quietly.

"Last week, I think," he whispered.

She licked her lips, tightening her grip on her phone. "Where?" she asked quietly with a smirk.

"Shower," he answered.

"Mmm," she replied.

He laughed quietly on the other end. "Nothing compares to your hands. Your _magic_ hands."

She smiled. "Oh, I don't know about _that."_

"I do. Why don't you give 'em a go and see."

"You...want me to?" she whispered.

"I want nothing more at this moment," he said in a low voice.

She paused, internally debating whether or not she really should.

He seemed to sense her uncertainty.

"Touch yourself, Livvie," he said lightly.

Her fingers twitched against her thigh, debating on moving up to the waistband on her leggings.

"Fitz, I'm at Abby's. I don't…I don't know," she whispered.

"Abby's not with you. It's just us. Just you and me right now," he said gently. "Make yourself feel good. Like I would if you were here with me."

Just the sound of his voice was a turn on. So deep, yet quiet. So sexy.

Her fingers were already moving. She slipped her hand under the waistband of her leggings and then under her thong.

She inhaled lightly at the first contact she made. It wasn't the same as having him touch her. It was different with her own hand, and her fingers were much smaller. But it certainly felt nice nonetheless.

He sighed on the other end when he heard her initial breath. "There you go," he whispered.

It felt a little bit unfamiliar at first, just because it had been a little while since the last time. She certainly was no stranger to it. When she dated Edison, there was only one way she could get off.

And it certainly wasn't through sex with him.

She'd do it herself.

For someone who was so obsessed with sex, he sure fucking sucked at it.

But her fiancé was very capable of getting her there, so this wasn't something she did often. As Fitz said, she was refreshing her memory.

Her breathing steadied out, and she was able to keep herself quiet. Something about _her_ doing it made it easier for her to control her sounds. Also, it may have just been the fact that she was at her best friend's house and she would be incredibly embarrassed if she was loud.

Every once in a while, though, a quiet moan would slip out here and there. There was only so much she could do to fully keep it in.

"How's it feel?" Fitz asked.

"Good," she breathed.

She heard quiet rustling on the other end, wondering if he was doing the same thing.

"Tell me how good," he said quietly.

She brought the blanket up further over herself as best she could, watching her hand move up and down underneath it. She was just using one finger right now, and using others in other areas.

"Tight," she whispered.

She heard him exhale again. "Are you wet?"

"Yes," she nodded, biting her lip.

Fitz listening to her on the other end, telling him how she felt. Wishing he could touch her. But he was alone. So there was only one option.

He hadn't planned to, but listening to her breathing and her moans…he couldn't stop his hands even if he tried.

After the description she gave him, he found his fingers moving to the outside of his boxers, touching himself on top of the fabric.

He rubbed his stiff length through his boxers, enjoying the pleasure it gave him. Listening to Olivia on the other end.

He let out a shaky breath and dipped his fingers underneath the waistband, inching inside his boxers.

That's when he tensed up, feeling himself bare.

"Are your boxers still on?" she whispered, noting his change in breath.

He eyed them, nodding to himself. "Yes."

"Where's your free hand?" she asked.

He sighed, licking his lips. "You know where it is."

"Are you touching yourself too?" she asked.

"Yes," he breathed, starting to stroke himself faster. The waistband of his boxers kept rubbing against his hand, so he said enough with it and started pushing them down. He kicked them off and looked down at his rigid length, all simply a product of his fianceé's voice.

"Are you hard?" she whispered.

"God, yes," he nodded.

He eyed his tip, glistening wet already from the liquid slowly seeping out. He coated himself in it, wishing it were Olivia's fingers doing it, not his own.

"Why don't you take the boxers off now," she suggested.

"I did—I took them off," he whispered shakily.

"You're completely naked?" she asked.

"Yes," he nodded.

"Oh…my god," she replied.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing, just…picturing you right now," she whispered.

She slipped another finger inside, spreading her moisture around. She wasn't fully trying to make herself orgasm yet. She didn't want it to end, so she tried to make it last a little longer. Just enjoying how it felt and enjoying listening to Fitz touch himself.

"Tell me—tell me how you're doing it right now," he begged.

"Two fingers…fast," she whispered shakily.

He went faster just at how she stumbled. "Oh my god," he whispered, leaning his head back against the headboard. "You know the spot…hit it for me."

She bit her lip, curling her fingers a little and pushing in a bit deeper. She gasped, pushing her fingers against it again and again.

 _"_ _There_ we go," he whispered, knowing she was hitting the spot he wished he could right now.

She was moaning now. Quietly, but having her mouth near the phone was beneficial for him.

His phone started to shake in his hand, as he got closer and closer to reaching his orgasm.

He leaned back against the pillows, feeling how hard he was in his grip. He rubbed his own moisture around his tip slowly, coating himself in it again.

He moaned, breathing sporadically now.

"Keep going," Olivia whispered. "Don't stop. I want to…hear you, Fitz."

"Olivia…I'm so close," he said. "I'm so close already. This is…this is what you do to me."

"I'm close too," she whispered. "I don't know if I…should come here."

"Come," he breathed. "Let go—let me hear you—please."

She winced, squeezing her eyes shut as she neared the edge. She really had not planned this whatsoever, but here she was…about to come on her best friend's pullout couch…

She still had her pants on, so at least there was that. But still, she would _never_ normally do this. Ever. Fitz's fault!

"Fitz," she moaned. "I'm going to. I'm…"

"Come, Olivia," he pleaded. "Come for me."

Her legs shook underneath the blanket and she willed her hand to go faster. She listened on the other end of the phone, letting it help get her there. The sound of Fitz getting himself off...it was probably one of the sexiest sounds she'd ever heard. His breathing. His talking. His hand rubbing his dick, already so wet. She could hear it all.

Her lips parted, a desperate, pleasured look on her face as she pushed herself over the edge.

"Fitz," she moaned in a hushed whisper. A few moans filled the phone as she came.

Fitz heard everything, his muscles so tensed up as he leaned his head back against the headboard. His body started to jerk, and his stomach was rising and falling so fast. He knew it was coming.

His wrist moved faster than he ever thought it had, stroking himself near the tip over and over again to get himself there.

"Liv," he panted, moving his wrist faster. "Liv—baby."

He squeezed his eyes shut and felt himself come, all over his hand and his stomach, continuing to stroke his length until he was done.

His right hand, which was holding the phone, was shaking against his ear as he let out an unsteady breath.

"How'd that feel?" he heard her whisper to him.

He exhaled, resting his head back again. "Oh my god," he panted.

Well that gave her her answer.

He eyed the aftermath of all that. The warm liquid that covered his left hand and parts of his waist and his stomach. "I'm a mess."

"Me too," she laughed, feeling the moisture on her hand.

"Let me just um…I'll be right back, okay," he said.

"Yeah, okay," she nodded.

He put the phone on speaker and set it down on the nightstand, making his way to the bathroom to clean himself up.

Olivia pulled back the blanket and got up, heading to the bathroom to do the same. She kept her phone up to her ear, not wanting to leave Fitz but not wanting Abby to potentially wake up and hear him if he started talking again.

She managed to clean up with one hand, it wasn't too bad, to begin with. But she did have to admit, that her leggings were soaked just from the teasing she had done to herself. Her thong had been pushed out of the way, so that was all good. Her leggings, though…yeah, those needed to come off.

She took them off when she got back to the living room, climbing under the blanket only wearing her underwear now, with her leggings folded on the floor beside her.

Fitz on the other hand, stood in the bathroom, wiping himself up with a damp washcloth.

"Jesus," he whispered to himself, as he _still_ wasn't done cleaning it all up.

He finally finished and put the washcloth in the hamper so he could go lay back down in bed. No clothes, nothing. Screw clothes.

"Livvie?" he asked, grabbing his phone again.

"Hey babe," she answered.

"Hey. I'm back."

"You all cum free over there?" she laughed.

"Yes," he chuckled. "You?"

"Yeah. My leggings are soaked though so…I'm just in my underwear. Oops."

"I'm just in nothing, so…I think I have you beat," he said, taking a sip of his scotch.

"Oh you do have me beat," she giggled. "Sleep like that for me, will you?"

"Sleep naked?" he asked.

"Yes please. That's a comforting thought."

He laughed. "Alright, baby, will do."

"Thank you," she nodded gratefully.

He sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Are you tired?"

"Not really," she shrugged. "My body is now, but…my eyes aren't so much."

"Stay up with me?" he questioned.

"Always, sweetheart" she nodded. "Always."

* * *

Olivia was out of Abby's apartment by eight in the morning, headed back to her favorite guy.

She got home and Arie was still resting in her kennel, so she knew he wasn't up yet.

Olivia went and opened the kennel door, accepting all the love from her favorite dog. "Hi, baby. Hi! I missed you so much last night, yes I did. Should we go outside? Go potty?"

Arie's tail wagged excitedly and she followed Olivia to the table by the door, which held all of Arie's collars and leashes in a basket.

She took her outside and let her frolic around for a while and stretch her legs. But she was probably hungry, so they went back upstairs and Olivia gave her her food and water.

Olivia took off her coat and shoes and made her way to her bedroom, where she found a messy head of curls sticking out from underneath the comforter. His long limbs were everywhere, after a night with a king-sized bed to himself.

She smiled at the sight and crawled into bed, lifting up the comforter.

He'd kept his promise, because he was as naked as could be.

He stirred a little bit, as soon as she got into the bed with him, but didn't fully wake yet.

She straddled him and disappeared under the blanket and kissing her way down. "Fitzgerald Thomas…" she whispered.

He moved a little bit, putting one of his hands on her back. "Mmm."

"I'm home," she said happily, pressing kisses lower and lower under his belly button.

"Thank god," he groaned sleepily.

She lowered herself further and took him in her mouth, feeling his grip tighten on her back.

"Jesus," he breathed.

"I missed you," she said, kissing down his shaft and dragging her tongue back upward.

He jumped a little bit, gripping the sheets harder. "Missed you—too, oh my god."

She teased him a bit with her tongue, but decided she wanted some of her own clothes off, too. She sat up and stripped off her shirt and bra.

He was wide awake now, looking up at her with such desire.

"Olivia," he said.

"Hm?" she asked, preparing to go down on him again.

"Fuck me."

She had planned to give him the blowjob of his life, but, yeah, that worked too.

She smirked and reached for her leggings to take them off. He reached forward and yanked them off her legs, followed by her socks and underwear.

He wet his fingers and rubbed them around her entrance as she prepared above him, enjoying his damp fingers touching her. She stroked him while he did it, already feeling his own moisture on his tip.

So she mounted him right away, easing down slowly on his erection.

She held her palms steady against his chest, moving down on him slowly to give her some much-needed time.

He gripped her thighs, looking up at her with such a pleasured look on his face. His eyes just about rolled back in his head.

His hand instinctively reached forward and he started rubbing her clit quickly, which made her gasp, grabbing the headboard for support.

"Fast," he begged, looking up at her as she moved her hips slowly.

She nodded, already starting to pick up her pace gradually, but she still needed a little bit more time.

She went all the way down on him and paused with him deep inside her, his grip tightening on her thigh. "Oh Jesus fuck," he groaned, laying his head back. "Oh my god, Liv."

She smiled, starting to get a rhythm going.

His eyes were closed, and he moved his hips with hers, thrusting up a little bit. His mouth slightly open in pleasure, licking his lips which were dry from breathing hard.

He moaned, moving his hand to her ass to help her roll her hips. She didn't need any help, but his hands always seemed to go there no matter what. His other one was still rubbing her clit so perfectly.

Her thighs were getting tired from that position, which he seemed to sense.

"Here, turn—turn on your side," he panted, lifting her off of him.

He got behind her and lifted her leg, entering her from behind. He loved that position, being able to reach around and rub her clit, and also being able to be pressed into her from behind.

She gasped when he entered her again, and just wanted nothing more but for him to hit it again and again just like he was.

"Hard," she begged, clutching the sheets in front of her.

He went so hard and so fast, while she kept her leg up and open wide for him. His fingers were rubbing her and helping her along, getting there far faster than she anticipated.

She reached hers even before he reached his, which she would be extremely impressed with if she wasn't busy moaning his name and shaking so hard that she also shook _him_.

He moaned just hearing her. No attempts to be quiet. Just being as loud as she wanted.

He thrust a few more times deep, feeling it hit him hard.

He panted right in her ear, emptying completely inside of her as he kept going in and out until he was way past done.

She turned behind her to look at him, both breathing so hard as their noses touched.

She pressed a soft kiss to his lips in between her heavy breaths.

He slowly inched out of her so she could put her leg down. She gasped at his slow pullout, feeling the warm liquid seeping down her leg.

"Do not move," he said, kissing her forehead. "I'm not anywhere close to being done with you."

She smiled, laying back on the pillow as she watched him walk to the bathroom. He was looking down at himself, wiping himself with his hand before he reached the sink. "Good lord."

"I'm messy too, come save me," she giggled, turning on her back and opening her legs a bit.

He turned to look at her, eyeing her body. "Close your legs, woman."

So naturally, she opened them wider. "But I'm waiting for you."

He looked at her, licking his lips. "You need to lay naked in bed in that position at _all_ times, I think."

She laughed. "I'll take that into consideration."

He kept looking back at her, getting distracted as he cleaned up first so he could bring the washcloth to her.

She couldn't help but open her legs wider. She was flexible enough to do it. And frankly, she was still horny and she knew he was too.

He came back, pressing the washcloth between her legs and wiping up her thighs, while also rubbing his thumb back and forth across her clit.

Then she _really_ widened her legs, feeling his thumb on her clit and his other hand near her entrance. He threw the washcloth aside and just started fingering her, without warning. She was still wet as hell and she adjusted fast, so he wasted absolutely zero time.

"I'm gonna make you come. Again. And then I'm going to fuck you. Again," he said, thrusting two fingers in and out of her.

She exhaled, leaning back and closing her eyes. Letting the wonderful feeling take her over.

"Oh my god," she moaned, grabbing the headboard.

"You want my mouth or my fingers?" he asked.

"Both—both," she pleaded.

He laid down and grabbed her thighs, pulling her towards his face and reinserting his fingers inside. His tongue flicked against her clit slowly and gently, and his fingers were as deep inside her as they could go.

She was in heaven. He made it last so long, she could barely hold her legs up on her own anymore. She had to rest them on his shoulders because they were shaking too hard.

After that, she needed a genuine rest. Two times so close together…whew.

She collapsed on the bed, still trying to calm her body.

He laid next to her, rubbing her stomach as she came down.

"I've decided it's really good that we're getting married."

She laughed. "Oh yeah, and why's that?"

"Well. When I'm without you I've discovered that I'm extremely pathetic."

She burst into laughter, leaning her forehead against his. "Oh, baby, I don't think it's _that_ bad."

"No, for real. Without you I just end up getting trashed and beating off to the sound of your voice."

That really had her laughing.

"Stop laughing at me!" he exclaimed.

"I think you're being a bit dramatic, sweetheart," she giggled.

He nodded, laughing. "Alright, yeah. I am not always pathetic. But last night was bad."

"I thought it was extremely hot, so I truly don't agree with you," she shrugged defiantly.

"You sure?" he laughed.

"God yes. You know I like that, just like you like it when I do it."

"That's fair," he agreed. "Regardless, I'm very happy you're here with me again."

"So I can fuck you and you don't have to do it yourself?" she teased.

He laughed. "Well, of course, that's part of it. But mostly because my heart hurts when you're away and I feel like part of me is gone."

She smiled. "That was quite deep, Fitzgerald."

"Sorry, sorry," he replied. "I won't get too deep so early in the morning."

"Well you were getting pretty deep before on this bed so I don't know why you need to stop now," she smirked.

He put his hands up to his face, laughing. "Olivia!"

"What?!" she giggled. "You're not the _only_ one allowed to be sexual."

He climbed on top of her, smiling down at her before he pecked her lips. "I love you so fucking much."

"I love you too," she replied, pecking his lips.

That was not even close to the end of their adventures in bed that day. And that day marked just about half a year from their _big_ day.

About half a year from the day they'd officially be life partners.

From the day she'd officially be known as Olivia Grant.

Six months and counting.

* * *

Whew. Six months is gonna fly…

I did promise you a phone sex scene over Twitter, and here you got it.

You can thank my spring break schedule for the quick update!

Hope you enjoyed!

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	88. Fast Cars & Freedom

"New fucking car!"

Olivia shook her head, laughing. "Wait, Fitz, what was that?"

"NEW FUCKING CARRRRR!"

Olivia winced as he yelled loudly inside the car they were currently driving. His Audi R7. So lame compared to the new one he was about to take home.

Right...

"I'm sensing that you're just a tad excited right now," she teased.

"So excited. More room. Better features. Sit up higher. Sexy dad car."

She doubled over in laughter. "Sexy dad car huh?"

"Hell yes. Evvvveryone's gonna wanna be me when they see my sexy dad car."

"Are you gonna name it?" she asked curiously.

"I just did. Sexy dad car."

"Very unique name," she giggled.

"Mhm. You saw it. You rode in it. Is it not a sexy dad car?" he asked.

"It most definitely is," she agreed. "This one's sexy too!" she said, patting the dash.

"Oh hell yeah it is. I'm gonna be distracted watching you drive this one home," he said.

"Please don't get distracted, keep your eyes on the road," she laughed. "I don't want the sexy dad inside the car to get hurt."

"I won't, I won't," he replied. "Are you sure we can't go get the car first?"

"Fitz we're so close to Michael's, anyway. Let's just finish the rings and then we can go get your car and drive home from there," she laughed.

"Alright, alright. I'll stop whining," he nodded.

She smiled over at him. "You'll still get your car, don't worry."

"I know. I am excited about the rings though. Susan seemed excited over the phone when I told her we were coming in."

"I'm happy to finally meet her! She sounds like she helped you a lot with this one," she said, holding up her left ring finger.

"Mmhm, she did. I don't think we'll need as much help with bands though. We both have a pretty good idea of what we want," he said.

"Yeah, we'll just have to make sure everything goes together nicely."

"It will. It's you and me, we go together nicely already," he replied.

"True! I'm so happy my Starbucks job is finally fulfilling its purpose today," she laughed.

"Yes, indeed," he nodded. "You worked hard for this damn ring money."

"I did. Made a lot of coffee and dealt with a lot of soccer moms and basic white girls for this ring money!"

"Yes you did," he chuckled. "Now can you quit, please?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm slowly being scheduled less, Brit knows I'm putting in my two weeks soon. We're training a couple new people so I just have to show them the ropes for a couple weeks, you know how it is."

He did a little fist pump, showing his excitement, which made her laugh.

"Finally. My girl will not always leave me for a coffee shop. Maybe for class and for her friends but not that damn coffee shop anymore!"

"I never _want_ to leave you," she said, giving him a smile.

"I know you don't," he nodded. "I don't either."

"Maybe you'll start ditching me now to go on your famous drives," she teased.

"I would never. You can come _with_ on my drives," he said.

"Sounds like a plan," she nodded.

They had almost reached Michael's Jewelers, the jewelry store where Fitz had bought Olivia's engagement ring. They were going to buy their wedding bands that day, to check yet another thing off their list.

And then, of course, they were going to finally take home Fitz's new car.

The process had been pretty fast. He'd done his research online, and figured out which one he wanted. The fact that he only wanted Audi helped narrow down his search faster.

He did one test drive, which Olivia witnessed, and that was it. He literally had made the decision during the test drive that he was going to buy it.

So today was a pretty big day, all around.

Not to mention they didn't want to be out all day, because back at home they had a sad dog.

She'd just gotten spayed, so she wasn't up for much at the moment, anyway. And she had to wear a cone, which she absolutely hated. But it prevented her from getting anywhere near her stitches.

After Fitz and Olivia's day out, Arie would probably get some much-wanted attention that night.

They got to Michael's and made their way to the back of the store, where Susan was.

She gasped, seeing Fitz. "Oh, Fitz! It's so good to see you again!"

"Hi, Susan, likewise!" he exclaimed.

She looked to Olivia and put her hand over her chest. "My, my. Now this must be... _Olivia."_

She'd said "Olivia" as if she was some kind of royalty or something!

Olivia smiled, extended her hand. "That would be me, it's so nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you!"

"As have I. It's so nice to put a face to a name. You are just beautiful."

Olivia felt the color rush to her cheeks. "Thank you so much. And thank you for helping him out last summer. I couldn't be happier with my ring!" she exclaimed, showing it to her.

Susan shook her head in shock, eyeing it again. "Now you just wear that so well, Olivia. I think he really did pick the perfect one. Not much help from me, all him. And your friend, of course!"

"Good memory!" Fitz chuckled. "Abby."

"Yes, Abby," Susan nodded. "I see she didn't come along for the wedding band selection!" she chuckled.

"No, she didn't. Just us today," Fitz smiled.

"Perfect. And it's my understanding that you've both already done a little browsing?" Susan questioned.

"Yes. We were here once briefly during a trip to the mall a while back. But otherwise, we've done some looking online too. We've got some ideas about what we want," Fitz nodded.

"Well would you like to browse around on your own first just to get a good look?" Susan asked.

"Yeah, why don't we do that," Fitz nodded, looking at Olivia.

"Sounds good," Olivia agreed.

"Okay. You just let me know if you have any questions now, okay?" Susan asked.

"Perfect. Thank you!" Olivia replied.

Susan nodded warmly and smiled.

"Okay, you first," Fitz said, leading her over to the corner to start.

"There's one that I really liked online. That sort of...wavier one? Do you remember?" she asked.

"Ohhh yeah, I do. I liked that one. You can get whichever one you want, baby. Anything. If they don't have it here, we'll special order it, I don't care. I just want it to be what you want."

She linked her arm with his and leaned her head against his arm. "You're very sweet. The same goes for you, by the way."

He smiled. "Deal."

They browsed a little bit on one end of the room, before heading to the other end. Olivia saw a few she did like. She truly wasn't all that picky about her wedding band.

She obviously wanted to love it, and for it to go nicely with her engagement ring. But as long as it was not too flashy, and along the lines of what she pictured in her head, she was okay with it. It didn't have to be the exact same as the one she saw online. She was open to other options too.

But that's when she saw it.

Near the back of the glass casing, next to a much flashier one.

It wasn't the one she'd seen online. It was better. More elegant, fewer diamonds, actually. A twisted design, with a few diamond accents. Thin. Platinum. Beautiful.

She gasped, squeezing Fitz's strong arm. "Baby. That one."

She didn't even point to the one she was talking about. But he leaned in, pointing to the one she was thinking of. "This one."

"Yes."

"Yep. That looks like Olivia."

"That's it, that's what I want," she said confidently.

"Is this the online one?" he asked.

"Nope. But it's better," she replied.

He nodded. "Mmkay. I'll be back," he said, kissing the side of her forehead.

She watched him walk over to Susan, because he only wanted her to handle their purchases. Good for Susan, she assumed.

Olivia made her way over to the other end of where the glass casing began, where she had seen men's rings.

They were beautiful too. Some were silver, some were gold. Some were other things, like palladium or titanium.

And then there were the platinum ones, which was what her engagement ring was and what the wedding band she'd just picked out was. It tended to be the best option for a ring, but also the most expensive.

She could deal with that. She hadn't been working for nothing, after all, and she had saved more than enough for that ring to be the most expensive thing that man ever wore, just as her engagement ring was for her.

"You finding one for me?" Fitz said, coming up behind her.

"Just looking to see what they have here. There are so many beautiful ones," she nodded.

"I know. I'm afraid this is going to be a bit of a let down for you because I'm pretty simple, babe," he chuckled.

"It won't be a letdown. I just want you to pick out whichever one you want," she said. "How's it going with Susan?"

"Oh, good. She knows which one, so when you're ready you can go talk sizing with her. I can start looking if you want?" he questioned.

"Oh, sure, okay. I'll go now, I don't want her waiting up. Have fun!" she said.

"I will," he chuckled.

He briefly scanned the whole area of men's jewelry. There was a huge selection, but he knew what he was looking for. He just had to see it.

Some of them he easily looked past. The thin ones, he wasn't a fan of. But the same went for the thicker ones, he didn't like those either.

So he narrowed down his preference to 7 mm, which was a good middle ground, he thought. He also wasn't too fond of diamonds on his ring, because there were certainly options with them set in there. He really didn't want any sort of design.

But then he saw one that caught his eye. He may have seen it online before, he wasn't positive. But he certainly hadn't seen it the last time they had been here to browse briefly.

It was platinum. 7 mm. And had ridges on the edges. But that was it. Nothing flashy, but still not just _completely_ plain. Perfect.

It had taken him a total of six minutes to pick it out. That was it.

That was the easy part, in his opinion. The hard part was getting payment set. Plus, his ring would be a little more intricate than Olivia's. She had her heart set on getting it engraved for him. He loved the idea too, but he'd assured her it wasn't necessary.

She didn't care. She was getting that ring engraved for him no matter what. So he showed her and Susan which one so they could get the process going.

"Alright, baby. Show me," she said excitedly.

"That one, right there. That's it," he said, pointing to it.

Susan nodded and smiled, noting which one he was pointing to.

"It's beautiful," Olivia whispered. "Platinum?"

"Mhm," he nodded. "That's the one I want."

"Then that is the one you shall have. So how do we go about engraving, Susan?" Olivia asked curiously.

"Well, the rings you picked out both will take a few days anyway to be shipped in. Fitz's will take about a week total for engraving. So if you prefer you can pick them up at the same time. I can tell you right now we will have it finished for you by next weekend, guaranteed."

"Oh, awesome, okay," Olivia nodded. "Well I would like to have that done for his."

"Perfect! We can get that set up for you right now. Fitz, why don't you stay here so we can talk sizing, okay?"

"Sounds good," he nodded.

So they finished up the last details and actually purchased the rings.

Olivia's was certainly no cheap ring, but Fitz's still cost more, which was not the norm usually. That's how nice it was. Plus, the engraving certainly didn't help.

But it made her proud to finally buy it. It made her feel pretty damn good, actually. He deserved nothing less.

"My checking account will now be drained and I've never felt better about it," she giggled.

"Thank you for that, Liv," he said, kissing her hand as he drove.

"You're so welcome. This is what I'm supposed to do," she said proudly.

"You're very sweet for it," he said kindly.

"I only wish I could do more. I just want you to be so happy and have everything you could ever want," she said, squeezing his hand.

"Oh, Livvie. You know I already do," he replied, squeezing her hand back. "But I want the same for you. I get it," he smiled.

"Thank you for mine as well! I really do love it," she said.

"I'm glad. It goes very nicely with your engagement ring!"

"I know! Susan was very helpful. I understand why you wanted only her to help us," Olivia nodded.

"Yeah, she's very sweet," Fitz agreed. "Best customer service I've received in a while. I will _always_ go back to that store."

"For sure. We did good today, babe," she said.

"Yes we did. We are so productive every weekend. Aren't we?" he chuckled.

"We are! I'm so proud of us. You'll get your reward in a couple minutes," she smiled.

His face broke into a grin. "New fucking car!"

"New fucking car," she laughed.

So, to the dealership they went.

Fitz looked like a kid in a candy store, going to finalize things with his new car.

And holy shit, that car was sharp.

The whole thing had started off as him thinking about the Q5 or Q7. But then he saw the new Q8 and that was the end of the other two models. The Q8 won him over within two minutes. He'd test driven a Q8 that was the basic black model and he was sold.

But being Fitz, he wanted the things he wanted. The newest rims. The custom gray interior. Heated steering wheel, apparently?

This was the first time they were seeing his Q8 at the dealership. It was all black, with every little customization he'd asked for. It was _beautiful._

His eyes lit up when he first saw it, and then again when he got in to drive it home.

He touched all the new leather seats, and the LED lit up dash, the double touch screen display.

The look on his face said it all.

Olivia laughed, looking in at him. "Baby, I'm a little jealous of the way you're looking at this car right now," she teased.

He just continued to look around in awe. "This is...I don't...oh my god."

"Yeah?" she giggled.

"Yeah...holy mother of...fuck," he whispered.

"Holy mother of fuck that's a new one," she nodded quietly.

He brushed his fingers over the steering wheel, admiring it more.

"You ready to drive it, babe?" she laughed.

"YES."

"Okay," she said with a laugh. "I'll meet you at home!"

He tossed the keys to his Audi R7 to her and winked.

"Drive next to me."

"How come?" she asked, holding the keys.

"You? Driving a sports car? Oh good god, fuck me."

She put her hand over her mouth, laughing as she looked around the front of the parking lot with people friggin everywhere.

"Fitzgerald Thomas there are people here!" she giggled.

"Good. More people can see my hot fiancée driving a sports car then."

She rolled her eyes and gave him a little wave before she backed away from the window.

"Bye, cutie," he said, rolling up the window.

"Bye, mister," she replied, looking over her shoulder.

She walked over to where they'd parked when they got here and got into his car. It smelled like it always did. Just like Fitz.

No matter what. If they ate in it, if he changed the air freshener, if Arie was in there, it didn't matter. It always just smelled like him.

No complaints about that.

She'd moved his car a couple times at home, into the driveway or wherever it may be. But she'd never actually driven it somewhere for real.

She'd never needed to. She had her own car that she'd drive, and if they took his car anywhere, he'd drive.

Now here she was, pulling out of the dealership parking lot and out into the street. Fitz was right on her tail as they left, and damn that new car was sharp.

She glanced at it in her mirrors and was star struck herself, so she completely understood his early obsession with it.

However, as she continued to drive the R7, she realized it was hard to compare any other car to it. She liked it. A lot.

No wonder Fitz bought this car when he moved to New Haven. Even if it was due to "sad, lonely" decisions, as he called it. She understood, because damn.

Fitz seemed to agree because as he passed her slowly on the highway, he looked over and nodded at her like she was the most attractive thing he'd ever seen.

She smiled and winked at him, which made him chuckle.

And then he put his fingers up to his ear in the shape of a phone and mouthed "call me."

That had her dying of laughter as he sped past her, smiling to himself.

But she wasn't gonna let him win so easily. She was the one driving the sports car, after all, so she made it known. She stepped on the gas a little harder and caught up to him, then effortlessly passing him with a big smile on her face.

She could see him shaking his head and laughing in her mirror, which had her satisfied.

She won that race, beating him back to the apartment complex by a minute or so.

She pulled in next to her car and waited for him to come. And man, when he did, it was quite the show.

Shiny, sparkling new Audi Q8, rolling up to Paxton Hills and pulling in right in front of her in the empty space.

She heard a deep bass playing in his car, and got out to go meet him.

He rolled down his window and slid his aviator sunglasses down the bridge of his nose a little bit, eyeing her.

She had a hard time keeping her laughter in when she heard what bass was playing so loudly in his brand new car.

 **Gas Pedal.**

Between "gas pedal" being repeated over and over, and the way he was looking at her, she was in a fit of laughter.

"Excuse me, miss. You wanna take a ride with me?" he asked, smirking at her.

She eyed his perfectly done hair and his black leather jacket as he leaned his elbow against the open window, still holding his sunglasses away from his eyes a little bit.

All in a new luxury vehicle. Yeah, it was hard to deny how sexy that was.

"Hard to say no to that," she smirked, walking over to get in the passenger seat.

She got in, checking him out as he sat there.

"You look damn sexy in this car," she nodded.

"You look damn sexy in that one," he replied, eyeing his R7 in front of him.

"I'll have to drive it more often," she said, smiling at him.

He let out a dramatic breath, backing out of his spot. "I knew it was a good decision, keeping that car. The backseat'll have to be put to good use soon."

She laughed. "Will never say no to that. And what about this decision? You like it?" she asked, patting the dash.

"Oh man, I love it already. It's got so much more space. I can see better. It drives super smooth. It's beautiful. Whew. I love it."

"Good! Solid purchase then," she nodded.

"Mhm. Speaking of purchases...we're going to Cheshire."

"Cheshire? Oh fun! When?" she asked.

He looked over at her. "Right now."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, right...right now?!"

"Hell yeah. Gotta take this baby somewhere. Might as well take it there. We might live there later this year, you know," he replied.

"True! I've never actually been to Cheshire so I'm excited! Plus, I'm eager to see how house number one looks in person."

"Yeah we can drive by house one and house two, both are there in Cheshire," he said. "House number one is the dream, though."

"Yes it is, baby," she agreed.

They drove to Cheshire in his brand new car, and it was a pretty nice ride. She agreed that the new car was a good decision, just from that one ride. The sexy dad car had her vote.

He took a right into a nice looking neighborhood, and started driving down the road. She thought they were nice houses, until he took another turn.

Then they weren't houses anymore. They were mansions.

She'd seen the pictures online, obviously, but in person was a whole different story.

She gasped and grabbed Fitz's arm, which was in close proximity because his hand was on her thigh.

He looked over at her and then smiled. "Yeah?"

She nodded, admiring all the houses. All of which, were a decent ways away from each other in order to give a sense of privacy to each home. Not to mention, big ass yards for them all.

"Oh…baby," she whispered.

"Mhmm," he nodded.

"How did you know how to get here?" she asked.

"I didn't. I've just seen the neighborhood and I knew this street was…uh, you know…" he tried to explain.

"Where the fucking mansions began?" she exclaimed.

"Uh...yes," he chuckled. "I don't know how far down it is, though. Look for 421."

"It should be coming up," she said, seeing 414 on her right-hand side. They kept driving, until they reached what seemed like almost a dead end. So much space, and no houses in sight. But then she saw what looked like a garden, right in front of a brick driveway. Almost a little hidden.

"Holy…" she whispered.

"Oh…shit," he whispered, pulling up even further.

There was a little roundabout before a closed gated off driveway, all of gray brick. In the middle of the roundabout was a beautiful garden. He stopped in the roundabout, and they both looked over at the house way behind the gate.

"Oh my…" she began, putting her hand up to her mouth.

"Fuck," he added. "That's bigger than I thought."

"That's insane!" she exclaimed. "Fitz…oh my god."

"Do you like it?" he asked hopefully.

"I don't even…I don't know how to…I don't have words," she said, admiring the house. "It's so…grand."

"It's what you deserve," he said, grabbing her hand. "I want you to have everything."

She didn't know what to say. She hadn't even seen the inside in person yet and she still didn't know what to say. The first impression did it for her. Somehow, something inside of her knew. That was the house.

They could tour other houses, they could buy another house and probably be perfectly happy. But this was the one. She just knew.

"I love it, Fitz," she whispered.

"You really do?" he asked.

"I really do. When can we tour it?" she asked.

"Soon. Next week I think, is when we can start to," he said.

"Oh my god," she whispered.

He watched her, looking at the house. And he chuckled. "You were jealous of the way I was looking at this car. I'm jealous of the way you're looking at that house."

She laughed, turning back toward him. "It's beautiful. It has so many gardens. Like you want," she smiled.

"It does," he nodded with a big smile on his face. "It also has a pool, so you can swim again. And a wine cellar."

Her eyes widened. "A WINE CELLAR?"

"A wine cellar!"

"I didn't know that!" she exclaimed.

"I know. I never showed you that picture," he chuckled. "I was kind of waiting to surprise you with it and see a reaction similar to the one I just got."

"Oh my gosh! Yep. This is most definitely the house for us," she giggled.

"And 2.3 acres for Arie to run around on," he nodded.

"God damn that is…that's a lot of acres," she said, sighing.

"It is. It's a lot of house…if you don't like that, I understand," he nodded.

"It's a lot of house. But…I do like it. I really do. I never imagined living in a house like this, but…I'm really excited to maybe have the chance," she said.

"Me too," he agreed. "Wanna drive by the other one?"

"Yes," she nodded.

So they did. It was beautiful. Over one acre and also insanely large, in a neighborhood just down the road. But it didn't compare to the beauty of house number one. That was one was special from the moment they agreed they liked it online. And now that they'd seen the outside in person…whew.

They headed on home to go save their dog, who they knew was probably not having too much fun. She didn't even greet them at the door like she usually did. She just laid in her dog bed on the living room, looking sad.

"Oh, baby girl. Come here," Fitz said, scooping her up.

She was huge, almost full grown at this point. But Fitz picked her up gently, as not to make her uncomfortable, and brought her to their bedroom. They didn't always let her lay on their bed, just because they didn't want it to become a habit and she had her own bed. But she did love that bed, so he laid her down on it.

She licked his hand, almost in appreciation, and then laid her head back down sadly.

"I know you feel icky, baby. I'm sorry you do. But it had to be done," he said, petting her head.

"It did. No matter how beautiful they'd be, we can't handle you on top of a littler of puppies," she nodded. "And plus. Periods suck anyway. You're being saved a world of pain right now," Olivia said, starting to pet her back.

Fitz chuckled. "Yeah, periods suck. Even though momma barely has them."

"Yeah, that's because momma had to get on birth control _solely_ for the reason that her periods _sucked._ Now they're extremely short and very manageable. And not _painful!_ Go us!" she said, smiling at Arie.

Fitz nodded. "What she said! Dad can't relate."

"Nope. Dad has it easy," Olivia said.

"Except for when you step on my balls," Fitz said to Arie, petting her ears.

"Yes, except for then," Olivia laughed.

"She seems so sad," Fitz said with a frown.

"I know what will cheer her up," Olivia said. "Arie. Do you want a treat?"

Her ears instantly perked up, which made the two of them laugh.

"Okay. You stay right here and I'll go get you some fun things. Stay with dad."

She went out and put some peanut butter in Arie's Kong toy, like she loved. And grabbed her water bowl. She'd drank some that day, but not all of it and they wanted her to finish it.

She set them both down on the floor and helped her down so she could eat and drink. Having treats before dinner…what a spoiled dog!

Her excitement over the peanut butter made Olivia and Fitz feel better. She was still her normal self. Just tired and a little sore. And sad, because of that damn cone she had to wear.

It made it a little tough for her to eat and drink, but she managed. She just did everything a little slower.

Especially when they took her outside to go to the bathroom. She took forever sniffing around and finding a place to go, when normally she did it pretty fast. But, as they'd said, it needed to be done.

They waited until she was almost one year old for her to have the surgery, as the vet had recommended. Doing it too soon increased risks for disease, but they didn't want to wait too long, either. It was a risk in itself, to not have her fixed.

They had a laid back night, because Arie was tired and they had had a big day, themselves.

Olivia made them dinner, which was great. And later, Fitz took a quick shower while Olivia got Arie all ready for bed. She got one of her pills for pain, that the vet had given them just in case. She seemed to be doing better every day, so hopefully that was the last night they'd give her anything.

After Arie was all settled, Olivia walked into their bedroom, but stopped before she reached the bathroom door when she heard Fitz singing to himself after his shower.

It wasn't uncommon, it was fairly normal for him. But she always enjoyed hearing him sing so she stood there for a little bit, listening.

 **"** **Starin' at you,**

 **takin' off your makeup**

 **wonderin' why**

 **you even put it on**

 **I know you think you do,**

 **but baby you don't need it**

 **wish that you could see**

 **what I see, when it's gone."**

She smiled, thinking she had maybe heard the song before. Probably country, if she had to guess. It didn't sound like a pop song.

She pushed open the bathroom door a little bit, smiling in at him as he continued to sing quietly to himself, facing the other way as he hung up his towel.

All she saw was his muscular back flexing as he reached to hang it up. He wore a pair of gym shorts and no shirt. His hair was a curly, damp mess. And his voice was beautiful.

He turned around and came to the sink, still not seeing her in the doorway.

 **"** **Yeahhhh, to me**

 **you don't look a day over fast cars and freedom,**

 **that sunset, riverbank, first time feeelinnn'."**

She smiled, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed. "That's a beautiful song."

His head quickly turned, seeing her by the door. His cheeks turned a little pink as he scratched his head.

And he chuckled, shaking his head. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Since uh…'starin' at you, takin' off your makeup'," she said, recollecting the lyrics.

"The beginning of the song, awesome," he laughed.

"I loved it!" she shrugged.

"It's about you," he said.

She smirked. "Oh it is, huh?"

"Yes. To me, it is."

"What's it called?" she asked.

"Fast Cars and Freedom."

"Country?" she asked.

"Yes. Rascal Flatts."

"Ahhh. Aren't they that one country band that everyone says you should listen to if you're going through a breakup?"

"Hey!" he chuckled. "Perhaps, yes. They have some heartbreaking songs, actually. But they also have beautiful ones."

"Like that one," she nodded.

"Mhm. All of their songs are about you," he said, closing the gap between them.

"All of them?" she smiled.

"Yeah."

"Play some for me," she whispered.

"Right now?"

"Yes," she nodded.

He shrugged. "Okay."

He led her into the bedroom and searched them up on his Spotify, playing 'Fast Cars and Freedom'."

She did kind of like the song, actually. It was well written.

He let her scroll through their playlists, hitting the ones he said were good. They listened to 'Life is a Highway' of course, because that was a popular one. A few called 'Summer Nights', 'I Like the Sound of That', and then 'Bless the Broken Road', because Fitz said that one was most about her.

She listened to the lyrics closely.

 **I set out on a narrow way**

 **many years ago**

 **hoping I would find true love**

 **along the broken road**

 **but I got lost a time or two**

 **wiped my brow and kept pushing through**

 **I couldn't see how every sign**

 **pointed straight to you.**

Her jaw dropped, watching him listen to the song intently. "Holy shit."

He nodded, a slight smile covering his face. "Keep listening."

And she did. It was downright one of the most beautiful songs she had ever heard in her life.

God blessing the broken road that "led me straight to you."

Wow.

"Yeah," he nodded. "They're underrated."

"They really are," she nodded in agreement.

They played a few other ones, and she smiled as he sang along quietly to them. He knew a lot of them.

And then she clicked a different one called 'What Hurts The Most.' It was clearly a sad one, but it sounded beautiful when she played it.

"Ehh, I don't like this one. Pick a different one."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really? I kinda like it," she said. "It's pretty."

"Nah, it's…it's not a good one," he said.

Being her stubborn self, she refused to play a different one. She liked it!

He got quiet, as the song continued.

She hadn't really been paying attention to the lyrics until the chorus hit.

 **What hurts the most**

 **was being so close**

 **and havin' so much to say**

 **and watchin' you walk away**

 **and never knowing**

 **what could've been**

 **and not seein' that lovin' you**

 **is what I was tryin' to do.**

She understood why he didn't like it.

"Yeah, okay. We'll change that," she said, clicking on a different one.

"Thank you," he nodded.

"So that's what people meant by breakup song, I suppose."

"Yes. You're really never heard that one?"

"Nope."

"It's shitty. Music hits hard sometimes."

"Yes it does," she agreed. "I will never play that one again."

"You can," he chuckled. "It's alright. It's just not…a fun one to listen to. It's beautiful, like you said. Just…hard."

"Mhm. Let's go back to the other ones. How about the one talking about everyone feelin' sexy?"

He laughed. "Summer Nights."

"Yes! That should be on our wedding reception playlist, that's a fun one. And that's coming from me, a non-country-enthusiast!"

"It should!" he agreed.

"And I really loved that other one, too."

"The one I was singing?" he asked.

"Oh, well that one too. But the…bless the broken road one."

"Oh, yeah. One of their best," he nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

She smiled. "You gonna sing it to me?"

"For you, baby, anything."

"You're such a sweetheart," she whispered, leaning into his chest.

"You say that to me every day," he chuckled.

"And it's true every day," she replied.

"I try," he smiled.

She smiled back at him, laying her head down in his lap. "I'm sorry I played the breakup song."

"It's okay," he chuckled. "You played the better ones that made up for it."

"Yes, I'm glad you introduced me to even more country songs tonight," she nodded.

"Was that sarcasm?" he asked.

"No," she giggled. "I really did like them, for real."

"Good, I'm glad," he smiled.

Fitz's phone started ringing, so he grabbed it from the nightstand and looked at who was calling.

"Hey buddy!" he said.

Olivia instantly knew it was one of his friends.

"Yeah, man, yeah. I just wanted to make sure we had the right company. We liked your party bus," he said.

Ahh. Must have been Brett.

"Mhm. Yeah, well it's all set already, I just wanted to confirm with you before I officially sent in my deposit."

"Yep. Hotels are all set for around Chippanee."

"Niiice, buddy. Yeah, our whole floor is seriously you and the other guys, Liv's friends, and Liv's close family. The whole floor, man."

"Oh yeah, don't worry. There are cars that'll take people to and from Chippanee, if they want. We had to make sure of that."

Yeah, those had cost a fortune, Olivia thought. But that way people could drink and not have to worry about getting back to their hotels.

"Okay and you texted Cy so he has your number and all the guys'?"

"Alright good. Yeah I have no idea what Cy has planned but it should be something pretty laid back. That's what I told him."

"No, Brett. Tell Matt I am _not_ having strippers."

Olivia rolled her eyes and laughed.

"No, my dear fiancée is not having strippers, either."

Olivia shook her head in agreement.

"Well I think we're just gonna do our parties on the same night. Cy and Abby are thinking mid-June-ish."

"No, no. _Abby._ Not Ally. Jesus...no. Abby. Liv's maid of honor."

Olivia raised her eyebrows. Ally?

"Yeah man, we just drove by a couple today actually! There's one in particular we like. We'll know more when we tour."

"Yeah I'll let you and the guys know! We're excited. I also got my new car today."

"Yes, sir I did," Fitz chuckled. "It's extremely nice."

"Yeah this is how we roll, you know. Big decision after big decision."

"Thanks buddy."

"Is Mia there?"

His face dropped.

"Ah, no worries, say hi to her for me, Lauren too. And tell Mia that Livia and I are so excited for her to be our flower girl."

Olivia smiled and Fitz chuckled.

"Alright, man, will do. Thanks for the call. Yep. Bye."

He hung up the phone and tossed it behind him on the bed, sighing happily. "I caught Brett up on all our crazy life decisions."

"I heard," Olivia laughed. "So who's Ally?"

"Oh," Fitz said, scratching his head. "Ally. She's um...Allison, my ex-girlfriend."

"Oh," Olivia nodded. "I didn't connect the dots, my bad."

"Sorry about that. Allison's from Nevada so...she used to visit me when we both went home for the summer because we were within driving distance. So all my buddies knew her well, too. They, uh...hated her. That's why Brett flipped out when he thought I said Ally. I think that name scares them no matter what now," he chuckled.

Olivia raised her eyebrows. "They hated her? How come?"

"She just...she never wanted to do anything? I mean I'd invite her to cookouts and to go boating with us in the summer. And...she just wasn't about that kind of stuff. She was a very nice girl, just not into the same things as me. And that's totally okay too, but...yeah, they didn't like her for that because she kept me away from the them a lot. And this was during the summer, when I was supposed to be able to hang out with them more."

"Hmm," Olivia said. "That seems odd. Didn't like outdoorsy things or?"

"No, not really. I am extremely the opposite so," he chuckled. "I don't know. We dated for so long and yet...I think I knew the whole time that we never really clicked."

"Well yeah, baby, everyone knows why," Olivia laughed. "Allison was _not_ your type."

"My type?" he asked. "And how do you know?!"

"Because, sweetheart, I happen to be marrying you, and we've gone over this," she laughed. "You have a type, and it's called black women."

"Hmmm," he replied.

"I know this. _Everyone_ knows this. We know what your exes look like," she said with a laugh.

"Well...I just like to think that my type is _Olivia,"_ he shrugged.

"You're damn right it is. But here I am, a black woman," she said with a laugh.

"Yes," he chuckled. "But not everyone I've dated has been black. Allison wasn't."

"Yeah, Fitz and...you and her didn't click," Olivia nodded.

"Okay, no. No, we didn't," he agreed.

"Right. How about Grace?" Olivia asked with a smile, because she knew the answer.

"Okay...Grace was black, yes," he nodded.

"And were you at least a little more into Grace?" she asked.

He nodded slowly. "This is a strange question coming from my fiancée, but...I mean...yeah."

"I'm just asking the questions I know will help prove my point," she laughed. "How about the woman you dated shortly _before_ college for a little bit? I don't remember her name."

He paused, nodding.

"Kendra. Okay...I see the point you're making," he chuckled.

"Mmmhm," she nodded. "Everyone's got a type, Fitz. Obviously you don't always date someone who is your type but...when you have enough experience in dating, it's more likely to show."

"So you're telling me your type is _seriously_ dorky, goofy white dudes then?" he asked.

"Unfortunately," she nodded.

He scoffed. "Hey!"

She laughed. "Baby, I'm just teasing you, I love you to pieces. I haven't had much experience in the dating game. But yes. I _have_ noticed that...I tend to be more attracted to...you know."

"Yeah. Dorky, goofy white dudes!" he exclaimed.

"I was just going to say guys that are older than me, and white, yes," she laughed.

"Do you, or do you not, have a crush on 1990's Chandler Bing?" he asked, crossing his arms.

She started blushing, smiling a little bit. "Yes, I do."

"Hmm... _the_ dorkiest and _the_ goofiest of _all_ caucasian men," he said.

"I can't argue with that one," she agreed, laughing.

"And Justin Bieber? Total dork," he said.

She scoffed. "Hey now! Be nice!"

"What? I don't mean it as an insult. I'm proving your type like you proved mine. All the categories that I fall into," he shrugged.

"You're not _that_ dorky or goofy. You're mostly just sweet," she said.

"Don't lie to me, woman."

"I am not lying," she giggled. "A little bit goofy, yes. But only a little. I know you better than anyone else, don't underestimate me!"

"Alright, alright, that's true. You do," he agreed. "And same goes for me, by the way. Which is quite the feat for someone like me."

"What do you mean, someone like you?" she asked.

"Olivia, you are the only woman I get. I just...you're it, I understand you, and nobody else."

"What?" she giggled.

"You just...make sense to me! I don't know. No other woman has made sense to me like you do."

"Thank you," she smiled. "I think."

"No...thank _you_. For being you. A woman Fitz was made to understand."

"You're welcome?" she laughed. "Explain me."

"Explain you?"

"Yeah. Explain me to me."

He started listing off things on his fingers.

"Red wine, lemonade, popcorn, neck kisses, clit rubbing—"

She gasped, putting her hands up to her mouth. "Fitzgerald Thomas!"

"What?" he chuckled.

"That escalated so quickly," she laughed, leaning her head down on the bed.

"Oh, sorry, okay. I'll keep listing the nondirty things. Um, okay, tea, long hugs, heels, all things white—in clothing and in men—"

She laughed at that comment.

"Jewelry, Skittles, fluffy dogs, writing, reading, brightly colored underwear—"

"Okay, I believe you," she interrupted with a laugh.

"I was just getting started!" he exclaimed. "Those were just things you like. There's so much more to you."

"Oh yeah, like what?" she asked quietly, propping herself up on her elbow. She got ready to listen intently.

He did the same, scooting closer to her. "You're so smart."

"Well thank you," she smiled.

"Not just school smart. You…have been through so much. More than anyone your age should ever have to go through…all of which is pretty much my fault. So…maybe it's just even more visible to me, that you do everything with ease, and have such a good attitude about things. You're amazing. You're someone to admire."

She was kind of taken aback by all that. "Oh, sweetie. Thank you, but…please don't say that."

"Say what?" he asked.

"Well don't take _the blame_ for anything. There's nothing to take blame for," she said.

He shrugged. "Oh…well I just meant if it weren't for me, your life would have been a lot easier."

She frowned at him. "Baby, what the hell?"

He looked confused. "What? You can't say that's not true."

"Obviously both our lives probably would have been easier, yeah. But…who cares about easy?" she asked.

"Oh I agree with you, I didn't mean to be…no. I just was being honest about myself," he chuckled.

"You seem to be forgetting that I fucked a lot of shit up _myself,_ sweetie," she said with a laugh.

"Yeah so did I, though. We fucked shit up _together,"_ he said. "We're romantic that way."

She laughed, shaking her head at him. "I love you."

"Hey whaddya know? I love you too," he replied.

"Oh isn't that crazy?" she asked. "Funny how that works."

"Sometimes I think it is," he whispered, flipping over on his back. He looked contently up at the ceiling, resting his hands on his chest.

"Think it's what?" she asked.

"Funny. Crazy. Amazing. That you are the one in this world that loves me," he said softly.

She scooted closer to him, putting her hands on his. "I do, very much."

"I know," he whispered. "I'm so glad about that."

She smiled, laying her head down on his chest. "I think Rascal Flatts made you all soft and mushy again."

He chuckled quietly below her head. "Aren't I always?"

She nodded. "Yes, good point."

He rubbed the top of her hand with his thumb, letting out a quiet breath. "Don't you ever think about it? About how…we got so lucky to have met?"

"Every day," she nodded.

He looked over at her, pulling her onto his chest. "So hey," he whispered.

"Hey."

"You specifically like, um...brunettes with...with blue eyes, appearance wise. Right?"

She laughed. "Are you insecure about your white features now?"

"Well now I'm just curious about the, uh... _specificity_ of your white men type. Such interesting conversations, we've been having tonight."

"Well," she said, tracing light lines over his face. "I think blue eyes are beautiful."

He smiled so big.

"Yours specifically."

His smile got bigger, which made her smile too. So contagious.

"And I like brown hair. You know what's even more attractive?" she asked.

"What?" he asked curiously.

She leaned down and touched her lips to his ear. "If it's curly."

He gasped dramatically. " _My_ hair is curly!"

She laughed, leaning her head down on his chest again. "Mhm."

"I feel like a million bucks now," he announced.

"Fitz, I've literally told you _countless_ times how much I like your hair. _And_ your eyes, for that matter."

"Well...yeah, but now you've specified your type to me more clearly. I have now learned that your type is _me_. Your type is _Fitz,"_ he said proudly. Even if...Chandler Bing and Justin Bieber are close. I still win."

"Nobody compares to you, Fitz, you've _always_ won."

 _"Yes,"_ he said pumping his fist in the air. "Nobody compares to you either."

She smirked. _"Mmm_ hm. My crazy ass is one of a damn kind."

 _"Mmm_ hm," he replied sassily, mimicking her.

She laughed, smiling down at him.

"Kiss me," he whispered.

She leaned down and softly kissed his lips, pecking them a few times.

Until he lifted his head up and went back in for more.

They made out for a little while on the bed, letting their hands start to wander.

One thing led to another, as the clothes started to come off.

The bedroom filled with the sounds of whispers, and fast breathing. The occasional laugh and the sound of I love yous.

The sounds of a couple whose wedding was getting nearer.

Four months and counting.

* * *

Getting closer and closer!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and Fitz's "sexy dad car" Lol. You can see the new car on Twitter.

Next chapter will be a special one. A big event will take place in regards to Olivia's schooling...I'm sure y'all can take a guess as to what that may be.

Until then,

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	89. We Made It

Fitz watched all the tightly-sealed, fancy envelopes drop down into the mailbox at the post office.

And he smiled. Yet another thing checked off their list. Wedding invites were now sent out. Perfectly in line with Olivia's timeline.

It was a busy time for them. About a week from graduation. In the extremely chaotic period of wedding planning. In the midst of house negotiating. Many things planned for the upcoming weeks.

They'd gotten ahead of the game for a reason, so that this period of time would be less stressful.

But it still was, especially for Olivia. Thank god she was done with work now, because it gave her more time. But even still, it was only a matter of time before she had to return to her real job at the Hartford.

Her boss was lenient, and she'd been given a lot of time off for the wedding. But the wedding wasn't for a couple months yet, so she couldn't exactly take off the whole summer.

That's why Fitz was headed to Ashley's Ice Cream, one of their favorite ice cream places dating back to when they first started becoming involved. She deserved a little fun right now.

It was warm outside, in the middle of May, so a milkshake would hit the spot. Plus, who didn't love milkshakes? It was one of their things. He knew it would be a fun surprise for her. Ice cream decreased stress, right?

He ordered her strawberry milkshake, the flavor she loved, and a cookies 'n cream one for himself. His favorite flavor.

And he was careful not to spill in the cup holders of his new car. His "sexy dad car."

It was his baby. It still smelled like new car, and still looked perfect too. He was determined to keep it that way for as long as possible.

He drove home to Olivia, happy to maybe give her a little break from her stress. He walked in the door, a milkshake in each hand, and managed to set his keys down on the side table in the entryway before Arie came and attacked him with affection.

"Well hello there, baby girl. How are you? Did you miss me while I was gone? A whole...couple hours?" he chuckled.

She nuzzled up to his legs, so excited to see him and definitely smelling the milkshakes in his hands.

"I'm happy to see you too. I'm sorry, you can't have the ice cream though. These are for me and momma. Where is she? Is she sleeping?" he said, not seeing her up at the bar, where she'd been when he had left.

Arie could barely contain her excitement at the mention of "momma."

"Okay, okay," Fitz chuckled, shuffling along. "Let's go find momma."

Arie took off down the hall, straight to their bedroom, which Fitz chuckled at. Such a smart dog.

There was music playing in the bedroom, which made him smile. Hopefully she was at least making the most of her time and having some fun. Maybe she was FaceTiming her friends or her mom too, as she often did when planning.

But when he walked into the bedroom with a big smile on his face, he didn't see her having any fun, or FaceTiming anyone. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, with her face in her hands, oblivious to the fact that he was even there because she hadn't seen Arie leave and the music was too loud for her to hear him.

"Livvie?" he asked loudly.

She jumped at the sound of his voice above the music, looking at him and wiping her eyes.

"Oh, hey sweetie," she greeted, trying to look as normal as possible.

"What's wrong?" he asked, walking over there immediately.

"Oh nothing," she said, waving it away.

He set the milkshakes down on her nightstand and sat by her. Her eyes were red and her nose was runny.

"Something's wrong. Please tell me, Olivia," he said softly.

"I'm okay," she said, but her voice was already becoming shaky.

He looked at her sadly as she tried not to cry. But her bottom lip quivered and a tear rolled down her cheek as she looked away from him, almost embarrassed.

"Come here," he said, pulling her into his lap.

Then the tears fell harder and she climbed onto his lap, wrapping herself around him.

She cried into his shoulder, and he just held her there, reaching for her phone so he could turn the music off.

Arie sat in front of them on the floor, wondering what the heck was going on. She knew something was wrong. No longer excited and sniffing around. Just curious and calm.

He held on so tight, as if that would make the tears go away. He knew it wouldn't. But he also knew she just wanted to feel comforted. Big, long hugs helped.

"What's wrong, baby," he whispered, rubbing her back.

She sniffed a few times against his shirt, taking slow, deep breaths.

"It's just so much, Fitz."

"With everything that's going on?" he asked.

She nodded against his shoulder.

"I know it is," he nodded, kissing the side of her face. "But you're so amazing. Doing everything that you do. I've never seen anyone work as hard as you do."

"I just need it all to stop for a second," she whimpered. "I feel like I'm going insane, I just need...I just need a minute."

"We'll take a minute then, okay?" he asked.

"Okay," she whispered.

He rubbed her back, leaning his head down into her shoulder. The wonderful scent of lavender surrounded him as she snuggled into him, just wanting to be hugged.

They sat like that for a while, completely ignoring everything else. Arie left the room, going to do god knows what. And those milkshakes were gonna have to wait a little bit, apparently.

He finally pulled back and wiped her cheeks, which were wet from tears. She seemed a little bit better now, so he spoke up.

"You don't need to push yourself to the breaking point every day, okay?" he whispered. "We've got more than enough time. We're doing perfectly. And you're not alone, I'm here. Your parents are here. Your friends are here. We've all got you."

"I know," she nodded quietly.

"Everything's gonna be okay. I know it's stressful. I'm stressed too. But it'll all be okay. And it'll all be worth it."

"I know it will," she nodded, plastering a soft smile across her face. "I don't mean to be this way. I just need a break for a little while, I think, and I'll be okay," she whispered.

"Yes you will. And you know why that's perfect? Because I just got you this milkshake from Ashley's. Strawberry, your favorite. Take a nice, long break," he said, reaching for it and handing it to her.

"Thank you," she smiled, wiping her face as she took the milkshake.

"You're so welcome," he nodded, watching her take a sip.

"Sorry about this," she said. "I was supposed to have my mental breakdown all done and over with by the time you got home."

He put his hand up to his face, sighing. "Baby, oh my goodness."

"I didn't want you to see," she replied.

He gave her a sad look. "I'm sorry this is so stressful for you. I know there are always a lot of things going on for us. When this summer's over, everything will be a lot better. We just have to make it there."

"I know. I want to enjoy everything we have coming up. Graduation, the wedding, moving into our house. I am so excited for all of those things, more so than I can even explain. Just…sometime's things are stressful before they turn exciting. Which, you know too."

"I do," he nodded.

"We signed up for this. _I_ signed up for this. Doing…all of this around the same time, I knew it would come. I guess nothing can really ever prepare you for these things," she laughed.

"Nothing can," he agreed. "But you know what?"

"What?"

"In a couple months…we'll get our reward. Because we'll be celebrating with our family and friends at our wedding reception. And _then_ we'll be going on a big ass boat. The biggest boat I've ever seen. And we can drink and lay in the sun, we can…drink more. We can fool around," he whispered, kissing her cheek.

She giggled, nodding at him.

"We can swim, we can eat. We can sleep. And _allll_ the stressful things will be over. Well…besides moving into our house. But that's just a lot of work, that's not as stressful. By then, everything will be finalized for the house _and_ this apartment, at least."

"Very true," she agreed. "I can't wait for that."

"Me neither," he replied. "But enjoy every minute we have until then. Don't cry. It hurts me when you do," he said, kissing her cheeks all over, as if to make the tears go away.

"No more crying, sorry," she nodded, clearing her throat. "I'm all good now."

"Good," he said. "But you know, for what it's worth, I am extremely impressed that it has taken you until now to...have a little trouble."

"You could have just said bawled my eyes out, we were both thinking it," she laughed. "But you know what, thank you. I think I'm impressed too. Go me, I guess."

"Go you, is right. It is not easy planning a wedding, graduating from college, and buying a house all at once, you know," he said, smiling at her. "Not exactly the norm."

She sighed, putting her milkshake down. "We are crazy, Fitzgerald Grant."

He shrugged, as if debating. And then he nodded. "Yes."

"All our adventures," she whispered, laying her head on his shoulder again.

"Mhm," he nodded, resting his chin on her shoulder too. "I think we could add a few of them to that adventure book you gave me for Christmas a couple years ago."

"Probably so," she giggled. "Damn, that book took me forever to make."

"I know it did. But handmade gifts are the best!"

"Oh I know. You _are_ the one who wanted me to make your wedding band out of paper mache or pipe cleaners," she laughed.

He chuckled into her shoulder. "Yeah I did say that, didn't I. Well I would have been very open to that idea, then you wouldn't have had to work so you could buy me a fancy schmancy one. But...I do really love that one."

"I hope so," she nodded. "It's very nice."

"Should we look at them again?" he whispered.

"Yes," she whispered back.

"Hold on," he said, leaning forward to open her nightstand drawer. She laughed, holding onto him tight so she wouldn't fall off his lap.

"Here they are," he said, holding the two velvet boxes in his hand.

She opened them and they looked at them. So beautiful.

And on the inside of Fitz's, read:

 **Forever Your Favorite**

in a pretty font. Just for him.

"Well, they look the same as the last time we looked at them," he chuckled.

"When was that? Last week?" she asked

"Probably," he laughed.

"Until next week, then," she giggled, closing them and reaching over to put them away.

He sighed happily, looking at her again. Her tears gone, the Olivia smile back on her face again. What he loved to see.

"You are going to be the most beautiful bride."

She looked down, her smile growing bigger, clearly very flattered. "Thank you."

"Mhm," he smiled.

"You will be the most handsome groom."

"Well, thank you. So speaking of me," he began.

She laughed again at him, shaking her head.

"The groom just sent out the wedding invites. They are _officially_ en route," he informed her.

"Ahhh, well good job groom!" she said.

"Thank you, thank you, I try. I finished all of my wedding errands today, actually. And ran into Logan in the lobby on my way out, who said he's been working on a… _'fire'_ playlist for our party bus. So…we're really just making tons of progress as usual."

"Oh good," Olivia laughed. "I'm sure Logan's playlist will be very…fire. And, knowing Logan, probably very explicit."

"Oh yeah, hands down. Good thing there will be no children near," he chuckled.

"Just friends, thank god. That will be fun," she said.

"It will. I'm glad Brett gave us the idea," he nodded. "I fully expect you to dirty dance with me, just a heads up."

"Dirty dance with you, or…on you?" she smirked.

He closed his eyes, inhaling sharply. "All of the above."

She laughed, smiling at him. "Knowing all our friends…I will not be surprised if everyone in that bus is dirty dancing."

"Oh yeah. But maybe not…Teagan and Huck?" Fitz questioned.

"Hmm, yeah maybe not them. They're so cute and innocent. You never know though. Teagan, in particular, can…surprise you," Olivia laughed.

"You certainly did at Brett's wedding," he nodded. "You were just my sweet, little Livvie. And then you were…grinding on me and…and rubbing up on me and...touching me and…whew."

"So I'm not your sweet little Livvie anymore?!" she exclaimed.

"No, no, you are," he chuckled. "But you were sort of shy in front of my friends at first. I assumed it was because you had just met them and you were by far the youngest of the group. And then all of a sudden… _all_ eyes were on you. I mean…more so than usual. Because of what you were doing to me. Because you're so fucking hot."

"That's my line!" she giggled.

"Uh-huh and I stole it," he smiled.

"Well I'm glad you liked my party bus dancing. And that you still think of me as your sweet, little Livvie. Because I am, of course, the sweetest and the littlest," she joked.

"Of course," he nodded. "Extremely little and sweet."

"But fierce," she pointed out. _"Though she be but little, she is fierce."_

"Shakespeare, huh?" he chuckled.

"Mhm, can you name the play?"

"'A Midsummer Night's Dream'," he nodded.

"Mmmm," she replied, leaning in to kiss his neck. "That was kind of hot that you knew that."

"Oh was it?" he asked, lifting up his chin so she could kiss him easier. "Alright, well I've got some more for you then."

"Hmm?" she murmured against his skin.

 _"_ _Hear my soul speak: of the very instant that I saw you, did my heart fly to your service."_

She pulled away from his neck, looking at him in awe. "Did you just quote 'The Tempest'?"

"Act three, scene one," he nodded, pulling her back in. She sat there with her jaw wide open as he kissed her neck, still wondering what on earth had just occurred.

He peered up at her and smiled, seeing the amazed look on her face

 _"I would not wish any companion in the world but you,"_ he said in a low voice against her skin.

Her jaw dropped further as he continued kissing her, holding her tightly against her body. "How…what in the?"

 _"_ _My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite,"_ he added, running his hands down her chest.

She was in utter disbelief as he held her tight against his body so he could turn around and flip them over on the bed. "That was Romeo and Juliet," he whispered, nipping at her skin.

"Okay, stop for a second and please explain to me how on earth you're doing this right now," she said, putting her hand over his mouth so he would stop kissing her.

He pulled back, chuckling against her palm. He murmured something against it, which she didn't understand.

"Oh. Right," she laughed, taking her hand away.

"Didn't you have to memorize a shit ton of Shakespeare in high school?" he asked.

"Well…yeah, I had to memorize Juliet's balcony monologue. But…in _high school!_ I don't remember that. You're 39, how on earth do _you_ remember?!"

"Ahh, the balcony monologue," he nodded, completely ignoring her question. "See I also had to memorize Romeo's half of that when he's looking up at her. You know, _But soft! What light through yonder window breaks—"_

 _"_ _It is the east, and Juliet is the sun_ , yeah," she said.

"See, you remember!" he nodded.

"Yeah, a few lines here and there!" she giggled. "Not…all these lines from all these different plays like you!"

"Oh, I know some from 'Othello' too. _I humbly do beseech you of your pardon_

 _For too much loving you,"_ he nodded, leaning back down to kiss her again. "You know what that means?"

"What?" she giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"It means I beg your pardon for loving you so fucking much," he said, reaching down to undo her belt. "Oh...she's wearing a belt today, mm."

"For loving me so fucking much? That's what Shakespeare intended, huh?" she asked, ignoring the belt comment.

"Basically," he nodded, yanking her jeans down. She lifted up each leg one by one, so he could take them off.

She shook her head, looking down at him as he dropped her jeans to the floor now and his fingers then found his own belt.

"You are so hot in…the oddest ways, sometimes," she noted.

"Thank you," he replied, pushing his pants down.

He length came free from his pants as he pulled them off, and she licked her lips, eyeing him.

Well this had escalated fast.

"If you weren't aware, I think we're going to have sex now," he said.

"Yeah, I gathered," she laughed. "Why is your shirt still on?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Alright, noted," he chuckled.

He grabbed the bottom of his shirt and stripped it over his head, tossing it aside. And then he took hers off, too, so that they were fully naked.

He pushed her legs open and guided himself toward her core, pushing in ever so slowly.

He bit his lip, watching the slow movement. Just the tip, which made him tense up.

He licked his fingers and started rubbing her, getting her a little more wet for him. And then he eased in all the way very slowly.

"Oh," she gasped, clutching the sheets. He braced himself against the bed with his elbows, lingering inside her for a moment while she continued to adjust to him. Her walls clung to him so wonderfully, so tightly. He needed a minute as she did.

And then he started rolling his hips. Slowly, in a nice rhythm.

He leaned his forehead down against hers, connecting their lips in a brief kiss. "I just…managed to…seduce you with Shakespeare," he whispered. "That was a new one."

She laughed quietly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You would have seduced me…anyway."

He started picking up his pace, leaning his head down by her shoulder. "Oh come on—you know…the Shakespeare was sexy, though."

"Not _that_ sexy," she lied. "Totally…not that sexy."

He touched his lips to her ear, pulling on it a little with his lips. _"The lady doth protest too much, methinks."_

She opened her mouth in awe once again and laughed, hugging him tighter. "Oh my god, Fitz."

"Hamlet, by the way," he informed her, kissing down her neck.

"I know," she laughed. "And you're right. I lied. It was—pretty hot."

He smiled against her skin, reaching between their bodies to rub her clit.

She gasped and opened her legs more, leaning her head back on the bed.

"Here, sit up with me, baby—sit up," he whispered, pulling out momentarily.

He sat back and watched her eagerly climb back on his lap, sinking down on top of him again desperately.

He moaned, gripping her hips hard. "Fuck—"

He thrust upward as she rode him, getting deep. The look on her face said it all to him. He pressed her against him, pushing so deep inside of her that she whimpered, collapsing her head on his shoulder.

He took a nipple in his mouth, lazily swirling his tongue around it. Enjoying the way it made her body jerk a little bit. Enjoying the way it made her breathing just a little bit faster.

He tried to hold off his orgasm as long as he could but the switch in positions about did him in. "Liv—I'm gonna come," he panted, knowing she wasn't quite there yet.

"Come," she pleaded, picking up her already fast pace.

He took in shaky breaths, leaning back on the bed on his palms. Just watching her.

His lips parted slightly, watching her move back and forth on him like that was the only thing in the world she wanted to be doing.

His eyes about rolled back in his head, feeling her clench around him. She felt so god damn good and she was going so fast, dripping wet around him. It was too much.

"Olivia," he moaned, leaning forward to grip her thigh. He emptied himself inside her, watching her keep rolling her hips until he had finished.

And she smiled, slowly pulling herself off of him as he leaned back on the bed, dead tired.

She collapsed next to him, panting hard.

He reached over and slid his fingers down her body, until he felt her entrance. And slipped them inside.

She gasped, clutching his arm as he pumped his fingers in and out of her to get her there too.

She was already dripping wet herself. But even more so after he'd just finished inside her. Which, he wasn't complaining about. It made his fingers slide in and out with such ease.

He didn't even have to look. He curled his fingers and hit that spot, over and over again, closing his eyes as he came down from his own orgasm.

She held onto his arm so tight, he could feel the marks being left on his skin from her nails. Probably quite similar to the ones she'd left on his back a few nights ago.

"Come for me Liv," he whispered, flicking her clit with his thumb now too.

He opened his eyes and looked over at her, spread so wide for him. Holding onto him so tight and squeezing her eyes shut because she was so, so close.

"Fitz," she whimpered.

"Yes, baby," he nodded, moving closer to her.

Her legs shook as she reached her climax, the moans and the unsteady breathing at an all-time high.

He felt her come, and kept plunging his fingers inside of her until he didn't feel it anymore.

And she just laid there, legs still open, exhausted.

He slowly pulled his fingers out, dripping wet from her cum _and_ his. Nice.

And he surveyed the sheets, widening his eyes at how wet they were in multiple spots. Looked like this was one of those times the sheets needed to be washed.

"That was fun," he whispered, laying back again.

"Oh my god," she replied.

"Oh yeah?" he asked.

"Yeah," she nodded, which made him chuckle. "Your turn to wash the sheets."

"Noooo!" he groaned. "I washed them last time you got 'em messy."

"Me?! I didn't do it, that was you!" she exclaimed.

"Oh yeah, hot shot, why don't you take a look way down below then," he said.

She lifted her head up and looked between her legs, seeing the wet spot. "Oh fuck."

"Mmmhm," he said sassily.

"Okay well this is _this_ time. I'm talking last time, that was all you. You know, when you—all over me—yeah, you remember," she pointed out.

"I don't care if it was all me, _this_ time is your turn because I still washed them last time," he shrugged. "See how this works."

"No!" she said.

"Alright well I guess I just don't have to make sure you come every time," he shrugged, looking over at her. "Saves mess."

She opened her mouth in awe, looking over at him. "You wouldn't _dare."_

"You're right, that would be tragic," he nodded.

"It _would_ be tragic!" she exclaimed. "I'll wash them, I'll wash them."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Wow just the mention of not making you come...I can use that for a lotttt of things now."

"Oh whatever, like you'd even last at that," she replied. "You're too devoted to pleasing me for that to work."

He sighed, nodding. "Yeah you're probably right. I wouldn't last at that. I love making you come," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her neck.

He trailed kisses down the side of her neck and to the front of her chest, spending extra time on her breasts.

"Mmm," she giggled, running her fingers through his hair.

Their sweet moment was interrupted by their dog, coming back into the bedroom and then jumping up on the bed next to them.

"Ahh! Arie!" Olivia exclaimed, surprised at her sudden decision to join them.

She came and excitedly sniffed their faces, giving them both kisses. In all their naked glory.

Fitz looked at her in awe, shaking his head. "What the—Arie, what did we say about the bed? Get down please."

She wagged her tail, almost knowing she was doing something she shouldn't. Testing him.

"Arie," Fitz warned. "Down."

She let out a big huff and slowly walked back to the edge, jumping down. But then she sat right there by the edge, looking up at them.

Olivia couldn't help but laugh at her. "She always seems to catch us naked, I swear."

"Well as a puppy she did used to bark whenever we stopped fooling around. Kind of a perv, I think," he nodded.

Olivia laughed at that. "I agree. Arie, you're not supposed to be a perv anymore, you're fixed for a reason!"

She tilted her head.

Fitz laughed. "I don't think she agrees with that."

"Ohhh Arie," Olivia sighed, shaking her head.

"You wanna take a shower? I feel I'm in need of one now," he said. "Our delicious milkshakes are gonna have to wait longer."

"Yeah, sounds good," Olivia nodded.

They both got up, which got Arie excited, thinking they were going to play.

"We'll be out in a second, okay, baby girl?" Fitz asked.

"I'll put the sheets in," Olivia said, starting to strip the bed.

"Okay," Fitz replied. Arie eyed him curiously.

"Arie, we've discussed you staring at me when I'm naked."

Arie tilted her head again.

"You just gotta learn to roll with it," Olivia shrugged, walking out of the room with the sheets.

He watched her walk away, completely naked. "Babe, did you just—"

He shrugged and nodded. "That's my girl," he chuckled. Arie wagged her tail, looking up at him and waiting for something fun. A treat maybe. Playtime. _Something._

"Yes, you're my other girl. Yes you are, I love you very much," he said, scratching her ears. "Mmkay, but I'm naked so this is weird, I'm gonna go in the bathroom, alright? I'll give you lots of love after. When I'm clothed."

"Babe, I'll be in the bathroom," he yelled.

"Kay."

He started the water for them and waited until she could join him. And they took a nice, refreshing shower together.

Arie received lots of love, afterward, of course.

Olivia had fun watching Fitz play with her on the living room floor. Wearing a pair of gym shorts and a T-shirt. Wet, unstyled curls, occasionally getting in his face. Playing tug of war with their dog. Giving her a nice big peanut butter treat.

It was a good day, and later, a good night. She definitely felt better than she had earlier after her long break away from planning.

But their busy schedules returned that weekend, when Olivia's big day neared. Her parents came to stay on that Friday night, so that they wouldn't have to make the long drive so early on Saturday morning. Plus, they had to get back home for a party on Sunday, so they couldn't stay on Saturday.

Olivia and Fitz had their graduation rehearsal the night before, and it was then that they announced the commencement would be outside, based on the weather. They had to wait long enough to announce, just to make sure it wouldn't rain.

And as predicted, Saturday was absolutely beautiful. Sunny and 70 degrees. Just perfect for graduation.

The morning was a blur for all of them. Fitz and Olivia were particularly busy, getting ready and making sure they were there on time. Which, was an hour and a half early.

Olivia had to gather at the courtyards with the rest of the graduating seniors, while Fitz had to meet the rest of the faculty at Connecticut Hall, in the middle of Old Campus where commencement took place.

Fitz dropped her off at the courtyards, wearing all her regalia. Fitz, on the other hand, hadn't put his on yet because he kind of despised it. He'd put it on closer to commencement time.

Normally, graduation was just a Saturday morning out of his May. A quick hour and 15-minute commencement, and he could go home. Not much of a big deal, just a good way to see off all his senior students for the last time.

But this time was obviously much different, with Olivia graduating. The person he loved most in the world. It was much more of an event to him this year. A much bigger deal. And man, he was so proud.

He pulled his car up to the curb, getting out with her to give her a quick hug.

They were right next to the courtyard, where many students were already gathered.

He walked around, pulling her in for a big hug. "Good luck, baby," he whispered, holding her tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered back. "I'll meet you after?"

"Yes you will. I'll find you."

"Okay," she smiled. "See you in a couple hours!"

"See you then. You look so beautiful," he said, pecking her lips.

"Thank you. You look very handsome too. All dressed up," she said, fixing his tie.

He chuckled. "Oh, I know. Tie and everything."

"Very sharp. Okay. I have to go," she said, giving him one last kiss.

He could tell she was a bit stressed, just wanting to make sure she was on time and ready.

"Okay, go find your friends. Bye," he waved.

She waved back and headed towards the courtyard to find her friends.

It was pretty crazy, huddled up with her friends in the courtyard. All wearing their caps and gowns. All about to finish a big chapter of their lives.

They had all grown so much together. And now they were here, ready to walk the stage together.

Eventually the time came, to line up and get ready to walk to Old Campus as a big group, and head toward their chairs while the iconic "Pomp and Circumstance" played in the background.

Sitting in the big open old campus, listening to the Dean of Yale over the microphone was certainly an experience. It was a little nerve-wracking. But so exciting.

Even from her place near the back of the alphabet, she could see the faculty members seating way ahead of her. All in their caps too. She couldn't wait to see Fitz after.

And as time went on, names began to be called. Names went fairly fast, because there were many students to get to. So for time's sake, just their names, degrees, and distinctions, if any, were listed.

So gradually, students were called in front of her. And every time one of her friends crossed the stage to accept their diploma, she smiled brightly. The only friends that remained after her, would be Abby and Harrison, as their last names started with 'W'."

She watched the number of them go down one by one, until it was her row having to get up and go stand in line by the stage.

She felt the butterflies as she walked with her row, all in order with their name cards in hand.

The line passed the faculty section, and she briefly scanned it to see if she could see her fiancé. And she caught his eyes just as she was about to turn away.

He was smiling so big at her, looking so incredibly proud. She flashed him a big smile as she continued to move up the line with the rest of the students.

One by one she got closer and closer to the stage. Until she handed her name card off to a speaker. Moments later, it was her big moment.

 **Olivia Pope, bachelor's in Political Science. Summa Cum Laude.**

She walked across the stage, shaking the Dean's hand as well as the President of Yale's, and receiving her diploma.

And then she switched that tassel on her cap from the right, to the left.

From then on out, she couldn't stop smiling. She went back to her seat, waiting for the rest of the students to receive their diplomas too. Until the commencement ended, and the music started to play again.

And all their caps went flying.

She happily tossed her cap into the air, watching hundreds of them do the same as they all yelled and screamed in unison.

Goosebumps covered her skin as she looked at the celebration around her. Friends hugging each other. Some looking into the crowd for people they knew. The family members already spilling out onto the grass to find their special graduate.

It was so chaotic, but she started heading toward the front of campus without a second thought.

Because that's where the faculty was.

She sifted through the students, all of them so happy. Many of them crying.

She looked for anyone she knew as she made her way to the front. And luckily enough, she heard a familiar voice.

"Hey dumbass, quit walking so fast!"

She smiled, turning around to see the tall redhead making her way closer from behind.

Olivia ran back to her, and they both pulled each other in for a big embrace. "Hey dumbass," Olivia giggled.

"Congrats to you!" Abby exclaimed.

"And to you!" Olivia replied.

"Abby, Liv!" Harrison yelled.

They looked around to find where his voice had come from. And then they saw him coming from their left, with two of their pals holding hands close behind. Huck and Teagan, looking so happy.

"Hey!" Abby and Olivia said, pulling them all in for hugs and congratulations.

"Where's Quinn?" Olivia asked. "She was near me for seating but I never saw her."

"I'm here!" Quinn yelled, pulling Charlie along behind her.

"Hey!" they all yelled, pulling the couple into their group.

"We all managed to find each other. I'm so happy!" Abby exclaimed.

"There you are!" a voice exclaimed.

They all turned to see David with a huge smile on his face, trying to get to Abby.

Abby gasped, running towards him eagerly in a hug. "So happy for you, sweetheart," he said, giving her a big kiss.

"Hey, you two, come back and let's take some pictures!" Quinn exclaimed.

"Oh, yes please!" Teagan nodded.

"Oh, yes that's a good idea! Does everyone still have their caps? Or... _a_ cap?" Abby asked with a laugh.

They all held them up and nodded. Good for pictures!

Olivia was only half paying attention to her friends at that point, just trying to keep her eye out for Fitz or her parents. She didn't want to make her friends wait for pictures. But she still had to keep her eye out.

"Okay, okay, do we have everyone?" Huck asked, glancing at them before they started taking pictures.

"Wait, what about prof? Is he comin'?" Harrison asked.

"Livvie!"

All their heads turned at the nickname, seeing him walking toward them in all his regalia, with his cap in his hand.

Her eyes lit up and she smiled, starting to run toward him.

"Found him," Charlie chuckled.

"Yeah, hold off on the pictures. They may be a minute," Abby laughed.

Olivia ran as best she could in her wedge heels, jumping into his open arms. He spun her around, chuckling into her shoulder.

"Oh, Olivia. I'm so proud of you. Congratulations, baby," he said.

"Thank you!" she replied, hugging him so tight.

"God, I am just...I'm over the moon right now. So... _so_ proud of you," repeated, pulling back to look at her.

She leaned in, giving him a nice big kiss.

For two full years, they hid. They were nonexistent, because of what they were. Professor and student.

But now, here they were. Embracing and showing their affection in front of the whole senior class, and faculty. Very clearly, a professor and a student, based on their different forms of regalia.

Olivia with a cap and gown, a sash and a cord, to commemorate her honors and Summa Cum Laude distinction.

And Fitz with a much more formal style of cap and gown. It looked very similar to almost every faculty member, as most of them had similar degrees. A blue hood, that represented his Master's degree. And the purple panels on his sleeves, that represented his Juris Doctor degree.

A few whistles interrupted their kisses, all of which came from her friends, of course.

He chuckled against her lips. "I think we have an audience."

"Oh probably," she nodded, looking around.

Yeah, there were plenty of people looking at them. But she didn't care.

And then there were her friends, whooping and hollering at them, telling them to come over there.

"We should go," she laughed, as he set her down.

"Okay," he nodded, grabbing her hand.

They walked over to the big group, hand in hand, to all her friends cheering.

"Prof! Look at _you,"_ Harrison said, giving his arm a pat as he looked him over.

"You're lookin' very intelligent today," Charlie nodded, looking at all his distinctions.

"Well thank you, that's very nice of you to say," Fitz laughed.

"Yeah, you two are an extremely decorated couple," Abby noted.

"Thank you! And congrats, you guys. I'm so happy for all of you!" Fitz said.

They all thanked him happily, gathering in on one big group hug, of sorts.

"Alright everyone, put on your caps. We're takin' a badass group picture," Abby announced.

Olivia looked at Fitz as she put her cap back on, making sure he said it looked good. She'd done her hair all up for the big day. Loose curls, like she used to wear all the time. She had a fair amount of makeup on too, way more than she normally would.

Everyone knew she looked damn good, as did the rest of the friend group.

"Alright, everyone got 'em on? What the—pretty boy!"

"What?" Fitz asked innocently.

"You too, put that cap back on!" Abby exclaimed.

"Aww, really? Me too?" he asked.

"Yes! Especially you, you weirdo. Put it on!" Abby said.

"Okay, okay," he nodded, running his fingers through his hair before he put it on.

"Just wait, guys, just wait. Grant can't be messin' up... _the hair_ ," Charlie said dramatically.

"Ohhhh. _The hair_ , yeah," Harrison nodded.

"Bow down to _the hair_ ," Quinn said, Bowing slightly, which had everyone laughing.

"I'm going to kill you all," Fitz chuckled, putting his cap on.

"He takes pride in his hair, leave him alone," Olivia laughed.

"Alright, alright, the hair and the cap look good. Let's do this shit," Harrison said.

So they took lots and lots of pictures. Group ones, smaller ones, two-person ones, all types of combinations.

They all took pictures kissing their significant other, with their faces shielded by one of their graduation caps. A classic, of course.

The only one that didn't get to take one of those pictures was Harrison, who didn't appear to mind. He seemed to have fun taking pictures with his friends, and a bunch of other girls that many of them had never seen before.

He was quite the charmer apparently.

"Oh, baby, there you are!"

Olivia's head instantly turned, because she recognized the voice.

The smile spread across her face again as she saw her mother and father, walking up to their group of picture-taking friends.

"Mom, dad," she said, walking toward them.

They both pulled her in for a hug, wrapping their arms around her. And her mother cried.

"So proud of you, kiddo. Your mother videod the whole thing," Eli said, patting her back.

"So proud," Maya nodded, wiping at her face.

Olivia smiled, leaning her head into her mom's chest. "Oh, mom. You're gonna make me cry, too."

She laughed, smiling down at her daughter. "Summa Cum Laude. Just...incredible."

"Not too shabby," her father teased.

"Thank you both," Olivia laughed. "Just wanna make you proud," she said, feeling the tears well up in her eyes. Because it had always been what she'd wanted. Just to make them so proud that she was their daughter.

"You do. Every day," Maya nodded, leaning in for another hug, kissing her temple.

"More than you know, Olivia," her father agreed.

Olivia smiled and wiped under her eyes, sniffling a little bit.

"Oh, Fitz," Maya said, waving him toward them.

He was standing back by her friends, not wanting to interrupt their moment.

He smiled and came in to hug Maya and give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Don't you look dashing in all your attire," she said, holding his arms as she pulled back to look at him.

"Thank you," he chuckled.

"Eli," he smiled, sticking his hand out for a handshake.

"Fitz," Eli said, patting his arm as he shook his hand. "So what's everything mean?" he asked, pointing to his decor.

"Oh, uh...Master's," he said, tugging on the hood that hung over his shoulders. "And J.D.," he added, pointing to the panels on his sleeves.

"Ahh, very impressive," Eli nodded.

"And you get a fancy hat too," Maya pointed out. "With a tassel and everything."

"Best part of it all, I think," he chuckled, touching the tassel that hung on the left side of his cap.

"I think he looks extremely handsome," Olivia noted, linking her arm with his.

"And you look beautiful," he said, kissing the side of her head.

"Hey, do you all want some pictures?" Teagan asked.

"Oh, that would be wonderful, thank you!" Maya nodded.

"Here, Liv, you have your phone? I'll take some," Teagan said.

"Oh perfect, thanks, Teagan," Olivia said, fishing her phone out of her dress pocket through her gown.

Dresses with pockets. Man, what an invention.

"Oh, Teagan?" Maya asked, making the connection. "It's nice to officially meet you after all our phone...group chatting, or...whatever!"

"You as well!" Teagan said, reaching forward to shake both her parents' hands.

"Our daughter's engagement photos are quite amazing, I must admit. You have a gift," Maya smiled.

"Indeed," Eli agreed. "They are very beautiful."

"Oh thank you," Teagan blushed. "They were by far my favorite session I've done. These two are just...something special."

"That they are," Maya smiled, looking at Olivia and Fitz. "Ready for pictures? I'm sure your famous picture bar could use another one, huh?"

"Oh yes," Fitz nodded as they all put their arms around each other. "We've got some more room."

"See, _or_ we could replace the one of just me," Olivia proposed.

"Nope," Fitz said immediately. "You're never gonna win that argument, Olivia."

"Dammit," Olivia sighed, shaking her head.

"Livvie," Maya said.

"Oh, sorry, sorry," Olivia apologized.

Fitz smiled, shaking his head over at her. "Tsk tsk, Olivia Carolyn. Language."

They all laughed at his comment, as Teagan took the picture.

"Oh, that one was so good!" Teagan exclaimed, looking down at the phone.

She took a few more and eventually they were all "pictured" out.

There was a special luncheon that the university put on after the commencement that they all attended with their families, which was really nice.

It allowed Olivia to spend some more time with her parents after graduation. She wasn't having a formal graduation party, simply because her bridal shower was next weekend, anyway. She'd see her family then.

Planning two separate parties wasn't reasonable and didn't make much sense. So the rest of the afternoon was at least nice, to be with her parents after her graduation.

They did have to leave though, in the afternoon. So, Fitz took her out for a nice dinner that night, just the two of them. To celebrate.

"You wishing they were staying another night?" Fitz asked, after they'd finished their dinner and paid the bill.

"Oh, no. I'll see them next weekend anyway for the shower. And let's face it, we'll be seeing them a lot this summer in general," she nodded.

"True," he agreed. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay with...you know, just a simple night in. No party or anything like that this weekend."

"Well parties are always fun," she laughed. "But no, I'm certainly not sad or anything."

"Good, I just wanted to make sure. You have any idea what your friends are up to tonight? Any plans?" he asked casually, taking a sip of his drink.

"Honestly...I'm not really sure," she said. "I didn't ask all of them but Abby seemed to think she was just going to stay in tonight. I don't think anyone was going out, surprisingly."

"That is surprising," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Well, I'm sure they have nice nights planned with their significant others. And...multiple women, if you're Harrison," he chuckled.

"I'm sure. Today was...a really great day," she said, smiling at him.

"It really was. I'm so happy it was so beautiful outside, and your parents had a good time. They were so ecstatic, babe."

"I know," Olivia nodded with a smile. "I was happy to...make _them_ happy."

"You make them so proud," he said, reaching for her hand. "You make everyone proud."

The words brought an even bigger smile to her face. Hearing that phrase all day today...she had to admit, it felt so good. She worked so hard for that.

"Thank you," she whispered, kissing his hand a few times.

"You're so welcome. I love you, Olivia," he said.

"I love you too," she replied.

"I don't know if I've said it yet but I'm so proud of you."

She smiled, giggling. "You have. Thank you, Fitz. It feels...just really amazing. I am...proud too," she admitted. Because she was.

"You absolutely should be," he nodded. "Graduated. Full-time job lined up already. That doesn't just happen. You have to work, and work _hard_ , for those things. I am just so proud, that you're going to be my wife."

She sniffed, wiping her eyes again. "Fitz," she said with a little laugh.

"Sorry," he smiled. "Maybe I sound like a broken record."

"Don't you dare apologize," she said, shaking her head. "I love you so much."

"Ditto," he said, squeezing her hand. "You wanna head home? Go save Arie?"

"Yes," she nodded, grabbing her glass of wine to finish it.

They headed home in his Audi R7. It tended to be their date night car. Still sharp as hell, after all.

She expected a nice night in now, with her fiancé and their dog. Maybe a movie, who knew. Just something fun to end her last weekend night before she started work the next week.

"You wanna unlock it? I think I...must have left my key in the car," he said, feeling around in all his pockets as they approached their front door.

She nodded and stepped ahead of him, pulling her keys out of her purse to unlock the door.

And as soon as she stepped inside, there was a big yell from her living room.

She jumped and looked in, seeing all her friends chilling in the living room with their arms up and big smiles on their faces.

"Wooo!" Quinn yelled.

Arie was circling around her group of friends in the living room, so excited at all the commotion going on. But of course, as soon as she saw her humans, she ran to the door to greet them.

Olivia's mouth just hung open as she looked between her cheering friends and her fiancé, who was smiling cutely at her.

"What...what the?!" she exclaimed, petting Arie and looking at Fitz.

"Surprise?" he shrugged, shutting the front door.

"Come on in! We've got desserts, snacks, lots of booze, funny decorations..." Harrison said.

"What is this?!" she asked.

"Well," Fitz began, coming up behind her. "I know you're not having a formal grad party. So your friends and I decided to throw a little something for you tonight," he shrugged, wrapping his arms around her.

"Really?!" she asked, putting her hands up to her face.

"Really!" Abby nodded. "We know you have a lot going on right now, but that's not gonna stop us from partying with you!"

Olivia wanted to cry. Such a good day had ended better than she could've ever imagined. And she hadn't even known about it.

"Oh, and I think Arie still loves me. I let her out, by the way. She went right away for me, she was a good girl," Abby added.

"Thank you!" she said, smiling at her. "And thank you guys, so much. I had no idea! This is so sweet of all of you."

"You're welcome!" Teagan nodded.

"Yeah, and we got these funny decorations," Huck chuckled. "You get your pick."

There was tons of "graduate" attire laid out on the coffee table.

"2020" glasses. Headbands. Beads. All in sparkly lettering and colors.

"Oh my gosh," Olivia giggled, looking at it all.

"Oh but this one you _have_ to wear, because you're the graduate of honor," Abby said, handing her a headband. It had a little graduation cap on one side of it. One of a kind.

"Thank you!" Olivia said, putting it on. "Okay, but you all gotta put something on too! This is your night too, not just mine!"

Harrison shrugged. "I _do_ look good in dorky glasses."

"Alright, Liv's house, Liv's rules," Teagan nodded.

So they all picked out their funny party attire.

Olivia walked back to Fitz, still in his suit looking so good. And smiling at her.

"You really did this," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Mhm," he nodded.

"You are too sweet, Fitzgerald Grant," she said.

"I'm sorry I lied to you," he said.

She raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I would never leave my key anywhere I just snuck it to Abby after commencement," he said with a smile.

She laughed, leaning her head on his chest. "I forgive you for the lie, baby."

"Kay good," he chuckled, hugging her tighter. "Now you wanna party or what?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed.

"Hell yes!" Harrison said, which made everyone else cheer.

Time to party.

Fitz started doling out alcohol left and right to whoever wanted any.

Beer, wine, whiskey, vodka, shots of tequila, whatever people were feeling. And man, they were alllll feeling it that night.

Because that night they were no longer students. The real world was looking pretty bright based on that night.

"Ahhhh! One more prof, one more!" Harrison exclaimed.

Olivia laughed and poured him another shot of straight vodka and he tipped it back, with cheers surrounding him. He shook his head, wincing a little bit.

"Whew, it's been a long time since I've done these, you guys bring out the youth in me," he said.

"You shoot 'em like a champ, man," David said.

"Thank you," he chuckled. "Almost forty, yeah, I'll take that compliment. At least...I think it's a compliment."

"I meant it as one," David nodded. "I aspire to be as badass as you someday."

"I always forget you're almost 40," Quinn admitted. "You don't seem it."

"Thirty-nine last month," Fitz nodded. "Thank you, Quinn."

"Aren't you supposed to have gray hair by age 40? What the fuck?" Charlie asked.

"Hey, hey, hey. Not 40 _yet_... _39,"_ Fitz pointed out, taking another drink of his whiskey.

"Okay whatever. Still, where's your gray?!"

"He doesn't have any," Olivia shrugged, tipping back her wine.

"I don't have any," Fitz copied, downing his whiskey too.

Olivia giggled and ruffled up his hair, all of which was a perfect dark brown. Not to mention, a curly mess, now.

He just wore his dress shirt, he'd taken the jacket off. His tie was loosened, and his sleeves were rolled up.

"Where're your...age lines or your...dad bod?" Harrison joked.

"Doesn't have those either," Olivia said.

"Don't have those either," Fitz mimicked.

"Oh god, please don't take off your shirt to prove it or something," Charlie said. "My girlfriend already thinks you're hot enough."

Quinn shrugged. "Hey, don't just put that on me. Everyone thinks he's hot."

"Hey now," Olivia said, taking a sip of Fitz's drink.

"Man, I just have to ask. How does it feel to have all these girls think you're hot all the time?" Harrison asked.

"I really don't think there's that many that think that," Fitz shrugged.

Abby put her head in her hand, shaking her head. "Oh, pretty boy," she sighed.

"What?" he asked.

"Trust me, don't even try. He's too modest to admit anything of that sort. He knows it, he just won't say it unless he's joking around," Olivia said.

"I don't know what you guys are talking about," Fitz said.

"Ahh, exhibit A," Abby laughed.

"He knows, trust me," Olivia smiled.

"I don't know _anything,"_ Fitz said.

 _"_ _Mmm_ hm," Olivia replied.

"Whatever, even if he won't say it, just…keep your hotness, or…whatever _clothed,"_ Charlie said, patting his back.

"I don't know why you're making such a big deal about this, babe, I've seen him shirtless already anyway," Quinn said.

Charlie paused, thinking about that.

"Oh _yeah._ Harrison, do you remember that?" Charlie asked with a smile.

"Oh, hell nah. Not this bullshit don't even mention the —"

"Remember? That was the day you punched him in the face," Charlie interrupted.

 _"_ _Aghhh!"_ Harrison yelled, which made everyone laugh. "Why can I never escape this?!"

"This is what happens when you make bad decisions, Harry," Olivia said, patting his shoulder.

"Ugh! Okay, prof, take off your shirt. Show off the six pack. Piss Charlie off. Get him back for me," Harrison nodded.

"I've gotta drink way more than this to be removing any clothing," Fitz chuckled, refilling his glass again.

Olivia laughed quietly. "Bull."

"Excuse me?" Fitz smirked.

"All it takes is one little look from me and you're naked," Olivia said. "I don't need alcohol."

"OHH," everyone laughed.

Fitz looked around and winked at Olivia, taking another sip of his drink. He got quite the cheer for that, too.

"Alright, pour me one," Olivia said, nodding at his empty shot glass.

Everyone looked at her funny.

"You? Taking shots?" Huck asked.

"Yeah? Hey, I've taken shots before, don't underestimate me," she said.

"Alright, baby, come here," Fitz said, patting his leg.

She scooted up on him and sat sideways on his lap, as he poured her a shot of whiskey. "I don't want you shooting vodka. That hurts more," he chuckled.

"Very kind," she laughed.

"Okay. Shoot it," he said.

She grabbed the shot glass and tipped it all back, trying her absolute best _not_ to taste it. Straight whiskey, still not her thing. But it was her night, after all. She was up for some shots.

"Mmm, hot," Fitz said.

"Alright hit me again," Olivia nodded. "Not whiskey though. Something else."

Fitz grabbed the gin and poured that into her glass.

She shot that too.

"Yeaahhhh! Let's go Liv!" Harrison said.

"Thank you, thank you," Olivia said dramatically, bowing her head.

"I'm honestly really surprised you're not tanked yet, after all this shit you've had," Charlie chuckled. "You're small!"

"I actually have kind of a high tolerance for my size. Like...for real. Surprising, I know," Olivia admitted.

"She actually does," Fitz agreed. "She can drink more wine than anyone I know."

"Okay, true that. I get wine drunk so damn fast," Quinn said. "It doesn't phase her very fast."

"No, wine doesn't. But if I'm mixing drinks...it'll definitely happen faster," Olivia said.

"Well, then I say...we turn this music up. And drink some more. We deserve to tonight," Harrison said.

"Alright, let's do it," Huck agreed.

"Yeahhhh," Abby nodded.

So they did.

The party slowly shifted to the living room somewhat. People got to be spread out all over the place. Dancing. Drinking. Talking. Laughing. Playing with Arie, who loved all the attention.

Fitz let her out one more time to go to the bathroom, and then he and Olivia ended up on the couch at some point, talking with her friends on the floor. Nodding along to some playlist on Huck's phone that was playing through the speakers.

It was all rap, essentially so there was a lot of bass in that apartment.

Teagan had one glass of wine and one shot and was dead tired from that, so she was out by midnight, cornered up by the wall. She'd still wanted to be by everybody, but there was no denying she was clearly sleepy.

It naturally mellowed out a little bit after that. They weren't as loud and the music was also a bit quieter.

People were chilling in the kitchen or by the bar.

Arie passed out on her dog bed. All the partying had done her in.

Then there was Charlie and Quinn making out on the floor.

And Olivia and Fitz, making out on the couch.

That got interrupted when Harrison walked in, though.

"Jesus, what is this, an orgy?" he joked.

Nobody really answered him.

"Y'all, we're not supposed to give Charlie and Quinn this much alcohol _or_ leave an engaged couple alone on the couch 'cause now everyone's just making out in here," Harrison yelled.

Fitz chuckled quietly against Olivia's mouth, not bothering to pull away, though.

"Sounds like fun," Abby shrugged from the kitchen.

"Yeah, kinda jealous, but my girlfriend's passed out so," Huck chuckled.

"This isn't fair, I don't have anyone to make out with," Harrison said. "Can I call Lena?"

"Who the hell is Lena?" David asked.

"I don't know, some girl I met at commencement today. She's cute, gave me her number. What an awful time to meet someone, though, huh? 'Hey, nice to meet you, sorry we're all graduating now'," he said.

"Oh like you were gonna date her anyway," Huck chuckled.

"Hell no. Not date her. _Sleep_ with her," Harrison smirked.

Abby's scoffed. "You're _so_ gross."

Fitz pulled away from Olivia, shaking his head.

"Yeah. And no booty calls here," he said.

"Prof, you're like halfway to fucking my friend on the couch right now, come on," Harrison said.

"Oh, if I was even remotely close to fucking her right now, you'd all be well aware," Fitz replied.

"Okay, damn," Huck said from the kitchen. "Fitz, I liked that one."

"Thank you, Huck," Fitz said, pointing over at him.

Huck pointed back and nodded, taking a sip of his beer.

Harrison frowned, looking at everyone around the room.

Quinn and Charlie still going at it passionately on the floor.

David feeding a very drunken Abby a chip, and both laughing.

Huck, who had just recently carried his sleeping girlfriend to a bedroom so she could be more comfortable.

And Olivia and Fitz on the couch, smiling at each other in between kisses.

All of them so goddamn in love.

"Okay, you know what. This does kinda suck. Maybe I do need to get a girlfriend again."

And then everyone stopped what they were doing.

Huck stopped mid-sip of his drink.

Quinn and Charlie pulled away from each other.

Olivia and Fitz did the same.

And Abby and David both stopped chewing, looking at Harrison.

Hell, it could have been a strange enough sentence to wake Teagan right up from her deep slumber all the way in the bedroom.

" _What_ did you just say?" Abby asked.

"Oh you heard me," Harrison replied.

"Uh, yeah we all heard you. But did we hear you _correctly?"_ Huck asked.

Harrison shrugged. "What? I've had girlfriends before."

"But...you don't _like_ having them," Charlie said.

"Well...I don't know. You all have such good relationships. Maybe I just gotta try harder to have...a good one," Harrison shrugged. "I'm tired of seein' all of you so cute and gross and dumb with your boos, while I got no one to be that way with! I want...someone to make out with and...hug me and...feed my drunk ass chips. The single life isn't that consistent."

Everyone was silent for a minute, before laughter filled the room.

"What?!" Harrison exclaimed.

"Oh my god. Oh my...you really _are_ just a soft little boy under all that...other shit. You actually have some little feelings under there!" Abby said.

"Hey! Shut up," Harrison said.

"Feelings aren't bad, Harrison," Fitz said. "I don't understand why that's seen as a bad thing for men, I just don't. Or...a weak thing, or whatever. If I wasn't emotional with Olivia, it would have never worked. Relationships can't be the best they can be unless both parties are open with their emotions."

Olivia nodded at Fitz and Harrison. "See. My baby's got it down."

"Emotionally available men. Ah," Abby said, looking dreamily at David.

David nodded at Harrison, pointing at his girlfriend. "See. They dig it."

"But what does that mean? What am I supposed to do...to show them I am...emotionally available. Or whatever," Harrison said.

"Basically, don't be a man," Quinn teased.

"Pfffft," Abby chuckled.

"That's not true," Olivia laughed. "Be a man. Be whoever you are, be yourself. I mean don't...just hook up with someone, though. You have to start a little slower than that. No booty calls right off the bat."

"Okay, Liv, you can't be the one to start this conversation. You and pretty boy _literally_ started because you let your guards down one night and fucked."

Everyone laughed, pointing at them.

 _"Technically_ that's true. But...we were doing the whole...kind of hanging out, nervous _friends_ routine for months before that," Olivia said.

"The nervous friends routine," Charlie said, shaking his head. "So unfortunate."

"It really was," Fitz nodded.

"It was. But anyway," Olivia said. "You'll find the right one, you just will. And...then you'll know. And you'll know to let her in. Let her see you and...let her love you. Because it will feel _right_ to do it."

Everyone got quiet.

"I mean...am I right? Men in the room?" Olivia asked.

"She's right," David nodded.

"Mhm," Charlie and Huck agreed.

"Spot on," Fitz nodded. "Always is."

"Well give me an example then. Like...of how you're...emotional or whatever the fuck," Harrison said.

"Wow," Abby nodded, leading David into the living room with her as Huck followed. "This drinking fest is turning into quite the deep talk."

"Oh god, you're right. I must be drunk," Harrison said.

"No, no, no, this is very sweet, Harrison, for real. David, give him an example," Abby said.

David shrugged, sitting down. "Okay. Well...I just make sure I am always open about what I'm feeling to Abby. For some people it takes a little time to be comfortable with being open. It took me time too, because I think I had trouble before with that. But...me personally, I know that Abby is the one I'm going to spend my life with. And so...she made it easier for me to do that."

Fitz reached forward and held out his knuckles for David. "Well said."

David smiled and bumped his fist. "Thank you!"

"You'd think these are just...common sense things, but they're not. Both men and women can have trouble with it. It can be hard," Olivia shrugged. "I think...it just gets put on men more, unfortunately, because that's the stereotype, you know? They don't want to be seen as weak. Feelings are seen as weak, for some goddamn dumb reason. They want to be big and strong and tough. They want to...protect, or whatever. Which is good, that's fine. But...they also can't be afraid to be emotional too. Be... _loved_ too," Olivia said.

"Everyone wants to be loved," Charlie agreed. "Somewhere in everyone...there's a part of you that wants to be loved."

Quinn smiled and laid her head down on Charlie's chest, running her fingers through his hair. Clearly very happy with what he'd said.

"Okay, so what say you, prof? Huck?" Harrison asked.

Fitz shrugged. "Everyone else has said it well. Everyone likes to be reassured, right? Men and women?"

Everyone nodded.

"Yeah. It's just natural that we all want to be. It feels so good when they tell you they love you, or...that they were thinking about you that day. Whatever it may be. So...regardless of who you are...I think it's just really important to voice your feelings. _You_ want to hear them from your significant other. So...you know _they_ want to hear it from you too. All things. Good and bad. Everything needs to be heard," Fitz nodded.

"Yeah, man. Let yourself be...available, I guess. You're serious about it...then you damn well show it. And it'll pay off. You'll find her. And...you'll let her love you, man," Huck said. "It feels good."

"It feels...so good. Forget everything you _think_ makes you strong. Forget everything you _think_ makes you a man. When she loves you...that's when you feel your strongest. That's when you feel most like a man. She makes you...complete. She's...a part of you," Fitz said.

Everyone kind of stopped, looking over at him very impressed.

"Goddamn, Grant is _so_ getting some later," Charlie whispered.

"You can say that again," Olivia agreed, laying her head down on Fitz's chest.

Fitz chuckled. "I'm serious though. Not just...saying it to get laid. We all know I can get laid without _saying_ anything. But I don't mess around with feelings."

Everyone laughed and Olivia nodded. Couldn't really argue with that.

"Such a fuckin' flex," Harrison said.

"Honestly, Grant is just overall such a damn flex," Charlie said.

"Is that bad?" Fitz asked.

"He's not a show-off, though," Abby said, shaking her head. "A flex is like…showing something off."

"No, I know. But I meant it in a good way. He's just a damn flex, I don't know what other word there is," Harrison said.

"Ohhh _I_ know a word. What pretty boy has, is called BDE," Abby nodded.

Olivia burst into laughter against Fitz's chest. "You're damn right."

"BD…BDE?" Fitz asked. "What is that, some kind of disease?!"

"No!" Huck chuckled.

"Fitz, Fitz. _Big dick energy,"_ Quinn clarified.

Fitz's face turned red as he looked around the room, mouth slightly open in awe. "What about my dick?"

"Yeah, _what_ about his dick?" Charlie asked, eyeing Quinn because she was the one who had clarified it.

"Hey don't look at me! I just…explained the acronym! Abby's the one who said it!" Quinn said.

"And I meant it," Abby shrugged.

"Yeah, she's right. He does have some damn big dick energy, I'll give him that. Better word than flex, I agree," Harrison nodded.

"I can see by all of your reactions that this is a good thing, but I'm still extremely self-conscious about my dick right now, and how you all seem to know that I have…big energy surrounding it, or…whatever," Fitz announced.

"No, no. It has nothing to do with your actual dick. You don't even have to have a dick to have big dick energy," Abby said. "It just essentially means…you have this thing about you. This…aura. You're confident but you're not a show-off. None of that…toxic masculinity bullshit either, like with what you were telling Harrison before. It's kind of hard to explain it well. You just…have it. You _really_ have it. Big dick energy."

"Well…thank you!" Fitz said. "I…think."

"I'm surprised you didn't know what that meant already," Olivia laughed. "Since you're so _cool."_

Fitz sighed. "There's only so much I can stay up to date on…I swear, there's something new every damn week."

"Big dick energy has been around for a _long_ time, prof," Harrison said. "You gotta get with it!"

"He spends all his time memorizing the lyrics to every song in the world, he doesn't have time to keep up with everything," Olivia joked.

"Not true," he chuckled. "I just…know a lot of songs, I don't know. I sing a lot."

"That, he does," Olivia agreed. "Also knows a lot of Shakespeare."

"I like plays, I like shows! What's wrong with that?" Fitz asked.

"Nothing, baby, nothing! I love that you do," Olivia said.

"Shakespeare?" Huck asked.

"No joke. Earlier this week he whipped out a bunch of Shakespeare quotes for me. Knew them by heart. This man never ceases to amaze me," Olivia said, shaking her head.

Harrison laughed, slapping the ground and looking at Abby.

"Okay now _that's_ a fucking flex, right there. Whips out the Shakespeare for his girl. Whew, prof. You are seriously something else," Harrison chuckled.

"Honestly I would have never thought I'd be saying that quoting Shakespeare is a flex, but…you're right. It kind of is a flex," Abby agreed with a laugh.

"It was extremely hot to me, so," Olivia shrugged.

"Did you fuck him after?" Abby asked.

"Yep," Olivia nodded.

"Liv!" Fitz exclaimed, cheeks turning red as everyone laughed.

"What?" she asked. "Oh, sorry, sorry. I've had too much to drink, my filter's gone, I just answered the question."

"You drive me insane, woman," he said.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. We all know, sweetie," Olivia shrugged, waving it away. "Anyways, I gotta pee."

"How romantic," Fitz chuckled, squeezing her ass as she got up off him.

"Ooo, that was my ass," Olivia laughed, walking away. Fitz got up and followed her.

"Hey, are you two going to bed? Don't go to bed, it's only…three in the morning!" Harrison said with a laugh.

"No, no. I'm just gonna change, I've been in this suit all damn day," Fitz said, scratching his head as he walked down the hallway.

"Oh yeah, good idea," Olivia agreed, looking down at her fancy graduation dress she was still in.

"Is it really three in the morning?" Abby asked, looking around.

"Yah," Fitz shouted from the bedroom.

"Dear god…" David said, rolling onto his back on the floor.

"If you all want to come in here you can," Fitz said loudly from the bedroom. "So we don't wake Teagan up."

"Ooh, party in the master bedroom, I like it," Abby said, getting up. "Is Arie all good out here?"

"Yeah, she'll go to sleep in her kennel eventually when she wants to," Fitz yelled back.

She currently looked pretty damn comfortable on her big bed in the living room, so they let her be.

Abby pulled David up from the floor and he immediately slung her over his shoulder, smiling at her laugh. "David!" Abby giggled.

"Oh okay, I see how we're rollin' right now," Charlie said, leaning down and picking Quinn up in the same manner.

"Ahh, Charlie!" she laughed,

"Guys?"

Everyone turned their heads to see Teagan peaking through the first guest bedroom doorway at them, sleepily rubbing her eyes.

"Oh, T, I'm sorry. Did we wake you?" Huck asked, going over to her.

"Oh, no, not at all. How long have I been out?" she asked.

"Uh…since about midnight," Huck said.

"Jeez," Teagan laughed, "I'm sorry."

"No that's okay, hun," Huck assured her. "I don't want you to be sick from drinking."

"No, I feel good now. What…what are you guys…doing?" Teagan asked, looking at everyone behind Huck. Both David and Charlie laughing as their girlfriends were slung over their shoulders, smacking their asses from behind.

"Oh. We were gonna go to Olivia and Fitz's room so we wouldn't wake you up…but now that you're up, wanna come?" Huck chuckled.

"Yeah, sure," Teagan smiled.

"Alright, hold on, this is how we're doin' it apparently," Huck said, leaning down and picking Teagan up.

"Huck!" she giggled, smiling as they all made their way to the master bedroom.

"Woo!" Charlie exclaimed, patting Quinn's ass as they headed down the hallway.

"This is oddly comfortable, actually," Abby said.

Harrison just sighed, watching all the couples be cute and dumb together. "Man, I really do need to get a girlfriend," he said to himself.

"We're comin' in," Huck announced, nudging the door open with his knee.

Olivia and Fitz weren't in the bedroom, but the bathroom door was creaked open just a bit and the light was on.

"Are you two naked in there?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, partially," Olivia said.

"Ahhh! David stop poking my ass," Abby giggled.

"What's going on out there? Let's keep it rated G," Fitz said.

"G? Not even PG? Lame," Charlie said.

Olivia opened the door curiously to see all her friends drunkenly fooling around, spinning and...people on each other's shoulders.

"What the hell?" Olivia asked with a laugh.

Fitz was just pulling his shorts up over his boxers and was shirtless, and was now wearing the graduate headband that Olivia had been wearing. Wearing it like a champ, though. And Olivia was in leggings and a sports bra.

"Hey! I thought we were keeping the shirt _on_ tonight, Grant," Charlie said, eyeing him.

Fitz hadn't been paying attention to the door being open whatsoever. So he turned and saw them all looking. "Liv. Babe. Did you really need to open the door?!"

"Oh, sorry," she shrugged. "I was curious why David was touching Abby's ass."

He chuckled, looking at all their friends.

"That is a great look for you, bro," Harrison said, pointing to the headband.

Abby just kept laughing, looking at it.

"Very beautiful!" Charlie teased.

"Fuck you guys, I have big dick energy," Fitz said.

Olivia burst into laughter along with everyone else, bending over and putting her face and elbows on the vanity.

"Oh my god, I can't believe I'm marrying you," she giggled.

He looked at her immediately. "Woman!"

"What!" she laughed.

He looked between her and her friends, and then lunged forward to pick her up too, gently moving her to his shoulder.

"Ahhh!" Olivia giggled.

"Join the club, Liv," Teagan laughed.

"Hey. Teagan. You're up!" Fitz said.

"Teagan!" Olivia exclaimed, waving at her upside down.

"Hey!" Teagan replied.

"Oof!" Fitz's groaned, dropping Liv on the bed and climbing on with her.

"Permission to lay down our women?" Charlie teased.

"Permission granted," Fitz said.

"Ha! Guys, get it? Granted?" Charlie asked.

Everyone rolled their eyes at him.

"Charlie put me down I can't feel my toes!" Quinn exclaimed.

"Alright, alright," Charlie nodded, laying Quinn down.

Huck and David followed suit, and Harrison moped over to the bed with them.

"I don't have a woman to lay down but I have myself."

"Aww buddy. Don't be all sad, drunk Harrison again," Huck said, patting his back.

"Speaking of drunk, I'm gonna get another beer," Harrison said, started to get up again.

"No, no," Fitz said, grabbing his arm. "I think you've had enough, buddy."

"Yeah, probably true. Is anyone else here drunk? Why do I feel like I'm the only one?" Harrison asked, slurring his words.

"Oh I'm most definitely drunk," Quinn nodded.

Abby nodded in agreement, as did David.

"Little bit," Fitz said, reaching up to take the headband off. "Otherwise I'm not sure how I ended up with this on."

"Me too," Huck agreed.

"I'm nothing at all now," Teagan said.

"I'm pretty drunk, honestly," Olivia said, snuggling up to Fitz.

"Well yeah, clearly, you're half dressed!" Harrison exclaimed.

"Oh whatever," Olivia said with a shrug. "Not like you all haven't seen a damn sports bra before."

"I think everyone's looking at your abs more so than your sports bra," Fitz said, poking her flat tummy.

She giggled, taking his hands away. "You fricken goofball, don't poke me. And what do you mean _my_ abs?! I think yours are the ones everyone's looking at."

"Nahhh," Fitz replied.

"Aw look, they _do_ argue," Harrison teased.

"Oh we definitely argue," Olivia nodded. "He thinks he's hot shit sometimes, because he's a lawyer," she teased, poking his stomach.

"I do _not,"_ he chuckled.

"I'm just kidding," she laughed.

"Oh, try having _two_ future lawyers…" Abby said, looking at David.

"Ha. Yeah. It's interesting sometimes," David agreed.

"Well what kinda shit do you all argue about? I never really argued with my girlfriends. I just didn't care enough and told them they were right every time. I hate arguing," Harrison said.

Huck laughed, putting his head down on the bed. "Oh man. We've got a lot of work to do with this one."

"Hey! I bet your girlfriends enjoyed being 'right' all the time," Quinn laughed.

"Uh, yeah, until they realize he just didn't _care!_ Harrison, arguing happens. Every couple argues," Abby said.

"It would be…odd if you didn't. You don't want to be fighting every other day. That certainly isn't good either. But… _all_ your time spent with someone, there are bound to be disagreements," Fitz nodded.

"Yeah. You just have to know how to handle them," Olivia added.

"Okay so like…how then? How do you handle them without everything going to shit right after?" Harrison asked.

"You talk it out," Abby nodded. "You can't get anywhere unless you're both communicating. You both need to understand what the other is saying."

"It doesn't need to be some yelling match. It can just be a discussion, even if one of you or both of you is upset. Just talk it out like adults," Huck said.

"Yeah. And…it won't _always_ be calm. Of course, there will be some bad ones. You'll yell. You'll say stupid shit. But…at the end of the day, you both just have to remember that you love each other. And that there's a reason you're fighting. It will work itself out. But not by just forgetting about it or not caring. You have to put in the effort. And…it'll still work out," David said.

"Aw man, the bad ones? Shit," Harrison said.

"See I once threw this stuffed animal Charlie got me right at his face during one of our fights and then told him to go fuck himself," Quinn nodded. "He just caught it, anyway. And then…I still felt super bad and we had makeup sex on the floor."

Everyone burst into laughter.

"David and I once didn't speak for a whole three days, or something," Abby piped up. "We were both so upset at each other, but not wanting to make it worse by saying something fueled by emotion. So one day I'd had enough with it and I went over to his apartment, still _furious_. There was a brief yelling match in the hallway. And then he pulled me inside and fucked me against the front door."

More laughter.

"What the fuck! Do these all end in sex?" Harrison asked.

"Hey," Charlie shrugged. "Makeup sex is the best sex."

"Teagan and I have only had one _big_ fight. It was before I left to go home last summer. We didn't yell, we didn't not speak to each other, nothing like that. It was just not a…pleasant discussion," Huck said.

"No," Teagan shook her head in agreement.

"She eventually left mine and Harrison's place, and I got so worried she wouldn't say goodbye to me before I had to go home. But I was still so upset, so I paced the living room for like an hour…and at two in the morning, I drove over to her apartment. Her roommate was still up, and answered the door, so fucking pissed at me because T came home crying and it was my fault. So I went to her room and we didn't say anything. Not a single word, I kid you not. Until after."

Teagan shook her head as her cheeks turned red.

"Ohhhh, yeah, see!" Charlie pointed out. "It's a thing, I swear to god it can be magic in that kind of situation!"

"Wait, I'm confused. What? You didn't say anything until after what?" Harrison.

"They had sex, genius," Abby laughed.

"Oh!" Harrison exclaimed. "Shit."

"They don't all end in sex, though," Fitz added. "Not if you're in different states when it's happening," he said, looking at Olivia.

"Right," she agreed.

 _"However,"_ Fitz said.

Olivia burst into laughter, covering her eyes because she knew what he was going to say.

"Oh god, is this the fight that you still haven't explained to me? The one I was literally here for?" Abby asked.

"Yeah," Fitz nodded with a laugh. "God that was a weird one."

"Oh god, what did you guys do in front of my girlfriend?" David asked.

"No, no, no. It was not in front of her," Olivia giggled. "We were having a little argument about…god, it was so dumb. It was essentially about us being together on campus. Like…out in the open, nothing to hide."

"You guys do that all the time?" Quinn questioned.

"Yeah, _now_ we do. But at this time…we hadn't. It was this school year, early fall. He didn't want to yet, I wanted to, blah blah blah. So later that night he comes home after walking Arie, I was chilling with Abby on the couch. And he kind of just went right to the bedroom, and I followed right away because I wanted to just talk it out. I didn't want it to be a big deal, and I didn't want either of us to be upset," Olivia explained.

"And I'm sitting on the couch scared as hell because I watched Liv follow him down the hallway and then I heard the bedroom door shut. And I was like…'oh fuck," Abby added.

"Yeah. And he wanted to shower because he was sweaty. So then we're arguing in the bathroom, he's taking off his clothes...it's all just…heated," Olivia explained.

"Oh yep, this sounds like the perfect scenario," Charlie nodded.

"No, no, listen," Fitz began. "I'm standing in the bathroom, completely naked at this point. And I lay down the law, right. I say, 'I'm naked, we'll have this discussion when I'm wearing clothes. I want to shower,' or something like that. Well this woman. She fucking says, 'no.'"

"Oooh," Abby laughed.

"Damn right I said no," Olivia laughed.

"She says no, and then proceeds to push me backward against the bathtub, and starts taking her clothes off too," Fitz said.

"What?!" Harrison asked.

"Mhm. All while we were still partially fighting," Fitz said.

"Wait a minute. Prof. So you didn't stand your ground at all, is what you're saying here. You just gave in? What happened to laying down the law!?" Harrison asked.

Fitz chuckled. "Listen, buddy. When she's naked. And you're naked. And…things are tense…ehh, shit's probably gonna happen."

"Yeah, so we kinda…fought while…yeah. And then afterward, of course, is when we really made up. Sitting on the bench in the shower," Olivia confessed.

"God that makes so much sense now," Abby noted. "They went in, both upset. They came out much happier and with wet hair."

"So you're telling me you didn't suspect a shower…fighting…fuck session?" Quinn teased. "Jeez, Abby, get with the program, they're pretty common!"

Everyone laughed.

"Yeah…we're weird," Olivia said.

"Harrison, you have gotten so much insight tonight into relationships," Abby laughed. "You're so ready."

He sighed, laying back on the bed. "Yeah…and now it's three in the morning and we're all crammed on a King-sized bed."

Charlie patted the bed, looking at it. "Have you always had this bed or did you buy a bigger one when Liv moved in?"

"Always had it," Fitz said.

"It's so big for one guy, though?" Charlie questioned.

"Well I prefer to sleep on my stomach," Fitz explained. "So I kind of...tended to sprawl out everywhere. I wanted a big bed."

"He has long limbs. Trust me. He's everywhere when he sleeps," Olivia said.

"I'm better now, though, with you," Fitz said.

"Yeah you guys sleep so weird," Abby added.

"Oh we do not," Olivia replied.

"Yes you do," David chuckled.

"How do you know?" Quinn asked with a laugh.

"'Cause I've seen them nap together on the couch. And Abby says they sleep the same way all the time," David said.

"What, like...all pressed together and shit?" Harrison asked.

"Yes," Abby nodded. "I don't know how you guys breathe."

"It's called cuddling, come on," Olivia said.

"Pfft, no. What you guys are doing right _now,_ is cuddling," Abby said, gesturing to them. "There's not a name for how you guys sleep."

"It's called I love my fiancée, and I like to be close to her," Fitz shrugged. "She is soft and...she smells nice and...she is mine and she's so cute."

Everyone smiled, trying to hold in their laughter.

"Okay, honestly that was cute," Teagan laughed.

"Yeah, he's cute," Olivia smiled, wrapping her arms around him. His bare chest was warm against her skin. "This has been quite the graduation party, thank you all," Olivia added with a smile.

"Yeah. Your guys' place is always the most fun to chill at," David said.

"Agreed," Harrison nodded. "This place is sick."

"It'll be even more fun if they invite us to their house eventually," Abby said. "You know, the whole ass building."

"The building," Quinn giggled.

"You guys are already invited if everything works out," Olivia smiled.

"Nice!" Charlie nodded.

"Yeah, what do you guys think about a pool party?" Fitz asked. "Do people still do those?"

"I don't know if people still do them but who cares, that sounds fun," Quinn said.

"Hell yes," Harrison nodded. "That's what I'm talkin' about."

"Then it's settled, I guess," Fitz laughed. "Making big plans at such a late hour."

"Yeah is anyone actually tired right now?" David asked.

"I'm wide awake now, so," Teagan shrugged.

"Honestly, I'm pretty awake too," Quinn said.

Everyone agreed.

"Well…who says the party's over yet then? We've still got some night hours left," Harrison smirked.

They all looked at each other, kind of nodding and shrugging.

"Alright, but no more shots," Fitz said, getting up.

"Yeah!" Charlie shouted.

"Graduationnnn," Quinn said, dancing out of the room.

"Oh goodness," Teagan giggled.

Abby smiled, putting her arm around Olivia as they left the room. "So we really made it, huh?"

Olivia smiled, looking around at all her friends in the hallway. All the friends she'd met at this wonderful place. The love of her life whom she'd also met here, laughing at something Charlie had said.

All the good times and the bad ones, they'd all been through them together. And now here they were. Too many drinks and deep talks in, probably. But all still together, nonetheless.

So Olivia nodded.

"Yeah…we made it."

* * *

Congrats, you finished this long ass chapter!

Hope you liked graduation time. The start of summer is here...which means the wedding is _so_ close!

You can expect one more chapter before the big day arrives.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	90. Bachelor & Bachelorette pt 1

"Hey, hey, why's everyone packing up? You know that makes me sad. I have a fragile, sensitive heart," Fitz said.

A few chuckles spread across the room, as the shuffling and packing up stopped.

"I still have..." Fitz said, looking down at his smartwatch. "Two minutes, until you're free of me. I know, I know. Friday evening class, not that fun. You all have places to go, people to see. Me too, you know. I'm really not that old and lame, contrary to what you may think of me."

More laughter spread across the room as he chuckled too, adjusting his mic on his shirt.

Amidst the laughing, he caught some movement near the side entrance to the auditorium that led outside. The door was propped open, as it often was during the summer months for class. During the evenings, especially, when it felt nice to do so.

And he smiled, at who approached the door, wearing a full pantsuit. Looking so amazing. But, backing away as she saw that his class was not yet finished. A few students turned to look when they saw her too.

"Ah," Fitz said, turning toward her. "Hi."

Olivia felt her cheeks felt hot as now a _whole_ auditorium's eyes were on her. Fitz's microphone on full blast, saying hi to her in front of everyone.

"Hi," she said with a laugh, smiling at the crowd of students.

Fitz turned back to his students. "See, you guys know the blocks on the syllabus where you have about three guest lecturers in a row? Of course you do, you all study your syllabuses like good students, I'm sure," Fitz said casually, which made everyone laugh.

"Well, that's because I'll be gone. Because I'm getting married," he said, tilting his head with a smile. "To her."

There were claps, some "ooh"s and a few "congrats" as well.

Olivia's cheeks felt even hotter now as she laughed, leaning against the door frame. She had not intended for this _public_ of a pickup, but here she was.

Fitz smiled at the nice reaction he got from his students, and then adjusted his mic, clearing his throat. "Isn't she pretty?"

That got quite the reaction. Some more cute laughs and whistles and "awww"s.

And Olivia's smile couldn't be contained as she laughed too, seeing everyone smile back at her.

"I know," he said, nodding at them. "She drove me to work today. We're kind of cute like that."

More laughter.

He sighed, looking at his watch. "Anyway, we have somewhere very important to be so I'll give you an extra...minute and four seconds of freedom. Have a good weekend, guys," he said with a smile.

They all partially started moving, not sure whether or not to go.

He laughed. "Dismissed, guys. Thank you."

They collectively let out a sound of thankfulness, packing up their things for good that time.

He eyed Olivia with a smile and nodded her over.

She made her to him, smiling. "Hey!"

"Hey, baby," he said, only to then wince at his voice projecting loudly to the auditorium.

Laughter spread across the auditorium as his cheeks turned pink and he unclipped his mic from his shirt. "Sorry," he said, putting the mic up to his lips. "That could have been a lot worse than it was, though."

That just resulted in another huge roar of laughter.

He switched it off and laughed at Olivia. "Oops."

He leaned in to give Olivia a peck on the lips. And afterward, she just watched the students still laughing to themselves and beginning to head out.

"Thanks, professor," a guy said, giving him a wave as he headed for the propped open entrance that Olivia had walked in from.

"Yeah, thanks Mike," Fitz nodded. "See you next week."

"Hi," Mike said to Olivia.

Olivia waved to him. "Hi," she said.

She'd never seen this Mike guy in her life.

"See you, professor Grant," another woman said, giving him a wave.

"Bye Nelle, thanks," Fitz nodded.

Nelle smiled at Olivia before she left, to which Olivia returned. Another person she'd never seen.

Fitz just continued to pack up, saying goodbye to all the students who said something. Summer classes were still way smaller than they were during the school year, so it made sense that Fitz knew more of their names. And every single student that said something to him, also acknowledged Olivia.

She could barely get a word in to Fitz because everyone _else_ was getting the word in!

Finally, after he put his mic away and slung his briefcase over his shoulder, they were able to leave and actually talk to each other.

"Wow," Olivia said, looking back at the entrance they'd just walked out of as a few students continued to spill out, too.

"Huh?" Fitz asked, reaching for her hand.

She interlocked their fingers as they made their way to the parking lot. "They love you. Like they really love you."

"Yeah," he smiled. "Why are you surprised? Didn't you love me too?" he teased.

She laughed. "Uh...yeah, I think a little bit too much, maybe."

"Nonsense," he smirked.

"No, but Fitz, seriously...they just treated me like...a Queen or something," she said. "And...I'm not even all that much older than them."

He laughed. "That's because you are a Queen. My Queen."

"Thank you, I know," she nodded casually. "But...did you hear them? They all said hi to me when they said hi to you."

"Well...yeah, Liv, that's called being polite," he chuckled.

"Please. College students? On the east coast? Being polite? No," she said, shaking her head. Which, got him laughing again. "No, they just like you a lot, so...I'm like royalty or something. Is that what I am? Am I royalty now, because I'm marrying the best professor on this campus?"

He looked around, wide eyes. "Shhh. Another professor could hear you. We _all_ think we're the best professor on this campus, you can't crush anyone's dreams."

Olivia looked around at campus, buzzing with life on this beautiful summer night, and laughed. "You are something else."

"Yes," he nodded. "And you are...sexy."

She raised her eyebrows. "Thank you! That was...unexpected, but thank you!"

"You know how I like it when you come home from work," he said.

"Ahh...in my suits, yes," she giggled.

"The _suits,"_ he whispered. "Mm. Just want to take you home and lay you dow—ah!"

A football came flying from one of the courtyards right toward them. Fitz reached out and shielded Oliva from it who put her hands up to protect her face.

He dropped his briefcase in the process and she dropped the keys.

The guy throwing it had completely missed his friend, who he was aiming for. And instead, it had come full speed at Fitz's outstretched hand.

"Oh my god," Olivia said, looking at Fitz who was shaking out his hand as if to shake off the pain.

"Shit," Fitz said, looking at his fingers. "That fucking _hurt."_

"Hey! I'm so sorry, man! Oh—professor Grant?!" the young guy yelled.

Fitz seemed to recognize the guy too. He looked down at the ball still rolling aimlessly on the sidewalk and chucked it back to the guy, as his dominant hand had _not_ been the one to suffer the damage. "Watch where you throw that thing, Brady!" he yelled.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry! Are you—" he stopped, seeing Olivia for the first time as she picked up the keys and stepped out from behind Fitz. "Oh, man. Are you both okay? I'm so sorry, it slipped!"

"We're alright," Fitz nodded, to which Olivia nodded too.

"Oh good. I'm so sorry again. By the way...nice arm!" Brady yelled.

Fitz shook his head and laughed at his comment and Olivia picked up his briefcase from the sidewalk.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Olivia asked, immediately grabbing his right hand.

"Yeah. God it hurts, though," he said, wincing.

"Thank you for that, Fitz, oh my god," she said, shaking her head.

"Uh, yes. I would really not have liked to see my fiancée knocked out on the sidewalk because of a damn football," he chuckled.

"Fitz, I don't know about this," she said, looking at his fingers. Something just didn't seem right already.

"Oh, it's fine, babe," he assured her.

"Move your fingers," she said.

He winced when he tried to, but he bent them a tiny bit.

 _"_ _That's_ as far as you can bend them?" Olivia asked.

He gritted his teeth and winced. "Yes."

"Something's wrong, baby," she replied.

"No, Liv. They're just sprained, it's what happens when they get jammed. Something hits the top of them really hard, and they hurt. You know how it is," he said.

She looked at him doubtfully.

"Baby, I'm fine. Thank you for your concern though, it's very sweet," he said.

She didn't let go of her hand, she just kept looking at it. Two of his fingers just did not look good.

"How bad do they hurt on a scale of one to ten?" she asked.

"Liv."

"Fitz."

He sighed. "Eight."

"Fitzgerald! We need to get them checked out. He threw that football so hard. Nobody's fingers can just be okay after that."

"Nooo," he said. "Let's just go to Bristol, okay? Like we planned? We wanted to get that done tonight," he said.

She just shook her head, not fully accepting it.

He switched sides and held hands with his left hand, smiling at her. "Uh-uh, uh-huh. See, here we go, we're going, we're going."

"You are actually a piece of work, do you know that?" she asked.

"Yes. I do. But you love me and we're going to Bristol so we can get our marriage license, and...you can spend the rest of your life with this piece of work," he smiled.

"I _also_ love your well-being," she pointed out. "And I'm pretttty damn sure your fingers are broken."

He scoffed, looking down at his hand. "They are not—oh, woah."

She looked at how big his middle and ring finger had gotten. Both, already on their way to turning blue.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" she asked, looking at him.

He waved it away. "Eh, it happens. I'll ice them when we get home."

"Okay, I'll stop bugging you, Fitz, but when they're black in an hour, I want a big old 'my dear, sweet fiancee. You were right.' Okay?" she asked.

"You're on, pretty girl," he smirked.

"I'm gonna win, and you're gonna be very sad that you didn't get them checked sooner," she said, unlocking the car. "And I'm driving, by the way. I don't want you hurting them more," she said.

"Liv! My fingers are fine!" he exclaimed, heading to the passenger seat.

"Oh yeah? Bend them to your palm," she said, looking at him across the car.

"Alright," he said, attempting to do it. "Ow!"

She raised an eyebrow and got in the car, feeling as though her point had been proved.

She put his briefcase in the back and he got in the car, resting his forearm on the center console.

She pressed the start button of the wonderful Audi Q8. Such a nice car that she'd driven to work today. He had had a conference that morning so she dropped him off and headed to work, so they could go to Bristol together afterward. Which, would be good to get done. Couldn't get married without the marriage license.

This weekend would be full of pre-wedding festivities. The marriage license, first. Then, tomorrow was Olivia's final wedding dress fitting. Her mom was making the trip up for the final fitting, so she could see her daughter in her wedding dress before the big day. The only other person who'd seen her in it was Abby, and that was at the first two fittings when they weren't quite finalized.

So tomorrow would be pretty special. Not only because of the dress fitting, but because Sandra was also making the trip up the next night for a pretty fun party.

Tomorrow night was Olivia and Fitz's bachelor and bachelorette parties. It all worked out well, because her mom offered to stay and watch Arie while the two of them went off to their parties and did god knows what. Only Abby and Cyrus knew all the plans.

So, amidst a full weekend, they started it off with probably the most boring part. The license.

They had to go to Bristol because that was the town they would be married in, at Chippanee Country Club, and Connecticut law required you get it filed in the town of the ceremony.

So they did, and everything went well.

Although in the Municipal Clerk's office, Olivia got a few texts from Abby asking what they were up to while they were waiting. Olivia sent a picture of Fitz's hand, which was only getting worse, over text message.

"Hey! My fingers are a private matter," Fitz said, pulling his hand back.

"I'm telling Abby we're getting our license. _And_ all about the football fiasco. Here, smile! I need a feature headshot," she said, taking another picture of his face this time.

He didn't smile.

"Fitzgerald Thomas," she said, shaking her head. "You still look cute, though. Oh—Abby says…'holy shit, pretty boy's fingers look…hella broken'."

"Oh she did not, let me see," he said, leaning over her screen.

He paused, reading exactly what Olivia had read to him.

"Okay. I stand corrected," he admitted. "Tell her...I'm a hero because I sacrificed my fingers for my fiancee's life."

She giggled, typing back exactly what he'd said. "You did do that, I'm very thankful for that but so sad for your broken fingers. That is just...I'm so sorry about that. Whatever class you have... _Brady_ in, you should yell at him."

"They're not broken, it's okay," he assured her.

"Okay, okay," she nodded. "You're right, they're not broken. It's good to stay positive."

"Exactly right," he agreed.

"But baby, just for the record, they're broken," she whispered.

"Oh my god, Olivia," he whispered back, looking around as they waited for this whole deal to be done.

"Am I annoying you?" she asked, eyeing him.

He stood there in thought. "Slightly."

"You sure you wanna go through with this marriage license?" she asked with a smile.

He sighed, shaking his head with a laugh. "Don't even start with me, pretty girl."

She laughed. "It takes a special kind of person to deal with me for a whole lifetime is all I'm saying," she whispered.

He smiled, looking down at the floor. "I'd be lost without you and everyone knows it."

She smiled back. "Ditto. I'll shut up about your fingers for real now."

"Thank you," he chuckled. "They're all good."

"I only make such a big deal about it because your fingers are extremely useful to me."

He cleared his throat, looking around the quiet office with wide eyes because the office was filled with people waiting just like them.

He looked down at the paperwork in his hands, flipping through it casually. "Well, it's a good thing I'm left-handed then, isn't it," he said quietly.

She laughed silently, trying not to make too much noise.

He smirked back at her and winked.

Man, they couldn't even go somewhere as boring as a municipal clerk's office to get a marriage license without making it fun.

They eventually did get everything done, though, and headed home with their marriage license.

And the craziest thing about the marriage license, was the residence.

It didn't say Apartment 639 of Paxton Hills in New Haven, Connecticut.

It said the address of the house in Cheshire, Connecticut. Their new home.

The home that they would officially move into after their lease was up. The house that was technically, theirs.

This was their first opportunity to begin the "address change" process. Which, would be a long one. Especially for Olivia, who was going to have to go through both the process of changing her address gradually, _as well_ as changing her last name.

New driver's licenses. New passport for Olivia eventually, even though she'd only just recently gotten her first one for the honeymoon.

They certainly didn't make it easy to do these things and having to do them at the same time was even more difficult. But, she was used to that by now. That's how they tended to roll, anyway.

And they were done with the most stressful things in regards to wedding planning. Everything, in fact, was pretty much done. Now they just had to hold out hope that everything leading up to the big day would go smoothly, and continue writing the vows that they worked on individually almost every night.

There was really nothing they could do anymore besides let everything happen. Which, began by going home to get a good night's rest, before a big day.

They had a nice night in and watched TV while Olivia made sure Fitz iced his whole hand, which turned darker in color in certain areas by the minute. They didn't really have anything to stabilize his fingers and he would have declined going to get anything anyway, because he was _adamant_ that he was fine.

But, he was wrong. Because the color of his hand that night was nothing, compared to what it looked like when they woke up.

Fitz had trouble sleeping as it was, because it kind of throbbed. But when he finally woke up for good, he gave in to what his fiancée had been saying _all_ along.

He sighed, looking at his hand. His middle and ring finger were biggest of all, and completely black and blue. The color spread somewhat to his index, pinky, and to the top of his palm. It was clear that his whole hand had suffered some damage, but the two fingers, in particular, were the worst.

"Alright," he nodded, glancing up at Olivia. "My goddamn fingers are broken."

"They are _so_ extremely broken," she agreed.

"My dear, sweet fiancée," he began. "You were right."

"There it is," she nodded. "I wish I hadn't been right though. I'm _so_ sorry about this, Fitz," she added, gently examining his fingers.

"It's okay," he sighed, getting up and out of bed. "I need…I don't know. Some Advil or something. It's killing me."

"I think you need more than Advil, sweetheart. What you _need_ is to go in and get it checked out. We could try and go right now, if you wanted, so that I could come with you?" she offered. "It would just have to be… _right now."_

"No, that's okay. I don't know how long it will take and I don't want you to be late to the boutique. I'll just update you," he replied.

"You're sure?" she asked.

"Sure," he nodded.

"Okay. My mom will be here soon, I suppose, because I think she was leaving at the ass crack of dawn. So I should probably get ready," she replied.

Fitz chuckled to himself.

"What?" Olivia laughed.

"Ass crack of dawn," Fitz laughed, which made Olivia laugh too.

"You're goofy," she smiled. "Do you need help with anything, though, before I go? Hands are…kind of important."

"Umm…" he thought. "Maybe. I'll let you know," he chuckled.

"Sounds good," she nodded, getting out of bed, too.

It didn't take long for him to ask.

Olivia took Arie out, fed her, and ate some breakfast of her own while Fitz hopped in the shower first. But as she finished up the wonderful egg sandwich she made herself, she heard a pitiful yell from the bathroom.

"Olivia…"

She looked down at Arie, who was patiently sitting by her as she ate, hoping for any little morsel of food. "Uh oh. Daddy needs help," Olivia said, getting up and putting her dish in the dishwasher.

She made her way into the bedroom and then to the bathroom. "Baby, you okay?" she asked.

She turned the corner and saw him standing under the hot water, soap running down his body. He looked utterly defeated.

"Could you by any chance...wash my hair?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, Fitz, I can wash your hair."

She started stripping down and put her hair up in a tight bun to keep it out of the water's way. She needed to rinse off anyway.

"I sorta tried," he said.

"I don't want you to make anything worse," she said, stepping out of her pajama shorts.

"I washed my body, but it hurt. My right hand is useless, I can't do anything with it. You will just do it better," he said, stepping back as she entered the shower.

"I got you, baby," she said with a smile, reaching for his shampoo.

"Thank you. I'm sorry," he said.

"Don't be," she said, shaking your head. "You sacrificed your fingers for my life, remember?"

He smiled, leaning his head down a little for her to reach. "I remember."

She poured the shampoo in her hands and worked it through his curls, getting every last inch of his scalp.

He reached forward and held onto her waist as she did it. She smiled because she knew it at least felt good to have someone else wash your hair. He had that going for him.

"Okay," she nodded, feeling she was done.

He stepped back into the water and washed it out and she stepped into the line of the other shower head, getting her body wet.

"Just give me a sec and I'll condition it," she said, looking over her shoulder.

"Mmkay," he nodded, watching her begin to wash her body. "So I can use this as an excuse to get you in the shower with me every day. Right?"

She laughed, lathering her body. "You sure can. I feel so bad," she said, looking back at him.

"Don't feel bad. They'll heal," he shrugged.

"I know they will, but still. Not exactly fun," she replied.

"No. Hurts like a motherfucker," he nodded.

"Ooh, you know it's bad when he pulls out the 'motherfucker'," she laughed.

He sighed. "Yeah. But it's just…so ugly, more than anything," he said, looking down at his hand.

"It is not ugly. It just looks painful," she replied, rinsing her body. "Okay, come here."

He stepped forward and she conditioned his hair, eventually finishing their little shower together after she'd washed her face.

"Do you need help getting dressed?" she asked.

"God no," he said. "I need to keep some of my dignity intact."

"Babe, I don't want you hurting them more," she replied. "I'm sure the doctor will stabilize them in some way, which will make a big difference. But for now, just let me help you."

He sighed. "Okay, okay," he agreed. "I think I've made enough dumb decisions about this so far. I'll listen."

 _"Thank you,"_ she laughed. "So stubborn."

"Don't talk to me about stubborn, woman," he replied.

"Fair enough," she nodded.

She helped him put on a pair of boxers and shorts, and helped him pull a T-shirt over his head. As best as she could help, anyway.

He could do mostly everything else. Styling his hair. Brushing his teeth. Putting on deodorant and cologne. Shaving. It all took one hand, thank god. Otherwise, he'd really be in trouble.

More so than he already was. Because when Maya got there, he was in enough of it.

She was so happy, greeting Arie and hugging Olivia. Then she saw Fitz's hand and gasped.

"Oh dear! What did you do to your poor hand?!" she asked with a gasp.

"He saved me from getting hit in the head with a football," Olivia said. "Unfortunately…that was the result."

Fitz nodded in agreement. "I know. It's ugly."

Maya winced and shook her head. "Oh, Fitz, dear. Thank you for your heroic act. But…you do know those are broken, right?"

Olivia looked at him and nodded.

"Yes, apparently everyone else sees that before I did," he chuckled. "I'm gonna go get them checked out while you ladies are at your dress fitting."

"Oh good," Maya nodded. "How badly do they hurt?"

"Pretty bad. I've never broken a finger before, so…I wasn't quite sure what it felt like. If they are for sure broken…I can confirm that it's not fun."

"No, it is not. I've broken a finger and my ankle. Both were bad, but…I tell you, you never realize how important just one finger is until you can't use it. Pretty painful," Maya agreed.

"Unfortunately, I think all four of them suffered some damage," Olivia said, looking over his hand.

"Yeah. I'll text you and let you know," he said. "You better go though, I don't want you to be late!"

"Alright. Feel better, keep me updated," she said, leaning in to kiss him.

"Will do, baby. Have fun today," he said to the women.

"We will. Bye now and good luck," Maya said with a wave.

"Thanks!"

And that was the start to their packed days.

The ladies headed to the bridal boutique to meet Abby there, and Fitz left for the clinic.

The dress fitting was a much more positive experience than the clinic was...

Olivia finished putting her gorgeous white dress on with the help of the assistant, and walked out to the seating area where her mom and best friend sat waiting.

Abby had seen it, but she hadn't seen it fit _that_ perfectly. Her jaw dropped.

Maya, on the other hand, saw her daughter, and then looked away, putting her hand over her mouth. "Oh my lord."

Olivia smiled at her mother's reaction. She'd seen the dress in pictures. Just…not like this. This was different.

She felt beautiful in it. She felt elegant. She absolutely loved it.

"What do you think?" Olivia smiled.

"You…you look like a goddess," Abby said in awe, getting up to look at the whole dress.

"So beautiful, Livvie," her mother whispered.

"Thank you," Olivia smiled. "I really love it."

"I love it too. It is breathtaking on you," Maya nodded.

"What she said," Abby agreed. "Pretty boy is going to have a heart attack."

"She means Fitz," Olivia laughed, looking at her mom.

"Well she's certainly right. He's a lucky man," Maya said, sniffling a little bit.

"Well thank you both," Olivia said happily. "I _really_ love it."

 _"_ _Everyone's_ gonna love it! Alright, let's take some pictures. Gotta get those pictures for that wedding scrapbook," Abby smirked.

"My mom does love a good scrapbook," Olivia giggled.

"Yes I sure do," Maya agreed, standing up with her phone to take pictures.

They made sure they got more than enough pictures of the final dress fitting, before Olivia changed back into her clothes.

She could finally take the dress home. Although, Abby would be the one taking it home, not Olivia. She couldn't have Fitz seeing it!

So, the dress and veil were placed separately in the bag for Abby to take back to her apartment.

They decided to go out for a little lunch afterward, just to celebrate. That was a big job done. The wedding dress, perfectly customized and secured in the car. Whew!

Olivia made sure that she kept in contact with Fitz, who was at the clinic. He didn't answer for a while, which she assumed was because he had actually gotten in and was getting x-rays. His first text back was pretty straightforward.

 **Fitz: Yeah, babe, they're broken.**

Olivia looked sadly at the confirmation text, even though she had already known that they were.

 **Olivia: Yeah. How bad?**

 **Fitz: Not super bad. Stable fractures in my middle and ring finger. My pointer and pinky are heavily sprained.**

She winced.

 **Olivia: I'm sorry. What are they going to do for them?**

 **Fitz: Well they don't need any realigning, which is good. So she put this big splint on the two that are broken and then wrapped the four of them together to keep them all stabilized. It looks ridiculous. I have to wear it all for a month.**

 **Olivia: Well, at least you'll be out of it by the wedding!**

 **Fitz: Yeah. They'll be mostly healed by then if I'm really careful. But said even after I take the splint off, I need an additional two weeks or so with no strenuous exercise.**

 **Olivia: We can work with that. By the honeymoon, they'll be 100% again!**

 **Fitz: That's my goal. So…may need you in the shower for a month and a half ;)**

 **Olivia: No complaints here.**

 **Fitz: Don't worry. Left hand still has functioning fingers for other reasons.**

Olivia smiled, trying to keep her laughter in in front of her mom and Abby.

 **Olivia: Now that's something to celebrate!**

 **Fitz: Doc loves my tattoo, btw. She made sure not to cover it. I thanked her.**

 **Olivia: I like her already! Thank her for me, too. That's an important tattoo;)**

 **Fitz: The most important!**

She updated her mom and Abby on Fitz's situation, which they already figured too. Still quite unfortunate though.

They eventually all met back up at the apartment again, except for Abby, who went back home to get everything set for the bachelorette party later that night.

As soon as she and her mother walked in the door they were attacked with love by Arie. She had her favorite elephant toy in her mouth, wanting to play already.

Olivia smiled, kneeling down by her dog and giving her lots of attention. "Hi baby. How you doing? Have you been playing with dad? Where is he?"

"Dad's in the living room," Fitz shouted.

She looked in, but didn't see him. She raised an eyebrow.

Maya laughed and took the toy from the ground where Arie had just dropped it, and tossed it into the living room. That sent Arie running after it. Oh dear, the never-ending game of fetch...

Olivia made her way into the living room and turned the corner, seeing her fiancé laying on the floor with his knees bent and his arms spread out wide. His right hand was just as he had described over text. All wrapped up, and she could still even see the hint of bruising near the tips of his fingers.

"Ohhh, baby," she said sadly, making her way over to him.

"Oh dear. Man down," Maya chuckled, entering the living room with Arie right at her heels. "I'm gonna use the restroom, I'll be right back."

"Okay mom," Olivia nodded, watching Arie trot after her.

Olivia knelt down by him and swung her leg over his waist, looking down at his poor hand. "Let me see."

He held up his forearm for her.

"Oh sweetheart," she said sadly, gently holding it on her lap.

He sighed, nodding up at her.

She pressed kisses all around his wrist and top of his hand, whatever wasn't covered by the wrappings. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," he said.

"My baby's broken," she said, examining his hand.

He chuckled, resting his good hand on her thigh. "Fix him."

She leaned down and pressed a couple kisses to his lips, and all around his face.

"My favorite," he chuckled, accepting all her kisses.

"Better?" she asked with a smile, pulling back.

"Better," he nodded. "And see...I can still do this. Arie!"

Arie came running with from her spot outside the bathroom waiting for her fun grandma.

"Hey, baby girl, come here," Fitz said, patting the ground.

She pranced over to him with the elephant toy hanging out of her mouth.

"Drop," he commanded. She reluctantly set it down by him and he grabbed it with his good hand, tossing it to the other end of the living room.

She, of course, ran right after it and brought it back to him.

Olivia laughed, as he tossed the toy again.

"I've been doing this with her for half an hour," he said.

"Such a devoted dad. He may only have one hand but that doesn't stop him from playing fetch with his dog," she said, smiling.

"Hell no. Gotta make it work. Especially because I don't think she's gonna get much of a run today. Apparently I have to go soon," he said.

"Oh do you?" she asked.

"Mhm. Bout an hour, Cy told me. I'm meeting him and the guys at his house first and then we're going...god knows where," he sighed.

"Well it will still be good to see the guys," she said. "You haven't seen them in forever!"

"I know, I know, I'm glad they made the trip up for me. I just...don't feel up for much right now, if I'm being honest," he admitted.

"Understandable. But hey, it's your bachelor party. Have a little fun," she smirked. "But...but not too much fun. 'Cause...you know, I'm not afraid to throw hands with any woman who tries something."

He chuckled. "I know you're not. But I don't think you have to worry anyway. From what I gathered, we're not going to any bars or anything like that. Cy mentioned buying a ton of alcohol, so I assume we're just drinking at his house."

"Hmm...I wonder why you have to go so early then?" Olivia wondered.

"Yeah, I don't know. Guess we'll find out," he replied.

She heard the bathroom door open and she cleared her throat, climbing off Fitz and sitting next to him.

"So how is it, Fitz, let me see," Maya said, turning into the living room.

He held up his right forearm again so Maya could get a good look.

She sighed, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, dear."

"It's alright. Like I told Liv, they'll heal."

"Yes they will," she nodded. "I'm still very thankful you prevented her from getting hit in the head. This person...they clearly were not an all-star quarterback."

Olivia and Fitz laughed. "No, I can confirm...he's in one of my summer classes and he doesn't strike me as the...super athletic type. Heck of an arm though, can't deny that one."

"Yeah, seriously," Olivia agreed. "Just needs...some _aim_ , maybe."

Fitz chuckled. "Mhm. Super nice guy, though. He'll feel bad when he sees this next Wednesday."

"Well...he kind of should," Olivia shrugged.

"Yeah. It's alright, accidents happen. How was the boutique today?" Fitz asked.

"Oh just wonderful. Olivia picked the right dress for sure. She looked beautiful," Maya said.

"I bet she did," Fitz smiled. "I can't wait to see it."

"I can't wait for you to see it either. But it's at Abby's. Just so you're not tempted," she winked.

"Good idea. When do you have to head there today?"

"Around four I think," she replied.

"Okay. Should we show your mom everything she'll need with Arie before either of us have to go?" Fitz asked

"Yeah sure," Olivia nodded.

"I think I can handle it," Maya laughed.

"Well...just in case," Olivia shrugged, pulling Fitz up from his spot on the floor.

They went through everything with her.

 _Everything._

"All her toys are in this basket," Fitz said. "And all her treats are in those jars on that side table by her kennel. Everything except the peanut butter which is in the pantry. Hers is the one with an 'A' on it."

"Got it," Maya nodded.

"Yeah, and all her collars and leashes are on the table by the door. There are different leashes depending on what collar you want to use. The harness one is for runs, so you would just use a regular collar when you take her out. The blue one. And then the purple leash goes with that one," Olivia explained.

"She gets a cup and a half at dinner. The food is in the big bin on the floor of the pantry. Usually we have her eat around six, but if it's an hour before or after, that's alright too. She'll usually go to the bathroom about an hour after she eats and then she'll have to go about two, maybe three more times before bed. She drinks a lot of water," Fitz said.

"Cup and a half for dinner, lots of water. Three or four total trips to the bathroom before bedtime. Got it," Maya nodded.

"Right. And, uh...you know how we do the peanut butter. She can have that as a treat later tonight. Only if you want and feel like getting it ready for her. Otherwise, she likes regular treats too. Obviously," Fitz chuckled.

"Yeah and she'll lay in her dog bed if she's sleepy. She likes to lounge there in the evening. But when she wants to sleep, she'll go to her kennel. You don't have to tell her. And you don't have to close the door, she will stay there all night, she likes it in there," Olivia said. "If you want her to go in there though, just tell her it's night night time, and she will."

Maya nodded, holding in her laughter at this overload of information.

"And whenever you get up is perfect. She'll probably be up and out of her kennel by seven or eight, it just depends on how she sleeps. But don't feel like you need to set an alarm or anything. She'll be fine until you wake up. Then...same amount of food for breakfast if we're not back by then. Cup and a half," Fitz said.

Maya just stared at them, finally laughing a little bit.

"...what?" Olivia asked.

"You guys have never left her with someone else for the night, have you?"

Olivia And Fitz looked at each other and then back at Maya. "No."

"I can tell. It's very sweet," Maya smiled.

"What? Too much information?" Olivia laughed.

"No, no. Perfect amount, I'm glad I know everything. I can just tell that you've never left her," Maya said.

"She's very dear to our hearts," Fitz chuckled.

"As she should be," Maya nodded. "I got it though. She and I will have some fun. Bonding experience."

"That's right. Arie, you have a night in with grandma, okay?" Olivia said.

Arie tilted her head.

Fitz laughed. "She does that a lot, by the way."

"I've noticed. She's very cute."

"That she is. Yes you're very cute, aren't you," Fitz said, scratching behind her ears.

"And very large," Maya added.

"Mhm. She's _one_ now. Yes she is, she's a whole year old!" Olivia exclaimed, smiling at her.

"May 25th was her birthday, right?" Maya asked.

"Yep," Fitz nodded. "She got doggy cupcakes and everything."

"I saw the pictures," Maya laughed. "She's a little spoiled I think."

"No way..." Olivia laughed.

"She is. We admit it," Fitz nodded.

"Well I will spoil her a little tonight too. Maybe we'll even FaceTime grandpa! I bet he misses you. The only dog he likes," Maya chuckled, looking at Arie.

"Sounds like a fun night to me," Olivia nodded.

"And me. Unfortunately I have to get ready to go," Fitz sighed.

"Which means I should help," Olivia added.

"No worries here. Arie and I will keep each other company. Go and get ready you two," Maya said, waving them away.

So, they both got ready for their parties.

He'd been told to just dress casual. So, he wore the same pair of shorts and then put on a different colored T-shirt, with an open casual dress shirt. Sleeves rolled up. And boat shoes. He looked damn good to her.

Olivia had been told to pack more casual clothes for later, but dress nicely for the time being. So, she put on a flowery sundress and a pair of wedge sandals, fixing her tight bun and putting on a touch more of makeup.

She had to wait a little while yet for Sandra to get there. Then she and her could head to Abby's together.

Fitz was out of the house way before she was. He kissed her goodbye and grabbed his overnight bag, heading off to his first and only ever bachelor party.

When he got to Cyrus' house, he was the last one to arrive. Which, had clearly been planned.

There all his buddies were in the driveway of Cyrus' big house, waving their hands excitedly like children. Seemed about right.

"Grant!" Matt exclaimed.

"Shit that car's even nicer in person," Brett nodded. "Buddy, hi."

"Hey, guys," Fitz said, slinging his duffel bag over his shoulder and shutting the door.

"Look at this man. Pulls up in his Audi and them preppy damn clothes," Logan smiled. _"That_ is my friend right there."

"Logan, man, I've missed you," Fitz chuckled.

"You too, Grant."

"Woah, man, what's with your hand?" Jason asked.

"Ah, nothin'," Fitz said, waving it away.

"Fitz," Brett smiled, pulling in for a big hug.

"Brett. I missed you," he said, patting his back.

"Missed you too, buddy," he replied.

Fitz made his way around his group of friends, finally coming to Cyrus.

"Cy!" Fitz chuckled, hugging him too.

"Hey there," Cyrus said, patting his shoulder.

"James here?" Fitz asked, looking at the house.

"Oh yeah, he's inside. He's excited to bartend for us later. However he's leaving us be while we go out first," Cyrus said.

"Ah and where are we going?" Fitz asked.

"You'll see. All your friends and I worked hard on this," Cyrus said.

"That we did," Matt agreed.

"Here, let me take your bag, we'll bring it inside," Cyrus said. "Seriously, is your hand alright?"

"Eh," Fitz sighed, scratching his head. "I kind of busted my fingers."

"What?!" Jason asked.

"You broke all your fingers?" Matt asked.

"No, no. Not all of them. Just two. Other two are just sprained," Fitz replied.

"Well Jesus, what were you doing?" Brett asked as they all walked inside.

"Short version is a football was about to hit my fiancée in the head. So instead..." he shrugged, gesturing to his hand.

"Ahh the hero. Takes the hit for his woman," Jason nodded.

"Right," Fitz agreed.

"Aww Prince Charming," Matt chuckled, patting his back.

"Yes, yes, thank you," Fitz laughed.

"Honey?" Cyrus asked, setting Fitz's bag down on the couch.

"Yes?" James yelled from the kitchen.

"We're going to go, okay? We'll be back later," Cyrus said.

"Okay. Have fun, you guys!" James replied.

"Thank you! Hey James, did you know Fitz broke all his fingers?" Logan yelled.

"I did not br—"

"What?! Fitz!" James exclaimed, shuffling in from the kitchen.

"Hey James," Fitz chuckled, giving him a wave.

"Hey!" he said, coming to give him a hug. "What did you do to your fingers?"

"Only two are broken. Long story, but...football hit them," Fitz explained.

"Oh no," James said, examining his hand. "I thought all heteros could catch a football."

That had the guys cracking up.

 _"Thank you,_ James," Fitz chuckled.

"He wasn't focused on catching it, you see," Cyrus began. "It was headed for Olivia's head, therefore—"

"Ahhh, the hero!" James said.

"Yes. See, there we go!" Fitz chuckled.

"Very considerate of you. Maybe today, you will have better luck...catching something," James winked.

Fitz looked around at all of them.

"Better go find out," Jason said.

"We'll be back. Bye," Cyrus said, kissing James' cheek.

"Bye," James smiled.

"What does he mean catching something?" Fitz asked as they all gathered in Cyrus' car.

"Oh you'll see soon enough," Cyrus said.

"A cold? The flu? A disease? What am I catching the day of my bachelor party?" Fitz asked.

That had the guys cracking up in the backseat. "Oh buddy, we've missed you."

"I've missed you guys too," Fitz replied. "I'm glad you could all finally meet in person."

"Cyrus, James, and Logan are pretty cool," Matt nodded. "You should have introduced us sooner, Grant."

"Well, it's a bit difficult considering two of you live in New York and one of you lives in Pennsylvania," Fitz replied.

"That's not that far, right?" Brett asked. "We'll always make it work for you buddy."

"Thank you guys. I'm happy to be here with you all."

"As are we," Jason said. "Even though your hand's broken."

"My hand is not—"

"Turn up some music, eh, Cyrus?" Matt asked.

"You got it," Cyrus said, reaching for the volume dial.

So to the mystery place, they went.

* * *

"Cheers!" Abby exclaimed, as they all clinked their champagne glasses together.

"Cheers. Thank you all, for this!" Olivia exclaimed.

"Of course," Abby nodded. "It's good for all us girls to get together just us!"

"Yes! I'm so happy to be up here. To see you all again after the bridal shower," Sandra said, nodding at Teagan and Quinn.

"Yes!" They nodded.

"It's hard, being so far apart," Sandra said.

"It is," Olivia agreed. "Especially now, after college. It's so strange having to adapt to friends being all over the place. I mean, I'm lucky to have Abby, Teagan, and Quinn here. David too. But Huck. Harrison. Charlie. You and Stephen. You guys are all over the place. It's so sad. Hard to be away from friends."

"Well, from what I hear though, at least some of your friends are looking in this area for jobs, right?" Sandra asked.

"Yeah. They're all working at home now. Internships or filler jobs until they find a full-time job. I think Harrison actually has his eye on a company near our houses, in Virginia I mean. Otherwise...Quinn, Teagan, where are Huck and Charlie looking?" Olivia asked.

"Huck is looking at United Technologies," Teagan said proudly.

"That's right, that's right," Olivia nodded. "Man, that's right up Huck's alley."

"Mhm. And Charlie's leaning towards...?" Teagan asked.

"Pratt & Whitney, sorta by where Abby works right now. He's just waiting to hear back after his interview. He feels good about it, he says," Quinn said.

"That's so awesome that most of you guys are all somewhat close then," Sandra nodded.

"Yeah. I'm definitely glad I found a good temporary job for the summers here in between law semesters...can't be away from all my crazy friends or my boyfriend. What about you, though?" Abby asked.

"Well right now I work for Brink's Home Security back home, I think I told you all that. But...I'm thinking about applying for a different job near Virginia Beach. It's all in question still...depends on Stephen too," Sandra said.

"And how are you and Stephen?" Abby smirked.

"Oh, as crazy as ever," Olivia giggled. "She filled me in on the way here on their recent shenanigans."

"I did do that," Sandra laughed. "We're really good. Really good. I want Teagan and Quinn to meet him, as I'm sure Liv does too! Abby already has."

"Well don't fear. The wedding will provide that opportunity," Olivia smirked. "Plus, Fitz And I will have a little house party I think, when we move into our house. You're all coming, no exceptions."

"Hell yes!" Abby exclaimed.

"Please!" Sandra nodded. "Man, I can't wait. Let me know and I'll be there. I suppose Stephen too," she joked.

"Yes, I really do miss that dude," Olivia said sadly.

"He's still the same old Stephen. He misses you too though, he's so excited for the wedding!" Sandra exclaimed.

"Oh good. Me too," Olivia laughed.

"Me too," Quinn nodded.

They all nodded in agreement.

"I am equally excited for tonight, though," Abby agreed. "Let's have some fun."

Olivia nodded and smiled.

"Let's have some fun."

* * *

"Are you having fun?!" Brett asked, clapping Fitz on the back.

"Yes," he chuckled. "I still can't believe you guys took me to a Connecticut Tigers game. This is awesome!"

"Hell yeah. We did good boys," Brett said, nodding at the guys down the row.

"They supplied this idea," Cyrus nodded.

"Well I'm very happy to be here. The whole 'catching something' makes more sense now. Although...I still don't think I will be catching any foul balls if they come our way," he said, holding up his hand.

"Hey, that's okay bud. I got you," Matt said, holding up his glove.

"Thanks, man," Fitz chuckled.

"Hey, speaking of your pitiful hand, you have to do what we discussed in the car. It's bachelor tradition, to give you a ridiculous task," Logan said.

"Oh god, I don't know," Fitz said, shaking his head.

"Do it! Come on, it's harmless," Brett encouraged.

"It's weird! It's not even...a real cast. They will think I'm nuts," Fitz said.

"Grant, you're the man we all pick on tonight. Therefore you gotta do it," Matt said.

"Right. And I can't even say my fiancée's name or I have to chug a beer, right?" he asked.

"Right," Jason nodded. "It's a rule."

"I didn't know these were rules. I am too old," Cyrus shrugged.

"No, Cy, you're just _mature_ ," Fitz said, shooting a look at his buddies. They only laughed though.

"Oh you know you love us. Do it, bachelor man. Or I'll help you along," Jason smirked.

Fitz sighed. "You know, I thought you were all supposed to _celebrate_ me tonight. Not pick on me!"

Matt shrugged. "What's the fun in that?"

"Here's your sharpie," Cyrus said, handing it to Fitz.

"Oh now you're joining in huh?" Fitz asked, taking the sharpie.

Cyrus shrugged. "It _is_ a little funny, I will still admit."

Fitz glanced at all his buddies with a doubtful look.

Jason turned to the woman next to him, with all her friends. "Excuse me miss. My friend down there broke his hand. He's wondering if you'll sign his cast."

Fitz's eyes widened, and he put his hand up to his face. "I did not break my—"

"Hey, Grant, come here. She said yes!" Jason said.

Fitz chuckled and got up, making his way through the row to the woman, who looked to be in about her early thirties if he had to guess.

"Hey there," Fitz greeted, giving an awkward wave.

"Hey! I heard about the hand, that's tragic," she saw, frowning at his wrapped up hand.

"Yeah, see it's not really—I just—" he began. Was it really worth this? "Yeah. It's unfortunate. It could use some signatures, don't you think?"

"I do," she nodded.

"Thanks so much," he said, handing her the sharpie. "And sorry for interrupting your game-watching."

"No worries! Signing a cute guy's...hand? Strange, but worth it," she giggled.

"Ha," he chuckled, watching her sign it. Oh god.

His buddies listened in on their conversation, fighting back laughs.

"Thanks," he said quickly, taking the sharpie back. "You want to sign it too?" he asked her friend.

"Of course I do," she smiled.

Matt nodded behind him, fake clapping.

"So Grant. What do you do?" the third friend asked.

"Oh actually my name is—" he began. Again, was it worth it? "Grant. Yeah, okay. Right. Uh...I'm a...lawyer."

"Oh wow," she said.

"I want to sign it too!" the fourth friend exclaimed.

Fitz moved along, letting all of them sign it as they all ogled him.

"Oh my god," Brett chuckled. "This guy pulls."

"How are none of them married? In relationships? Anything?" Logan whispered to the rest of them. "They're all cute."

"Oh I'm sure some of them are," Matt said. "There's no way they're all single."

"Oh wonderful. That's comforting. They all crumble when they see a man they're attracted to?" Jason chuckled.

"Women like them...yeah, completely possible," Matt nodded.

They all twirled their hair, batting their eyelashes at Fitz. Literally.

Fitz finally came back with five women's signatures on his hand. He eyed all his friends, who chuckled. "That went extremely well," Jason said.

"Uh-huh," he nodded.

"How's it feel, to have women look at you like you're on display?" Brett chuckled.

"Annoying."

"Is that right, Grant the lawyer?" Jason said quietly.

"Hey, like I want any of them knowing my name and profession. _No,"_ Fitz chuckled quietly. "How many women's signatures are you guys making me get? Ten?" he asked.

"Or else you have to chug two beers," Logan said.

Fitz opened his mouth in awe. "Are you kidding? Give me two beers then I'll do it right now!"

"You will not," Cyrus chuckled.

"Oh hell yes I will," Fitz nodded. "Nobody else is signing my damn hand."

Brett raised his eyebrows. "You heard the man."

So, they went and got him two beers. And, came back with a Connecticut Tigers hat for him.

"Please forgive us for picking on you," Matt chuckled, handing him the hat.

"Hey, thanks," Fitz chuckled, putting it on.

"If you don't _chug_ chug these beers, the signatures are still a go," Jason said. "Because these suckers cost nine dollars."

"I'll reimburse you, I don't care," Fitz said, taking the first beer and pounding it.

All the guys' eyes widened.

"What in the..." Logan said.

"Give me the second one," Fitz said, waving it over.

Jason nodded and gave it to him with wide eyes.

He pounded that one too. A little slower, but still pounded it.

"For someone that women can't get enough of, he really dislikes talking to them," Matt chuckled.

"Yeah, see I really don't need to give Olivia a reason to throw hands with anybody, as she told me," he chuckled.

"Oh!" Matt said, pointing at him.

"Aha!" Jason joined in.

Fitz raised his eyebrows. "What, you idiots?"

"My dear friend, you said Olivia," Cyrus said.

The realization dawned on him. "Oh fuck."

"Here, I got this for myself but your needs are greater than mine," Brett chuckled, handing him his basically full beer.

Fitz sighed, taking it. "For real guys, really?"

"Yep," Logan nodded.

"God I'm gonna kill all of you," Fitz said, before proceeding to chug his third ballpark beer in a span of about five minutes.

"Thatta boy," Brett said, patting his back.

He finished and dropped the empty plastic cup below his chair, putting his arms up. "Sorry, baby, but I am never saying your name again tonight."

"What a champ," Matt chuckled.

Brett reached up and turned Fitz's hat backward. "There, now you're fully embodying the frat boy image with this outfit and the beer chugging and the backward hat."

"What's wrong with this outfit?!" Fitz asked, looking down at it.

"It's preppy as fuck, but you rock that look," Logan said.

"You do, actually," Jason nodded.

 _"_ _My fiancée_ helped me put it on," Fitz said proudly.

"Oh no. The beer is hitting him," Cyrus chuckled.

"No, I think he's serious," Matt laughed.

"Yeah because his fucking hand is broken!" Jason said.

"No it isn't—"

"At least he said his fiancée, he didn't say Olivia. Man what a beautiful name. Olivia," Matt said.

"Olivia," Jason said. "Really rolls off the tongue, doesn't it."

"Oliiiiviia," Logan chuckled.

"Olivia," Brett said, smiling at him.

"Stoppp," Fitz chuckled.

"Alright, alright. We'll refrain from saying her name as much as we can tonight, just to support you," Brett said. "Right guys?"

"Right," Matt nodded.

"Absolutely," Jason agreed.

Matt smirked, leaning over close to Fitz.

"Wait...what's her name again?"

* * *

"Olivia!"

"What!" Olivia giggled, getting in the Uber after Abby.

"I'm serious!" Quinn said.

"Nuh-uh," Olivia replied.

"Am I right or am I wrong, guys," Quinn asked.

"Okay, she's actually right," Abby admitted.

"Yeahhh," Teagan added.

"Totally into you, Liv. The entire table of guys," Sandra nodded.

"Why on earth would an entire table of older guys be into just me and me only?" Olivia asked.

"Uh 'cause you're hot?" Abby asked.

"Did it stop Fitz?" Quinn asked.

"Because?" Sandra asked.

"Liv, come on," Teagan said.

Olivia's eyes widened. "Well okay then!"

"Mmmhm," Abby nodded.

"I'm wearing a ring though, I'm clearly taken!" Olivia exclaimed.

"Ugh, we should've had her take it off! Then they would have actually come and flirted," Quinn said.

"Uh, no!" Olivia exclaimed. "I don't want that, oh my god."

"Oh come on, Liv. It's your bachelorette party, you can entertain a little harmless guy attention," Sandra said.

Olivia winced. "Eh...I don't know. Wait—does that mean Fitz is entertaining...harmless girl attention?"

"Depends, where are they going?" Quinn asked.

"They're at a baseball game," Abby answered. "Cyrus and I may have been in contact for our plans tonight."

"Oh, is it for games like the...question thing I did for his party?" Olivia asked.

"Uh-huh," Abby nodded.

"Ooh, what question thing?" Teagan asked.

"You'll all see when we get home. We've got a few games to play," Abby smirked.

"Nice!" Quinn said.

"Well I'm happy Fitz is at a baseball game. That will make him happy," Olivia smiled.

"Even if he's entertaining harmless girl attention?" Quinn smirked.

"Yeah. It's his bachelor party, I guess. Plus, it's Fitz. I would never _actually_ be worried," Olivia said.

"You will never ever have to worry about Fitz, Liv. He is so attached to you," Abby agreed.

Olivia sat in thought.

"You think so, huh?"

* * *

"God yes," Matt nodded.

"No...really?" Fitz asked.

"Probably. Let me ask you something. Do guys ever _not_ hit on her when she's out without you? Do you know?" Matt asked.

Fitz sat in thought. "Fuck."

"Oh I wouldn't worry, Fitzgerald," Cyrus said, as they all headed back home after the game.

"Well, of course, I'm not worried. I would never worry. And it's her bachelorette party. Still...you all know how it is, regardless," he shrugged.

"Ohhh I know how it is," Jason agreed. "What's yours is yours."

"Yeah, Janelle is pretty hot, man," Matt joked.

Jason smacked his friend's arm. "Hey. No. None of that."

"Yeahhh, see. Doesn't feel so good when we comment on our friends' hot significant others, does it," Fitz pointed out.

"Oh we didn't ever say anything about yours, did we?" Jason asked.

"Um, yeah. You did. You guys were hammered talking about her sexy swimmer's body," Fitz said.

"Oh, damn, yeah she does have that," Matt acknowledged.

Fitz turned around, shooting a look at him.

"This is why I am Fitz's safest friend," Cyrus said.

"Damn right," Fitz nodded as everyone cracked up. "Best friend."

"Hey, I've never said anything about Olivia," Logan said confidently from the way back seat.

Fitz raised his eyebrow, turning back to look at him. "Did you have too many beers at the game, Baxter? Yes you have."

"Nahhh," Logan replied.

"Dude, it's not worth it. You probably have," Jason said.

"Alright, I probably have," Logan nodded. "For the record, I only had two beers. You had three and you chugged them all."

"You assholes made me!" Fitz exclaimed.

"Are you drunk yet?" Matt asked.

"Just buzzed, and _really_ full. But...get some hard liquor in me and it'll happen faster. Always does when I mix my alcohol," Fitz replied.

"Well, good thing my husband is an amazing bartender. He can make anything you want. We've got everything, we're prepared," Cyrus said.

"Awesome," Fitz nodded. "And hey, you don't have to convince me of James' mixology skills. I've known for years."

"Oh I'm looking forward to this," Brett said. "I like a good old fashioned. Most bars don't make them well, in my opinion."

"Well get ready. James can mix anything," Cyrus assured him.

So, they went back to the house and down into the basement, where Cyrus and James' bar was. And man, that bar was stocked.

The fridge was full. The liquor cabinet and wine rack, too.

James did not disappoint. He mixed whatever everyone wanted. Fitz asked for a gin and tonic, because it reminded him of Olivia.

"To our buddy," Matt said, raising his drink. "Oh captain, our captain."

"Not just captain of our ship, but in life. We all look up to you, buddy. The smart one, always. We love you man," Jason said.

"And we're happy you found her," Brett added. "To you, man."

"To Fitz," Cyrus said, raising his glass.

"To Fitz," they all echoed.

"Thank you," Fitz smiled. "I love you guys."

"We love you," Brett said, patting his back.

"We got you a little party gift too. Well, actually, we've all got some," Jason said, grabbing a brown box on the bartop that had clearly been opened, but resealed.

"Oh is _that_ what that box is?" Fitz chuckled.

"Mhm. Let's pass 'em out. Grant gets his first," Jason said, pulling something silver out of the box.

It was a silver flask, with a black bow tie printed around the top, as it would normally go around a collar. It said "Grant" directly below the bow tie, and at the bottom, read "Groom."

"Oh man that's awesome! Thank you!" Fitz said, looking it over.

"We asked Cyrus if you could sneak it to work. He said no," Matt chuckled, receiving his.

"But that doesn't mean I won't take mine," Cyrus chuckled, taking his from Jason.

Fitz laughed. "You're allowed to, you're the big boss man."

"And the _best man,"_ Cyrus smirked, showing his flask. Which said, "Cy" at the top and "Best Man" at the bottom.

"These are really cool, guys," Fitz nodded.

Matt and Brett's said their names and "Groomsman" on the bottom, as did Jason's, but his had "J" on the top.

James and Logan got their own too, customized with "James" and "Baxter" and everything, even though they weren't in the wedding party.

"You have no idea how much I will use this," Logan nodded, smiling at it in his hands.

"Good. The gifts went well, now hopefully the dessert goes well too," Matt chuckled.

"Oh god, what's for dessert?" Fitz asked.

"You'll see later. First let's get the apps out. We've got all sorts of them," Cyrus said. "I'll go grab some. Honey, would you help me?"

"Yeah, we've got a pretty full fridge upstairs," James nodded.

And they were right about the appetizers, because eventually, they had a whole spread laid out for them on the bar. Different types of salsas and quesos, guacamole, veggie trays, intricate meat and cheese trays, and more. _So_ much.

"Eat up, bud. Fill your stomach with something other than beer," Brett chuckled.

"Yeah for real. I've gotta use the bathroom after all that," Fitz laughed.

He went into the bathroom and pulled out his phone. He really did have to go, but there was also someone he wanted to text.

* * *

The **next part is already posted, go check it out!**


	91. Bachelor & Bachelorette pt 2

"What's it say, come on," Quinn giggled.

"'Hey Liv. Hope your party has been fun so far. I was at a baseball game all afternoon! It was pretty fun. The guys have gotten a good kick out of the fact that I broke my fingers. You'll see what I mean tomorrow, they made me 'decorate' my cast. Anyway, I don't want to bother you tonight, but just wanted to text you. Miss you as always and love you lots'," Olivia read from her screen.

"Aww. Can't even go a few hours," Teagan teased.

"I was about to text him too, actually," Olivia nodded. "I'm curious to see what he means by 'decorate his cast'."

"It's so unfortunate that he broke his fingers," Quinn said. "How the hell is he gonna finger you?"

Abby had just taken a drink of her mixed vodka drink, and she spit it clear out of her mouth.

Everyone started laughing, as Abby wiped her face. "Jeez Quinn, a little warning!"

"Sorry," Quinn laughed.

"I was not expecting anything to escalate that fast," Sandra giggled.

"Well it's his right hand that's fucked up, so," Olivia shrugged, swirling her gin and tonic around. She'd been drinking it because of Fitz.

"So…" Sandra questioned.

"Fitz is a lefty," Olivia said with a smile, taking a sip of her drink.

"OH," Abby laughed. "Did you all just see how sly that was?"

"Oh my god," Teagan laughed. "That's right. I remember that, now that you say it."

"Then you're all good," Quinn winked.

"Oh, but does Liv really know everything about her man? Shall we see?" Abby smirked.

"Oh god, what does that require," Olivia laughed.

"Oh you'll see. First, I think we gotta get our official slumber party clothes on," Abby said, getting up.

"Yes!" Quinn exclaimed. "I've been waiting for that."

"Come one ladies! Liv, you gotta stay here and we'll be back!" Abby said.

"Okay," Olivia laughed.

She sent Fitz a text back while she sat alone in the living room, waiting for the "official slumber party clothes" to be revealed.

 **Olivia: Abby told me about the baseball game, that sounds fun! Hope you're having a good time too. I am currently waiting to see what kind of slumber party clothes we will be wearing tonight. Miss and love you too!**

She heard laughter in the back hallway, and she rolled her eyes. "Hurry up, you all know I'm an impatient person!"

It took about a minute for Fitz to respond.

 **Fitz: Send me a pic of your clothes, I'm curious! Need a little Liv on my phone right now.**

 **Olivia: I will ;)**

She looked up immediately after sending the text as she heard Abby from the hallway. "Ready Liv?"

"Ready," Olivia said.

"Woo!"

They all came skipping out in leggings and peach-colored shirts. On the front of the shirt said "bridesmaid" in gold cursive font, and Abby's said "maid of honor."

Just like her wedding colors.

"Oh my gosh!" Olivia exclaimed, putting her hands up to her mouth.

They turned around and let her see the backs, which had their first names written in the same gold font. "Like them?" Abby asked.

"I love them, you all look so cute!"

 _"And,"_ Quinn said, unfolding a white shirt. "The most important shirt."

Olivia gasped, standing up to look at it.

The front said "bride" in that gold font, and on the back there was a big number 27, for the date of their wedding.

Right above the number on the nameplate, read "Grant."

"Ahh!" Olivia exclaimed. "Oh my gosh!"

"Go put it on, Right this second!" Sandra said.

"Okay, okay," Olivia smiled, grabbing her phone and heading to Abby's room to change.

She'd brought leggings of her own, so she put those on as well as the bride shirt.

She, of course, had to send some mirror pictures to Fitz, because she'd promised.

 **Olivia: Like it?**

He sent a bunch of heart eyes emojis back.

 **Olivia: I'll take that as a yes!**

 **Fitz: Hot. Love your name and number on the back.**

 **Olivia: Me too! My friends have their own, too. Different colors and different labels, of course.**

 **Fitz: So jealous! Ask them if the groom gets one?**

Olivia laughed.

 **Olivia: I'll ask for sure. Apparently we're about to play some sort of games too.**

 **Fitz: Us too. I'm wondering if I should be scared. My friends are shameless.**

 **Olivia: So are mine. Have fun!**

 **Fitz: You too, baby.**

She smiled and clicked off her phone, heading back to show all her girls.

"I'm sorry, were you all looking for me? The bride?" Olivia asked, flaunting her shirt as she walked into the living room.

"Ooooh!"

"Damn, girl!"

"Let's go!"

"You're a fucking Queen. Come here, take this shot, and sit your ass down, we've got games."

"Yes ma'am," Olivia nodded, taking the shot. "What is this?"

"It's a surprise, shoot it," Abby said.

Olivia shrugged and obeyed, and then winced. "Okay that's vodka but...why does it almost taste...good?"

"Strawberry. Your fav," Quinn winked.

"Oh damn! Well that is definitely going to be dangerous," Olivia laughed.

"We've got lots of options though. For the first game, it's just you. We've got questions that we had the groom answer for us beforehand. If you get something wrong...you gotta take a shot," Abby said.

"Ooh, a little trivia okay!" Olivia nodded. "I'm ready."

"She says she's ready...are we all ready? Do we think she can answer all of these?" Abby asked.

"Let's find out," Quinn laughed.

"Alright, Liv. There's ten of these and we'll give you ten seconds to answer each one. Ready for the first one?"

"So ready," Olivia nodded.

"Alright. What is the groom's favorite movie?"

She wasted no time. "Saving Private Ryan."

"Oh she got it," Abby nodded, scrolling down her phone more.

"Thank god it's not 'Die Hard'. I swear that's every guy's favorite movie. No matter their age too," Quinn said.

"Oh my god, that's Stephen's favorite movie..." Sandra said.

"Yeah, see!" Quinn nodded. "Charlie's too!"

"Nope, not Fitz's," Olivia said.

"Yeah, good job. Okay, what's the groom's favorite book?"

"Slaughterhouse-Five."

"Oh damn! She's rapid answering these questions. Liv, save your rapid answers for the rapid-fire questions!" Sandra teased.

"We have those too?" Olivia laughed.

"Oh just you wait...you're in for a treat," Abby giggled. "Okay, what's the groom's all-time favorite song?"

"Shit," Olivia said. "He's got so many...he likes so many different things! Fuck."

"Mhm he gave me an explanation for this one, even said you probably wouldn't get it," Abby said. "Seven seconds..."

"Uh, fuck fuck, um...that country one. 'International Harvester'!"

"God no," Abby chuckled.

"Shit! Guys help, what's a really white song to love?" Olivia asked.

"'Friends in Low Places'!"

"'Stacy's Mom'!"

"'Cotton Eyed Joe'!"

"'Eye of the Tiger'!"

"'Come on Eileen'!"

"No! Times up!" Abby chuckled. "'Addicted to Love'."

"Hmm. Really?" Olivia asked.

"Mhm. Says you two had a New Year's Eve party of your own once and you made out to that song on the floor. Ever since then it makes him happy," Abby laughed.

"Ahhhh," Olivia nodded. "Okay, okay. I do remember that. Kind of. We were hammered, but I remember."

"Quinn, wanna pour her a shot?" Abby asked.

"Yep!"

So, Olivia had to shoot some more strawberry vodka.

"Okay, next question. What's the groom's least favorite chore?"

"Laundry," Olivia nodded.

"Yep. What's the groom's favorite sports team?"

"Los Angeles Kings."

"What has always been the groom's baseball number?"

"Twenty-four."

"What's the groom's favorite dessert?"

"Cookies 'n cream ice cream."

"Oh damn, he just had ice cream as his answer and you were even more specific!" Abby laughed.

"I know him and his desserts," Olivia laughed.

"Alright two more. What is the groom's favorite pair of your underwear?"

"Oh shoot...um. I just don't know if it's changed since he got me all that new underwear...uh, I'm gonna go with the red, lacy thong because that's what it was before," Olivia guessed.

"Ding ding ding!" Abby nodded. "And lastly, what is the groom's favorite season."

"Ha! Summer by far," Olivia said confidently.

"Yep. He even typed below it 'fuck the cold'," Abby laughed.

"Sounds like Fitz," Olivia giggled.

"Well, nine for ten!" Teagan exclaimed. "Pretty damn good!"

"I should have known the song one!" Olivia exclaimed.

"I think he'd be excited about a 90 percent. However...how well do _we_ know you guys?" Abby asked, looking around.

"Yes! I've been waiting so patiently for this game," Quinn said.

"Oooh, do I have to judge your guys' answers now?" Olivia smiled.

"Mhm. I had David print out a bachelorette party questionnaire so that I wouldn't see it beforehand...we'll see how good of a questionnaire he found. If you tell us our answers are wrong..."

"Shots for you guys," Olivia smirked.

"Yes ma'am. Okay, I've got them in here," Abby said, pulling out a sealed envelope.

It was so taped up, it made everyone laugh.

"You took this one seriously!" Sandra laughed.

"Oh hell yeah. The taping was all David. I think he was just as determined to hide the questionnaire from me as I was. I'm gonna need a damn scissors," she laughed.

When they finally cut open the tapes up envelope, she passed out pens she had ready and the folded up lists right away. "Alright, ready, set. Go!"

Olivia looked over the list, smiling at the questions. "Aww, David did so well!"

"Liv, tell us when it's been two minutes!" Quinn exclaimed, writing away.

"Okay! That means...only twelve seconds per question. No pressure ladies," Olivia smirked.

"Ahhhh!" Teagan exclaimed. "I've known you for less time this is hard!"

"I believe in you, T," Olivia encouraged.

The two minutes passed, and Olivia let them know their time was up.

"Alright, I'll just read these off and see what you all put. Question number one, where did the bride and groom meet?" Olivia asked.

"Yale!"

"Campus!"

"A lecture hall!"

"Connecticut!" Sandra exclaimed.

Olivia laughed and nodded. "Those are all technically correct, good job! Okay, where did the groom ask the bride to marry him?"

"Their place," Abby said.

"A park," Teagan added.

 _"Their park,"_ Quinn laughed.

 _"Connecticut!"_ Sandra exclaimed again, which had everyone laughing.

"Sandra!" Abby laughed.

"I'm sorry I knew it was outside but I didn't know if it was technically a park, I only saw the pictures!" she exclaimed.

"I think Sandra has to take a shot," Quinn said.

"I agree. Right state, Sandra, but shoot that vodka," Olivia laughed.

"Okay, you're right I deserve that," she nodded, pouring herself a shot.

"Okay, let's see...where was the bride born?" Olivia asked.

"D.C."

"Oh shoot, I had Arlington," Quinn said.

"Ah, me too," Teagan said.

"D.C. bitchessss," Sandra nodded.

"Abby and Sandra are correct I was born in D.C.," Olivia nodded.

Teagan and Quinn did their shots for that wrong answer.

"Who is more messy, the bride or the groom?" Olivia asked with a laugh.

"Bride."

"Bride."

"Definitely the bride."

"Bride."

"Oh so _that_ one you all get correct, I see how it is," Olivia laughed, which had them laughing back.

"It's not even necessarily that you're super messy. But...pretty boy is oddly neat with everything," Abby said.

"That he is. Besides taking off his shoes at the front door. He sucks at that," Olivia noted.

"Oh yeah, that's a flaw. I used to trip on those suckers every friggin day," Abby laughed.

"Yeah _me too!"_ Olivia said, rolling her eyes. "He'll learn that later. Okay...how many kids do Bride and groom want?"

"Three."

"Three."

"Three!"

"Three."

"Nice! Two in a row," Olivia smiled. "What's the bride's favorite show?"

"'Friends'."

"Oh shit...I had 'Dexter'."

"I had Fixer Upper!" Teagan laughed.

"'Friends'!" Sandra exclaimed.

"All shows I do love, but 'Friends' is my favorite," Olivia nodded.

"Damn! My second shot! Fuck!" Quinn said.

"Be careful you guys, I'm going to be passed out within an hour if I keep failing," Teagan giggled.

"I believe in you Teagan, I really do. Especially for this one. What's the groom's middle name?"

"Thomas."

"Michael..."

"Thomas!" Teagan exclaimed.

"Shit! I guessed William," Sandra said.

"It's Thomas," Olivia said.

"Oh man...someone tell Charlie I love him if I die," Quinn joked, taking another shot along with Sandra.

"Damn I haven't gotten one wrong yet! I'm winning, no shots for the maid of fucking honor," Abby smirked.

"Oooh, competition, competition," Olivia laughed. "Okay, what is the date of the bride and groom's wedding?"

"July 27th!" they all shouted in unison.

"Hey! There we go! Glad you all got that one right too," Olivia said. "Where are the bride and groom going for their honeymoon?"

"A cruise."

"They're going on a big ass boat."

"Carribean cruise!"

"Cruise!"

"Nice, nice. What is the groom's profession?"

"Professor."

"Professor."

"Professor."

"Professor."

"Three in a row, let's see if we can finish on a high note. These will be interesting. What would the bride say is the groom's best feature?"

"Ass."

"Big dick."

"What the hell you guys, I had hair!" Teagan exclaimed innocently.

"Abs," Sandra smirked.

"You _guys!"_ Olivia laughed.

"Did you for real say 'big dick', Quinn?!" Sandra exclaimed.

"What? I just assume," she shrugged.

"She's not wrong. I've seen...my fair share," Abby laughed.

"Yeah, another thing Fitz is bad about is walking around in minimal clothing...Abby, unfortunately, had to be witness to that on occasion," Olivia said.

"It's true," Abby nodded. "Who was right?!"

"Well I'm giving the point to Teagan! Hair and eyes, it's a tossup between those two," Olivia said.

"Agh!" Abby exclaimed. "My first one wrong. I was really confident about the ass one."

"I was confident too!" Sandra exclaimed. "How are those abs not your favorite feature?!"

"Um, excuse me, how about _my_ answer?!" Quinn asked.

"All of your answers sufficed, but my honest answer would be his hair or his eyes. Just the truth! It's a tough one! His ass would probably be a runner up," Olivia said.

So, three out of four had to take shots. That was four shots for Quinn...

"Last one. What would the groom say is the _bride's_ best feature?"

"ASS," they all said.

"What the! That's it? You all said ass?" Olivia laughed.

"Oh god yeah. Liv, as a group of straight women, I think we can all collectively agree that your ass is to die for," Abby said. "Not to mention, pretty boy is, like...the biggest ass man I know."

"Yep. Great ass," Sandra nodded.

"Really jealous of your ass," Quinn added.

"I almost said lips, but yeah. Ass for the win," Teagan said.

"Wow!" Olivia exclaimed. "Well...I think you'd probably be right. But to be honest...I don't know if he has an overall favorite either. You know how he is. He's the type of guy to say 'I can't pick, I love all of your features', because he's Fitz. So I seriously can't tell you guys if you're right."

"Well...you know what that means..." Abby said.

"What?" Teagan asked.

"No! I cannot take another shot of that strawberry shit! I'm going to fucking die!" Quinn exclaimed.

"No, we're gonna call and ask," Abby said.

"Oh, no I don't wanna interrupt his party, it's not that important," Olivia laughed.

"Liv, shush. I'm allowed to call and interrupt, Cyrus and I spent forever collaborating and planning this night. I do what I want," she said, pulling out her phone.

Olivia couldn't really argue with that. "Yes, ma'am."

Abby put her phone in the center of the group on the floor and pressed speaker as it dialed. The contact name, "pretty boy", of course.

Surprisingly, it only took about three seconds.

"Hello?"

"Hey pretty boy!" Abby exclaimed. "We have a very serious matter."

"Oh god. What's up? Is Olivia okay?" Fitz asked.

"Oh yeah, Liv's fine. We just have a question!" Abby said.

"Oh thank god, you scared me!" Fitz said.

But then the guys on the other end interrupted their conversation.

"Wait! You said Olivia!"

"Oh shit, he did!"

Olivia raised an eyebrow at the guys. "What the hell?"

Fitz gasped. "Baby?"

"Yes, hi," Olivia laughed.

"Hi. Ugh, okay one second ladies I have to go chug another goddamn beer."

The women looked around at each other with questioning looks.

But, after about twenty seconds of men yelling and cheering, he was back.

"Okay. You have a question!" Fitz said, clearing his throat.

"Wait, did you really just chug a beer?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah! They banned me from saying—oh my god, I almost said it again! They banned me from saying _my fiancée's_ name. If I do, I have to chug...a whole beer! This is the third time I've had to tonight, not to mention I chugged two at the baseball game for...other reasons," Fitz said. "I am...so full of beer. I don't even—like beer that much. And...now I have—the hiccups because I drank it—so fast."

"Jesus, what is it, a frat party over there?!" Sandra laughed.

Fitz laughed. "Well, because of the damn beer chugging—kind of! But no, we're actually playing cards right now. We've had a pretty low key—guys night here. Cyrus got us some cigars, too. Besides the beer chugging, it's been really—really nice!"

"Sweetheart, please eat peanut butter or something to fix your hiccups," Olivia laughed.

"I will feel—like Arie if I do that!" he chuckled.

"Oh my god," Olivia mouthed, shaking her head and laughing. "They're kind of cute, actually."

"Thank you," he said happily.

"Well, we are being pretty rowdy over here with your girl, _just_ so you know!" Abby laughed.

"You should be! You ladies are much younger—than us, we're boring," he chuckled.

"Oh I beg to differ. You can party with the best of them!" Teagan exclaimed.

"Well, thank you! I will take that as a compliment. I hope—you are all having so much fun!" he said.

"We are! But we had a question for you," Abby said.

"Fire away!"

"What would you say is Olivia's best feature?" Abby asked.

He sat in silence for a couple seconds, before answering confidently.

"Her heart."

"Awww!" the girls exclaimed.

Olivia smiled and nodded. Sounded like her guy. "I love you baby."

"I love you too. I miss you," he said.

She laughed. "You're pretty drunk over there, aren't you?"

"Yep!"

"Well I love and miss you back," she smiled.

"Fitz, that's very sweet but for this particular question we were thinking...a physical feature!" Sandra exclaimed.

"Physical...well—her heart is physical! It's in her body, keeping her...fricken alive!" he exclaimed.

"You know, the man's got a point," Teagan laughed.

"Okay sorry. We were thinking a feature you could actually see!" Sandra exclaimed.

"Well...I can't pick. Because...she's just so beautiful and—I love her whole body," Fitz answered.

" _What_ did I say, guys? _What_ did I say?!" Olivia exclaimed.

"Ugh! Stop being Fitz for a second and pick a feature so we can see if we have to take another shot!" Quinn exclaimed.

"Fine," Fitz huffed. "Her feet."

Olivia burst into laughter and the rest of her friends looked at the phone like it was the one who had said that.

"Her feet?!" Abby exclaimed. "Who on earth says they like their significant other's feet the best?!"

"I don't like them—the best! I like everything equally, and so I picked...her feet. They are cute—and little. And now you all have to drink, right, because—who ever says feet?!" Fitz asked.

"Ha!" Olivia laughed. "So clever even when intoxicated."

"Inebriated," Fitz said.

"Right, right, how could I ever forget," Olivia laughed.

Fitz chuckled cutely. "I love you!"

"I love you too, Fitz," she said, watching her friends all pour out their shots.

"For the record, we all said you'd say her ass," Teagan said.

"She does have—an amazing ass," Fitz said.

"Thank you, Fitz," Olivia replied.

"You're welcome, baby."

"You go and have fun. I'm sure I'll talk to you later or something," Olivia said.

"Okay. Bye ladies!" Fitz exclaimed.

"Bye!"

"Bye Livvie. I love you—miss you."

"I love and miss you too," she said. "Fix your hiccups, okay!"

"Okay! Bye."

"Bye."

Abby hung up the phone and put it back in her lap.

"You two said you loved and missed each other like eight times and you saw each other earlier today," Quinn laughed.

"I know. It's how he gets when he's drunk," Olivia said.

"Really clingy?"

"Really happy?"

"Mushy?"

"Lovey-dovey?"

Olivia laughed. "Yes, all of the above."

"Liv gets like that too, though. Trust me, I lived with her for a long time!" Abby exclaimed.

"Yeah, I'm the same way," Olivia admitted.

"Bet that's a fun time when you're drunk together. 'I love you.' 'Oh, no, I love you!' 'Well I love you more!'," Sandra imitated, which had everyone laughing.

"Oh shush, we aren't like that," Olivia laughed.

"Hey, even if you were, no judgment here. If that's what you have to deal with when your guy gets drunk, life's pretty good. Who doesn't want to hear them tell you they love you or miss you more often?" Sandra asked.

Olivia smiled. "I know. I'm lucky to have him. I love that dork so damn much."

"He _is_ kind of a dork," Abby admitted.

"Such a dork," Olivia laughed. "Makes me love him more."

"Okay she's halfway to blasted mushy Olivia. We have some work to do girls. Liv, more strawberry?" Abby smirked, displaying the bottle of vodka.

Olivia sighed and then shrugged.

"Yeah, why not!"

* * *

"Because!"

"Let me guess, is this another bachelor tradition that I didn't know about?" Fitz asked.

"No. But Abby suggested it and made Olivia answer the questions anyway so we might as well use them," Cyrus shrugged.

"Here, here. Let me read for him," James said, reaching for the paper.

Cyrus handed the paper to his husband and James laughed, looking over them. "Oh these are good. I like these."

"Alright, I'm ready. Do I need a drink for this?" Fitz asked. "Thank god my hiccups are gone."

"Yes. Just your scotch is fine," Cyrus said. "In case you get any wrong..."

"Okay, question one. We asked the bride what physical feature of yours she liked most. What did she say?" James asked.

"Um...shit, this is just like what they asked me. I think...she would have said my hair," Fitz said.

James winced. "She said eyes and hair. She can't pick. I don't know, does he drink for that?"

"Nah, he got it," Cyrus nodded. "He's drunk we have to cut him a tiny bit of slack."

"I'm...inebriated. And that's your guys' fault!" Fitz exclaimed.

James chuckled. "Okay, Fitz, we asked the bride what annoying habit you have. What did she say?"

So many different things ran through Fitz's head. "Oh! Oh, um, um— I sometimes forget to turn the fan on before I shower, I leave my shoes in weird places, I, um...I always interrupt her when she's watching one of her shows because that always seems to be the time I want to fool around—"

"Just one!" James chuckled. "But you got it right, it's one of those. Which is it?"

"Fuck! I think...I think it's the shower/fan one. Women—don't like it when it's humid in the bathroom, I figured that one out," he said.

The guys were cracking up. "Grant. For as smart as you are, I can't imagine you forgetting to turn on the damn fan before you shower. How can you forget that?!" Matt asked.

"I don't know! I'm an idiot," Fitz said. "I just—want to hop right in! Screw the damn fan I just want to shower?"

"Well, you're wrong, actually," James said. "She really doesn't like the shoes one. She even put a note when she answered it...'Fitzgerald Thomas, you have big feet, therefore big shoes, and I trip over them all the damn time! This happened five minutes ago, you took them off by the dishwasher. Seriously, the dishwasher! I almost face planted in our kitchen! Anyway, I love you a lot regardless. Sincerely, Olivia'," James read.

Fitz winced, putting his hand up to his face. "I am really bad about that. She always puts them away for me...shit!" he chuckled.

"You're so...organized, and you can't even put your shoes away?!" Cyrus asked.

"Stop, you guys are making me feel bad!" Fitz frowned. "I don't know, I forget about the shoes like I forget about the damn fan. I just want them off, I hate dress shoes and so I take them off and then...I don't know! I don't think about it!"

"Well, now you'll think about it more, I bet," Jason chuckled.

"Damn right I will," Fitz nodded, having to take a drink of his scotch. "Sorry, baby."

"Okay, okay, next one. We asked the bride who your celebrity crush was. Who did she say?" James asked.

Fitz smiled and doubled over in laughter. "Beyoncé."

The guys cracked up. "Is it really?!"

James nodded. "It is. That's what she said!"

"Beyoncé is very sexy," Fitz agreed.

"I'll give you that," Brett nodded. "I think so too."

"She's got so much sass...I love it," James said.

"Olivia says she agrees with me anyway!" Fitz chuckled. "She says Beyoncé is a Queen and that if she were into women, Beyoncé could 'get it'."

"I'm suddenly turned on...hm, wonder how that happens," Matt said.

Logan burst into laughter and nodded in agreement.

"I'm not afraid to fight you, Matthew," Fitz said.

"Oh bring it on. I know deep down you're still the scrawny high school kid," Matt joked.

"Oh, shut the hell up Matt, he's like four inches taller and twenty pounds heavier than you," Jason said.

"He is not!" Matt exclaimed. "Okay. Yeah. He probably is."

"I think Grant would kick all our asses, I'm not afraid to admit it," Brett said.

"Not mine, I could take him," Logan said.

"Try me," Fitz said.

"Mmm…okay, nah, you're the groom and we're both hammered, so...I'll leave you alone," Logan said.

"Not to mention he broke his arm," Jason said.

"Would you quit with that?!" Fitz chuckled. "I just broke two fingers and…sprained two."

"Close enough! You can barely move your hand!" Matt said.

"Yeah…that's true," Fitz agreed, laying his head down on the floor. "Olivia had to wash my hair today," he said sadly.

"Oh my god…he's so pitiful, I'm deciding whether or not we should make him chug a beer for saying Olivia just now," Brett said.

Fitz winced. "God damn mother..."

The guys laughed.

"Alright, alright," Jason said. "No beer chugging this time, you get a freebie."

"Thank you," Fitz chuckled.

"Okay, James, next one?" Cyrus asked.

"Right. So we asked the bride what your favorite late night snack was. What did she say?" James asked.

Fitz smirked. "Her."

"You fucking—"

"Fitzgerald—"

"He's right, oh my god, he's right," James chuckled.

"Hell yes I'm right," Fitz said. "I know my woman and I know myself."

"Atta fuckin' boy," Matt said, patting his back as he laid on the ground.

"Okay, we asked the bride what _specific_ piece of clothing she liked the best on you. What did she say?"

"Umm…I think my black leather jacket. She loves that shit," Fitz said, looking up at James.

"Yep," James nodded. "She said she had many runner ups, but the black leather jacket won."

"Nice, nice, I like that," Logan nodded.

"We asked the bride what movie she loves to watch with you. What did she say?"

Fitz started laughing. "Probably 'The Titanic'."

"Wow! He's on fire now!" James exclaimed. "We asked the bride what her favorite thing to do to you was. What did she say?"

"Mmm…back scratches in the morning," Fitz said.

 _"And_ the streak ends. Think dirtier," James said.

"Well I coulda guessed that!" Jason exclaimed.

"Not so innocent over there, buddy," Matt said to Fitz.

"Oh jeez, okay. I mean…if we're talking dirty here, it's probably head," he said.

"There you go. She wrote 'suck his dick' but you all get the point," James chuckled.

"Olivia…she doesn't beat around the bush, does she?" Cyrus asked with a laugh.

Fitz took a drink and shook his head. "No she does not."

"This one should be interesting…finish the bride's sentence. Fitz has a really big…" James began.

"Oh dear god," Brett said.

"Oh no, do I need to plug my ears?" Logan chuckled.

Everyone was giving him a hard time as he blushed, waiting for him to answer.

"Okay, I'm—I'm gonna say heart, because that sounds like Liv, even though I know what you all are thinking," Fitz said.

"She said, and I quote, 'heart and dick, I can't pick,'" James chuckled.

"Aye!" Matt exclaimed. "He got it right, basically."

"I did not need to know that, but here we are," Logan laughed.

"That rhymed!" Brett stated.

"Yes it did," Fitz chuckled.

"Okay, what was the one word she used to describe you?" James asked.

"Ummm…romantic," Fitz smirked.

"Oh shoot, better take a drink. She said loving," James replied.

"Dammit," Fitz said, taking a sip.

"Close, close," Jason said.

"Alright, last one," James announced. "We asked the bride how much she loved you. What did she say?"

Fitz smiled, because he knew the answer word for word.

"More than anything else," he replied.

"Awww. So cute," James chuckled. "Spot on."

"Heyyy, there we go. You did pretty well. I think it's safe to say you can marry her," Matt teased.

"That's right I can," Fitz nodded.

"I wonder if they're playing lots and lots of games. I think girls do that at their parties," Jason said.

"They are," Cyrus confirmed. "That's why Abby called about Fitz's answer to a question. Trust me, I know their schedule. I've gotten to know Abby fairly well, actually. She's a wonderful young woman."

"Isn't she?!" Fitz asked. "I love Abby. She is really great. Her and O... _Liv_ are the best of friends."

"Nice catch with her name," Brett laughed. "Is that the one who lived with you for a while?"

"It sure is," Logan nodded. "She's got some damn red hair."

"That she does," Fitz chuckled. "She's very sweet. She and Liv are like sisters, man."

"That's good. I wonder what they're playing. Think she's as drunk as you, FTG Three?" Brett teased, smacking his arm.

"By now, probably," Fitz chuckled.

"Wonder what kind of questions she's answering…" Matt questioned.

* * *

"When was the last time you had sex?"

"Yesterday morning," Olivia answered.

"Where's the weirdest place you've gotten yourself off?"

"Well…that's really personal!" Olivia exclaimed.

"Well I didn't come up with these the internet did!"

"Uhh...I don't...hmm."

"Oh don't tell me you don't do it. Everyone does it," Abby said.

"Oh I'm not denying that," Olivia said.

"Spill girl," Quinn said.

"I uh…no, I can't!" Olivia exclaimed.

"What the hell! You really think we're gonna judge you? Liv, you want me to answer? I'll answer," Abby said.

"No, no. Just...you'll regret asking the question," Olivia replied.

"Why? I think it's a clever question."

Olivia sighed, holding back a laugh. "Alright...the weirdest place was uh...your pullout couch."

Everyone's eyes widened.

"WHAT," Abby exclaimed.

"You asked, I answered honestly!"

"Why on earth?!" Abby asked.

"Because it's good to be honest!"

"No, you dumbass, why my _pullout couch?!"_ Abby asked.

"Well—I was talking to Fitz, and...and we were just talking—"

"Oh good god…he was jacking off on the other end, wasn't he."

Olivia winced. "Well..."

"Aghhh!"

"I told you you'd regret this!" Olivia asked.

"You dirty little... _Olivia!"_

"I'm sorry, please don't hate me," Olivia laughed. "I swear to god it was...clean, and...oh god, I can't make this sound better no matter how hard I try."

"So you didn't come on my pullout couch, is what you're saying?!" Abby asked.

"No! No I absolutely did _not,_ I would never! I'm not disgusting I'm just..."

"Horny?!" Quinn asked.

"Yeah, sure!" Olivia laughed. "I swear to god, no naked body parts touched anything on the pullout, I did it as considerately as possible!"

"Well she did finger herself in my living room but at least she was considerate about it, ladies!" Abby said, which made everyone laugh.

Olivia laughed, putting her hand up to her head. "I'm so sorry."

Abby shook her head, laughing too. "It's alright. It's not like I never got myself off in _your_ apartment..."

Olivia laughed. "Good to know!"

"I'm glad you answered the question honestly, that means the rest of these answers should be _just_ as entertaining."

"Alright, alright, I'm ready," Olivia nodded.

Abby looked at the next question, and started laughing. "Oh this one's perfectly fitting now. What was the last dirty text you received?"

"Oh jeez," Olivia said, grabbing her phone.

She scrolled through her and Fitz's messages, afraid of what the hell she was gonna have to read to her friends. Because honestly, she had no idea what it would be. It wasn't as if all they ever sent were dirty texts but...it certainly wasn't infrequent. There were too many for her to remember what was most recent.

And then she saw it.

"Oh god...please don't make me read it."

"Ohhh come on, you just admitted you and Fitz had phone sex while you were at her apartment, this should be a piece of cake," Teagan said.

Olivia bit her lip, reading Fitz's text in her head. "Oh god...okay."

"Let's hear it girl."

"I want..." she began, putting her hand up to her forehead and shaking her head. "Oh my god."

"Oh for the love of god say it!" Abby said.

"I want you in our bedroom on your knees when I get home."

The women laughed and nodded. "Damn Fitz, okay, okay," Sandra nodded.

"Nah, that's not even that dirty! It doesn't suffice, go deeper," Abby said.

"How is that not? Do you not understand what that means?"

"Depends, could mean he wants you to suck him off, could mean a little doggie style, I don't know what you two are into!" Abby exclaimed.

"I _seriously_ have to find something dirtier?" Olivia asked.

"Yes. The most recent _for real_ dirty text."

She sighed, continuing to scroll through.

It took her about two more minutes of scrolling to find it. She gasped, covering her mouth. "Oh no."

"Spit it out."

She sighed, thinking she might as well just get it over with.

"Come home early and I'll eat you out till you forget why you were even stressed to begin with."

"There we go, that's a little better!"

"Damnnnn!"

"How did you respond to these?" Teagan asked with a laugh.

"To _that_ one I said 'on my way'," Olivia laughed. "And...to the other one, when he told me to be on my knees when he got home, I replied 'yes, baby'," Olivia said.

"Holy _shit._ Aren't you two naughty."

 _"You_ asked!" Olivia said.

"Alright, alright, I appreciate the honest responses, back to rapid-fire. Have you ever sent a promiscuous photo?"

"Yes."

"Ever received one?"

"Yes."

"Had sex outside?"

"Yes? Duh," Olivia nodded.

"Had sex in your parents' house while they were there? Oh man that's a good one."

"Yep."

"Morning or night sex?"

"All of the above."

"Have you ever used handcuffs in bed?"

"No, but we've used bandanas."

"Have you ever—. Wait. What?"

"Bandanas…they tie…you know," Olivia laughed.

"Fair enough. Butt stuff?"

Olivia winced. "Not super into it."

"Ever gotten a noise complaint?"

"Yeah, from you!" Olivia exclaimed.

"Ha! It wasn't a complaint at all, just an acknowledgment that I know what it sounds like when my best friend is getting fucked."

Olivia blushed and shook her head. "Again, sorry about that."

"No worries. Top or bottom?"

"All of the above."

"Last time you gave him a hickey?"

She cleared her throat. "Maybe...a month ago?"

"Last time he gave you one?"

"Uh...two nights ago."

"Where? I don't see any."

"Uh..."

"Oh god," Sandra said.

"Do you wanna see?" Olivia asked with a smile

Nods, all around the damn room.

She stood up and pulled the front side of her leggings and thong down, but slightly off center so she didn't _flash_ her damn friends. And there, a few inches in from her hip, was a pretty decently sized dark mark. "He was down there for a _long_ time."

"Oh wow, that is skilled," Quinn said.

"Mhm. He can't leave them anywhere visible because of work. And…I don't know if you guys know this, but he loves to do it. And with school, nobody gives a shit. A professional workplace, oh god," Olivia said.

"Understandable. Okay there's only a few more. Lots of foreplay or none?"

"Depends."

"Ever role played?"

"Yes."

"Watched porn together?"

"Yep."

"Rough or soft?"

"Depends, again."

"And last but certainly not least, watch each other masturbate?"

"Oh hell yes."

"Woo! Look at Liv go, answered every one! That means zero shots for you and one for all of us," Abby said.

"Nice," Olivia nodded proudly. "You all know a lot more about my sex life now, be honored," she laughed.

"We are forever grateful," Sandra giggled.

"You're lucky I'm drunk, or I probably wouldn't have answered a few of those…"

"Wow, yeah. I honestly can't believe the texts he's sent you. He's so…like…sweet? And…nice? And sometimes shy? Just wouldn't expect that," Sandra questioned.

"Yeah, Sandra, the nice ones are sometimes the dirtiest ones," Quinn replied.

"He's horny as fuck, you guys. I don't think people expect that from him but he is," Olivia stated.

"Explain…"

Olivia shrugged. "I don't know…he just is. I mean, he's not like…rough and dirty all the time, by any means. He's still very sweet and soft. How you probably would expect him to be. But…if I'm being honest with you…there are nights I get home from a long day of work and he has me in bed the rest of the evening. No warnings, just…pulls me into the bedroom. Or sometimes we'll just be watching TV and a switch in him flips, and he's got me naked in seconds. Oh my god, I just can't even begin to explain him," Olivia said.

"Ooh girl," Teagan laughed.

"I can see it," Abby nodded. "Then again, I lived with you two, I know his ways."

"You do," Olivia agreed. "I miss him."

"Liv! It's been like…half a day!" Quinn giggled.

"What's your point?! I love him and he has a busted hand and…he could use my snuggles and affection," Olivia shrugged. "I miss him while I'm at work too…I just like to be with him!"

"Ladies, we have officially gotten Liv…a _hundred percent_ drunk," Teagan laughed. "She's all soft and mushy, like Fitz."

"Alright, alright, I'll admit it," Olivia nodded. "I am."

"We love you for it, Liv. You're our favorite bride," Abby smiled.

"You all are my favorites too. Thanks for tonight…I've had so much fun," Olivia smiled.

And she really had. She and Fitz both.

Both parties started to really mellow out as time went on, and the drinking and games slowed down.

The men pulled out the famous dessert they'd discussed, which turned out to be "ass cookies." Literal cookies, in the shape of an ass, frosted and everything. They were quite good.

The women had gift time, in which Olivia got to open some bachelorette party gifts. A different piece of sexy lingerie or underwear from each friend. Always fun. As well as a wine glass that said 'pour the wine, his last name's mine!'. Also, very fun.

But eventually the ladies got ready for bed and snuggled up together in the living room for their slumber party, and the guys cooled off and had a cigar outside, before passing out all over the place.

Fitz stumbled to the bathroom to brush his teeth and take off his shirt. Cyrus had brought his bag down for him earlier, so he rummaged through it very drunkenly, failing to find what he wanted.

He found a pair of gym shorts and put those on so he wasn't half-naked in front of his buddies that remained in the basement.

And he stumbled back out, shirtless, to find his phone. He hit his head on the corner of the wall as he tried to exit the hallway where the bathroom was.

"Oh—ow," he grumbled, rubbing his hair.

"You're so tanked," Brett chuckled from the couch sleepily.

"Mmm" Fitz groaned, grabbing the wall for support.

"Love you, brother," Brett said, smiling at him.

"Love you, man," Fitz replied, almost tripping on the corner of the couch. "Ow."

"Buddy, you need to lay down," Brett said.

"But—my phone. Olivia," he said, looking around. "Don't even—say anything about beer. I already...brushed my teeth. I'm not chugging more beer. Olivia Olivia Olivia," he said.

"Nobody's making you chug beer anymore. Don't you see us all?" Brett asked.

Fitz looked around at Jason completely passed out on the floor and Matt, chilling in the chair, looking out of it. He gave a half-assed wave at the mention of his name, though.

And Logan, passed out on the other end of the couch.

"Right, good," Fitz nodded.

"Good job for brushing your teeth. You're a hygienic drunk man," Brett laughed.

"Thank you," Fitz nodded. "You know...where my phone is?"

"Um...is it the black one right in front of you?" Brett asked.

Fitz looked to his side at the bar. "Oh!"

Brett laughed. "Go nuts, buddy. If you can even type."

"I can do it. Just need to go slow—only have one hand," he said.

He checked his phone, seeing a text from Olivia about fifteen minutes ago.

 **Olivia: U up?**

He smiled.

 **Fitz: I'm up**

She immediately started texting back **.**

 **Olivia: Hi.**

 **Fitz: Hi.**

 **Olivia: I'm tipsy and I miss you.**

He chuckled to himself.

 **Fitz: Me 2. I couldn't find my clothes. I think my friends stole shirts!**

"Brett? Did you—take my shirts?" Fitz asked quietly.

"What?" Brett asked.

"My...shirts. I couldn't find any."

"Bud, nobody took your shirts. You're just shitfaced. Want me to go find one for you?" Brett asked.

"Oh...no, that's okay," Fitz shrugged.

 **Olivia: Lol!**

 **Fitz: Don't lol me woman! Brett says nobody took my shirts. I am just shitfaced.**

 **Olivia: I am loling harder now.**

 **Fitz: Stop that!**

 **Olivia: Watcha gonna do if I don't?**

 **Fitz: IDK. If u were here, probably tickle u or make out with u to shut u up.**

 **Olivia: Make out with me!?**

 **Fitz: Yes? Always wanna kiss u.**

 **Olivia: Wish u could RN.**

 **Fitz: Me 2. I'd drive 2 u, but I'm blasted.**

 **Olivia: Same here. My friends wore me out.**

 **Fitz: Mine 2. I didn't know a bunch of old men could party this hard. I can barely walk. Smacked my head on wall-oops.**

 **Olivia: OMG! I haven't tried to walk in a while, just been laying down. U should go to sleep though. Don't hit ur head anymore, please. It's too cute.**

 **Fitz: Thx! Probably should sleep. U should 2.**

 **Olivia: Yes. I will see u in the morning?**

 **Fitz: Yes u will. I will dream of u.**

 **Olivia: I will dream of u too. I love u.**

 **Fitz: I love u so much.**

 **Olivia: Goodnight, sweetheart.**

 **Fitz: Goodnight, pretty girl.**

* * *

Ha. Them and their rowdy friends!

That does it for their parties, I hope you liked them!

These were the last chapters before the big day. Just had to split them into two parts because they were so long!

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	92. I Do

"Whew, I'm full," Brett said, holding his stomach.

"Yeah. Me too!" Mia said, imitating her dad.

Fitz gasped, leaning down to pick Mia up and spin her around, before holding her on his hip. "Me three."

"Olivia. Are you full too?" Mia asked, looking over at her contently.

"I _am_ full! That was a pretty good restaurant, wasn't it?" Olivia asked.

"Yes!" Mia exclaimed, bouncing slightly in Fitz's arms.

"You know, you are getting so big. I don't think I'm gonna be able to carry you for much longer..." Fitz said, raising his eyebrows seriously at her.

"Well. I _am_ seven, you know," Mia nodded.

Olivia held in a laugh at how serious she sounded.

Fitz shook his head. "I just cannot believe you are _seven!_ Where has the time gone? I remember when you were a little baby, you know."

"Me too!" Mia exclaimed.

Brett chuckled behind them. "I don't think so, honey."

"Well. I seen the pictures," Mia shrugged.

"Yeah. She's seen the pictures," Fitz said to Brett who was shaking his head and laughing.

"Oh, Fitz. I want to tell Riley something," Mia said, poking his shoulder.

"Well, little miss, you better go tell him," he said, setting her down gently.

She ran behind them as the whole group of people walked through the hotel halls.

Which, was everyone who had attended the rehearsal dinner.

The wedding party, and their dates and kids. Olivia's family. All of them.

The rehearsal dinner had gone extremely well. They'd gone through the ceremony step by step, of course, so that everyone was on the same page.

That, itself, hadn't taken much time. The ceremony was a short and sweet one, about fifteen minutes. What took longer was the dinner afterward, at a nice restaurant nearby.

With a lot of people, it was a bit chaotic. Plus, they were all so excited. Every single one of them in that group. So, the conversation had lasted pretty long.

Now, it was decently late as they returned to their hotel on the eve of the wedding. Everyone off to their rooms for the night.

They were all on the same floor, so heading back to their rooms for the night proved to be fairly easy. A happy group all in a cluster chit-chatting the whole way there. And one by one, as people reached their rooms, they said goodnight.

"Okay. So, we're planning for pictures at about 1:30?" Michaela asked as she neared her door.

"Yep, 1:30," Olivia nodded, as she and Fitz stopped to chat with her.

"Okay. I'll come to your room around 9 tomorrow then, alright? And your friends will be there?" Michaela asked.

"Yep, everything's set. Thank you so much! I'll make sure to be ready at 9," Olivia nodded.

"Alright. It won't take nearly that much time but it's always better to be ready sooner," Michaela said.

"For sure," Olivia nodded.

"Pictures at 1:30 everyone. 1:30," Fitz announced to the crowd in the hallway.

"1:30," Brett echoed.

"1:30!" Mia and Riley added with the utmost enthusiasm.

"Thanks for getting the word out kids!" Olivia giggled.

"Welcome!" Mia and Riley exclaimed.

Of course, everyone knew the schedule. They'd gone over it a hundred times. But better to be safe than sorry. Weddings were so stressful.

"Fitz, how long will it take you to get ready?" Michaela asked.

"Oh, about six hours," Brett said casually, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Lauren laughed beside him. "Oh be nice."

Fitz chuckled. "I don't know, but I'll be up bright and early, that's for sure."

"I'll make sure I have us on our way to Chippanee by 1:00," Cyrus piped up.

"Perfect. Well you all get a good night's sleep. And I'll see you all tomorrow!" Michaela exclaimed.

"Yeah, Goodnight, guys," Donovan added.

"Goodnight!" they all said.

And slowly, they all continued into their separate rooms.

"Alright. Now you're all set in your room for tonight?" Maya asked, as soon as she and Eli reached their room.

"Yep, all set mom. You'll be over at 9 tomorrow too?" Olivia asked.

"I will be, yes. I'll probably just get ready in your room since it's so big," Maya said.

"Okay. I'll see you then," Olivia smiled.

"Goodnight," Maya said, pulling her in for a hug. "I know it will just be so beautiful tomorrow. The rehearsal was wonderful."

"It really was," Olivia nodded, pulling away.

"Indeed," Eli said, pulling his daughter in for a hug too. "Get some sleep."

"I will," Olivia nodded.

"Goodnight. Maya, Eli," Fitz said, giving her a hug and shaking Eli's hand.

"Goodnight. You get some sleep too, now. I know how your sleep schedule can be!" Maya said.

"I will try my hardest," Fitz chuckled.

"Alright. See you both tomorrow," Maya said, heading into their room.

"See you!"

Olivia and Fitz let out a sigh, holding hands down the hall as their friends walked in front of them. Their rooms were all at the end of the hall, and to the right or left.

Olivia looked over at Fitz as they walked, smiling up at him. And he felt her looking.

He looked over at her with the same cute smile she was so familiar with.

"How you two feeling back there?" Abby asked.

"Tired. But happy," Olivia said.

"Really happy. And full," Fitz chuckled.

"Yes. That restaurant was seriously really good," Abby said.

"It was," Olivia nodded.

"And I thought the rehearsal went so well!" Abby said.

"It did. I can't believe we're so close," Olivia said.

"Me neither," Fitz added. "It's gone so fast."

"I feel like it was just yesterday you were freaking out over which ring to get her," Abby laughed.

"Exactly!" Fitz agreed. "And now we're here."

"And now we're here," Olivia said, stopping outside the suite.

The suite that Olivia would stay in that night. But that they'd both stay in tomorrow night, after the day had finished. The best suite the hotel offered. And it was truly beautiful.

"You're _sure_ you want me to sleep in here tonight?" Olivia asked. "You can have it baby. The bed is bigger and I'm small. The small room will work perfect for me."

"No way. You take it. I'll be perfectly happy in my bachelor room tonight," he chuckled. "Promise."

Olivia sighed. "Okay."

"I'll let you guys talk. Liv, I'll see you in the morning bright and early?" Abby questioned.

"Yes you will! Thanks so much for today. You've been a rockstar. So on top of everything," Olivia said.

"No problem, Liv. Just want everything to go perfect for you. And get some sleep. Both of you," Abby said, eyeing Fitz.

"I will," he chuckled. "Goodnight Abigail."

"Goodnight pretty boy. And Goodnight Liv. See you both tomorrow!" Abby said, retiring to her and David's room.

"Goodnight!"

And so all that remained were two. The two that would be married the next day.

Fitz looked down at Olivia, and pulled her in for a hug.

She held onto him tightly, breathing in his wonderful scent. "Sleep well tonight," she whispered.

"You too. If I don't see you in the midst of all the chaos in the morning, I'll see you at pictures tomorrow, okay," he whispered.

"Okay. I'm so happy. I'm so...excited. I just can't wait," she said into his chest.

"Me neither!" he smiled, pulling back to look down at her. "You look very beautiful tonight."

"Thank you," she blushed. "You too. So handsome," she said, running a hand down his suit jacket.

She couldn't even imagine what he'd do to her tomorrow in his tux. Oh man.

"Thank you. I try so hard but I think you will _always_ outdo me," he winked.

"Noooo," she whispered. "You're a looker, Fitzgerald Grant."

" _You_ are a looker, Olivia Pope," he said, smiling down at her. "Olivia...Grant."

She closed her eyes, leaning her head against his chest. She felt a lot of things that she couldn't quite process. Things she'd been feeling all week.

The best way she could describe it was overwhelming. Not in a bad way. In a nervous way, perhaps, but not bad.

She was just overwhelmingly happy and excited. Overwhelmingly nervous. Overwhelmingly in awe, that it was all happening tomorrow. That tomorrow, all the planning and stressing would be worth it.

Tomorrow it would all be official. Tomorrow she would be, as he'd said, Olivia Grant.

He put a single finger underneath her chin, tilting her face up so she'd meet his eyes.

"Goodnight," he whispered.

"Goodnight," she said back.

Their gazes flickered back and forth between their lips and their eyes. And then their eyes closed altogether.

He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, slightly parting his own.

It was a few innocent pecks. Goodnight pecks, at the end of the hotel hallway.

But when they pulled back, it wasn't for long. He gently pushed her backward against the hallway wall.

He slid his tongue in her mouth as they made out, hands planted firmly around her waist, and hers, wrapped around his neck.

Quick breaths were taken in between, as their lips met again and again, both not able to get enough. Too consumed in one another that they didn't hear a door open just down the hall.

Fitz pressed her against the wall gently, putting one palm against it while still holding onto her with his other hand.

The gasps for air in between were getting more desperate by the second, and their hands, getting all the more inclined to wander.

Until someone walked by and interrupted them with a sly "ahem."

Fitz pulled away from her and saw Jason walking past, looking back over his shoulder with a smile on his face. He had his ice bucket in his hand, clearly going to get ice for his room.

"Carry on, bride and groom," he said, before turning around and continuing to walk as if nothing had happened.

Fitz looked back at Olivia, who was covering her mouth with her hands. They stood there in silence for a few seconds before the two of them burst into laughter.

"Oh my god," she laughed, leaning her head against his chest.

"Oops," he chuckled. "That's my bad, I think."

"That's _our_ bad," she corrected, looking up at him. "You are a mess, oh goodness. Come in here," she said, scanning her key to let her into her room.

"Oh no. This could potentially be bad. I shouldn't be coming in here, I'm partially turned on," he whispered.

"Oh relax," she laughed, pulling him into the bathroom.

He laughed at himself in the mirror, seeing Olivia's lipstick covering his mouth.

She used a damp washcloth to wipe it off for him, although this mouth was still slightly pinker than usual.

"Look at us. In the wedding suite the night before our wedding, and _not_ using a washcloth for its usual purposes," he said, smiling at himself in the mirror.

"Well, Fitz, I think a washcloth's usual purpose is to...wash your face or body. Not for sex cleanup," she laughed.

He stood in thought and then shook his head. "Nah. They should just be called cum rags. That's all anyone ever uses them for."

"You think so?" she asked.

"Yuh-huh," he nodded. "Thank you very much for cleaning my face, though. It served its purpose tonight."

"It did," she nodded. "Now you better go before we end up naked."

"Hmm," he said, as she pushed him out of the bathroom. "Sure you don't want me to stay for a quickie?" he joked.

"Fitz _,"_ she giggled.

"I'm _kidding_ , I'm kidding. I'll let you get your sleep. Sweet dreams," he whispered, giving her one last peck on the cheek.

"Sleep well. I love you," she smiled, as he opened the door.

"I love you, Olivia," he replied, smiling back at her as he gently shut the door. "See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," she smiled.

And then he was gone.

What a _night._

Fitz went back to his room to get ready for bed, which he did do.

However, for about an hour, he sat on the edge of his bed. Just sat.

Looked at Arie on the doggie hotel website where she was staying at in New Haven. Each room had a camera so that dog parents could check in on their sweet dog every once in a while.

He read over his vows about a hundred more times. Thought about how on earth the day was almost here. The day he'd been waiting for for three years. Since he met her.

Tomorrow was it.

He sighed, folding up the copy of his vows that he'd had for over a month. It was such a messed up copy. He had some coffee spilled on one of the corners. So ragged from all the folding and refolding he'd done. But that was the copy he wanted to use. Cyrus had about three typed out backups anyway. But that was the original copy, the one he'd handwritten.

"Go to bed," he whispered to himself, getting underneath the covers.

He'd see how well that worked...

Olivia's night went very similar to his. Checked up on Arie. Read over her vows again. Made sure all her makeup was set out all ready for the morning. Made sure she had her wedding dress hung up and ready.

Everything was set. She knew that it was.

And so, the bride and groom tried their best to sleep, on the eve of their wedding. In separate rooms, to at least follow that tradition. Both so excited and nervous that they could barely sleep.

* * *

The sound of three knocks at her door, disturbed her thoughts.

"Yep, coming!" Olivia said, speed walking to the door in her robe, fresh out of the shower.

She opened it to Abby, with a duffel bag in hand and Teagan, Quinn and Sandra behind her. "Ahhhhh!" they all screamed.

"Ahhhh!" Olivia screamed back. "Okay, now come inside before everyone gets mad. It's not even 9 am," she laughed.

All the girls hustled inside and surrounded her in an excited hug. "Today's the day!" Abby exclaimed.

"Today's the day!" Olivia agreed.

"Oh my god!" Teagan said.

"Girl, I'm so ready!" Quinn said.

"Me too!" Sandra agreed. "We all have our bangles on already," she said, all of them showing off their wrists.

"Cute! Well come on in, you can start getting ready. Set up all your mirrors and stuff," Olivia laughed. "I just hopped out of the shower."

"How long have you been up?" Abby asked.

"About an hour. I've been wide awake. Just too excited," she smiled.

"Me too," Abby laughed.

"Yeah. I had no problem waking up to my alarm. Today is like a fricken holiday," Sandra said.

"Isn't it?!" Olivia nodded.

More knocks interrupted them. "Ah, that's Michaela," Olivia said.

"I got it," Teagan said, running to open the door.

"Good morning ladies!" Michaela said happily, walking in with a bag of her own.

"Good morning!" Olivia said.

"Morning!" the girls exclaimed.

"How are we doing today? Excited?!" Michaela asked.

"Yes!"

"Me too!" she said. "We can get going right away, just let me get all set up. I think it's best if we use your vanity here."

"Yes," Abby nodded. "The lighting is amazing."

"It really is," Olivia nodded.

"Perfect. And you ladies all know what you're doing for your hair as well?" Michaela asked.

"Yep!" they all answered.

"Cool, cool. If anyone needs touching up, help, anything, I'm your girl. As long as Olivia's hair is done and perfect first," she smiled.

"Oh of course," Quinn nodded. "I'm so excited to see your hair, Liv! The practice session looked so pretty!"

"Thanks! I liked it a lot, too," Olivia agreed.

"We will make sure everything is just how you want it today," Michaela nodded.

So, the process began, at 9 a.m. sharp.

Olivia's mom came in not too much longer after as well, to get ready and be with her daughter.

Fitz slept till about 8:30, which he was quite proud of. Then again, he hadn't been able to fall asleep very early either, so it evened out.

Someone knocked on his door at about 9:00, which he answered in his T-shirt and gym shorts.

"Hey!" Cyrus said with a smile.

"Hey, Cy!" Fitz said.

"Up and at 'em already?" Cyrus asked.

"Oh of course. I just ordered room service. For myself and for the girls," he said, letting Cyrus come in.

"Oh my! Well isn't that sweet," Cyrus said.

"Yeah I didn't know when else she would be able to eat. I don't know if she'll even be _able_ to eat, but I thought I'd try. She'll be busy all morning," he said.

"It's true, I heard them all go into the suit a few minutes ago," Cyrus said.

"Oh did you? Good, good, I'm glad they're all together," he nodded.

"When are you gonna start getting ready?" Cyrus asked.

"I'll probably just slowly get ready after I eat. I know Evelyn is planning on stopping by to take a few pictures at eleven. Process...pictures or something," he said.

"Yeah, she's taking them with Olivia in about thirty minutes too, she said, "Cyrus nodded. "She's already all dressed and ready. I chatted with her when she was grabbing coffee about half an hour ago."

"Wow, she's on top of it," Fitz said. "It's crazy how early everything starts...I'll never get over that."

"Yeah. 4:30 ceremony and everyone's getting ready already. Big day, Fitzgerald."

" _Big_ day," Fitz nodded with a smile.

"How you feeling?"

"Amazing," Fitz sighed. "Nervous. So nervous. Excited. Overwhelmed. Really, really happy. A lot of different things."

"I understand that," Cyrus said. "Well I'm gonna go wake up James, I think, so we can eat too. But I'll check in periodically. I think the other guys are up as well, by the way. Not sure if by choice or because of their children."

"Probably their children," Fitz chuckled.

"I would agree. The flower girl and ring bearer seem to be quite excited."

"Oh yes, they are. They were very excited yesterday," Fitz said.

"You can say that again," Cyrus laughed. "Okay now make sure you actually eat the food you ordered. And don't...you know, fidget."

"I will most definitely fidget," Fitz replied.

"I know, I know you will. I'll be back later, buddy," Cyrus waved, opening the door.

"Alright Cy, I'll see you."

"Bye!"

Yeah, he was fidgety.

* * *

"I can't believe he sent this!" Abby said, pushing the cart that the employee had just brought to the door. "Wait, yes I can."

"Such a sweetheart," Maya said. "Well, _if_ it's from him."

"It's from him," Olivia smiled. She just knew. "Is there a note?" she asked from her chair of honor.

"Hmm...um...yep! There is, there is," Quinn said. "It says 'Good morning girls! Thought you could use some breakfast. That means you too, my beautiful bride. Fitz'."

Olivia smiled as all the girls voiced their "awww"s.

"I love him so much."

"Me too," Abby said, eating a piece of bacon. "He sends the best bacon."

"Ooh, can you feed me a piece. Please," Olivia said.

Abby held out a piece for Olivia to take. But she was glued to her chair, getting her hair done. No moving for her.

"Sorry, T, can you hand me my phone?" Olivia asked.

"Yep."

She sent Fitz a text back.

 **Olivia: We all say thank you for the breakfast! You are so sweet! I will make sure to get some food in me, but you too, okay! Didn't want to bother you too much this morning, I know you have a busy morning too. Can't wait to see you later, sweetie.**

She got a text back from him about fifteen minutes later.

 **Fitz: Of course! Didn't want to bother you this morning either, I know you're busy. I'm eating some too. Can't wait for pictures.**

She smiled down at the text. Such a sweetheart.

So at least their busy mornings were filled with good food and good people.

Evelyn, their photographer, took her fair share of pictures getting ready too.

Olivia's hair process. Her doing her makeup. Sitting in her robe with her legs crossed, looking in the mirror.

Fitz, putting on his watch. His cuff links.

Tying his shoes. Putting on his bow tie.

Everything was documented.

They didn't see each other leaving the hotel. Cyrus and Fitz left a little bit before the ladies did.

But regardless, they both got claps on their way out of the hotel, all dressed in their wedding attire.

Olivia felt so beautiful in her dress, and with her hair and makeup all done. She felt like a princess. She really did. And she couldn't _wait_ to see him.

Fitz hadn't been that done up in a _long_ , long time. A full tuxedo. Suspenders, cuff links, his nicest Movado watch. Bow tie.

His hair perfectly styled with product, looking curly as ever in the summer air.

He felt good. Really good. And he couldn't _wait_ to see her.

Seeing the country club for the first time was amazing. The chairs all set up outside for the ceremony, and cocktail hour after. The ballroom inside the club, where the reception and dinner would take place. It all looked absolutely perfect.

He was led to his changing room by the day-of coordinator, Dan, to kill time before Olivia got there. Evelyn was already there, too.

But it didn't take long for the rest of the wedding party to slowly show up, along with the bride herself.

Fitz eventually made his way outside where they had set up for pictures. A place with lots of greenery and flowers near the entrance of the golf course. They'd take pictures a couple different places, but it's where Evelyn wanted to start.

Cyrus informed them that the rest of the party was making their way to them now, as they'd dropped off a few things in Olivia's changing room too.

"We must have just missed her," Fitz said.

"Yeah, I think we did," Brett said. "Their driver must have parked at the back entrance."

"Smart actually. Closer to the rooms for sure," Fitz said, fidgeting with his bow tie.

Brett smiled. "Bud. Leave it be."

Fitz looked over at him, not even realizing what he'd been doing. "Oh. Sorry. I'm just...god, I'm so nervous."

"How are the butterflies?" Cyrus asked with a smile.

"Oh my god," Fitz sighed, shaking his head. "Can't get them to stop."

"I remember that," Matt smiled. "Best feeling in the world. Cherish that."

"Yes, just don't mess up your bow tie!" Jason laughed.

"You look _wonderful,_ Fitz," Evelyn said.

"Thanks," he smiled.

"And boy...so does she," Cyrus said, nudging Fitz's arm so he'd look.

Fitz looked to his left, seeing people emerge as they came up the hill. Eli and Maya. Abby and the rest of the girls, all doting upon the woman in white.

His heart about leaped right out of his chest. His lips parted in absolute awe as he saw her for the first time.

She hadn't even seen him looking yet. She was smiling down at the ground, carefully walking up the hill with her girls holding her hands to help her.

But when she looked up, their eyes instantly locked. And the smile on her face grew even bigger.

He could barely take her in. She was so unbelievably breathtaking. He'd imagined that moment so many times before, but somehow it had never compared in his head, to the actual moment.

"Oh my god," Fitz said, looking the other way for a brief moment.

He regained his bearings and turned back to see her eyeing him happily, giving him a cute little wave as she neared him.

He looked her up and down, with a huge smile on his face. "Oh man."

"I knew he'd be starstruck!" Abby exclaimed, watching his reaction.

"Let it out, Fitz," Maya laughed.

She smiled brightly at him. "Hi."

He could not tear his eyes off her.

"Hi," he said, in awe.

He held out his hand for her to hold, as he continued to look. The dress. The veil. The hair. Everything, looked so beautiful to him. "You are so beautiful," he whispered.

"Thank you. You are so _handsome,"_ she whispered back, eyeing him in his tux.

"Thank you," he smiled. "You are seriously... _breathtaking_ , Olivia."

 _"Thank you,"_ she giggled, smiling up at him. She could feel Evelyn snapping away, taking endless pictures of the first reaction.

And that was just the start to their wedding photos. They had two and a half hours allotted for them.

Bride and groom. Wedding party. Flower girl and ring bearer. Parents. Grandparents. So many different combinations of all of them and so many different poses.

They got quite a few pictures with the rings on. Their tattoos, too, like they'd planned all along.

Funny ones, with the wedding party. The groomsman acting shocked as they looked at Fitz's left hand, dramatically displaying his ring. That one had the women in a fit of laughter, including Olivia's grandma Gina, which was comforting.

The groomsmen showing off their wedding socks, which were fun. They were all dressed in full tuxedos, but each still wore a different pair of patterned black and white socks to commemorate Fitz, who loved funky socks. Black and white, to still be fairly formal. But not just plain black. Subtly defying authority, as Fitz seemed to enjoy doing.

The bridesmaids did their fair share of poses too.

What really got Olivia, were the individual portraits that Evelyn took. Everyone in the wedding party got at least one, which she thought was sweet. But of course, Olivia and Fitz took _many._

And when Olivia watched Fitz take his, holy shit.

Looking down at the ground, hands in his pockets.

Looking off to the side with his tux jacket swung over his shoulders. That way you were able to see his suspenders.

Those practically had Olivia drooling. He was the same way when she did her individuals. Which, made it extremely tough to have to say goodbye again briefly, so they could get ready for the ceremony to begin.

Both got all fixed up again in their respective changing rooms. Michaela touched up Olivia's hair, even though it still looked perfect. It was nice to get inside after a while in the hot air. It wasn't too overly hot, which was good, but it was still nice to be in a chilly, air-conditioned room for half an hour.

The guest began arriving around four, as they had been informed to.

Abby and Cyrus were running around like crazy trying to make sure everything was in order.

The butterflies in Olivia's stomach only got worse as it neared 4:30. She knew it was only a matter of time before Fitz would be heading outside, being accompanied by her mother.

When it was time for her to go, she walked out with Dan and the rest of the party who had not yet walked the aisle. Fitz and her mom were already up there, as were paster Joel and Cyrus, she knew.

She could hear the music as soon as they stepped foot outside. They stood and waited near the top of the hill, while everyone else made their trip down the aisle. She couldn't see over the edge of the hill, but she knew the order.

Her extended family members first, being led to the front. Her grandparents, of course, getting the front rows, where her parents would also sit.

Paster Joel.

Fitz and her mom.

Cyrus.

Teagan and Brett.

Quinn and Matt.

Sandra and Jason.

Abby.

Mia and Riley.

And she and her dad.

And just like that, the order went.

They walked to the top of the slight hill, just about revealing themselves to everyone as her music began to play, signaling that the bride was coming.

"I've imagined this day since you were born," he whispered. "I can tell you, nothing that I imagined has ever prepared me for it."

She giggled quietly.

"You look beautiful, Olivia," he said.

"Thank you, dad," she smiled.

He let out a small breath, looking ahead of them. "Ready, kiddo?"

"Ready," she nodded, smiling back at him and tightening her grip on his arm.

"Let's do this," he smiled.

And so the emerged above the hill, and onto the gorgeous white path fashioned there in the grass for them.

Everyone was already standing for them, she could see that.

But the first person she looked at was him.

Standing there at the altar, holding his hands in front of him.

The second he saw her, arm linked with Eli's as they walked toward him, he let out a breath and looked down at the ground.

The tears filled his eyes as he forced himself to look ahead again, seeing his beautiful fiancée smiling at him.

It felt like he was seeing her for the first time again. He knew it would feel different than it had when he'd seen her for pictures.

Now it was actually going to happen. No posing for a camera, no putting on the rings temporarily for a picture. This time it would all be for real.

He sniffed and wiped at his face, trying to keep it together even though that was the last thing he felt like doing.

They neared the front of the altar and Eli hugged his daughter, kissing her on the cheek before officially giving her away.

"Hi," he whispered.

"Hi," she whispered back, eyes glistening wet too.

He dried his eyes, making sure he didn't feel like a total wreck as the music ended and everyone was seated.

Fitz joined their hands immediately, not wanting to wait for pastor Joel to tell them. He reached for her hands and she reached back, keeping their attention focused solely on each other as Pastor Joel addressed everyone.

"Friends and family of Olivia and Fitz, _welcome_. And thank you, for being here on this important day," he said.

"We are gathered here together to celebrate the very special love between Olivia and Fitz, by joining them in marriage. They ask for your blessing, encouragement, and lifelong support, for their decision to be married."

They smiled at each other, listening to the sweet words of Pastor Joel.

"They also remember those loved ones who cannot be here to share this moment with them today. Even though they are not here physically, they are a part of the foundation that makes Olivia and Fitz the people they are today. Please cherish the memories of these friends and family and all others who live on in our hearts."

The loved ones which Joel referred to flashed through their minds. Olivia's great grandparents. Her second cousin, Josh. Fitz's parents. His grandparents. His uncles Gary and Wallace, and his great aunt Frieda. All of which, were missed.

"Marriage is the promise between two people who love each other, who trust that love, who honor one another as individuals, and who wish to spend the rest of their lives together. It enables the two separate souls to share their desires, longings, dreams, and memories. Their joys and sorrows. And to help each other through all uncertainties of life."

She squeezed his hands, looking at him and at Pastor Joel, his words so perfect.

"A strong marriage nurtures each of you as separate individuals, and allows you to maintain your unique identity and grow in your own way through the years ahead. It is a safe haven for each of you to become your best self. While together, you become better than ever could be alone.

This...takes _more_ than love. It takes _trust_ , to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. It takes _dedication_ , to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And it takes _faith_ , to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you both."

And now, he prepared the reading they had chosen. The reading that had been read at her parents' wedding. A reading from Romans 12:9–16. A short and beautiful reading, really. One that they felt fit.

 _"_ _Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another."_

The reading had tears slipping down her mother's cheeks, she could see out of the corner of her eye in the first row. Tears had threatened to spill out of her own since she began walking down the aisle, but she kept them in. For now...

"Now is normally when I would ask them to join hands, but they've had that covered since the beginning," Pastor Joel smiled, which sent light laughter through the audience. Fitz chuckled at Joel and smiled down at their hands. Both of their hands, sweaty as all hell.

"Look at one another now. Cherish, and remember this moment in time," Paster Joel began. "Fitz, do you take Olivia to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, remain faithful to her as long as you both shall live?"

He smiled brightly down at her, and nodded slightly.

"I do."

"And Olivia, do you take Fitz to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, remain faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

Those words had never felt so good.

"A wedding is more than a celebration of the love which lives in Olivia and Fitz's hearts today. A couple who wed are joined not only by the mutual affection and love they share, but also by their hopes, dreams, and by their promises of what will be. The promises and vows they make this day shall guide them into their common future."

He nodded at Fitz, who shakily took his vows from Cyrus.

Fitz knew that he went first, he remembered the moment in time yesterday at the rehearsal, when they had faked it. If only he had been as calm now as he had been then.

But how he felt now was pretty clear. His hands shook as he unfolded his worn piece of paper, with his heart and soul spilled onto it. And...perhaps a little coffee, too.

"My dear Olivia," he began shakily, which instantly had Olivia's lip quivering. She looked down at the ground briefly, the tears already spilling from her eyes just at the familiar way he began this piece of writing.

He, on the other hand, kept it together. At least, to start off.

"You are, and always have been, my best friend. I knew from the day that I met you that you were special. So special. And I knew from the day that I met you, what I wanted. Because you are...the love of my life. I don't know where I would be today without you. You're my everything. My whole world. And you have my heart, forever."

She looked up at him with such adoration, and tears in her eyes. He kept a hold of one of her hands with his free one, still shakily holding his vows in the other. His shaking did subside though, as he continued with his promises to her.

"So I promise to dream with you. To celebrate with you, and walk beside you through whatever life may bring us.

I promise to love you, hold you, and cherish you, always.

I promise to be there for you through life's greatest moments, and life's most challenging ones.

I promise to _never_ stop laughing with you.

I promise to _never_ stop singing with you.

I promise…"

He took a deep breath, bottom lip quivering a little bit. He tried. He tried _hard_. He exhaled deeply as a tear rolled down his cheek, and he sniffled at her.

"I promise to be the arms you jump into, when you get excited," he said, letting the tears fall freely now.

"I promise to always write to you, no matter what.

I promise to never tickle you for longer than you can handle."

The crowd laughed at that one, as did Olivia, while tears streamed down her face.

"I promise to answer any and all hockey-related questions, no matter how often you ask them," he smiled.

"I promise to _always_ listen to you, when you tell me my fingers are _broken,_ " he said.

That got quite the laugh from the wedding party, as well as Olivia's parents.

"I promise to always be your 'sweetie.'

I promise to choose you, and our family, every day, for as long as I live.

And I promise to be your true companion, always. For one lifetime with you could never be enough," he finished.

He folded them back up and handed them back to Cyrus as Olivia then received hers from Abby.

Her hands remained steady, but the sound of her voice was shaky, which reflected her nervous state. She knew she would be nervous for it, but she had pushed that aside. In the end, she was only talking to him. Even with over a hundred spectators, the words were just for him.

"I feel so blessed to be a part of your life. Which, today, officially becomes our life together," she began.

He squeezed her hand encouragingly, looking down at her with a smile.

"You taught me the meaning of love. And loving you is my favorite thing to do. Loving you has been my favorite adventure, and one that I will continue to embark on for the rest of our lives," she continued, trying to hold back her tears.

"Through all our adventures...I promise to _always_ support and encourage you.

I promise to always be your number one fan.

I promise to love you with all that I have in me.

I promise to stay by your side, through sorrow and success.

I promise to always be silly with you," she smiled, which made him smile bigger.

"I promise to be honest, in my actions and in my words.

I promise to _always_ say yes every time you ask me to marry you."

He laughed quietly at the altar as everyone else laughed too.

"I promise to honor your passion for hockey.

I promise endless mornings of back scratches and snuggles.

I promise to be patient, and to be kind.

I promise to never forget the little things. Like nose kisses and hand massages. Your favorite ice cream flavor and your favorite takeout restaurant. Your extreme dislike for the cold, and that cute trapper hat that you wear because of it. Your wide variety of music taste and your knack for writing sweet notes.

I promise to never forget any of those things," she whimpered, fully crying now.

"And I promise to forever be yours. Until death do us part."

She folded up the paper again and handed it back to Abby, gently wiping her tears as not to smear her makeup. Fitz wiped his eyes too, as the tears really hadn't stopped since they started their vows.

"Having this love in your hearts, you have chosen to seal your vows by exchanging rings. May these rings from this day forward, be your most treasured adornment, and may the love they symbolize, be your most precious possession. As you wear these rings, may they be constant reminders of these glad promises you made today. Please present the rings," Joel smiled, looking at the best man and the maid of honor. Both of whom, had safely acquired the rings from little Riley after he'd walked down the aisle with Mia.

Cyrus handed the thin, diamond-encrusted band to Fitz, while Abby handed the thick, platinum band to Olivia.

"Fitz, as you place this ring on Olivia's finger, please repeat after me. 'I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you.'"

He began sliding the ring on her finger, repeating what the pastor had said.

"I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you."

"Olivia, as you place this ring on Fitz's finger, repeat after me. 'I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you.'"

She held his left hand and slid the band on his ring finger, also repeating the words.

"I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you."

It looked so good on him. It looked so good, to see a ring on that finger.

"Olivia and Fitz, from this moment forward you will never be alone. You will carry with you the love of another person. May your life together be immersed in love and excitement. May you strive to enrich each other in every possible way. And may you work to bring the peace you find to this world."

Their smiles only got brighter, as the ceremony neared its end.

"Having witnessed your vows for marriage before God and all who are assembled here, by the authority invested in me, I now pronounce you, husband and wife," Pastor Joel said, looking at the two of them.

"Fitz, you may kiss your bride."

He smiled and leaned in, wrapping her body up in a huge hug as he pressed his lips to hers. Everyone clapped and cheered. His buddies whistled.

As for him, he kissed his wife.

Finally, _finally_ , they pulled away reluctantly, the ceremony sealed by their kiss. And pastor Joel finished the ceremony for good.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my _privilege_ to introduce to you for the. _Very. First. Time._ Mr. and Mrs. Fitz and Olivia Grant!"

Fitz held up Olivia's hand with a smile as the clapping only got louder.

"Wooo!" her friends yelled from the chairs. She saw Harrison, Charlie, and Huck, clapping like crazy for them, which made her smile.

Her dad wiped his eye briefly, taking a break from clapping. And her mother was regaining her bearings as well. Her whole family looked so happy.

As for Fitz, she was sure she had never seen such a big smile on his face.

It was the happiest they had ever felt.

Everything that came after was a rush too. Signing their marriage license with Pastor Joel, right then and there so it would be truly official.

Greeting the guests that came up to them. Standing outside and hugging everybody that stood in line to greet them. Thanking everyone for coming and telling them they'd see them for the reception.

Cocktail hour wasted no time for those guests who had time to kill before the dinner and reception started.

Olivia and Fitz, however, knew exactly how they would be spending their time.

As Brett had informed them, the party bus awaited.

But before that came, they had an extra chat with her parents, whom they hugged for a while.

"I'm so happy for you, baby," Maya said, embracing her daughter in a big hug.

"Thank you mom," Olivia replied. "Thank you for everything."

"You're so welcome. Fitz," Maya said, waving him in for a hug too.

Fitz wrapped his arms tightly around Maya while Olivia hugged her dad once more.

"Congratulations," Maya said, patting his back.

"Thank you!" he exclaimed, pulling back. "We are so appreciative of everything. None of this would have come together without you. Thank you."

"Oh, you are very welcome," Maya said.

Fitz looked to Eli, and both men just looked at each other for a moment, before Fitz wrapped his arms around him.

"Good man," Eli chuckled, patting his back. "You said some beautiful things today."

"Thank you," Fitz said, patting him back. "Thank you for everything."

"You're absolutely welcome. Thank _you,"_ Eli said as they pulled away.

"I think you two have a bus to catch," Maya said, nodding toward the hill.

They smiled at each other. "Whew. Alrighty. How's everything look, is everything good?" Fitz asked, making sure the cocktail hour had transitioned smoothly.

"Everything looks perfect, you two better get going! We'll hold down the fort," Maya said.

"Indeed," Eli nodded. "Go on!"

"Okay. Okay—Bye! We'll see you!" Olivia said.

"Bye now," Maya waved.

Fitz grabbed her hand and they made their way down to the back parking lot. "Your vows were so beautiful," Olivia said to him.

"So were yours. I could barely get through either of them," he chuckled.

"Me neither. I'm just so happy with how well it all went. It was so beautiful," she replied.

"Just like you. God, Olivia, you are _so_ beautiful," he said, admiring her whole look as they neared the party bus.

"Thank you!"

They were the last to arrive to their party bus, as everyone else hadn't had to greet over a hundred guests, like they'd had to. They were there and they were ready.

And when the newlywed couple entered the bus, greeting the driver, it got quiet.

All their friends, suddenly quieting down as they entered for the first time. It felt like a staring match, but everyone's smiles were huge.

Then Fitz broke the silence.

"So uh...hey everyone. I'm Fitz. And this is my fucking wife."

The bus _erupted._

"AHHH!"

"YEAH!"

"Let's fucking go!"

He looked at Olivia who was laughing, in the midst of all the cheering, and he leaned in without warning and kissed her.

That of course only made everyone cheer louder, as they started to go at it in the aisle of the party bus.

He didn't shy away from making a scene of it. Tongue, ass grabbing, the whole deal. They didn't give a damn. They were _married!_

He pulled away and nodded at everyone, gesturing to Olivia as if to give her credit.

"Let's hit it, Mr. Jensen!" Harrison yelled, smacking the window.

"You got it," the driver said, putting the bus into drive.

"Oh here we go!" Fitz chuckled, grabbing Olivia so she didn't fall.

"Get on in here you two, come here," Logan said, waving them toward the center of the bus.

It had seats all along the sides, three poles in the aisle, and colorful lights everywhere. There was some alcohol in the back, stocked up in coolers already. That had been Brett's job after the ceremony.

"Here we go," Logan said, connecting his phone to the aux system on the bus. "Don't worry. I made it somewhat white, just for you brotha."

Fitz laughed, pulling him in for a nice bro hug. "I love you man."

"I love you too. So happy for you. You're really out here a married man and all that!" Logan said.

"I know!" Fitz exclaimed.

"You better be taking notes, Lo," Aliyah smirked.

"Mm, baby, chill, chill. You know I'm wifeing you up, just give me a second, okay," Logan said. "Ahh, here we go, it's working now."

"Taste" by Tyga started blasted throughout the bus which had everyone yelling in appreciation.

All it took was the beginning of one song to get people up and dancing.

"Grant!" Brett yelled above the music. "Anything?" he asked, pointing to the cooler.

"Uh...yeah, sure man I don't care what! Something light," he said. "Hey," he said, touching his lips to Olivia's ear so she could hear him. "You want anything?"

She stood on her tip toes. "Whatever you're having," she said in his ear.

"Make it two," Fitz mouthed, holding up two fingers to Brett.

"Two, I got you," Brett yelled, tossing two canned Mike's hards to him, one after the other.

"Thanks buddy," Fitz yelled back. "This actually sounds really good."

"What?!" she laughed.

"I said this sounds really good actually!" he said, leaning closer to her.

"Oh! Yes!" she nodded, opening hers. Refreshing for a hot summer evening.

"I'm so happy for you guys!" Abby exclaimed, coming up to them with a beer in her hand. "Do you need snacks? Anything? I have my Mary Poppins purse. Anything you could ever need and want!"

"No I'm good, thank you!" Olivia laughed.

"I'm good!" Fitz agreed.

Then, all they heard blasting around them was;

 ** _"_** ** _Oh shit_** **, oh shit, oh shit..."**

Fitz's jaw dropped and looked at Logan "Oh you've gotta be fucking kidding me."

"What? Aliyah likes Fergie," Logan shrugged.

Brett was already looking at Fitz with wide eyes, starting to move his hips back and forth.

"Do it! Do it!" Jason laughed.

"Oh no...we're doing it," Fitz chuckled, making his way toward Brett.

"Oh you guys are _not_ ready for this," Brett said.

"I haven't seen this in years, I'm so ready," Matt chuckled.

The "oh shits" kept echoing through the bus as Fergie's "London Bridge" played loudly.

"I hope I still have a wife after this," Fitz said to Olivia who was already intrigued by the way he and his friends had reacted. She smiled, looking at Logan, who looked just as confused as everyone else. Everyone else but Fitz, Brett, Jason, and Matt.

Brett ran his hands down his chest, taking a few steps to the center of the aisle and grabbing the pole as dramatically as he could.

Fitz came right up to him, looking off to the side dramatically as Brett gave Fitz the line to start him off.

"Fergie Ferg, what's up baby!" Brett pointed.

Fitz pointed back at Brett. "When I come to the club, step aside."

"OH SHIT!" everyone yelled. Olivia's jaw dropped at the dramatic Fergie line that had just come out of Fitz's mouth.

"Part the seas, don't be have me in the line," Brett yelled, "parting the seas" with his hands.

"OH SHIT."

"VIP, 'cause you know I gotta shine," Fitz yelled.

"OH SHIT."

"I'm Fergie Ferg, and me love you long time."

"OH SHIT."

"All my girls get down on the floor," Fitz continued, dropping as ass to the floor extremely dramatically. Everyone was practically in tears laughing by that time, still trying to keep up with the "OH SHIT" every three seconds.

"Back to back, drop it down real low," Brett said.

"I'm such a lady but I'm dancin' like a ho," Fitz said.

The "oh shit" that time was just laughs, because nobody could keep it together. Except for Brett and Fitz, who had that shit down.

"'Cause you know I don't give a fuck so here we go'," Brett yelled.

That led to everyone then yelling the chorus as loud as they could, still partially laughing at how the two men had known every single word, switching off every other line.

"Oh my god!" Lauren giggled, about falling onto the floor of the bus after the song had finished. "That was the best duet I've ever seen!"

"Just like I remembered it," Jason laughed.

"That was the _sassiest_ thing I have ever seen!" James exclaimed, while Cyrus was laughing his ass off.

"Liv, you married the right fucking one," Abby nodded, patting Fitz on the back.

"So you memorized Tupac _and_ Fergie together?" Olivia exclaimed.

"Oh yeah. 'California Love' was when we were teenagers and we thought we were cool," Brett chuckled.

"Yeah, and 'London Bridge' came out when I came back to Cali after law school. Brett was a big Fergie fan," Fitz laughed.

 _"Big_ Fergie fan," Matt nodded. "I can't remember how many times we used to hear that song in his shitty apartment building basement."

" _Too_ many times," Jason said with a laugh.

"As you can see, babe, that was before any of us found our beautiful companions. Listening to...Fergie in a non-airconditioned Californian apartment," Matt said to Emma.

"Yeah, man, Californians are kind of fucking weird," Logan said.

"Hey!" Brett, Fitz, Matt, and Jason yelled in unison.

All the women laughed, looking at each other and nodding as if they all knew their Californian men were weird.

"I'm glad you've chosen the...can I say it? _Better_ coast," Logan smiled. "Look at all the wonderful people you've found. All the wonderful, _less weird_ people."

"Debatable," Fitz said, eyeing Logan.

"Don't even start with that mouth of yours, Grant," Logan warned.

Fitz just laughed.

"I think this got lost in translation and I would just like everyone to know for the record, that I am _still_ a Fergie fan. Still. This is not past tense," Brett said, piped up.

"It shows!" Janelle nodded.

"Yeah that was the best decision I've ever made, putting that on this playlist," Logan chuckled.

"Yeah and nobody's even listening to this banger," Charlie exclaimed, spinning Quinn around.

"Is this Akon?" Harrison asked.

"Fucking right this is Akon," Matt yelled.

"I remember this song!" Olivia exclaimed, grabbing Fitz's outstretched hands.

He smiled, pulling her into his body and singing like his life depended on it.

"And just hold you, tease you, squeeze you,

tell you what's been on my mind..."

Olivia laughed because of course, he knew the song. Everyone in the damn bus knew it.

They all took the slight pause before they started jumping and yelling the words to the chorus.

 **"** **I wanna make up right now na na**

 **I wanna make up right now na na**

 **Wish we never broke up right now na na**

 **We need to link up right now na na."**

The throwback songs had them all going _nuts_. And they certainly weren't short in that department. "Gold Digger", "In Da Club", "Buy U A Drank," among others.

They had their fair share of more recent songs as well, which usually had the dancing getting dirtier by the minute. Aliyah practically gave Logan a lap dance to "Come Get Her."

Fitz's tux jacket finally came off after their stop at one bar. He'd tried to keep it on, but he was so hot from all the dancing on a bus full of people.

He was dancing with Olivia. Very _promiscuously_ dancing with Olivia, to "No Diggity" and he started shrugging it off. She'd been grinding on him and he'd been holding her to his body. Hot stuff. Literally.

"Yeahhh take it off, brothaaaa," Logan yelled.

"Oooooh!" everyone yelled as he smirked, laying it on the seat next to him.

"Baby's taking it off, okay!" she laughed.

"He's taking it off," he nodded, watching her pull him closer to her by his suspenders.

"Mmm," he smirked, grabbing her hips. He leaned his forehead down against hers as he pressed her body to his, hearing the lyrics surround them.

And then their lips were pressed together. Their mouths opening against each other's slowly. He slipped his tongue in her mouth, tasting the remnants of lemonade.

He held onto the pole with one hand and her with the other, while both of hers were around his neck or in his hair, pulling him toward her.

Everyone was into each other on the bus, so Olivia and Fitz weren't the only ones getting a little too close. Nobody had ever seen Teagan and Huck that sexual _ever._

They all deserved to have some fun, though. They'd been waiting for this day for a long time. The party bus was their hour and a half of fun without any _family members_ watching. Just friends. Drinking, dirty dancing, and singing.

After their last bar stop, they had about a twenty-minute drive back to the country club, which they made the most of.

Fitz was on his second hard lemonade, which was mostly what he and Olivia had stuck to. He'd had a light beer at one bar and a shot with Olivia at the other one. Olivia hadn't consumed much at all besides a shot. One hard lemonade and a little but of Fitz's second one. They definitely could _not_ be getting blasted on the party bus before the reception even started.

The last song they heard before they got back was one with an insane amount of bass.

"I've known almost _none_ of these songs, but this one seems familiar and I can't even remember what it's called?" Cyrus questioned.

"'Sexy Bitch'," Olivia laughed.

"Yeah, you know. He's trying to find the words to describe this girl without being disrespectful. So he settles on sexy bitch," Fitz nodded casually, which had Olivia doubling over in laughter.

"Well _that_ doesn't sound very reasonable," Cyrus questioned.

"No, but it sounds pretty damn good in here doesn't it?" Logan yelled.

"Quite loud, indeed," Cyrus yelled back.

"I think it's catchy," Olivia shrugged. "This song used to be a hit."

"Mmm, well you know," he said, leaning in close. "You _are_ the baddest thing around town," he finished, quoting the song.

"Mmm you think so, huh?" she smirked.

He smiled. "The way that booty movin' I can't take no more,

Had to stop what I'm doin' so I can pull up close,

I'm tryna find the words to describe this girl without bein' disrespectful...

 _Damn girl,"_ he yelled with a smile.

"Damn, you's a sexy bitch," Olivia sang, at the top of her damn lungs.

Fitz just laughed. "Who, me? Awww, you're so sweet!"

She laughed, continuing to sing to him.

He danced in front of her, trying his absolute best to be the sexiest bitch in the _history_ of sexy bitches.

Rubbing his hands over his body, moving his hips. Everyone at that point was paying attention to the bride and groom, singing and dancing for each other.

"Damn, okay, okay!" David chuckled.

"He's at it again!" Jason yelled.

"Yeah, see, this is his forte. Dirty dancing," Brett nodded, gesturing toward him. "Liv, darling, you've got it down, too."

And that was the last hoorah to their party bus festivities.

They pulled back up to Chippanee and unloaded their things to bring back inside for them.

The ceremony decor had all already been taken down they saw, and the guests had been moved into the lobby outside the ballroom inside, just before the dinner started at 6:00. Soon they'd be let in to find their seats.

The wedding crew took the back way to get to the changing rooms, as not to alert the guests they were back yet.

"Whew, I am so sweaty," Huck said, fanning himself with his hand.

"Probably because your girl was dancing on you like that," Harrison chuckled.

"Probably. I'm really surprised you didn't bring a plus one just so that you could dance with someone on the party bus," Huck laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, ha _ha_ ," Harrison said.

"Hey, leave Harrison alone today, bride's wishes," Olivia said with a smile, looking at Harrison.

"Thanks," he murmured.

"Well whatever the bride says goes," Cyrus nodded.

"Yeah. If she says 'you's a sexy bitch', you better believe you're a sexy bitch," Fitz said, which had them all cracking up in the hallway.

"Akon's words, not mine," Olivia laughed. "But you _are_ damn sexy. I like this look you got going on right now."

He had his tux jacket draped over his shoulder, his hair was extremely curly, and his shiny wedding ring caught a lot of her attention.

"Mm, thank you. I suppose I'm gonna have to put this back on now. I just need to cool off a minute," he said, taking a big breath.

"You can come cool off in my changing room. It's freezing in there," she laughed.

"Oh...so is this the part where uh...we leave you to go do...husband and wife things?" Harrison asked.

Everyone laughed. "Uh, trust me. If you saw how much work it took to get this dress on and off, you'd know there is absolutely no way I can have sex in this," Olivia said.

"We tried already," Fitz replied.

"What?!" Abby exclaimed. "Impossible!"

"I'm _kidding,"_ Fitz chuckled. "How would we have, we've barely had a second alone today."

"Well, we'll leave early to be seated. Give you two some necessary one-on-one time," Abby smiled.

"Thank you," Olivia laughed.

And that's exactly what they did.

They got about ten minutes together while everyone was being situated in the ballroom.

She sat sideways on his lap, with an arm around his neck and her head on his chest. He had an arm wrapped around her whole side, keeping her tightly to his body

Her other hand was holding his left hand, admiring his ring.

"This looks so good on you," she whispered. "It's my favorite thing I've ever bought."

"It's really nice," he nodded, flexing his fingers as he looked it over. "It's weird...adjusting to a ring. But I really love it."

"I'm glad you do. It looks so perfect."

"Let me see your hand again," he said.

She removed it from around his neck and showed him her left hand, now donning a beautiful engagement ring and a thin, diamond wedding band.

"So beautiful," he whispered, kissing her hand.

She smiled, watching him kiss her fingers like they were the most delicate things he'd ever seen. And then he smiled back at her.

"You know, I've never been as proud as I was on that party bus. Seeing my husband absolutely _get down_ to Fergie," she said casually. "Do I even want to know where you and Brett learned to dance like that?"

He burst into laughter, holding her to his chest. "Oh, you mean our uh...sexy, sassy dancing? Well, we've gotta look the part if we're singing it."

"Very true," she laughed. "I was not surprised to see you singing it. Was there a song you _didn't_ know the words to on the bus?"

"Hmm...yeah, I didn't know...um, 'Sicko Mode'? I think that was it. And then there are the songs I can't sing half the words to because I'm white," he nodded.

"Ah yes, yes," she laughed. "That tends to happen."

"Wait...can we go back to the part where you said 'your husband'? Yeah, I'd...I'd really like to go back to that," he said.

"Yeah, I have a husband," she nodded casually.

"Do you really?" he asked curiously.

"Mhm," she smiled.

"That's funny 'cause I have a wife too," he nodded.

"No...really?" she asked.

"I know, kind of a shocker, huh?"

"Not at all. You'd make a great hubby I bet," she said with a smile.

He smiled too. "I'm gonna try hard to be," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her temple.

They sat there for the remaining minutes they had alone, until Dan told them everyone had been seated and their DJ was ready for the announcement.

"Ready?" he asked, as they stood outside the closed ballroom doors.

"So ready," she nodded.

"Ladies and gentleman, please welcome back your couple of honor tonight, Fitz and Olivia Grant!"

The two doors opened and they walked in holding hands, smiling at everyone clapping and cheering for them.

The wedding party was all seated at the long head table at the front, so they headed there to be seated right away so that everyone could eat.

To Olivia's left sat Abby, and to Fitz's right sat Cyrus, both having their speech notecards set on the table.

Olivia knew Abby was nervous about it, but hadn't said much because she was so busy with everything at the same time.

The speeches would take place a little bit into the dinner. Eli got first honors as the bride's father. Cyrus would follow, and then Abby. Fitz would close it out and give a little thank you speech as well, since he'd volunteered to do the talking. He liked to, and said there were a few things he wanted to say.

Dinner was _amazing_. It all began with salad, before their main dish was brought out. She and Fitz had both chosen the steak, among other options, because it was ranked their best wedding entree. Another great thing about going with a country club for the wedding venue was that country clubs had to have quite the dinner menu for their fancy, upscale restaurant. You could almost always count on the wedding menu to be fantastic. Which, it was.

It was pretty funny how often everyone clinked their glasses with their silverware, meaning Olivia and Fitz had to stand up and kiss for their audience. The little kids, in particular, seemed to think that was a pretty funny trick. Olivia and Fitz of course, were happy to do it.

Dan was running around during dinner, making sure everyone was getting their food and that speeches were set. Olivia knew it was almost time when she saw him come back from one of his rushed trips away, with a microphone.

"Oh, I think my dad's going to talk now," Olivia whispered, nudging Fitz's arm.

He'd currently been trying to savor every bite of his food because it was the first meal he'd had since breakfast. A wedding took a lot out of someone!

He looked up at Dan, who was talking to Eli and handing him the microphone.

"Do you think he's nervous?" Fitz asked.

"No. He's probably more nervous for our first dance than he is for his speech," Olivia laughed.

"Hello everyone," Eli said, giving the ballroom a wave.

Olivia instantly smiled, watching her dad gain everyone's attention.

"I hope everyone is enjoying their wonderful dinner. I'll keep this short and sweet, I know we've got a list of people who want to say some words. I just wanted to start off by telling my daughter how beautiful she looks today. She really does, doesn't she?" he asked, looking over at Olivia as everyone cheered and clapped.

"Thank you," she mouthed with a smile.

He nodded back, flashing her a smile.

"Your mother and I are... _so_ incredibly proud of you, Olivia, and of the woman you've become. You never stop amazing us, Olivia. Never. And today was no different. Marriage is...a _wonderful_ blessing, and to see you begin your journey with Fitz today was a really beautiful thing for your mother and I. We are all extremely happy to officially welcome Fitz into our family today," Eli said, which resulted in some claps and whistles from Olivia's extended family members. "As you can see," Eli chuckled, gesturing to the few tables near the front, which added to the laughter.

Fitz's cheeks flushed and he nodded thankfully at Eli and Maya.

"We love you, Fitz. All we could ever hope for as parents, is for our daughter to spend her life with someone like you. So thank you. And thank _you_ _all_ , for coming here today to spend this day with us. It means so much to our families. So I hope you'll all join me in congratulating my beautiful daughter and son-in-law. We love you," Eli said, smiling up at them as everyone began clapping.

"Thank you," they both mouthed to Eli with big smiles on their faces.

Cyrus got up amidst the clapping because Dan grabbed the microphone from Eli and handed it to him so that he, too, could say a few words of his own.

The applause quieted down as they saw that the best man was about to talk.

"Hi there, my name is Cyrus, for those of you who don't know. I've worked with Fitz at Yale for...gosh, what is it? Eight years now?" he asked, looking at Fitz.

"Yeah, eight years," Fitz nodded.

"Whew. We are gettin' old, Fitzgerald," he quipped, which had everyone laughing, including Fitz who was nodding in agreement.

"As for our beautiful bride," he said, smiling at Olivia. "I've known her for about three years now. I may have many years on her but man, she used to kick my butt in trivia, let me tell you," he said, smiling at the laughing crowd and at Olivia.

He looked back at Fitz briefly with a smile as the crowd quieted down again.

"I was...truly very honored when Fitz asked me to be his best man. It's not very often that the old man makes it into the wedding party."

Everyone laughed again.

"But I'm very thankful that I did. Because these two are something so special. When I met Fitz, he was a grad student working on his Master's. He knew exactly what he wanted, and I admired him for that. He wanted a fresh start. He wanted his degree. He wanted to _teach_. Man, oh man, did he want to teach. He _always_ had his heart set on what he wanted. Believe me on that one...don't _ever_ order him the wrong takeout entree, he will _not_ be a happy camper."

Everyone got a good chuckle out of that one, including Fitz.

"And that's why I knew that when Olivia came into his life, we'd make it here someday. Right to where we are now. Because I had known him ever since he was that motivated grad student. And I had never seen him so inspired by another person. I had never seen him admire someone as much as he admires her. I had never seen him _want_ anything, as much as he wanted _her_ in his life," Cyrus said, turning to look at them.

"You two are something so beautiful, and so rare. And I just want you to know that I am so honored to have stood by you today, as you officially started your journey together. You are both an inspiration. Congratulations, you two."

Applause filled the room as Olivia and Fitz both stood up to give Cyrus a hug, since he was so close.

Cyrus handed the microphone off to Abby, who was shakily looking over her notecards.

Olivia reached over and grabbed her hand, assuring her with a smile that she'd do amazing. Because she always did.

Everyone quieted down again, seeing Abby getting ready to talk.

"Good evening, everyone. I'm Abby, Olivia's maid of honor. And man...that's a tough speech to follow," she said, smiling at Cyrus. That gave everyone a good laugh.

"Olivia and I have always had lots of crazy adventures, ever since we met our freshman year of college. And...when she asked me to be her maid of honor, it was no different. I had the pleasure of living with the happy couple for a little over a month, actually," she smirked, which got a few chuckles. "I had walked in on these two in their bedroom, wearing bright green face masks and eating Skittles one night," she began, which had people laughing more.

"Yes, seriously. Face masks and Skittles. I have the picture for proof, if anyone wants to see," she continued, hearing the laughing crowd.

"They were debating about which Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle wore the blue bandana. Clearly, a very important discussion. We all agreed that it was Donatello, of course," she said, amongst the laughs.

"So anyway, Liv offered me the bright green face mask and naturally, I said yes. We eventually started talking about the wedding, which led to Liv taking out this beautiful bangle and card, asking me to be her maid of honor. We cried, probably smearing that green face mask _everywhere,"_ she laughed _._ "But _..._ I had never been happier."

That received a few "awww"s.

"Planning this wedding with you, Olivia, has been so much fun. I know we've had our fair share of breakdowns here and there..." she paused, as everyone laughed. Olivia nodded and pointed at her in agreement. "But it was all worth it. Such a beautiful day for two beautiful people. You really outdid yourself, Liv," Abby nodded, as people clapped in agreement.

"You two have made such an impact on all of our lives, I know I speak for our entire group of friends when I say that," she said, looking around at their friends who were nodding. "We see you together, and...it makes us all want to be better. We look up to you both so much. Two people who, as I've always said, have just got it down. The love you two share is something we all should strive for in our lives. The adoration you two have for each other, is something we all should emulate. Olivia..." she began, starting to wipe her eyes. "Fitz," she said, smiling at him. He smiled happily back at her, nodding his head in appreciation.

"I love you both so much. You have been such amazing friends to me, and to everyone around you. I wish you nothing but the absolute best, in your future together. If there are any two people in the world that deserve it, it's you two. To Olivia and Fitz," she sniffled, holding up her glass.

"To Olivia And Fitz," everyone echoed, before they clapped for Abby.

Olivia wiped at her damp eyes and stood up to go hug Abby. "Thank you, Abby. That was amazing," she whispered, hugging her best friend tightly.

"You're so welcome. I love you, Olivia," Abby whispered back.

"I love you so much," Olivia replied.

Fitz stood up as well, smiling at his friend. A true friend. And he pulled her in for a hug. "That was beautiful," he whispered.

"Thank you. Congratulations, Fitz," she said.

"Thank you, Abby," he smiled, kissing her cheek. "This Fitz thing is over now, right?"

" _So_ over now," she laughed. "I will be seeing you on the dance floor, _pretty boy."_

"Yes you will," he chuckled, taking the microphone she handed him.

He walked back to his seat, next to Olivia. But he stayed standing as he addressed the room.

"Hello everyone. I'm uh...Fitz. The groom," he greeted, which made everyone immediately laugh again.

He chuckled too. "Olivia and I just also wanted to say how thankful we are for the support we've gotten today, and the people who have come to be a part of our special day. We've been looking forward to this day for a long time, and you all have made it even more special than we could have imagined. Also, if we could get a round of applause for the Chippanee Country Club staff," he said, as everyone started to clap. "Such a job well done. Everything has looked beautiful today and you've really made sure that we've had an amazing day. Thank you."

Clapping slowly died down for him to talk again.

"Thank you also, to our wonderful wedding party and the speeches that Eli, Abby, and Cyrus gave. We're so lucky for everything you all have done for us. Today couldn't have happened without any of you, and we're just so thankful that we have such amazing people by our side, both today, and always. Many, many thanks," he nodded, as everyone clapped again.

"I also just wanted to say how happy I am to officially be a part of this wonderful family. You have all made me feel so welcome, and I can't thank you enough for that. You _are_ my family. I couldn't ask for a better one. Eli and Maya...thank you again. I love you both so much."

That got quite the loud cheer and applause once again and he smiled down at them, feeling Olivia squeeze his hand affectionately.

"And um...lastly," he said, looking down at Olivia next to him. "My beautiful...stunning... _breathtaking_ wife," he said, hearing the clapping start up again.

She smiled and blushed, looking up at him so happily. Holding onto his free hand.

"I can't wait to start our life together. I can't wait to see what the future holds. I can't wait to be with you for the rest of my life. I can't wait for forever," he said, smiling down at her. "I love you so much, Olivia."

"I love you," she whispered, kissing his hand.

Everyone clapped for them, looking so admirably at one another.

"We will see you all on the dance floor here pretty soon!" he said, which had everyone cheering.

"Thanks," he said once more into the microphone as Olivia stood up. "Thank you," she added, as everyone joined in on one last round of applause.

Fitz switched off the microphone and handed it to Dan, who told them they'd be up pretty quick for their first dance.

"Okay," Fitz nodded.

"Thanks for talking, you were wonderful," she smiled.

"Of course," he nodded, taking her hand. "You ready for some Rascal Flatts?"

"Oh of course I am," she giggled. And just then, the DJ got everyone's attention.

"Alright, let's go, baby," he whispered, grabbing her hand as they stood up.

"If I could have everyone direct their attention to the dance floor please for the bride and groom's first dance," the DJ said.

Fitz held her hand and brought her to the center of the dance floor, a soft spotlight on them while the rest of the lights were dimmed low.

Dinner was about over now. So after the first slow dances, the place would be a lot rowdier.

Rascal Flatts' "Bless the Broken Road" started playing and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He held her to his chest and they swayed back and forth to the song.

"Who knew you walking in on me singing to myself would eventually lead us to our first dance song," he whispered.

She smiled. "Who knew."

He sang the lyrics to her quietly, for only her to hear.

"God blessed the broken road, that led me straight to you."

He kissed her temple, holding her so close to him. It felt like just the two of them in the whole room, even with all those people watching. All they ever saw was each other.

"I love you," she whispered to him.

"I love you," he whispered back.

When the song ended, they got a lot of applause. She got to stay on the dance floor for her dance with her dad.

Their song, a sixties song, by one of his favorite bands. A song that used to play on that old kitchen radio of theirs.

"My Girl."

It was beautiful, and her dad was happier than ever dancing with her. No longer in their kitchen, but in a ballroom, on his daughter's wedding night.

The groom would normally have a dance with his mother. So, he chose to dance with Maya. The one woman who had always treated him kindly from the beginning. Had welcomed him. Maybe not with open arms at first. But had never doubted his love for her daughter. With his and Liv's situation, that meant so much to him.

And so they danced.

But after three slow dances to start off the reception, it was time to pick it up.

"Billie Jean" all it took.

People flowed onto the dance floor gradually after one or two songs. Olivia's friends, who were already pretty drunk, were one of the first groups to head out there.

But before Harrison headed out there, he got Olivia's attention.

"Hey," Harrison said quietly.

"Hey!" Olivia said. "You gonna go dance?"

"Yeah, yeah definitely. I just was gonna ask you. Uh, who...who is that girl?" he asked, pointing discreetly to a young woman dancing with her grandpa Will and Dillon.

"Um...my cousin Macy. Why?"

Harrison got all quiet, watching Macy so intently. "Is...is that her boyfriend next to her?"

Olivia laughed. " _No_. No, that's my cousin Dillon. Her twin brother."

"Oh...okay, right, yeah. Cool," Harrison nodded. "Would you happen to know if she _does_ have a...a boyfriend?"

"Harrison..." Olivia questioned.

"Liv..." he questioned back.

"You're trying to get with my _cousin_ now?" Olivia laughed.

"No...no, I just...I sat by her at the ceremony. And...she was so sweet, talking to your grandparents. And...I had never seen her before. She's so nice and...I couldn't even talk to her? All I had to do was introduce myself. That's all I had to do? I couldn't even...I couldn't even bring myself to ask her name—"

"Harrison...do you want me to introduce you two?" Olivia asked with a laugh. "She doesn't have a boyfriend. She's really fun, she goes to VCU—"

His eyes widened. "No—no. No. Definitely not."

Olivia tilted her head. "So...okay, you don't like her then?"

"Like? No...oh no, I think I'm in love with her," Harrison said, looking at her in awe as she danced.

"Harrison!" Olivia said, snapping her fingers in front of his eyes.

He flinched and eyed Olivia. "What?"

"You've never even met her. Which is why I'll introduce you, _if_ and _only_ if...you promise not to sleep with her tonight. She's perfect and sweet and she's my cousin, so I will fight you if you pull any crazy shit with her. If you cannot agree to said terms, she's off limits forever."

"Oh god, sleep with her—Liv, I can't even _talk_ to her for God's sake! No, forget I said anything."

Olivia raised her eyebrows. "What on earth has happened to you? You're afraid? Of a woman? Since when?"

"Look, I'm trying to be better. You know...someone women would appreciate. Not some...I don't know, insert whatever names our friends have called me. I want to be better. I want to have something like...all of you guys have. But now I don't...I don't know! I haven't talked to a woman since graduation. I'm off my game and something about her is making me all...weird! I wanted to know who she was, you told me, thank you. I love you Liv, goodbye."

"Nuh-uh," Olivia said, grabbing his arm. "Come on."

"No, no. Liv, no. I can't, I really can't," he said in a hushed whisper as Olivia led him across the dance floor.

"Liv! Hey!" Macy said, dancing to "I Wanna Dance With Somebody." Perfect.

"Hey, Mace! I wanted to introduce you to my friend Harrison," Olivia said, gesturing to him. "We graduated together."

He gave her a shy smile and an awkward wave. "Hey."

"Hey," Macy said, smiling at him.

Olivia smiled, looking between the two. "Kay. Well, I'm going to go find my husband. Have fun!"

And she left them there with nothing but a Whitney Houston song.

She shuffled over to the front of the dance floor, where some of her friends were, along with Fitz.

"We broke Harrison," Olivia stated.

"Huh?" Abby asked.

"He claims he's in love with my cousin. Whom...he hadn't even met. Well, until right now. He was terrified to talk to her."

They all looked over at the two of them, sort of dancing together. Kind of talking. Ish.

"He was terrified to talk to her?" David asked.

"Yeah," Olivia nodded.

"Maybe that's why he didn't bring a date," Huck said.

"Wow. Maybe we got through to him...a little _too_ much," Fitz said.

"We have always been kind of harsh on him," Abby admitted. "Calling him gross and picking on him all the time."

"Well good," Charlie said. "Now you can trust him with your cousin. We did him a favor! He's such a nice guy, he could have something really great with someone if he tried. It was just time he...settled down a little bit."

They all looked over at Harrison and Macy. He was giving her plenty of space, dancing with her more normally now, though. They both had a slight smile on their faces.

"Yeah. That's true..." Olivia shrugged.

"Come on. Let's go dance and we can keep an eye on them," Fitz chuckled, grabbing her hand.

"Ooh, okay," Olivia said, following him.

Her friends followed them too, and they took up the whole front corner of the dance floor. Never straying from each other's sides.

They did take a break at one point, to grab water. They were hot and a tad sweaty from all the dancing, so they sat by Emma, Matt, Jason and Janelle for a little bit to cool off.

That is, until the first country song of the night came on and Matt started freaking out.

"Oh my god! This is my baby's song!" Matt said, getting up from his chair.

"Oh, it is!" Janelle exclaimed, starting to follow him and Emma.

Olivia raised her eyebrows and looked at Fitz.

"Country Girl," Fitz explained.

"Oh...she is?" Olivia asked.

"Oh. No—well, yes. But I mean that's the song!" he said. "Come on, you're gonna be my country girl for a sec."

"Oh—okay," Olivia nodded, putting her drink down.

But when Emma hit the dance floor...damn.

 **"Country girl, shake it for me**

 **Girl, shake it for me,**

 **Girl shake it for me."**

Emma _shook_ it.

"Holy shit!" Charlie yelled, as everyone almost crowded around her.

"Yeahhh, Em!" Matt yelled, dancing behind her.

And then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw...

"Grandma Gina?!" Olivia exclaimed, looking at her grandma on the edge of the dance floor.

"Oh my god!" Fitz chuckled, doubling over in laughter.

There was grandma Gina, getting down to "Country Girl."

"She likes this song!" Oliva exclaimed.

"She's a country girl, of course she does!" Fitz said.

 **"Tangle me up like grandma's yarn..."**

Then they all yelled the next line _"yeah, yeah, yeah!"_

When the song finished, Emma got quite the cheer. It even got all the kids involved, who'd previously just been running around the dance floor. Not really in on all the dancing action, but not wanting to be far from it either.

The only other country party song that played that night was "Devil Went Down To Georgia," which Fitz and his buddies knew every goddamn word to. And apparently, so did Olivia's parents?

At one point Fitz and Olivia were in the middle of a circle, dancing and singing to the fiddle. A goddamn fiddle. It was kind of catchy, she had to admit.

He spun around, stopping before Brett pointed to him and yelled, "Johnny said, Devil, just come on back if you ever wanna try again."

"I done told you once you son of a bitch, I'm the best there's ever been," Fitz sang back.

"Ohhh!" Abby exclaimed.

"You two!" Olivia laughed.

Fitz got quite the applause for his dancing to that one.

Other than those two, the only country songs that played were slow ones. Which, included "Shotgun Rider", of course. As well as one that Olivia thought was pretty sweet of Fitz to have asked the DJ to play.

"Hey Pretty Girl," by Kip Moore.

"Hey pretty girl, can I have this dance?" Fitz sang quietly, smiling down at her.

"Oh my gosh," she whispered.

"I think he wrote this one with you in mind," Fitz said with a smile.

"Or did _you_ secretly write it?" Olivia giggled.

He gasped. "Busted."

She leaned her head on his chest, smiling. So thankful to forever be his "pretty girl."

Other slow dances included "Love and Happiness", "All Of Me", "Perfect," among others.

And what made Olivia smile, was Harrison and Macy slow dancing on the other end of the dance floor, too.

She had never seen Harrison so starstruck than she had on her wedding night. So starstruck by the woman he'd barely known. She knew how that felt. Sounded like the first time she met Fitz.

Fitz also taught both Olivia's grandparents how to do the Cupid Shuffle. What a sight _that_ was.

Olivia hadn't seen her grandma Gina smile that much in a long time, trying to "walk it by yourself," as Fitz showed her.

Her parents got down to "Respect" and "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," like nobody was watching. _Also,_ a sight to see.

Eventually, they all took time to enjoy the absolutely _delicious_ wedding cake, that was almost too pretty to eat. Olivia and Fitz cut the first piece and fed each other bites. The whole deal. Everyone liked that.

But as time dragged on, more and more people started to leave. They had to be out of there by eleven, which was understandable. Some people had been there since 4:30, after all. So as people started to gradually leave, it turned into even more of a party with just the close wedding party remaining, and Olivia's close family.

Mia and Riley were slumped at the table closest to the dance floor, along with Olivia's youngest cousins, Jordan and Anthony.

They hadn't been able to make it to the last few songs the DJ blasted.

"Crazy in Love," which Fitz was a big fan of. Him and his Beyoncé.

"No One," which was always a classic.

Olivia and Fitz sang that one to each other at the top of their damn lungs, trying to channel their inner Alicia Keys.

Some dirtier songs that they didn't shy away from. "Bom Bidi Bom", and "Love Lies", a forever favorite of theirs.

"Get Low" was a favorite of Abby's, as she knew every word. So did Olivia. They nailed that shit.

The night ended with "This is How We Do it," which had everyone in a great mood leaving the club.

When they had to be out of there, some of them agreed to meet at the hotel bar when they got there. Those that didn't have sleeping children to tuck in, at least.

Their car service did prove to be a good investment, because by the end of the night, they had all had way too much to drink.

Most of Olivia's family went right to bed when they got back to the hotel, so there was a long parents hug in the hotel lobby. Lots of thanks and lots of congrats before they all went their separate ways.

Eli and Maya, up to their room, and Olivia and Fitz, to the hotel bar with some of their friends.

All of Olivia's friends, Cyrus and James, and Jason and Janelle.

 _And,_ Olivia's cousins Macy and Dillon. They couldn't drink yet, but Macy and Dillon had always stuck pretty close to each other, and had wanted to be with Olivia. Not to mention, Macy seemed pretty smitten with Harrison.

They got quite the cheer there, from the people inside.

Even got free shots, for the bride and groom.

"For the bride," the bartender said, serving her a shot.

She knocked it back like it was nothing.

"That's my _wife!"_ Fitz exclaimed.

"And for the groom," the bartender said, serving him a shot too.

He shot it easily and gave Olivia a big kiss.

They stayed there until one. Everyone was pretty hammered at that point, having been doing nothing but drinking for almost two hours, on top of all the alcohol they'd consumed before and during the reception.

They all made their way up to their rooms extremely stumbly and not very securely. But, they made it nonetheless.

She saw Harrison kiss Macy's hand before she retreated into the room she had to share with her brother. That made Olivia happy, watching Harrison smile to himself before he said goodnight and walked to his own room.

"Goodnight, you two," Abby added with a smirk, opening her and David's room door for them.

"Night!" Olivia exclaimed. "Love you so much, my wonderful maid of honor."

"Love you too. Have fun," she winked.

"Yeah, Goodnight!" Cyrus said, as he and James headed to their room.

"Goodnight! Goodnight everyone," Olivia waved.

"Goodnight!" Fitz yelled to the entire hallway.

"Shh, shhhh baby," Olivia giggled, covering her mouth.

"Shhhh, sorry," he whispered. "This whole floor loves us, it's okay."

"You better hope so," she giggled, stumbling to their room behind him.

She had her heels in her hand, and was walking barefoot now. She didn't give a fuck, she had needed to get out of the shoes for a while. No matter how much she had practiced in them beforehand, they still weren't the most comfortable. And so, she returned to her normal tiny self again. No longer 5'8" anymore. Lame.

"Shit, Abby still has all my stuff, oh well," Olivia whispered. "You have your key?"

"Yeah," he nodded, digging through his pants pocket. "Cyrus gave me all my shit. At some point. I don't even...remember when. What the hell! Where is it."

"Is it in here?" she asked, patting the tux jacket he had draped over his shoulder.

"Oh! Yeah, yeah," he nodded, digging it out of his breast pocket. "Here we go."

He unlocked their door and they walked into their room, immediately collapsing on the big king-sized bed. They were exhausted and drunk.

"Man, this bed feels so nice," he murmured against the sheets.

"For real," she agreed, running her hands over the comforter. "Ugh, I have to take my hair out. And...my dress off."

"I will help," he offered. "Just...need to lay a second. I'm hungry. Are you hungry? I want pizza."

She gasped. "Pizza. Definitely pizza."

"Kay," he nodded, reaching for the phone lazily.

He didn't even look for a room service menu. He just dialed the number.

"Hi," he murmured. "Do you guys have pizza?"

Olivia giggled against the sheets.

"Oh, nice. Baby. What...what kind of pizza?" he asked.

"Cheese. Pepperoni. Sausage. Supreme. I don't even care," Olivia shrugged.

"Okay can we…can we get a pepperoni and sausage pizza please?" Fitz asked. "Yeah. The suite, room 304. Yeah. Okay thank you. Bye."

He hung up the phone. "Pizza!"

"Pizza," she smiled. "Thanks, baby."

"Yes ma'am," he nodded, sitting up.

"Today was the best day of my life," she said, smiling as she stared up at the ceiling.

He crawled over to her, coming into her field of vision above her. "Mine too," he said happily.

"Oh yeah?" she asked, smiling.

"Uh-huh," he nodded. "You are so beautiful, you know."

"I'm so _drunk,"_ she whispered, reaching up to tug on his bowtie. "But thank you."

"Me too. It's okay. It's our wedding night," he said.

"Fuck yeah it's our wedding night," she agreed. "You wanna…" she said, dragging her fingers up the side of his arm.

"Hmmm," he replied, smiling down at her. "How much time you think we have before the pizza comes?"

"Plenty of time," she smirked, sitting up. "You just gotta…you know, help me out of this, first."

"My pleasure," he nodded, kneeling behind her.

So slowly and surely, they got her dress off, revealing all the wedding undergarments she had on underneath.

Her lacy, bustier wedding bra, the one he'd already seen. And a skimpy little pair of lacy white underwear. Which, had actually proved to be really comfortable.

So there she stood, in nothing but that, with her hair and makeup still all done up. Her caramel skin, so flawless and smooth. Her cute little hands and feet, painted with French manicures.

"Oh my god," Fitz breathed, standing in front of her, eyeing her.

She smiled and reached forward, sliding his suspenders off each shoulder.

He took out his cuff links and began undoing his shirt buttons, walking her back toward the bed again.

The suspenders were unhooked. His pants came off. His undershirt came off. Until he was left in nothing but his underwear, like her.

He climbed on top of her, working his way up from the bottom. He kissed her legs, enjoying how smooth her skin felt against his lips. He dragged his lips over the lacy pair of underwear, and up her abdomen, before reaching her chest. Which got a lot of attention, as usual.

And then he kissed her. On the mouth.

He clasped their hands together against the pillows, letting their mouths reacquaint once again. Their lips were desperate. Not having kissed each other enough on such a special day. Their tongues brushed together perfectly. The taste of alcohol still present on both of their lips.

She moaned quietly against his mouth, sucking on his bottom lip over and over again. Feeling him press his erection to her core so that she could feel what she was doing to him.

"I love you," he murmured against her mouth, reaching down to slide off his briefs.

"I love you," she replied, not getting enough of him.

He kneeled naked above her, finally pulling away from her mouth so that he could get her naked.

He ran his hand over her bra, feeling the lace beneath his fingers before he began unclasping it from the back. There were multiple clasps, which had him a bit confused.

He raised his eyebrow, feeling underneath her. "Okay…give me a second. I got this," he chuckled, unclasping another one.

She giggled, reaching around to help him.

It finally came free, and she lay there topless before him. His eyes lingered, before he ducked his head down and took her nipple in his mouth. The breath hitched in her throat as she watched him, his hand now moving to the outside of her underwear to tease her.

He rubbed her through her underwear while he gave both breasts well-deserved attention. She could only imagine how he would react when he took her underwear off, and saw how much her pre-wedding waxing session had paid off.

His fingers moving in gentle circles made her open her legs wider, holding his face tightly to her chest.

Until he gradually moved down, kissing his way along.

His eager fingers slipped under the waistband of her underwear and pulled them down.

He exhaled suddenly, looking at her fully naked body now.

"Ohhh," he sighed, pressing kisses to her inner thighs. "God, you are just…" he began, running a finger down the middle. "Perfect."

She smiled down at him. Her husband. Looking at her like she was the most precious thing he'd ever seen.

He leaned forward and used his mouth so perfectly. So intricately. Teasing her just the right amount before they both couldn't take it any longer, and he made love to her like it was the first time.

She gripped his shoulders tight while he pumped in and out of her, clutching the sheets so hard his knuckles were bright white.

She kissed him hard, pulling him down for more after each and every breath of air. She couldn't get enough of it. Of his taste. Of his gentleness, and his sweetness. Of _him._

He held onto his orgasm as long as he could, wanting her to finish with him tonight. And he got her there.

She was panting in his ear, telling him how much she loved him in between shaky breaths.

The feeling of him, long and thick and wet, entering her over and over until she could barely think anymore. It _consumed_ her.

The sounds of his moans, and his unsteady breaths pushed her over the edge as she moved her hips in rhythm with his, wanting to connect as closely as possible.

She gasped and squeezed her eyes shut as she felt him finish inside of her, and heard her name spilling out of his mouth repeatedly.

It took them both a minute after that, to calm their bodies.

"Ohh," he sighed, collapsing on top of her chest. His body was sweaty and his curly hair was damp. "I love you."

"I love you so much," she whispered by his ear. "More than anything else in this world."

He lifted up his head to look at her, sporting a cute smile. "Ditto."

He laid his head back down, still panting slightly. "Hey—guess what."

"What?" she asked, looking down at him.

"We're married," he whispered.

"We're _married,"_ she nodded, brushing the hair off his forehead. "It feels pretty awesome."

"It feels _damn_ awesome," he agreed. "I'm gonna be...so hungover tomorrow, but it still feels damn awesome."

She laughed. "Me too. But that's okay."

He slowly got up, kneeling above her. He gave her a kiss before easing off the bed, heading to the bathroom.

"I'm never gonna get sick of looking at that ass," she said, calling after him.

He smirked over his shoulder, moving his hips in a little dance before he turned the corner into the bathroom.

She giggled, shaking her head at him.

"Ah. Remember when you washed your lipstick off your fiancé's mouth yesterday with—a washcloth?" he yelled.

"Yes, I remember," she nodded.

"Ha," he chuckled to himself. "Now it's your husband. And…his cum is all over—the both of you."

She gasped. "Fitzgerald Thomas!" she said.

"What?" he laughed, cleaning himself up. "Oh right, right. Your cum too, because—you know, I'm good at that."

"Ohh," she laughed. "So—my husband's getting _cocky_ now, huh?"

"He is," he replied. "Just…just let him for a few minutes, okay."

"Okay. Well it is _not_ all over me, by the way," she said, looking between her legs. "Only…slightly. Can you maybe speed up the cocky minutes, or...whatever you're doing with your…cock in there?"

"One second, woman," he replied. "Keeping it nice for you."

"Mmmm," she smirked. "Well take your sweet time then."

He peeked his head around the corner, smiling at her.

She couldn't help but laugh. "You are seriously such a dork."

"Noted," he replied, coming into the bedroom with a fresh new washcloth for her. "But you married me—so you must dig it."

"I dig it," she nodded, smiling at him as he sat down on the edge of the bed next to her.

He pressed it to her skin, rubbing his thumb across her leg affectionately.

When he finished with her, he put the washcloth back in the bathroom and was on his way back to bed when there was a knock at the door.

His eyes widened as she laid there naked on the bed, and he stood there in the middle of the room, also naked.

He grabbed the first thing he saw. Which, was Olivia's robe, before he headed to the door, ignoring the endless giggles from the bed.

Olivia covered herself, hearing his interaction with the employee at the door.

"Oh, you don't have to—I got it. Yeah, I'll just…sign it out here. Yeah."

She covered her mouth, laughing.

"Thanks so much. Have a good night."

He came back, rolling their room service cart into the room. "This is extremely fancy for a damn pizza."

"Well maybe they knew they'd be serving it to a man in a fancy white robe," she smirked.

He looked in the mirror at his robe and started laughing. "Damn, I look good."

"You do," she nodded.

He brought the pizza box over to the bed and stripped off his robe before getting under the covers with her.

"No more fancy robe?" she asked.

"No. Thought I'd join you in your nakedness while we—smash this whole pizza together. And then...we can have sex again."

"I am so down for that," she nodded, grabbing a piece.

"Sounds like…the most romantic wedding night ever. Don't you think?" he chuckled, patting her thigh.

She smiled and nodded, looking over their nakedness and their pizza.

"I do."

* * *

Well there you go. They're married!

I hope you loved it. It was a fun one to write.

Thanks for reading and read on!

With Love,

~T


	93. Symphony Of The Seas Pt 1

"Work shit?"

"Yep."

"Bathing suits?"

"Like four of them."

"Sexy underwear?"

"Always."

"Alright, sounds like you're set! You know the drill Liv," Abby said.

"Yep. Drink lotsa booze, take lotsa pics, have lotsa sex," Olivia whispered into the phone, not wanting everyone in the airport to hear 'the drill'.

"Exactly right," Abby replied. "I love you both. Please have the _best_ time ever and come home safe to me all happy and even more in love and shit."

"We _will,_ " Olivia giggled. "We love you. And thank you so much for taking care of Arie. It means the world to us, not having to send her to the kennel for a whole week."

"Yes, thank you _so_ much. It means the world to _her_ too," Fitz chuckled, leaning toward the phone.

"No worries! You know I love my Arie girl. And she loves me back. We'll bond, and have girl time. Make David a little jealous. Won't we Arie? Won't be? Yes, we will. She says bye mom and dad!"

"Bye Arie," Olivia giggled. "Bye baby girl," Fitz added, looking sad.

"Alright. Have a great time. Bye, you two!" Abby said.

"Bye!"

"She knows we both have unlimited and international though, right? We can text her all week," Fitz said, after she had hung up.

"Oh yeah, she knows. She already told me she doesn't wanna bother us, but I told her we would send _plenty_ of pictures, of course. My parents too."

"Good. And I made sure we were set with the whole...WiFi deal thing on-board. They really make you pay for that stuff," he chuckled.

"Oh I'm sure they make a fortune off of that. Most people really _can't_ go a week without being at least somewhat connected. Everyone's lives are on their phones. Including mine," she sighed sadly. "Well...and my damn laptop."

"Hey, you can do whatever you need to do. We'll have plenty of downtime. You know I certainly won't stop you. Your power at work turns me on."

She laughed. "I _don't_ have that much power. There are just...two people in particular that have no idea what they're doing when I'm not there. They need their hand held for everything, and...it's been tough trying to keep my boss sane when I don't even know all of what's going on. I've been out so long already, with the wedding and packing up the apartment and all that."

"Ah...Cade and Jasmine. They're the two people, right."

"Cade and Jasmine," she nodded. "I'll figure it out, I always do. Just...is hard having to fix things while I'm away. But Karen's still been extremely understanding. She knows I'm not going to just be able to drop everything and work this week. So...if and when I have downtime, I'll log on and check in. _Only_ when there's downtime and _only_ when my sole attention is not on you."

He smiled. "That should work out perfectly, I think you'll get sick of only focusing on me for a week," he teased.

"No I will _not,"_ she replied. "This is our honeymoon and I'm not letting anyone from _Connecticut_ ruin it while _I'm_...in the middle of an _ocean_ with my husband. Doing...tropical things and...whatnot."

"Hmmm," he replied, leaning in close to her so only she could hear. "Doing...him."

"Mmhm," she giggled. "Especially that."

"But, you know, the tropical things too," he agreed. "Lots of tropical things."

"You'll have to teach me. The most tropical I've ever gotten is...Miami, Florida for my eighth-grade spring break."

He laughed. "Perfect. You'll fit right in when we touch down in Miami then. And the second we get to Fort Lauderdale, you're all mine to teach."

"We've seen how that's worked out in the past," she teased.

"Uh-huh, I fucking married you."

"Hell yeah you did," she smiled.

 **"** **Now boarding...first class, and comfort plus. Flight 2464 to Miami International."**

She perked up, looking at Fitz.

"Ready?"

"Ready," she nodded with a smile.

"Let's fucking do this."

They boarded their plane. First class and everything, just for her, according to Fitz.

They'd spared no expenses for this trip. It was by far the most luxurious trip she will have ever gone on in her life. Which, was saying something, because she'd certainly been to some nice places throughout the United States growing up. Never out of the country, but she'd stayed in some damn luxurious places before.

She just knew this trip would be different.

It was nothing new to Fitz, who had known an entirely different level of luxury his whole life. However, he'd still never been on a cruise before. So this would be new for both of them.

They'd been waiting patiently all week, for this day to come. "Day 1" as their cruise itinerary labeled it. It would go a little something like this.

Fly in to Miami, and take a cab to Fort Lauderdale to board their ship.

The ship that was _so_ beautiful. The ship they'd been continuously looking at pictures of all week, as their wedding hangover died down.

The largest cruise ship in the world. Having just gone on its maiden voyage in April of 2018.

228,081 tons. 18 decks. 6,680 passenger-capacity along with 2,200 crew members.

 _Symphony of the Seas._

That would be their home for the next week. Along with the three stops they made throughout the trip. Nassau, Bahamas. Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. And Sint Maarten. Also known as Saint Martin, on its northern French side.

Between days at sea, and their three stops, it would be a packed week.

They'd set sail out of Fort Lauderdale that evening at 4:30, to arrive in Nassau already the next morning.

"Day 2" was all about the Bahamas. Their beach day.

"Day 3" would then be their first ever day at sea. A whole day dedicated to making it to their next destination, which would be St. Thomas. Full days onboard a huge, luxurious ship...they couldn't wait for those either.

After days four and five, spent in St. Thomas and then Sint Maarten, they'd have two full days at sea to then return to Fort Lauderdale on "Day 8."

What a week it would be.

And it all began with that flight to Miami. Which, was amazing as a flight could ever be.

They watched a little in-flight movie. Had some in-flight snacks and drinks. And made it to Miami with plenty of time to spare.

They had to grab some lunch at Miami International before they hailed a cab, just so they knew they would have enough time for everything else.

It was about an hour drive to Fort Lauderdale from the airport. And it was a beautiful drive. Lots of palm trees. Lots of traffic too, but Florida was still so pretty no matter what.

And when they finally arrived at Port Everglades, the cruise port for Royal Caribbean, it was _magnificent._

It was hard to get a good look at the ship quite yet. There was a lot they had to do first, in order to board. Lots of security and lines, but they made the most of it.

That was where they got many of their things in order to board the ship.

Their room keys were one of the first things they got. And it was also the first thing that made Olivia's heart flutter.

Their names were printed on them. His said Fitzgerald Grant. Hers said Olivia Grant.

It would take a long time to get used to that, but she sure as hell couldn't wait to.

They also got their wristbands, which would need to be worn all week long, no matter what.

Fitz bought them the Royal Caribbean blue watches too, that could also be used in place of their room keys, or as an alternate form of payment. They were cheap and convenient, so he thought it was well worth it.

Olivia also got a Royal Carribean lanyard for her keycard, just so she could always wear it around her neck if need be. She had a feeling carrying a purse around this week wouldn't always be ideal, at least on the ship. Of course, when they stopped at each destination, she knew she would want to.

The whole process just to get through and board at Port Everglades took an hour and a half. But the second they finally exited the big, hot building full of security and lines, it was all well worth it.

Because there in front of them, was their ship. Now, just a mere line of about twenty people away, as people were walking the bridge through yet another form of security to get on.

"Oh my—" Olivia gasped, looking up at it. She couldn't even see the top of the thing.

"Holy _shit,"_ Fitz said, eyeing its entirety.

"That is..." Olivia began.

"One _big_ ass boat," Fitz finished.

 _"_ _Yeah,"_ Olivia nodded, looking over at him with a smile.

He smiled brightly back at her, looking so in awe.

But that was just the first outside view.

The second they actually got inside, they were even more blown away.

There was still a bit of a line when they got in, as people were being guided and shown what to do, and where to go. But when they were finally greeted and able to walk around freely, it was insane.

So many people, but even _more_ space than they could have imagined.

She held tight to Fitz's hand, to avoid getting lost. Because _damn_ , as of now, they had no idea where in the hell they were. Either of them could have easily gotten lost on that ship.

So in the mere hour they had before officially departing, they decided to look around and get a little more familiar with what they could.

Their first stop was their room. Or rather, their _suite._

Their things wouldn't be brought into their room until later. The staff had taken care of their bags from the beginning, and they'd only been allowed one carry-on bag per person when first entering the ship.

But they went and checked it out anyway. Their suite was on deck 14, which they quickly figured out was a great location. Close to one of the main buffet restaurants, as well as the pool deck, where a lot of the action was.

The second they entered their suite, it was better than anything they could have imagined. Pictures online didn't do it justice. It was beautiful, and _so_ large.

"Oh my _god,"_ Olivia exclaimed, walking in and looking around.

Fitz's eyes lit up at the huge private balcony, that spanned the entire length of their room. The curtains were open, and right now, they could see the entire shoreline of Fort Lauderdale. And in a few hours, all they'd see was pure ocean.

"Oh...Olivia," he breathed, opening the balcony door.

She smiled, watching him walk outside onto the huge balcony. Him and his ocean views.

There was an entire living room area, and a bit of a kitchen. At least a sink, and a fridge and some counter space. Which, held a coffee maker. Good for Fitz.

And then there was the loft.

Their suite was one of the lofted suites. One brief flight of stairs took you up to a king-sized bed, with lots of room on both sides. Two dressers. Two nightstands. And a bathroom on the other side of the wall.

There was a half wall on the opposite side of the bed, which Olivia quickly realized was for a projector screen. She saw the small projector on the bedside wall, and realized there was a remote that brought down the screen from a space in the ceiling.

She actually squealed when she clicked the button, and the screen slowly lowered itself down from the ceiling.

"Fitz!" she yelled.

"What!"

"Come up here!"

He peeked his head inside from the balcony and looked up at her on the loft, but couldn't see what she was referring to because the half wall still covered it from his point of view.

He jogged up the stairs and his eyes widened at the projector screen and the remote in her hand. "Woah."

"Yeah!" she nodded. "This place is insane."

"Oh wow," he nodded, looking around at the lofted bedroom area for the first time. "This is awesome."

"I know! And the bathroom is just around the corner. It's very nice."

He looked in and nodded in approval. "Well I'm already convinced this was worth it."

She nodded, continuing to look around in awe.

He reached forward and grabbed the remote from her hand and tossed it on the bed. Before he then grabbed her hand and pulled her along.

"Oh!" she giggled. "Where are we going?!"

"You _have_ to see," he said excitedly, leading her down the stairs.

He guided her outside to the balcony, and she got her first good look. It was indescribable. The view, the sunshine, the breeze. Everything.

"Oh my god," she whispered, looking around the balcony.

It was decorated with beautiful furniture, as was the living room.

A few different lounge chairs, that you could lay on. A table, which looked to be nice for morning coffee and breakfast. Even an outdoor chaise lounge, which looked to be the comfiest of options, with a little pull-up side table too.

He turned to look at her and immediately wrapped his arms around her in a happy hug, lifting her up off the ground. "This is so amazing!"

She smiled and clung tightly to him, wrapping her arms and legs around him. "I know! How are we supposed to ever leave our room if it looks like this?!"

"I don't know!" he replied. "Man. I'm just...so happy that we're here. This is just...so amazing," he said again, into her shoulder.

"I'm so happy too," she nodded, kissing his cheek.

"Ugh, I love you," he murmured.

"I love you back," she giggled. "Should we go check out the rest of the ship? Even though...it really _is_ hard to leave this room."

"Yes, yes," he nodded, setting her down. "Just let me send some pics to the guys first. Otherwise they'll pester me."

"Oh good idea," she nodded, taking her phone out of her pocket too.

They took some pictures, sending some of them to friends and family. And then they headed out to explore.

They checked out the floor above them, deck 15, which was the main pool deck. There were three different pools, and too many hot tubs to count.

There were also three different water slides, as well as a waterless slide at the back of the ship called the Ultimate Abyss. You slid down on matts, and came out on the same deck as the boardwalk, and the AquaTheater. There was an _AquaTheater!_

Also on the famous deck 15, were flow riders, where you could simulate bodyboarding and surfing. Along with a sports court, a mini-golf course, and some ping pong tables.

At the back of the ship, was what was called the solarium. It was all covered by windows, so that the sun could shine brightly through. And there were two big hot tubs on either end, that were completely surrounded by glass as well, giving you a full view off the side of the ship. That quickly became one of their favorite spots at first sight.

There was also the entrance to the Windjammer Marketplace, the buffet restaurant that seemed to be one of the most popular places to eat. Because of convenience, and because everything was already included.

Most of the things on board were already included. However, they had read that there were certain things that were not. Alcohol had been one of them. So naturally, Fitz being Fitz, he'd gotten them the full alcohol package.

Expensive, but included unlimited beverages of _all_ kinds. _Including_ specialty Starbucks drinks, from the Starbucks on deck 5, something else he was most definitely a fan of. Olivia, too, actually.

On their way to the elevators, they passed through a different exit by the pool, that they hadn't come in through. And it was a good thing they chose a different way, because it gave them some very valuable information.

Fitz gasped, looking at two small lines of children waiting to serve themselves some soft serve ice cream right out of machines in the wall. Right there. Ice cream. At any time.

"Oh my god," Fitz whispered.

She couldn't help but laugh. "Well, if you ever disappear on me…I think I know where you'll have gone!"

"That is going to be so dangerous for me," he chuckled. "Quick, let's go before I decide to join the line of children."

"Okay," she giggled, squeezing his hand.

They ventured throughout the decks below them, learning that there was a full "Central Park" on deck 8.

All composed of real plants, and _thousands_ of them. The irrigation system on this ship…it _had_ to be magic. It was absolutely beautiful, and the top remained open at all times, so that the sky could be seen. People had balcony's facing the park as well from their rooms. Which, also seemed like it would be a fun place to look out of.

But…they were still maybe a _tad_ spoiled with their huge ocean view balcony.

They also visited deck 5, which instantly became _another_ favorite spot. The place was colored pink and purple with lights all over, and had shops and restaurants lining each side. The whole floor was called the Royal Promenade.

"Oh my gosh," she said, looking up at one of the bars, which she realized was slowly moving up. It was legitimately an elevator platform bar with railings, so that you could look out and see the whole Royal Promenade when you sat there.

"Fitz, do you see that?"

No answer.

She looked to her left, where her husband had just been walking next to her. Well, so much for that, because he was gone now.

"Fitz?" she called out, looking around.

She looked around in a complete circle, peering around all the different people. And when she completed her full circle of scouting, she turned back only to see him right next to her again, taking a bite of a slice of pizza.

"Liv, oh my god. Pizza," he murmured.

"Where the hell did you go?!" she laughed.

"Pizza," he said innocently, still chewing thoughtfully.

"Well I _gathered_ the pizza part," she replied.

"See. Sorrento's," he said, pointing to the restaurant to his left.

Yeah, he was right. Pizza.

She raised her eyebrows. _"Good_ pizza?"

He nodded eagerly, taking another bite. "Here," he said, holding his out for her.

"I will go get my own pizza, baby thank you, though," she laughed, pulling him along with her.

He aimlessly followed her, still eating his slice of pizza and letting her pull him into Sorrento's.

She understood Fitz's immediate obsession with the place. They made pizza round the clock. All hours. Pizza for all. Just like the damn ice cream.

And since everything was already paid for, you just went up and told them what kind of pizza you wanted and they served you a plate. Unlimited fricken pizza.

"Okay, I'll give it to you, this is some damn good pizza," she nodded, taking a bite of the cheesy slice she had.

"Uh-huh," he nodded, popping the last bit of crust he had in his mouth. "Good pizza."

"Okay, but don't wander off again!" she exclaimed. "I'm small, I'll get lost without my big, strong husband."

He smiled. "Sorry—sorry. I got distracted by…"

"The pizza, I know," she nodded, grabbing his hand.

"This place is so cool, Olivia," he said, looking around the Royal Promenade.

"I know!" she exclaimed. She had never seen anything like it in her life.

"There are fancy jewelry stores on this floor," he smirked, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"Don't get any ideas in that head of yours, mister," she replied.

"I'm getting ideas. So many of them," he nodded.

"Nooo," she giggled. "Look at all the jewelry I have on right now from you. See, we've got the infinity ring, we love that one. We've got the 'F' bracelet, because that doesn't ever come off. We've got diamond earrings—Valentine's Day. No necklace right now. And my wedding rings."

"Wanna see my jewelry?" he asked.

"I would love to see your jewelry," she replied.

He held up his left hand proudly, showing off that platinum band and the watch he had on that day, his smartwatch. "Jewelry."

"See, I think _you're_ the one in need of some more jewelry. What do you think? Let's get you a...surfer boy necklace or something," she giggled.

"A _surfer boy_ necklace?!" he asked.

"Yes! Or…hmmm…a bracelet. Guys look nice in bracelets," she said.

"Do we really though?" he asked doubtfully.

"Uh-huh. We'll find you one of each," she assured him.

"Hmm…okay. If you say so," he shrugged.

"I do say so," she nodded. "I'm glad we came here right away. Now I know there are at least two places you could possibly disappear to. Pizza or ice cream."

"I'll try my absolute best to inform you of my whereabouts, always," he chuckled.

"Thank you. Should we go back up to one of the top decks? We've gotta be leaving any minute now."

"Yes!" he nodded. "I want to watch. And I need a drink. _You_ need a drink."

"Oh we need drinks, okay," she nodded, following him through the Promenade again.

They ventured back up to the pool deck so that they could grab a drink and watch as they officially left Port Everglades.

The first drinks they ordered; piña coladas. And man, they were good.

All they had to do was swipe their room key to purchase things, they learned that pretty quick. The keycards had all the information loaded onto them. What kind of beverage packages they had, their room location, all that stuff. Convenient as hell.

They stood with lots of other people by the railing of the ship, watching as slowly, _very_ slowly, they left the port. The shoreline of Fort Lauderdale, Florida becoming smaller and smaller as time went on.

And so, they were officially cruising.

That first night was awesome. Everyone was so excited to be there, and everyone was adventuring around, just as they were.

They looked around at as much of the ship as they could, just trying to get more familiar with it all, even though they knew it would take some time to truly have an idea of where they were going.

They were delighted at what else the ship had in store for them that week.

A theater, where 'Hairspray' and 'Flight' were shown all week. Fitz loved that, and suggested they see at least one of them at some point.

An ice skating rink, where you could ice skate during the day at free skate, and then watch ice skating shows at night.

A casino. An arcade. A fitness center which was huge, along with a spa. A running track around the entire fifteenth deck.

Lounges and nightclubs. Pubs with live music. Jazz clubs. There were _so_ many things that they wanted to do and try, and only a week to do them all.

And that first night only got better and better.

Around 7:00 they were getting pretty hungry, and had been informed earlier that their bags should be in their rooms by dinner time, so they went back to their suite to go check.

And, as promised, all of their belongings had been brought up. Not only that, but a bottle of champagne and a handwritten note from the crew, that said;

 **Mr. and Mrs. Grant,**

 **Royal Caribbean wishes you all the best on your honeymoon!**

 **Enjoy a bottle of champagne on us!**

That made them smile. They'd had to explain if there was a reason for their vacation back when they booked it. Honeymooners were always one of the cruise line's top priorities, apparently.

They got ready to go to the main dining room, which was pretty upscale, and spanned three different decks. It was much fancier than Windjammer, but also, still convenient enough as it was all included. And from what they'd seen, it looked amazing.

So they got a little dressed up on that first night, and headed out to dinner.

Fitz wore a pair of dress pants, dress shoes, and a dress shirt. No tie, his top buttons undone. Sleeves rolled up and curly hair all styled. _Hot._

Olivia wore one of her favorite dresses she'd packed. A light coral-colored one, with wedge heels and her hair down in its perfect, curly, natural state. Just like Fitz liked it.

They looked damn good together. And they'd been right about the dining room. It was amazing. They both ordered seafood the first chance they got. Lobster, to be specific. They had a nice Pino Noir to go with, and the service was fantastic.

That was just the start to their evening. After dinner, as the sky grew dark, they took a walk through Central Park, hand in hand. A lot of other couples seemed to have the same idea, as the place was filled with them.

The park looked beautiful at night. There were lights everywhere, lighting up the stone paths and the pretty plants and trees. The "Rising Tide" bar Olivia had been eyeing before, which went back and forth between the fifth and eighth deck, made a brief stop. So they got on, and had a few more drinks there too. That's when they got into their gin and tonics. Too many of them, probably.

Because by the time they got back to their room that night, they were running on piña coladas, wine at dinner, and multiple drinks on the Rising Tide bar.

Not overly drunk, but _definitely_ enough to be feeling some things.

Fitz slid his keycard in, while Olivia clung to him from behind, reaching around for his belt.

"Baby—baby. Hold on," he whispered, not able to hold in his laughter.

The hallway was deserted at that time of night. Everyone already in their rooms or still out and about, enjoying the many, many events and activities the ship had to offer.

And thank god the hallway was deserted, because she was all over him.

His breathing picked up as he fumbled with the keycard, realizing he hadn't even slid it in all the way the first time because he was so damn distracted, and he was hard already.

"Oh—my god," he murmured, his hands shaking against the door handle. Olivia's hands were on him, sliding lower. "We should…not be allowed in public, ever."

She smiled, letting out a breath against his back, covered by his fancy dress shirt.

The light finally flashed green and he opened the door, pulling her inside immediately.

Their lips couldn't get enough.

"Hold on—hold on," he moaned, hiking her dress up her legs. He slammed her against the wall by the door, as she reached down and fumbled with his belt buckle. She'd already gotten a start on it before they'd entered the room.

She whimpered, leaning her head against the wall while his lips covered her neck desperately. She had become amazing at unbuckling his belt without looking. She didn't need her eyes to do it.

"You cannot do that to me in an elevator _ever_ again," he whispered against her skin.

She giggled, yanking his pants down. "Don't even…tell me you didn't…love it."

"I did. That was the problem," he said, pulling her underwear aside. "Damn thing probably had a camera in there somewhere."

"Good. They got…a little show," she smirked, as he lifted her up and pinned her against the wall.

He wet his fingers and rubbed them around her entrance, watching the reaction on her face. "Oh—" she whimpered.

"Hold on to me, hold on," he panted, getting himself situated as he prodded her entrance.

She did as he'd asked, wrapping her arms and legs around him as best she could. Her wedge heels, digging into his back.

She gasped at the first thrust. Hard, and not _at all_ gentle. She dug her nails into his back, along with her heels. Hopefully it wouldn't be bruised. Whoops.

He grimaced at the feeling, but pulled out and pushed back in, causing her back to connect hard with the wall again.

She exhaled deeply, smacking her hand against the wall. "Oh fuck—"

"Sorry, sorry," he whispered, lifting her up and readjusting her as best she could. "That okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's okay, just…just keep going," she panted.

He groaned into her shoulder, thrusting hard. The wall was bearing the brunt of most of it. Or…her back was.

"You're so…tight. Oh my god," he whispered, wincing as he palmed her ass.

Her lips parted slightly, as she squeezed her eyes shut and leaned her head back again. The feeling of him pounding into her over and over beginning to take over.

He didn't last overly long like that, there against the wall. He spilled into her, letting out a loud moan as he leaned his forehead against hers.

"Ah—" he groaned, panting. He looked down at their bodies still connected, and slowly pulled out.

She gasped at the feeling of him pulling out, still wrapped around him in every possible way, until he gently led her down to the ground.

He had a lot of cleaning up to do. She could barely move. So she just stood there against the wall, while he grabbed a…tissue? There were tissue boxes everywhere in this goddamn room. He cleaned them up, pressing kisses to the side of her face while she tried to calm her body down.

"Jesus," she breathed, brushing the hair out of her face. She still panted heavily while he adjusted her dress and underwear on her, putting everything back in its rightful place. Except for himself. He was still completely hanging out of his pants.

"You gotta give me a minute," she whispered with a laugh, taking off her heels slowly.

He disposed of all his tissues and fixed himself up, feeling his now messed up hair fall in his eyes.

"Ready…and...here we go."

He lifted her back up, bridal style, and brought her up to their loft, the both of them laughing.

He gently laid her down in bed, and climbed on top of her, looking over her. "I railed you too hard."

"No," she laughed, shaking her head. "But I am…numb."

"Sorry," he winced, slowly creeping his hand up her leg. "Let me make it up to you."

"Yeah," she nodded breathlessly, tugging her dress up too.

He instantly pulled her underwear down, tossing them behind them on the floor. He disappeared under her dress, immediately pressing soft kisses against her sensitive skin. Not even a tiny bit ashamed to go down on her after they'd already had sex.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, continuing on with his kisses.

She let out a breath, feeling his soft lips against her. Not even his tongue yet. Just his lips. Making it up to her. So gentle.

"Forgive me," he said quietly, nipping at her clit ever so gently.

She let out a slow, shaky breath, biting her lip. "Mm, my god."

He scooted her towards his face even more, slowly beginning to apologize with his tongue now. Rubber her entrance ever so slightly. Covering every area he could.

She pulled him impossible closer, even though she could barely see his face, underneath her dress. But he made up for it alright, because it felt damn good.

She started breathing sporadically, clutching at the sheets as she neared an orgasm. Panting his name and feeling his tongue move faster across her clit to get her there.

She moaned loudly, moving her hand to his hair as she rode it out. And finally, _finally_ beginning to calm down.

He stayed under there, pressing soft kisses around her entrance and to her inner thighs. Reveling in how relaxed her body was now. "All better now?" he asked, lifting his head up to look at her.

 _"_ _So_ much better," she nodded, still laying there with her eyes closed.

"Yeah," he nodded, rubbing her thighs with a smile. "I knew what you wanted. Or…needed. You... _need_ it, don't you, baby," he whispered, tracing lines on her thighs.

She still was working on slowing down her breathing. To be…normal.

"I need it," she nodded in a whisper.

"Mmm," he replied, looking up at her with a smile. "I want you…to take this dress off. I'll go grab our champagne. And…then, I'm gonna come back up, and I'm going to use my fingers too. And you're going to come for me. Okay?"

She looked down at him and nodded hazily, finally feeling her breathing was back to normal.

He extended his body over hers, coming up to meet her eyes. "Can you do that for me?" he whispered.

 _"_ _Yeah,"_ she nodded, accepting the big kiss he planted on her lips.

"Good."

He eyed her body, slowly getting off the bed. "Dress. Off."

And he disappeared down the stairs.

She reached for the zipper on the back, beginning to unzip it as she sat up. Removing her bra underneath, too, while she heard him pop the champagne. Until she was naked in bed, waiting for him.

He came back up, with a bottle of open champagne and two glasses.

He eyed her in bed. Naked for him. Clothes on the floor. As he'd told her.

It was a _long_ night.

* * *

"Liv."

Nothing.

"Livvv," he whispered again, touching her shoulder.

"Hmm?" she replied sleepily.

"Come on."

"What?" she whispered.

"I think we're docking. I feel it. Don't you feel it? We're slowing down. Or...turning. There's like...a rudder," he whispered excitedly.

She was still so out of it, debating on just drifting back off to sleep, despite how excited her husband currently sounded.

"Olivia fricken Grant, come with me," he whispered.

"Mmm, baby," she groaned.

"Mmm, baby," he groaned back. "Come on."

"What time is it?" she asked.

"5:32," he answered.

"Ugh _Fitzgerald_ ," she scolded.

He chuckled into her shoulder. "Do you love me?"

"Yes. So much, but...it's not even six in the morning," she said.

"I know. That's why it will be so beautiful outside. Come on, just this once," he begged.

She sighed, turning over to look at him. He was wide awake, sporting a cute smile. Like he knew she was tired but he couldn't help his excitement.

"You're so damn lucky that you're cute," she sighed, pulling back the covers.

He gasped excitedly, getting out of bed too. Never once had she seen a 39-year-old man so excited about going outside to see...whatever he wanted to see.

They put on real clothes, considering they'd both awoken wearing nothing. Absolutely nothing, from the night before.

And it had been a late one. But here they were, adventuring out before six in the morning.

And not just to their balcony. No, no. To deck 15, where they could _really_ see everything.

There were very few people out and about at that time. Mostly staff members.

But the second they got to the railing, she was instantly glad that they'd come out to see. The sky was beginning to brighten, and she could already tell it would be a beautiful day.

The water was calm, but they were in the process of docking at Nassau's port. There was a ton of room for other ships to dock next to them, but they appeared to be the first ones there. Made sense, it was damn early!

She shivered in the slight breeze, taking in the beauty of the Bahamas from the deck. And he wrapped his arm around her, looking out with her.

"You mad I woke you up still?" he whispered with a smile.

"No way," she said in awe. "This is amazing."

"Somehow I knew it would be," he nodded. "We are in...the _Bahamas._ "

We are in the _Bahamas_ ," she agreed excitedly.

"I think...we should go eat. And get some caffeine in us. And be one of the first off this ship at eight."

"I'm down," she agreed. "Wanna go to Windjammer?"

"Yes," he nodded. "Except…how the hell do we get there again?"

She laughed. "Remember, Windjammer is the one that's right over here. Come on."

"Oh!" he laughed. "Right, right."

They had a nice breakfast at Windjammer, the buffet restaurant. They could have pretty much anything they wanted there, which was nice. So, they made sure to fill up before a big day.

And after they got ready and packed their beach bags, it was officially the first time Olivia ever got to use her passport. At the port in the Bahamas.

Their morning was spent walking around the cool local shops, and seeing all of the shoreline stops as well. And man, it was hot. Just how Fitz liked it.

By the time they got some lunch at a beach-side restaurant and laid their towels out, it was 93 degrees.

"Whew!" she exclaimed, smoothing out her purple towel. "It is _damn_ hot here."

"Isn't it awesome?" he nodded, sitting with his legs crossed on his.

"It is, but you need some more sunscreen asap," she said.

"Well," he said, stripping off his shirt. "Can my wife help me?"

She smiled. "She can. Stand up."

He stood up, adjusting the brown coconut bead necklace they'd gotten him at one of the shops at the port. Just like Olivia had said. This, along with a brown leather bracelet they'd gotten him on the ship, with turquoise beads and everything. He was really rocking them, honestly.

Other than that, he had on her favorite pair of board shorts. They were black, with a white stripe going all the way around. And a baseball hat, which he'd just turned backward to get out of the way of his face.

"You've really got this…Cali beach…surfer boy look going on right now," she said with a smile, pouring some sunscreen into her hands.

"Thank you," he smirked, looking down at her as she covered his chest. "I think."

"It was definitely a compliment," she nodded. "Half this beach is gonna want what's mine."

"Mmm," he smirked, eyeing her. "Already taken."

"Don't you forget it," she nodded. "Kay, turn around."

He turned and she started covering his back, even though he was fidgeting to turn back around to face her.

"How 'bout you take those clothes off now. Let me see the tiny little bikini that's gonna be taking over my head for the rest of the day," he said quietly.

She laughed. "It's the new white one, remember. I told you!"

"Yeah, you _told_ me, but I was in the shower when you got dressed! I've suffered long enough, please let me _see."_

"One second, one second," she said. "I'm just trying to make sure your white ass doesn't get fried."

"Which I'm appreciative of," he nodded.

"Kay. You're good, just get your legs and face," she said, nodding at him, satisfied.

He turned around and poured some into his hands, while Olivia shimmied her little cutoff denim shorts off. Followed by her tank top.

He was pouring the sunscreen into his hand, and did a double take when he saw her fully stand up, kicking her little sandals off. The sunscreen just kept on pouring. And he just kept on looking.

She got everything situated, adjusting her bikini straps and looking at Fitz…continuing to put sunscreen in his hands. "Um…baby. I think…I think you got enough, there."

He looked down at his hand and realized. "Oh—shit. You just…oh my fuck."

"Huh?" she laughed.

"You are…" he began, looking over her body in that white bikini. "Wow."

"What do you think? You like it?" she asked.

He sighed, shaking his head. "I think…half this beach is gonna want what's _mine."_

"Already taken," she smirked, mimicking what he'd said earlier.

"All…taken" he nodded, looking over her body.

"I'm gonna steal some of this, okay?" she laughed, taking some of the sunscreen off his hand.

"Yeah…okay," he said, still completely distracted.

They both used up the remaining sunscreen he'd poured, but even after, he could not let the swimsuit go.

"Okay, where did you get it?" he asked, touching one of the straps.

"Victoria's Secret," she answered, looking over at him as they laid on their towels.

He gasped. "You went there _without_ me?"

"No I ordered this one online," she said.

"Oh…right. Okay," he nodded.

"Babe."

"What?" he asked.

"Should I be at all concerned that Victoria's Secret is your favorite store?" she laughed.

His cheeks grew pink. "Well…it's only my favorite because it provides me with things like…this," he said, gesturing to her bathing suit.

"You really cannot get over this suit, can you?" she giggled.

"No," he said in a hushed whisper, starting to lean over her. "I mean… _look_ at this," he said, just about peering underneath her bikini top.

"Okay, baby, let's not flash the whole beach," she laughed, tugging the triangular top over her breast more.

He groaned, leaning down and pressing soft kisses against her neck. She smiled, laying back so he could kiss her. He ran his hand over her hips, and over the tiny fabric that currently covered her beautiful body.

He didn't even care that they were on a beach full of people. He couldn't stop kissing her. He made his way up her jawline, and toward her lips for a brief makeout session.

His hands weren't being too naughty, not in such a public place. But thank god he was leaning over her, because other parts of his body weren't listening so well.

"Baby," he whispered against her lips.

"Hmmm."

"I'm _throbbing_ right now," he murmured, sucking her bottom lip into his mouth.

"What?" she asked, laughing.

"Feel," he whispered.

She raised her eyebrow and casually brushed him, playing it off like she was touching his thigh. And he was hard as a rock.

Her mouth opened in awe, and a smile covered her face.

He smiled back, continuing to kiss her neck. "Your fault."

"You gotta get that under control if we're gonna go in the water, mister," she whispered with a smirk.

"I know—I know. Just…give me a second. Oh my god," he groaned.

"Well stop kissin' on me!" she giggled in a hushed whisper. "That won't help."

"Sorry, sorry," he whispered, kissing her nose. "Let me just…stay here for a second, okay."

"Okay," she smiled, eyeing him as he leaned over her.

"You're just so fucking sexy," he whispered.

"Think about other things," she said.

"I'm thinking about your boobs," he said.

"Well don't think about _those!"_ she exclaimed.

"Well they're right in front of me, I'm thinking about them, and I'm thinking about them _without_ the bikini top on."

"Fitz, no. Think about…I don't know. Your grandma."

He winced. But then he nodded. "Nope, I'm still thinking about your boobs."

"Do I need to put my clothes back on?" she asked.

 _"_ _No,"_ he replied. "Why would you suggest such a thing?"

"I don't know, because you can't keep it in your pants," she replied.

He scoffed. _"Yes_ I can. It's in my pants, it just would rather be in you."

She actually could not hold in her laughter. "That seriously just came out of your mouth, didn't it?"

"Yes, I am _also_ trying to figure out if I actually just said that," he nodded. "But I'm not ashamed, because we're on our honeymoon, so therefore, I have a right to be horny all the time."

"What's the honeymoon got to do with anything, you're always horny all the time," she questioned.

"No I'm _not,"_ he exclaimed. "That's you! Okay, maybe..maybe me too, though."

 _"Me?!"_ she asked.

"Yeah! You! Did you, or did you not, give me half a handy in the elevator last night?" he asked.

"I… _did_ do that," she agreed. "And then _you_ pounded me senseless against the wall!"

"Well _yeah!_ Pin her against the wall because she's a _masterpiece!"_ he exclaimed with a shrug, as if this was common knowledge.

She looked up at him and burst into laughter. "Oh my god. I don't know if I could love you any more than I do."

He smiled brightly down at her.

"How's your dick?" she asked.

He laid there, thinking. Feeling. "Hey! It's all good. We're good."

"Ah, see. Perfect. Come on now, let's go," she said, patting his chest and starting to get up.

"Oh—okay," he nodded, taking her hand.

And so he followed her, both running to the water to cool off in the hot sun.

That day at the beach was wonderful.

Aside from spending a lot of their time soaking up the sun or hanging around with each other in the water, they took a ton of pictures too.

Of the beach, of their feet in the sand, of the port, where four cruise ships were now docked.

Fitz mostly took his pictures of Olivia.

She'd never felt so hyped up in her life than she did when her husband wouldn't stop snapping pictures of her. Telling her she looked like a model.

It was hard to leave the Bahamas that day. But it was only the beginning of their travels.

That was the first day they'd really spent fully in the sun. So they spent a lot of time that night rubbing lotion into their skin, and a little bit of aloe for Fitz, who was a tad red.

But that also wasn't the only thing they did with their night.

Yet another perfect day ended, with the two of them in bed. The lights were out, but for a long time, they sure as hell didn't sleep.

* * *

She awoke to no big, strong husband snuggled impossibly close. No warm arm draped around her back.

She looked briefly over the side of the loft sleepily, to see no one in the living area either.

But then, on the balcony. _There_ he was.

She smiled, laying her head down contently, watching him look out into the ocean. Knowing he was so at peace, because he loved the ocean and he loved that balcony.

She hadn't even felt him get up, but she wondered how early it had been when he had. The clock now said 9:30, which, she was quite surprised at. They'd probably needed to catch up on some sleep after a packed couple days of travel and sun.

She grabbed one of his T-shirts, thrown over the railing of the loft balcony and pulled it over her bare chest. Bare, from the night before.

She was however, wearing underwear at least. Not that they could be seen anymore, with his gray T-shirt so oversized on her.

She made her way down the stairs, and opened the balcony door, seeing him immediately turn to her and smile.

"Livvie," he greeted.

"Hi baby," she greeted back, making her way over to him.

He patted his lap, and she got on, wrapping her arms around him eagerly. "I didn't hear you get up."

"I know. I tried to be quiet," he said, leaning in to peck her lips.

She smiled, kissing him back.

"Our first day at sea," he said, sighing happily and leaning back in his lounge chair. "And this is how it starts off. Man, I could get used to this."

She looked out at the beautiful sky, so blue with the sun already shining. A light breeze blowing around them. And the water. _The_ _water_. It looked so beautiful, and blue.

She decided to make the morning even brighter.

She ran her hand down his chest. He wore a soft, blue T-shirt, and a pair of gym shorts. And she was getting up close and personal with those gym shorts.

"Oh...what's...what's going on here," he said quietly, watching her lower herself below his lap.

She kneeled down on the floor of the balcony, tugging on his waistband.

"Oh," he nodded, helping her pull himself out of his pants. "Yeah. Okay."

She took him in her mouth instantly, watching him lean his head back in pleasure.

"Mm," he moaned, taking a sip of his coffee.

Watching his wife's head bob up and down on him. Drinking a fantastic cup of coffee. On the private balcony of a cruise ship.

"Yeahhh," he sighed. "I could _definitely_ get used to this."

* * *

"Me too."

"Really?"

"Yeah!" she nodded. "Of course I want to."

"You seriously want to?" he asked.

"Yeah? Who _doesn't_ want to zip line on a cruise ship?" she asked.

He nodded. "I thought you were going to make fun of me."

"Oh you did _not_ ," she said.

"Yes. I really did. See, 'cause...while I thoroughly enjoy laying in the sun and drinking all day, god I _really_ do, I also enjoy...other things. That...I would probably get made fun of for by most people."

"Oh you mean like...water slides and...mini golf and...arcade games?" she teased.

He gasped. "I sense judgment from my own wife."

"Oh do you?" she smirked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Come on," he whispered, pecking her lips. "I won you a bear."

"You _did_ win me a bear. It's very cute," she nodded.

"Like you," he smiled.

"More like you," she said. "Especially in the zip lining helmet I'm about to see you in."

"You better document everything," he winked.

"Already on it," she nodded, taking out her phone.

And so zip lining, was another thing they could add to their list.

The rest of their day at sea was spent outside in the sun, or adventuring around their huge cruise ship. They'd been learning where everything was, and about more of the cruise lingo.

For example, the pool deck, also known as deck 15, could also be referred to as the "Lido deck."

"MDR" always meant "main dining room."

The crew often spoke in these acronyms, making it more necessary to know what everything meant. "Port" referred to the left side of the ship. While "starboard" referred to the right side of the ship.

They got to be quite familiar.

That evening, they had dinner at a nice restaurant in Central Park, before Fitz had an even better idea to end their night.

"I'm taking you on a date."

"What?" she laughed.

"A date. We're going on one," he said, squeezing her hand.

"Oh, okay. We're going on a date. On our honeymoon," she smiled.

"Mhm," he nodded, leading her into the elevator.

"So...dinner didn't count as a date?" she asked, as they rode up the elevator.

"Hm...well...I'm taking you on another one."

"You are so goddamn cute," she laughed, squeezing his hand.

"Just you wait," he said, as they exited near the boardwalk. "This is gonna be the best date of your life."

She looked out at the boardwalk, busy with people. It was beautiful at night, all lit up and buzzing with activity.

And the first thing he led her to; the carousel.

"We're going on the carousel?!" she asked.

"Hell yeah we are. You think I'm stopping at winning you bears from overpriced arcade games? No. We're going _all out_ on this ship."

She laughed, holding tight to him in the line of people. There were actually quite a few adults in the line. Some with children, and some with their significant others.

It turned out the carousel was a pretty popular spot for all ages.

She had never laughed so hard as she did when they got on their horses, in their fancy attire.

She was wearing a sundress and heels and he had on a casual suit. And there they were, on a black stallion, and a white pony. There were lots of pictures taken on that carousel ride.

Best date ever.

But it didn't end after the carousel ride, as they realized people had been waiting for an AquaTheater show to start.

People were just being let into the many, many rows of the theater near the back of the ship. It was beautiful, with its completely open back. You could see out into the dark water as the ship continued to sail, with lights lighting up the entire theater.

"Wanna see it?" he asked, looking at her with a smile.

"Yes!" she nodded.

"Mmkay. Come on," he said, grabbing her hand.

They weaved their way through the boardwalk to the crowd of people waiting to be seated. It seemed as though now that those who had reservations were seated, others who had come last minute were filling the empty seats.

They got a pretty decent seat in the middle of the rows. And so they got to see their first ever high-diving, aerobatic, water performance called "OceanAria."

Performers were diving from thirty-foot platforms like it was nothing. Tight-rope walking. Even a little comedy intermingled with everything, along with some cool music.

Fitz's "date" had definitely been the best one yet.

It ended as most every other date did, and how every night so far on the cruise ended.

Naked in bed. Sweaty, and exhausted.

* * *

"You're gonna go do yoga?"

"Uh...yeah, I kinda wanted to try it. The fitness center's nice but I hate using the treadmill and it's so hot, running outside on the track. And I saw the classes they do through the window. Why? Is yoga weird?"

"No. But you're gonna do yoga...in _that?"_

He looked down at his body. No shirt, and a pair of black Nike running shorts as he'd just gotten back from running. _Not_ just a regular pair of gym shorts that hit his knees. These fit differently. Tighter. Shorter.

Sexier. At least, to her.

"Um, well...yes? Is there...why? What's wrong with this?" he asked.

"Oh nothing's wrong with it besides the fact that you look like a five-course meal right now," she said.

His lips parted in confusion and he tilted his head. "And that is...that's good? Or am I not...understanding that right?"

"Oh it's extremely good for me. Bad for everyone else who can't have you because you're fucking mine."

He smirked. "I love when you get all...'mine.'"

"Mine," she said again. "Please never take off your wedding ring, okay? Sometimes I seriously wonder how I managed to marry something so sexy."

"Okay, I'm stuck between taking that as a compliment because I'm sexy or...an insult because you just referred to me as a 'something'," he said, thinking to himself.

"Oh go do your yoga," she said, waving him away.

"Mmkay," he said, grabbing his water. "I'll bring you breakfast when I come back, okay?"

"Okay. I'll _be_ your breakfast when you come back."

He nodded, heading toward the loft stairs, but then stopping. He let out an audible sigh and then turned back to look at her, so enticingly laying there in bed. Wearing nothing but his shirt and a pair of underwear.

He bit his lip, shaking his head at her. "Mm, god."

"What?" she smiled.

"Nothing. Just...please, don't move. I'll be back in an hour."

"Okay, baby," she nodded, giving him a seductive little wave.

His eyes traveled her body, before slowly tearing themselves away from her. He walked down the stairs almost reluctantly, as if he wanted nothing more than to go back up and do whatever he pleased to her.

But he stayed strong, and went to his yoga class. It was definitely a good workout, and not as hot. Running on that track on the upper deck was pretty brutal, even for him. The yoga inside a cool room was much better. But still, pretty difficult. Although he did learn that he seemed to be...kind of flexible.

His mind sometimes wandered, wondering what it would look like if Olivia came to one of these classes. Contorting and twisting her flexible, toned little body in ways that made him think sinful things. Oh man.

Eyes were most definitely on him from a lot of the women, that he could feel. But he ignored it, something he was quite used to doing. He would rarely actually admit to anyone, _even_ his wife, that he knew people stared at him.

He wasn't dumb. He knew. And he knew why they did.

But there was only one person he actually enjoyed the stares from. The smirk that crept across her face when he flexed for her, because to this day, she still loved that. The dainty little hands running down his abdomen, because she liked the feeling of the muscles beneath her fingers.

Yeah, he needed to get back to her _now._

He rolled up the Royal Caribbean yoga Matt and put it away, where everyone else was putting theirs. And he left that place much faster than he came in.

He made his way to the Royal Promenade for her favorite tea and breakfast sandwich from Starbucks. Then, back to their deck, and their room. He was itching to just get inside and get back in bed.

He scanned his watch to let him in and immediately stripped his shirt back off as he entered the room, putting her breakfast on the table.

"Baby?" he asked, tossing the shirt on the floor carelessly.

He kicked off his shoes, his socks. Everything but his compression shorts underneath his running shorts.

"Hmm?" Olivia replied, over the sound of the TV.

He frantically jogged up the stairs, already starting to pull at his compressions.

He was panting now, getting naked as soon as he saw her in bed. Wearing what she'd been wearing before.

"Oh well hello there," she said, eyeing his now naked body.

He looked down at himself, so turned on, and his chest rising and falling so fast. He immediately got in bed, crawling on top of her and pulling her underwear right off her legs.

"So yoga went well, huh?" she asked.

He buried his head between her legs, making her gasp and squeeze her eyes shut. He was being selfish, putting his breakfast before hers. Or...was that _really_ selfish?

He yanked her shirt up too, trying desperately to get it off of her even though his eyes were closed and his attention was elsewhere.

He was going at it. Licking. Sucking. Kissing. Trying to push the shirt off of her body.

"Baby, what the _hell,"_ she laughed, managing to pull his head away from her core.

"What? You said you'd be my breakfast when I got back," he reasoned.

"Yeah but I didn't expect you to be this...hot and sweaty and...naked already, and—why are you like this? Did yoga do this to you?" she laughed.

"Let me go down, let me," he whispered, lowering his head back down.

"Ohhh—yeah, okay," she nodded, biting her lip. "I think—you need to do yoga more often."

"Deal," he murmured, sucking her clit into his mouth. "I'm kind of flexible."

"I already knew that," she whispered, tangling her fingers in his hair.

"Really?" he asked, pulling away to look up at her face.

"Mhm."

"Oh," he said, smiling to himself. "Cool." He seemed pretty proud of that.

"You should come with me at some point," he said.

"You're gonna go again?" she asked.

"Yeah maybe," he said, pressing kisses against her. "I kind of liked it. And you'd make it better."

"Okay," she nodded. "I'll come with. Maybe it'll be better than running in the fitness center."

"Awesome," he whispered. "Okay...I'm gonna...shut up now."

"Okay," she giggled, guiding him back down.

He _devoured_ her. Eagerly flicking his tongue in the best way. Sliding it inside her again and again, watching her hands grip the sheets hard.

One of his hands, holding her hip. But the other, touching himself. He needed to be touched, but she was in her own little world of pleasure at the moment, so he did it himself.

He was so hard. Throbbing again. He stroked himself lazily against the comforter, trying put all his focus on her body. On her clit.

And he did. Because before he knew it she was shaking, riding out an orgasm.

"Ohh," she sighed, putting her arms underneath her head and looking down at him.

He smiled up at her, never breaking eye contact as he kissed her thighs.

"Flip over," she panted.

"Huh?" he asked.

"Flip over," she said again, nudging him out from his current spot, laying between her legs on his stomach. "Let me help."

He rolled over off of her and onto his back, putting his hard self completely on display as she swung her leg over him.

"As much as I enjoy watching you touch yourself," she began, climbing on him.

He bit his lip, watching her sink down on him. "Ah-" he moaned, gripping her thighs.

"I _think_ I can help you out."

"Ohhh-" he exhaled, lifting his head up again to look down at their bodies.

"Lay back," she whispered, gently pushing his shoulders back toward the bed. "Let me do the work."

"Okay," he breathed, laying back lazily.

And he just watched her ride him, with a sly smile on her face, and an intense desire to make him come.

Which, he did.

She was so wet down there already from his mouth, and because of her own wetness. So she was so slick and perfect for him. Her walls clung to him, like they always did. They were a mess when he finished.

Thank god for the tissue boxes that scattered their suite.

He laid there for a while, after she'd cleaned them both up. He just laid there, trying to calm his body.

She laid on top of him, kissing his chest. Tracing lines against his warm, soft skin. Calming him down herself.

"How you feel baby?" she whispered, peering up at him.

"Mmm," he murmured, not even bothering to open his eyes.

"Yeah?" she laughed.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I don't know if...I can do it anymore."

She raised her eyebrow at him, knowing that was a complete lie.

"For at least...you know, a few hours. That one...you took me out with that one."

She laughed. Sounded more like him.

"That was a big one," she agreed. "I think yoga makes you sexually frustrated. You come back all...hot and bothered."

"Yeah," he nodded.

"It's okay that you can't do it for a while. We _do_ have an island to go to," she smirked.

He opened his eyes and smiled. "St. Thomas."

"St. Thomas," she nodded. "Where...we do _not_ need our passports."

"U.S. territory, baby," he said. "But...it's gonna be awesome."

"It's gonna be awesome. And you better get up because you're extremely excited for the excursion we're doing there. Remember?" she asked.

He smiled cutely, his cheeks turning a little pink. "Snorkel. With...the turtles."

"Mmmhm," she nodded. "I bought an underwater camera specifically for this occasion. If I don't get an underwater picture of you snorkeling with said turtles..."

"Oh you _will_ get one," he nodded. "I will _pose."_

"You're gonna pose for me? With the turtles?" she laughed.

"Uh-huh," he nodded, smiling.

"You better get up then. We gotta go soon," she smiled, giving his chest a few more nice big kisses.

"Mmkay. But...just kiss me for a few minutes, first," he whispered.

She scooted up his body, capturing his lips in a passionate kiss.

"I love you," he murmured.

"I love you too," she replied, then slipping her tongue into his mouth.

"I'm so happy you wanna snorkel with the turtles with me," he whispered.

She giggled against his mouth, giving him endless kisses.

"Of course I do. I'm all about adventure, you know that," she replied.

"Adventure," he nodded, palming her ass with both hands.

"So...you ready to adventure or what?" she asked.

He smiled.

"Ready."

* * *

"Set...go!"

"Ah! Wait—Fitz. Oh—okay. You're not waiting," Olivia said, jumping in after him.

They'd sailed all the way to Turtle Cove, about a twenty-minute boat ride from the port.

And the best part, they'd sailed there on a damn near _pirate_ ship! Open bar and everything.

They swam around with the group of fellow cruisers who had also chosen to go on this excursion.

It was a fairly big group of people. And they were all excited to see the big turtles in Turtle Cove.

"Alright, baby. Get ready, because I'm about to be at my sexiest," he said, putting the big goggles over his eyes.

She giggled, watching him get all his snorkel gear situated on himself in the water, and futzing with his life jacket straps a little bit. Before giving her a big thumbs up. "Sexy?" he murmured, although he was barely understandable through the mouthpiece.

"So sexy!" she nodded, putting her goggles over her head as well.

She kicked her flippers effortlessly, adjusting all the gear on her face and tightening her life jacket. The life jackets were a bit annoying, but also required. So, they dealt with them.

"Okay. You are so cute," he murmured, pointing at her in all her snorkel gear.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, biting down on her mouthpiece.

She looked down underneath the water and started to breathe out her mouth through the tube.

And...holy crap.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, reaching over to tap Fitz's arm.

He put his head down in the water next to her, looking down at the huge turtles below them. They were everywhere.

He looked over at her, sporting as big a smile he could despite the snorkel tube, and happy eyes.

She tapped the underwater camera that hung around her wrist, trying to tell him she was going to take pictures.

They took as many as the camera allowed them to. He posed, just like he'd said he would.

But as they'd learned from the sailors on the way there, sea turtles breathed air. They could hold their breath underwater for several hours if need be, but they needed to surface to breathe. So the first time one of the biggest sea turtles they'd _ever_ seen surfaced, it came right up next to Olivia.

And Fitz managed to get a picture.

"Woah!" he exclaimed, watching the turtle swim back down afterward.

"That was amazing!" she said, ducking her head down under the water to watch the turtle swim back down. She swam around, trying to get a closer look at all the ridges and hills underneath the water. There were fish and different kinds of plant life everywhere. It really was quite beautiful.

The location for sure. And to Fitz, his _wife._ She was in her damn element.

"You really are just a little fish aren't you," he said, smiling as she swam around.

"You sound like my mom at the public pool when I was five," she laughed.

"It's true!" he exclaimed, pushing the goggles up on his face. "Even that big ass turtle thought so. Came right up next to _you,_ and _you_ only!"

"Mm, that is true," she smiled, pushing her goggles up too. "This has been _so_ cool."

" _So_ cool," he agreed. "I've never done anything like this before."

"Me neither," she replied. "I'm glad we did. But I think we have to say goodbye to the turtles soon."

He frowned. "Aw. That one over there and I were becoming friends. I named her Myrtle."

She burst into laughter, putting her hand up to her face. "Myrtle the turtle huh?"

"Uh-huh," he nodded.

"I love you so damn much," she said, swimming over to him.

"Mmm," he smiled, pulling her into his body. "Say it again, my little fish."

"I. Love. You," she whispered, pecking his lips.

"Salty," he whispered, pulling her top lip into his mouth. "I love you back."

"How much," she whispered.

"More than...Myrtle," he whispered.

She gasped. "What an honor!"

"Mmhm," he nodded, tightening his grip around her. "Your flippers are touching my ass."

She laughed. "I think you're supposed to call them...snorkel fins."

"Your snorkel fins are touching my ass."

"Or is your ass touching my snorkel fins," she replied.

"Hmm..." he chuckled.

 _"Mmm_ hm. See," she nodded.

"Nah, it's your fault. You're always touching me there," he said.

"Well it does feel very nice in these boardshorts, I'll give you that," she said.

"So does yours," he winked, squeezing her ass briefly with one hand.

"Fitzgerald Thomas are _children_ here, looking underneath the water," she giggled.

"Well like I said before...you and me in public. Sometimes it doesn't go well," he whispered by her ear.

"Or...it goes extremely well. Depends on how you look at it," she replied.

"Mmm...touché," he smirked.

Their Turtle Cove adventures were just about over, as they were soon told they needed to head back to their fun pirate ship.

They drank all the way back to the port, which was nice. And it gave them a great view of their ship. The big open AquaTheater in the back looked beautiful from down in the water. Not to mention, everything seemed ten times bigger from that level.

They had some time before they had to get back on board, so they shopped around at the shops, conveniently scattered around the port. Those shops got a lot of business solely from cruise goers.

Postcards. Cute little souvenirs for her friends. Fitz got a St. Thomas shot glass. They found their fair share of treasures before they left the island. Their second destination had come and gone just as quickly as the first one had.

The next would be Sint Maarten, the very next day.

But they had a long night before that next day.

They got back on board, immediately returning to their room to shower. Only, the shower consisted of much more than just that.

They had dinner at one of the ship's fanciest, most upscale restaurants, getting dressed up for the occasion.

Only to then dress back down when they decided the hot tub in the solarium sounded amazing.

By that time it was dark outside, almost ten at night. There weren't any kids running around, which would normally be the case throughout most of the day on deck 15.

Now, it was more relaxed. And the solarium was even better.

Kids weren't allowed in there, to begin with. So there were just couples scattered throughout the solarium, which was all lit up beautifully by warm-colored lights.

The hot tubs were lit up too, as was the bar.

They ordered a couple cocktails and got in the hot tub, which was just about empty, save for a couple in the far corner.

"Ahhh," Fitz sighed, leaning his head back against the edge. He wrapped his arm tightly around Olivia, who sat sideways and crossed her legs over his lap.

She leaned her head against his shoulder, rubbing his chest.

"Hey," he whispered.

She looked up at him with a smile, leaning in even closer. "Hm?"

He smiled down at her. "Nothing. I just kind of wanted to look at you."

She laughed, pressing a few kisses to his shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you back," he whispered. "You wanna know something else?"

"Mhm," she nodded, looking so adoringly up at him.

"I've never had this much fun," he whispered. "I love it here. With you."

"Me too," she nodded.

"And...I've never loved who I am as much as I do now. I've never felt as happy as I do now, being your husband," he said.

She smiled, wrapping her arms around him so tight. A habit, that she'd never really lost.

"God I love you," she said. "I'm so proud. And so honored and lucky, to be your wife."

"I'm the lucky one."

"Oh, are you…are you trying to get into an argument on our honeymoon?" she asked. "I'm not afraid to fight with you on who the lucky one is."

He smiled. "Bring it on, my little fish."

She gave him her best smile frown. "I'm not a fish!"

"You're _my_ fish, and you're _so_ cute," he chuckled.

"I don't accept," she said.

"You're gonna have to," he shrugged.

"Or else what?" she asked.

"Or else...I'm gonna leave you, for Myrtle," he said.

She tried to keep a straight face, but she absolutely could _not._

And then he started cracking up along with her.

" _Please_ don't leave me for Myrtle," she laughed.

He just laughed, leaning his head back against the hot tub.

"Alright, alright, I stand down," he nodded. "I could never leave you. Not even for...my beloved Myrtle the turtle."

"Thank goodness," she said.

He sighed, wrapping his other arm around her too. "I think...everyone in this world knows that I need you."

She looked up at him, staring off into the distance. Thinking.

"I would be lost. Without you, I'd be...so lost," she whispered.

"I know," he nodded, turning to smirk at her.

She laughed. "Oh, do you now?"

"Yeah. Without me...who would you make fun of?" he asked.

"That's a great question," she nodded. "More importantly, who would reach things in high places for me?"

"Oh, that's definitely a big one," he agreed. "You're right. You'd be lost. And so would I. Whose sexy bitch would I be if I didn't have you?"

She giggled, shaking her head at him.

"I'm serious. And...who would hold onto me so tight? I mean...so tight that...I can't always breathe. But sometimes I just don't have the heart to tell her that."

"Oh!" she laughed, loosening her grip on him. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"What the fuck, no. Hold on," he said, physically wrapping her arms around himself again.

She couldn't stop laughing as she tightened her grip on him again. "You know I have to hold on tight...just—"

"Just in case, I know," he nodded, smiling at her. "You don't ever have let go. "I'd prefer that you don't."

"Good," she smiled, leaning in to kiss him. "Me too."

Another couple got into the hot tub with drinks of their own, sitting a comfortable distance away from them, but flashing them both smiles.

"Hi, how you doing tonight?" Fitz asked.

"Right now, pretty damn good, I have to say," the man chuckled, gesturing to the drink, and the hot tub.

"We just came to check out the solarium at night...great choice," the woman nodded.

"It's beautiful in here," Fitz agreed. "I think the solarium bar makes it all the more enjoyable."

"Definitely," Olivia laughed.

"Makes it even better. Where are you two from?" the man asked.

"The east coast," Fitz answered. "Connecticut. I'm Fitz. And...this is my wife, Olivia."

"Hi," Olivia waved, giving them a smile.

"Very nice to meet you both. I'm Desmond. And my wife, Chloe," he said, gesturing to her.

"Nice to meet you," Chloe said with a smile.

"You as well! Where are you two from?" Olivia asked.

"South Dakota," Desmond said. "We could get used to this weather _all year round."_

"So could my husband," Olivia laughed. "He's not a big fan of the cold."

"No he is _not,_ " Fitz agreed with a laugh. "What brings you aboard? Just taking a little vacation to get away?"

"Well actually my siblings and I all bought this trip for our mom for her birthday. She's always wanted to go on a cruise, and never been. But...I think it's safe to say it's been a present for all of us," Desmond chuckled.

"Oh for sure," Fitz nodded. "That's awesome though, how's she liking it?"

"She's _loving_ it. She's actually in the casino right now, if you can believe it," Desmond laughed.

"We've still gotta check that out!" Fitz said. "I will admit, we've enjoyed things like the mini-golf course and the zip line maybe a _bit_ too much."

"Oh no such thing!" Chloe exclaimed. "We, ourselves, are quite fond of the flow riders. We learned to surf yesterday!"

Olivia smiled. "Oh, we'll have to check that out too!"

"You two here for fun too?" Desmond asked.

"Yeah. Lots of fun. Our honeymoon," Fitz said, smiling at Olivia.

"Oh my! Well congrats!" Chloe exclaimed.

"Yes, congratulations!" Desmond nodded.

"Thank you!" they said.

"It's been...really amazing," Fitz nodded.

"I bet. We went to Mexico for our honeymoon, to an all-inclusive. We loved it, but agreed that the same resort and the beach every day did get to be a little repetitive after a week. This was a good choice," Chloe said.

"Yeah, we've loved it. We do get a lot of the beach and...laying around in the sun. But there are endless things to do on board, too, which is our kind of thing. We haven't even done half the things we've wanted to yet," Fitz replied.

"Well, we highly recommend the theater, too, if you haven't gone yet. We saw 'Flight' and are hoping to see 'Hairspray' at some point too," Desmond said.

"We haven't! From what we've heard and seen online, they look pretty cool," Olivia said.

"It's amazing. They put on great shows in there. You will _love_ it," Chloe nodded.

"Well maybe we'll have to go one of these nights," Fitz said. "There are _so_ many things!"

"I know. This ship is definitely worth it. Have you had the soft serve ice cream, by chance?" Desmond asked.

Olivia laughed, looking over at Fitz.

"Yes!" he exclaimed. "Ice cream at all hours...it's so dangerous."

"It is," Chloe agreed. "But, we're all on vacation. We deserve it. _Especially_ you two."

"Well thank you for saying that Chloe, that makes me feel better about myself," Fitz chuckled.

"We're also big fans of Sorrento's. In the Royal Promenade," Olivia said.

"Ohhh, yeah, yeah. We've been there. Great pizza," Desmond agreed.

" _Great_ pizza," Fitz nodded.

"He's a big fan," Olivia laughed, kissing his cheek.

"I am," he said, looking at her with a smile. He kissed her nose and pulled her closer.

"You two are so cute!" Chloe said. "The honeymoon phase, quite literally."

"Everyone has always said that about the honeymoon phase," Olivia laughed. "Thank you!"

"Well if everyone's always said it, I think you're in pretty good shape," Desmond nodded.

"I think so too," Olivia agreed. "Three years...got nothing on us, huh, baby."

"Mm mm," he replied, shaking his head. "How about you two, how many years?"

"Well, twelve total. Gonna be married for ten, in December," Chloe said, smiling at Desmond.

"Ten whole years," Desmond nodded. "I think we oughta come back on another cruise in December. Celebrate the milestone."

"I think Desmond's got a point," Olivia nodded.

"Oooh," Fitz chuckled. "That'll give you two something to think about."

 _"Mmm_ hm, I'm sure you'd love that," Chloe laughed at her husband.

"I would," he smiled, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

And so they met some new friends that night in the solarium hot tub, over a few drinks. They talked for over an hour longer, getting to know each other better. Discussing important things like the fact that Thursday, their last full day, and a day at sea, was August 8th. Olivia's birthday.

And before their night ended, the four full-grown adults, went to get themselves some soft serve ice cream together.

All of them dripping wet, still in their suits, before heading their separate ways to their rooms. Hoping that maybe they'd run into each other again over the course of the next few days.

And so, "Day 4", had run its course.

* * *

 **Go ahead and read the next part, it's already there for you!**


	94. Symphony Of The Seas Pt 2

**Just a quick message—if you read these _right away_ when I posted it, you are/were probably confused because it was two of the same chapter. So to those that this applied, everything is now in order and you will probably want to go back and re-read chapter 93 so you're less confused! I'm sure it only applies to a select few because I tried my hardest to fix it super fast. ****Sorry about that.** **Anyway, read on!**

* * *

"Sweetheart," she whispered, tracing his ear with her finger.

"Hmm," he moaned, keeping his eyes closed.

"It's Maho Beach day," she said with a smile, leaning in to kiss his cheek.

"Mmm," he replied, his lips tugging upward into a smile. "Planes."

"Planes," she nodded.

"What time is it?" he murmured.

"7:30. But you don't have to rush. Our bus tour isn't till 10:30, remember," she whispered.

"Yeah," he nodded, turning over and snuggling his face into her chest.

She smiled, tangling her fingers in his hair. "Hey," she whispered.

"Hm?" he murmured.

"I love you," she said, kissing his cheek.

"Love you," he whispered, tightening his grip around her. "We're married."

"We _are_ married," she giggled.

"Just wanted to say it out loud again," he whispered.

"Completely understandable," she nodded.

He peered one eye open at her, flashing her a smile. "Hi."

 _"Hi,"_ she said, rubbing her hand over his cheek.

"You're pretty," he whispered.

She scooted downward, to lay by his side. "You're pretty too."

"I'm pretty?" he asked.

"You're _gorgeous,"_ she nodded. His skin, so tan. His curly hair, even curlier in the hot humidity. His blue eyes, even bluer now, against his darker skin. His body, so toned and muscular. Gorgeous.

"Thank you," he said with a smile. "I'm all yours."

"Oh damn right you are," she nodded.

"You wanna…prove it," he whispered, kissing her chest a few times.

"Hmmm," she replied, smiling.

She reached down and ran her hand over him through his boxers, his body instantly reacting to the contact.

"Oh…someone's ready to go," she whispered.

He leaned in closer, letting her touch him. "Mhm."

He reached forward and eagerly slid her shorts off, his fingers fumbling with the waistband.

She'd been content to relax, and touch him. Making her come with her hands. But the second he reached for her shorts, it became frantic between the two of them.

The touching beforehand. Desperate. Eager. Starting off gentle, but becoming rougher within minutes.

The breathing, gradually becoming more sporadic. Until their fingers were covered in each other's wetness, and Fitz couldn't take it anymore.

"On your stomach—on your stomach," he whispered.

She bit her lip, laying all the way down on her stomach as he got on top of her.

He looked down, guiding himself in from behind. She was wet for him already. Slick.

"Oh—" she moaned, gripping the pillows in front of her.

He exhaled, clutching the sheets and thrusting in harder.

The necklace she was so fond of on him, swaying back and forth as he rocked into her from behind.

"I had a filthy—fucking dream about you," he panted, pressing his hand down against hers.

She turned her head sideways, eyeing him with a pleasured look in her eyes as he pounded into her.

"Is that why you woke up—horny?" she asked.

"I'm always horny," he panted. "Your words."

She smirked.

"What was...the dream?" she moaned.

"You were—talking dirty to me—in public. Whispering. I had to—take you home, because I—was so hard. Couldn't concentrate. Couldn't do anything. Fucked you—in front of a mirror, so you could—see me come inside you," he panted. "It's all you wanted. So I had—to give it to you."

"That's a _weird_ —ass dream," she half panted, half laughed.

"I— _know,"_ he chuckled, picking up his pace. "But you—loved it. My cum was—inside you, and all over you—too. All over."

"Well do it—again," she panted.

He licked his lips, pulling out of her. "Okay—flip over."

She flipped onto her back, holding onto her arms as he spread her out for him.

He pushed in again, feeling her muscles clench around him immediately.

"Oh—" he moaned, gripping the headboard.

He sped up again, his face contorting in pleasure as he neared the edge.

She nodded at him, knowing he was close.

He got himself there, pulling out so that he could stroke himself and finish—all over her bare chest.

"Oh—Liv," he groaned, stroking himself quickly as he spilled onto her.

She was breathing so fast, watching him finish all over her. Panting. Her chest rising and falling fast.

He eyed her, completely covered in his cum and so completely turned on by it, despite the fact he had just orgasmed and felt dead. "Now _that_...is gorgeous," he whispered, leaning down to kiss her cheek.

She let out a big sigh, looking down at her chest. "I might...need a shower."

"You might," he chuckled, reaching over to grab a tissue. "I bet the maids hate us by now with these damn tissues in the garbage all the time."

"No doubt," she laughed, watching him start to wipe her up.

The curls fell into his eyes, and his necklace hung there while he leaned over her, cleaning up her chest.

"Thank you," she whispered, smiling up at him.

He smiled back. "Mhm. You wanna come run with me?"

"Yes I do," she nodded. "Inside, though. Not outside."

"Yes, I know," he laughed. "We won't be far from each other."

She smiled. "I know. Wanna go now? I'll grab something from Windjammer on the way or something for breakfast."

"Kay," he whispered.

So they got ready for a workout before their day at Sint Maarten.

She ran inside on the treadmill while he ran outside on the track. She'd see him make a lap every time he completed the full circle, which was funny.

He did come inside while she was using the Cable Tower machine, though. But then he disappeared.

She did her cool-down stretches, wondering where the hell he went.

Only to realize when she went to grab water, that he was in the damn yoga room!

She peered inside, watching a pretty decent sized room full of people doing yoga. Men, women, some teenagers.

She finally caught sight of him near the back, since he'd joined the class late, she assumed.

He was doing a...what was that, a shoulderstand?

No shirt, those damn tight, shorter running shorts.

"Oh my god," she whispered to herself. She could watch that all day.

They were done about 20 minutes later, and he came out drenched in sweat, looking for her.

"Oh, hey! You done?" he asked, filling up his water, still panting.

"Yeah. You didn't tell me you were going to do yoga today!" she said.

"Oh. Well you were still in the middle of your workout, I didn't want to interrupt you," he said. "I was super late anyway, but...I just wanted to catch the tail end of it."

"That was so hot," she whispered to him.

"Oh I know. It's damn hot out today," he said, wiping his face with the shirt he had in his hands.

"No—" she laughed, putting her hand to her head. "I meant _you_. Doing _yoga_. Now I definitely have to go with you at some point."

"Oh. You liked it?" he asked, smiling.

"I _liked_ it," she nodded.

"Awesome. I think I'm gonna take a break tomorrow because I'm kind of sore from it. But…we should go on Thursday."

"Mmm, birthday yoga. I can dig it," she giggled.

"Birthday yoga, birthday sex, birthday—"

"Shhh," she laughed, looking around them and pulling on his hand. "We're going to our room. You're right, we should not be allowed in public, ever."

He let her pull him along, clutching his water bottle and shirt in his other hand while singing to her.

"Go shawty. It's your birthday. We gon' party like it's your birthday—"

"Oh my god," she giggled. "Yes, everyone, my husband is almost 40 and he's singing 50 Cent to me. Yes. One day everyone will find their soulmate. This is mine."

"We gon' sip Bacardi like it's your birthday," he continued, moving his shoulders up and down.

"Fitz."

"That's not my name."

She sighed. "50 Cent."

"Yes?" he asked casually.

She burst into laughter, pulling him along to the elevators. "Come on, mister. We've got a bus to catch and planes to see."

"Alright, alright," he nodded. "But I need some food in me. Yoga…singing, being 50 Cent...all tiring stuff. Makes me hungry."

They got into the elevator with a pair of teenage boys, looking at him extremely oddly as he said that.

"Sup," Fitz nodded to them.

Olivia had to turn toward the elevator wall, trying her absolute best not to burst into laughter.

"Sup," one of them said back.

Olivia cleared her throat, looking up at Fitz as he fought back a smile.

As soon as the door opened on deck 5, they got out, and the two boys stayed on, as they were going to a lower floor.

"Peace out," Fitz said, looking back at them.

Olivia laughed and pulled him along, giving a wave to the two boys. "Okay. Nevermind, I take it back. _You_ shouldn't be allowed in public. Just you."

He chuckled to himself, pulling the shirt over his head.

"You know you fucking love the fuck out of me."

Her eyes widened at his outburst of profanities. But nodded, because it was indeed, true.

"I do, fucking love the fuck out of you."

* * *

"Holy _shit_."

"Holy shit," she agreed, looking out at the view of the island. They looked out at the shoreline and the port as their bus had stopped on a big hilltop, for everyone to get pictures. The hilltop provided one of the best views on the island.

Out at the port, next to their ship, were three others. One of which, was another Royal Caribbean ship.

They'd seen all of the ships when they'd gotten off. The other Royal Caribbean ship—Navigator of the Seas. It still looked huge, because it was. But it was in an entirely different class than their ship, Symphony. Much smaller, even though that much could barely be distinguished when they were on the ground. Symphony was in the Oasis class, while Navigator was in the Voyager class.

A Celebrity Cruise ship—Celebrity Equinox.

And a Carnival Cruise ship—Carnival Liberty.

The Carnival Cruise ship had the signature huge red and blue tail displayed on its top, which they thought was pretty cool. But Symphony was by far the biggest. They could see that now, from their spot on the hilltop.

They had to get back on the bus within a few minutes, so they could finish the rest of their tour of the island. Which, had been very informational and cool. They were glad they'd done it.

The next part of their stop at Sint Maarten, was Maho beach. Maho beach was famous for its airport directly next to it. Planes of all shapes and sizes would land there, causing quite the commotion on the beach.

And they got to experience all of that commotion firsthand, when they went.

The amount of sand that blew everywhere, even from just a small propeller plane landing just inside the fenced area next to the beach, was _insane_. So when the first 747 landed, they were not _at all_ prepared for it.

"HOLY SHIT" Fitz yelled, as the planed flew directly over them. They'd had to take partial cover underneath their towels, because the sand blew everywhere.

Both their eyes were wide, feeling as though if they reached up even a few feet, they could touch the wheels of the plane.

"Oh my GOD!" Olivia yelled, watching it touch down onto the runway yards ahead of them.

People around them were still recovering from it, shaking out their towels and clothes, getting out from where they were taking cover.

"That was insane!" he exclaimed, as applause rippled throughout the busy beach.

She put her hand on her chest, taking a few deep breaths. "I have never seen anything like that in my _life."_

"Me neither," he said, shaking his head. "Wow. That was… _wow."_

But a plane taking off, was a whole different story than when one landed. The planes took off the opposite way they came in, away from the beach and right over a huge mountain.

The jet blast from a plane, coming straight at all the beachgoers, stirred up the sand just as much, if not _more_ , than when a plane landed.

The whole beach experience was better than they had even thought it would be. From the planes, to the Sunset Beach bar right on the beach, it was all perfect.

The view of the planes landing and taking off was _also_ great from the Sunset Beach bar, too. Plus, the amount of Heineken beer they drank there made the day better. They were cheap and sponsored at the beach bar, and refreshing in the sun. Great all around.

Olivia was pretty sure she could watch her husband on a beach for hours straight and never get tired.

That day he had on a blue pair of board shorts. These had a dark grey stripe across the front. That man and his striped board shorts…

She couldn't complain, though. Those and no shirt were bound to drive her insane. Along with the occasional hat he wore in the sun, and the necklace and bracelet that she'd bought for him.

There was no mistaking that this was his natural element. Cali beach boy till the end.

It was nice to have another day at the beach, liked they'd had in the Bahamas. Only this one had been an even _better_ beach, so it was hard to say goodbye that afternoon.

But they had to get back on board around four, so that they could set sail around six.

They had a long way back to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and the next two days that followed would be all about getting back. Two full days at sea. The second of which, was Olivia's birthday.

The long, packed days in the sun had already begun to take a toll on them. Waking up early most every day, and going to sleep fairly late. It had all impacted them. So after yet another day out in the sun and their dinner at Windjammer, they both passed out at eight o'clock.

The first one to wake up was Fitz. He woke up startled, looking around so confused. He saw that the time was 4:00 am, and wondered what the hell was going on, only to realize that they'd passed out extremely early.

He looked over at Olivia, who stirred a little bit in her sleep. They were both still in the clothes they'd gone to dinner in. They were casual. Both of them just wearing shorts and T-shirts, since they'd done the buffet the prior night.

He ran his hand over her back gently, watching her while she slept. She was so beautiful. And now, it was officially one day until she turned 23.

It was odd to him to think he'd met her when she was barely twenty years old. She'd always seemed older than she was, but now was an entirely different story.

The things she'd accomplished, and the things she did _every day_. The way she took care of him. How hard she worked. How much her coworkers relied on her at work. She made everything seem so effortless to him.

She was married. She had a full-time job. She'd bought a house with her husband, and their sweet dog, of course. She'd grown so much, since they'd met. And not even 23 years old quite yet.

She was amazing. To him, she was everything.

He smiled just at his thoughts, and watching her beautiful self sleep. She'd been moving slightly since he'd woken up. Kind of restless, actually. Maybe she oughta just wake up...

He leaned in closer and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, making his way toward her neck.

"Livvie," he whispered, letting his hand wander.

He ran his hand over her ass, rubbing two fingers over her entrance through her shorts. Which, didn't seem at all comfortable. Neither of them were comfortable, in their clothes right now.

She stirred even more, with his hands on her. "Mmmm."

"Hey baby," he whispered, swinging his leg over her and kneeling above her slightly.

"Hey. What time is it?" she murmured, not opening her eyes yet.

"Early," he whispered. _"Really_ early."

Her eyes fluttered open, and she peered up at him, kissing the back of her neck and touching her. "It's dark out."

"It's _really_ dark out," he nodded, sliding his hand under her body. He fumbled with the button, trying to get her shorts undone even though she was on her stomach.

She let him fumble for a little bit, before she slowly turned over onto her back, looking up at him. As well as looking at the damn clock.

He frantically pulled at her shorts with one hand, using his other one to brace himself against the sheets as he hovered above her.

She watched him, biting her lip as he undressed her. "Baby."

"Yeah," he whispered, finally getting her shorts down her legs.

"It's four in the morning," she whispered.

He threw her shorts on the floor and stripped his shirt over his head. "Yeah. I know."

"Seriously? Four in the morning?" she asked, laughing.

He stopped, holding his shirt in his hands. "What? Are you too sleepy?"

"Well…no, actually I'm…wide awake now. But…its four in the morning!" she laughed.

"You're wide awake now because we fell asleep at eight. And what the hell does four in the morning have to do with anything? We've had sex in the middle of the night plenty of times. You woke me up at three once and rode me at your parents' house."

She paused, thinking back. "Wow, yeah, I really did not think this argument through very well. Just—one second, though, I'm still kind of…waking up."

"I thought you were wide awake?" he smirked, hooking two fingers underneath her underwear and beginning to slide them off.

"I am. Just…my head's not in it yet—give me a second."

He slowly pulled her little lacy underwear off, dropping them on the floor. He reached for his shorts, undoing the buckle and pulling them off along with his boxers.

His eyes had begun to adjust to the dark, and he could now see her half-naked body fairly well. Along with his stiff erection, gently pressed against her leg now as he reached for her shirt.

He smiled, leaning down by her face as he tugged on her shirt. "Please," he murmured against her skin.

She smirked up at him, lifting her arms up so he could remove the shirt.

She reached around and unclipped her bra, dropping it on the floor.

He now looked down at her with a smile, both of them naked in their dark room.

"Come on," he teased, hovering above her. As if to bait her. As if to say "come and get me."

She accepted his challenge. She pushed him back, sitting up along with him and getting on his lap.

Not mounting him yet, she made him wait for that. He deserved it, even though she could feel that his tip was already dripping the moment she crawled into his lap.

She kissed him, for a long time. Feeling his erection pressed against her core while his tongue eagerly clashed with hers again and again. The sound of tongue, and lips, making contact filled their bedroom.

He switched off between cupping her ass and massaging her breasts, enjoying the way she moaned against his mouth as he did it.

"Liv—" he begged, feeling her grind herself against him. He knew the liquid slowly seeping out of his tip was covering the inside of her thigh, as she'd only continued to tease him. Rolling her hips against him on top of an agonizingly long, completely naked, and completely _amazing_ makout session.

He was done for. And he knew she was too. He could feel her moisture against his lower abdomen. He could feel her repetitively rubbing on him, making her even wetter by the second.

"Yes, baby?" she whispered, nipping at his lips with a smile.

"Please," he murmured, pulling her closer to his length. Wanting, _needing_ the contact. "Please."

"I like it when you beg," she smirked.

He bit his lip, looking down at their bodies. Not close enough. Not connected. He needed it.

"Livvie," he moaned, taking in a deep breath.

She looked down, lifting herself up a little bit and nodding at him.

He reached down and guided himself toward her entrance, letting out a big breath as she slowly sunk down on him.

"Oh—god," she breathed, clutching his shoulders.

He hit so deep in that position. All the way in, making them both gasp.

"Fuck," he whispered, gripping her ass as she continued to roll her hips.

Her eyes were squeezed shut as she quickened her pace, mouth open in pleasure. He was so long, and thick, reaching so deep. Her muscles clenched around him, making him lean his head against her shoulder and moan.

"The way you feel—will always…amaze me," he panted.

She smiled, watching his wet member slide in and out of her with ease as she moved up and down on him. Knowing fully well that this position would make her come.

"I love that smile," he whispered, leaning in to peck her lips.

She smirked, tightening her grip around his neck.

He licked his lips. "You gonna come for me?"

"Yes," she breathed. "Close—close. Just…hold on for me."

He bit his lips, looking down at the sight. Watching them connect over and over again. His legs were extended on the bed, and he held her so close to him with each thrust.

And it didn't take much longer for her to come. The second he felt it, he let out a guttural moan along with her, finally allowing himself to finish, too. He spilled inside her, so eager to release what had been building up.

She collapsed in his arms, her body feeling dead tired from all that. Specifically, her legs.

He laid back on the bed, pulling her tired body with him onto his chest. Still inside her and both of them incredibly messy.

"You need to stop waking up horny," she whispered.

He chuckled, squeezing her body and pressing kisses to her cheek. "Sorry. I will admit I don't think I have ever had sex this much in a span of a week. I'm _embracing_ the horny this week."

"I am too," she laughed. "But honestly I don't know how I've kept up this whole time when you about destroyed me the first night we got here."

He put his hand over his mouth, laughing along with her. "Shit. Yeah. That really was my bad. You turned me on in that damn elevator."

"I did kind of start it," she agreed. "I'm also really impressed with...your body."

He looked at her with a frown. "How come? You know I've got it in me."

"Oh I know you do, but there's still only so much a man can actually come. And I think we've shattered records this week," she said with a laugh.

He smiled, watching her laugh. "What can I say, it's what you do to me."

"I will take some credit," she admitted.

"But I'm not gonna lie...I'm probably feeling as dead as you are right now. And...if we're gonna do it again, I'm gonna need some...fucking Gatorade or something."

She burst into laughter, readjusting her head on his chest. "You have all day to recuperate. I can't for a while, my legs are shot. Unless you just wanna...you know, fuck me, while I lay here."

He chuckled, smiling up at her. "I'll let you recuperate too, as tempting as that invitation sounds. Give it a nice rest."

"Very kind. You're still inside of me though, babe," she said.

"Oh," he said, peering down at them. "Well that's my favorite spot to be."

"Oh trust me, I know this," she laughed, not even bothering to lift her head off his chest.

"Yeah, you feel nice," he said.

"What do I feel like?" she asked.

"Well you know. Your fingers have been in there," he said.

She gasped, lifting her head up as he laughed. "I meant to your dick. Very different."

He smirked, thinking about how to answer such a question.

"Like...heaven," he said.

She giggled. "Come on. I mean...real descriptive words here. Thank you though, I appreciate knowing my vagina feels like heaven."

"It does," he pointed out. "But...to fully answer your question. You're...warm. And tight. I can feel when you clench your muscles. And...really, really wet most of the time."

She nodded, seemed satisfied with his answer. "That was pretty descriptive, actually. Thank you!"

"I could go on and on about how you feel to me if you wanted me to," he said. "Right now, you're really relaxed."

She clenched around him and his eyes widened. "Ah—okay, okay, nevermind!"

She smiled. "I had to."

"Such power you have," he said, smiling.

"Don't you forget it, baby," she replied.

"I won't. But...I'm gonna pull out now. We're a mess," he said, easing out of her.

"Kay," she whispered, still laying there.

He gently rolled her over, kneeling above her and kissing her forehead. "I'll be back, you stay."

"Stay," she nodded, giving him a tired thumbs up.

He came back all fresh and clean with a washcloth, and he cleaned her up himself. Not even tissues. A whole washcloth and everything.

"What a gentleman," she whispered.

He peered up at her with a smile. "For you—always."

That was how their day started off.

Before the sun had even risen.

They ordered room service for breakfast, which was amazing. Both the food, and not having to actually get up and be presentable to go eat something elsewhere.

But they still got a head start on their day at sea.

And that day at sea was a packed one. They got around to a lot of things they'd wanted to do, on top of their usual lounging around on the pool deck and eating lots of ice cream.

Rock climbing, was one of them, as was ice skating.

Fitz loved that, in particular.

They did come back to the room after they got back from ice skating though, and they hung around in there for a little while, watching TV. Turns out even after eight hours of sleep, you can still be tired, getting up at four and filling your day with lots of activities and sunshine.

She looked over at him, laying so contently on top of the covers as he sleepily watched TV.

Wearing nothing but a pair of dark gray Calvin Klein boxer briefs because he'd been hot before.

His hair, falling slightly into his eyes. The rebellious long curls, refusing to be styled. Similar to her own.

She couldn't resist.

She reached over and slid her hand in his boxers, feeling him warm and soft at the moment.

His eyelids fought to stay open as he looked over at her, feeling her touch him.

"You too sleepy?" she asked.

He kept his head turned toward her, closing his eyes completely. "Mmm...yeah. But...you don't have to stop. Feels nice."

He snuggled his face up into the pillow next to her while she stroked him. He slowly hardened in her grip, but she could tell that he was still physically tired. Not fully into it.

She eyed the lotion on his nightstand. The lotion that they rubbed into their skin every night after a whole day in the sun.

How convenient.

She slowly pulled the waistband of his boxers down, revealing his thick, long member.

It never failed to amaze her how breathtaking he was. How beautiful his body was to her.

He didn't even open his eyes, but he had no problems with her continuing to slide his boxers all the way off his body.

She reached for the lotion and pumped some into one of her hands, rubbing it together quietly with her other hand.

And then she started stroking him again.

He gasped, opening his eyes _immediately_ at the feeling of her lotion-covered hand running up and down his shaft.

Within seconds he was hard as a rock. It really didn't take all that much.

She smiled, working her hand along it gently. Using the lotion to her advantage.

He couldn't stop watching now, as she'd gotten his attention pretty easily.

He sighed, leaning his head back against the headboard. "Jesus Christ."

"What's that?" she asked with a laugh.

"I was _not_ expecting that," he chuckled, licking his lips as he watched.

"I like to have your attention," she said, swinging her leg over his thigh. He'd done his fair share of surprising her. She thought it was time she reciprocated.

She straddled his lap, so she could focus solely on pleasuring him.

"You have it," he whispered, reaching out and resting his hands on her thighs.

"Good."

She rubbed it in slowly, enjoying how it sounded and how it felt to rub the thick lotion on him.

He gripped her thighs hard, never taking his eyes off what she was doing.

"Ohhh," he exhaled.

She smiled down at him, because she loved it when she had him in this position. Completely vulnerable. About to beg for it, like he'd done earlier that very morning. She was fully in control.

She rubbed her thumb over his tip in circles, watching his eyes about roll back in his head because that was by far his weakness.

As was the spot right below the head, at the top of his shaft. Rub him there, ever so gently, and he would shake.

So, naturally, she did that.

"Oh—Liv," he moaned, holding onto her legs so tight.

"I know," she whispered, watching him squirm beneath her. "Right there."

Now his eyes were closed. Not able to watch, and definitely not able to speak in coherent sentences because he was getting so close.

He moaned quietly as he began to jerk a little bit. Not fully in control of how his body moved.

He let out one last breath and then moaned loudly as he came on his chest.

She kept stroking him until he stopped, seeing the warm liquid cover his chest and a little bit of her hand.

He laid there and panted, finally opening his eyes again to see the mess.

"Ohhh," he sighed, looking down at his chest and abdomen. "Fuck."

"Here," she said, reaching over to grab a couple tissues.

"Thank you," he whispered, as she cleaned him up.

She nodded and smiled at him as he rubbed her thighs gently. "I'm…so tired now."

She leaned down to peck his lips, and then his cheek. "Sleep."

His eyelids slowly closed and he turned his head toward her side of the bed again.

And that's how he passed out. On his back, snuggled up to her pillow, curls a mess, and completely naked.

So she took the opportunity to do as much work as she could out on their balcony.

It was so relaxing to be out there, even if she was doing work. It barely _felt_ like work. The closed off top and sides of the private balcony prevented much wind from getting through even if the ship was moving. And if it did get through, it was just a nice breeze.

So relaxing. So private. So amazing.

She worked for two hours, sipping on a gin and tonic she'd mixed herself while she worked, too. She could get used to _that._ She even texted back and forth a little bit with Abby and sent some pictures she hadn't sent yet.

She learned that Arie was having lots of fun with 'auntie Abby" as she called herself, which made her smile. She missed that crazy dog. And her crazy best friend.

Two hours seemed to have been the perfect nap time for Fitz, who opened the balcony door around 6:00.

He sleepily rubbed his eyes, making his way over to her. Wearing no shirt and a pair of gym shorts it looked like he'd just grabbed and thrown on tiredly.

"Well good morning sunshine," she said with a smile.

He smiled back at her, giving her a little wave with his fingers.

"How did you sleep?" she asked, as he sat next to her on the chaise lounge.

"Good," he murmured, tucking his legs under him and laying down.

He laid his head down on her lap, wrapping his arms around her waist. Just snuggled right up there.

She held in a laugh, putting her pen on the table and pushing the table further away.

She ran her fingers through his curls, which were even more of a mess now after a nap. And she traced light, gentle lines across the side of his face.

"What's up baby?" she whispered.

"Nothin'. Just missed you," he replied, tightening his grip around her.

"I missed you too. I talked to Abby while you were sleeping, she and Arie are doing well."

"Oh good," Fitz said, rubbing her back. "I miss Arie."

"I miss her too," Olivia nodded sadly.

"We'll see her soon enough, though," he replied.

"Yes we will," she agreed. "She'll be happy to have us back. And pretty damn soon, she'll have a big house and yard to run around in. She's got a lotta good things coming her way."

He smiled so big. "I'm so glad that she will. She deserves that."

"She really does. She will tire herself out in our yard, I already know that."

"Mhm. I'm happy I won't have to take her to go run around in the baseball field anymore. She's got it right in our backyard."

"I think you will enjoy that just as much as she will," Olivia giggled.

"Oh I _definitely_ will," he nodded.

He looked up at her, having already stopped everything she was doing. "You can keep working, baby. I didn't mean to interrupt you, I just wanted to come sit with you."

"No way," she said. "I was only working because you were sleeping. Otherwise I'm not touching work on this trip. It's our honeymoon."

She watched him smile against her thin, cotton shorts. "Mmyeah. I love you."

"I love you too," she giggled.

He kept his eyes closed against her, and his arms tightly wrapped around her. He was completely smushed up on the chaise. His legs were far too long to have fit even normally, let alone all tucked underneath his body.

She knew the sun had been taking a toll on him, too. It was so strong down here in the Caribbean, and they spent all their days in it. He was tired, his forehead was a tad warm, and not to mention, he was dark as all hell.

"What do you wanna do for dinner tonight? We can stay in if you want," she suggested.

"Mm. We could go out. Maybe just not to...the fancy restaurant tonight," he replied.

"Okay. How about we do...Sorrento's," she whispered, leaning down toward his ear.

He opened one eye and a smile crept across his face. "Sorrento's?"

"Sorrento's," she nodded.

"Yes," he nodded back. "I'm sold."

"I figured you would be," she laughed. "You just may have to change out of those shorts. _Or_ put on a pair of underwear," she said, eyeing him.

"I like these shorts," he murmured, shifting his legs a little bit.

"Well I like them too. I just have a full view of your dick print right now," she laughed.

He looked down at himself and started laughing a long with her.

"Oops," he chuckled, readjusting his shorts.

"I mean I enjoy it, personally," she said, running her fingers through his hair.

"Yeah I think I gathered that from uh...before my nap," he said.

"Mmm," she laughed. "Well, I bet you slept great after."

"I did," he agreed. "And my dick is soft."

 _"What?"_ she laughed.

"You heard me. That lotion is like...magic or something."

"Hmm...I'm intrigued," she laughed.

"Cop a feel, go on," he said, reaching down and pulling on the waistband of his shorts.

So she reached under his shorts and "copped a feel."

Her eyes widened. "Woah."

"Uh-huh," he nodded. "Soft dick."

" _Really_ soft dick," she agreed.

He sighed happily, looking around him as they sailed through the water. A perfect day at sea, and an extremely relaxing one.

"This balcony really is just the best place. Isn't it," he said.

"It is," she nodded. "But I think you're a little biased because of what happened out here a couple mornings ago."

He thought for a second and smiled. "That's a good point. Coffee. My wife blowing me. Sunshine. What else could a man ever want in this world?"

"I don't know," she laughed. "Here, let me put my stuff away. We can get ready to go, out, if you want."

"Okay. Did you get some stuff done?" he asked.

"I did, actually. A lot. But enough with it now. It's not important anymore. My attention is back on you and you only," she said, beginning to pack her things.

He laughed. "Baby you know I am completely understanding of anything you need to do."

"I know you are, and I'm very appreciative of that," she nodded. "But no more. Just my husband now."

"Just me huh," he smirked, looking up at her as she put her things away.

"Just you. So come on. Sorrento's for you," she said.

"Mmkay," he nodded, getting up.

So Sorrento's it was, on the eve of her birthday.

And eventually, "Day 6" came to its end, too.

* * *

His two fingers were _drenched_. Pumping in and out of her quickly. Her thighs shook, even though she was laying down.

He watched the projector screen in front of him, which had been on since his morning birthday wake-up call at about eight.

He occasionally looked over at his wife's naked body right next to him, fingers deep inside her.

She was laying at the top of the bed on the pillows normally, and he was laying a little further down than she was. His head was resting right by her hips, knees bent as he laid on his back.

She wasn't even talking. She was leaving that all to him.

"You know, these fingers used to be broken," he stated, curling them ever so slightly inside her. His non-dominant hand could get in on the action too.

She gasped, clutching at his right shoulder.

"Don't you remember, baby?" he asked, leaning over and watching his fingers move in and out of her more closely. He liked that close up view. She was dripping, he could see it, hear it, and feel it.

She didn't answer him. He'd been teasing her for a pretty long time before that, even though it really _had_ started off as an innocent, snuggle-filled wake-up call and some TV. And only recently did one thing start leading to another. She was probably fed up, wanting a damn orgasm already. But he enjoyed having fun with her.

"I'll take your silence as a no," he smirked. "See, I was told that after I took the splint off, there could be _no_ strenuous exercise for two weeks. Which, I listened to. You know, doctor's orders, have to obey."

She leaned her head back against the headboard, now gripping the side of the mattress with one hand.

"Now they're healed. At least, I think they're pretty damn healed. What do you think, baby? Is this too...strenuous...of exercise for them?" he asked, moving his fingers in and out of her fairly roughly now.

"No," she whimpered.

He smiled. "Mm, she speaks."

Her desperate breaths were so sexy to him. He turned fully over onto his knees, kneeling in front of her so he could concentrate better.

He moved her legs open himself and kneeled between them, thrusting his fingers as fast as he could while her pretty little back arched in front of him.

He used his thumb for her clit, rubbing it gently compared to how quick and rough he was fingering her. That always made her shake harder. He liked that.

He reached his other hand up to her thigh, caressing it gently as he slowly pushed her legs open wider.

"Fitz," she whimpered. The pleading so relevant in her voice that he almost felt bad for teasing her for so long, especially on her birthday. But he knew how it felt to be teased. He knew the wonderful, amazing agony it resulted in. Nah, he didn't feel bad.

"Yes, baby," he said in a low voice, looking down at his fingers gliding in and out of her with such ease.

"Please—I'm so...close," she begged.

"I know, Livvie," he nodded, ignoring the bulge in his own boxers at the moment.

She breathed so fast, squeezing her eyes shut and holding onto the sheets in front of him as hard as she could.

She let out a moan, before he started to feel it.

He slowed his fingers, watching her come on his hand. "There we go," he whispered.

He bit his lip, sliding his fingers in and out of her until he saw that she was done.

"God, that felt so good," she whispered, still panting heavily.

He leaned forward and pecked her lips gently before getting up and heading for the bathroom.

He washed off his hands, looking at himself in the mirror.

It was _extremely_ clear now, on "Day 7", that he'd been on vacation.

He was so dark everywhere. His hair, since the very first day, had _never_ stayed in control. He knew he should have cut it before the trip, but he also knew how much his wife liked it long. So he'd kept it for her. And now, throughout this whole trip, it'd been a mess of extreme curls at all times. Pretty frizzy, from the hot, humid air too.

She seemed to dig it though.

"Baby," he called out.

"Yeah," she replied.

"You wanna come to yoga with me in a little bit?"

"Yes, I do!" she yelled.

"Mmkay. I'm gonna run a little bit first and then there will be a class at ten again. They do them every hour, I think."

"Okay," she said. "I'm gonna run in the fitness center first though. No track for me, sorry."

"Yeah I know, I don't blame you. It's...very hot out there," he chuckled.

"Yeah. You've got balls to do that," she said.

"I do have balls," he nodded.

"You wanna come in here and show 'em to me before we go?" she asked. "I can help you out a little bit."

He laughed. "Thanks, Liv, I'm all good now, though," he said, looking down at himself. No longer hard from before, which was a blessing. "But when we get back, maybe...shower?"

He could hear her little giggling from the bedroom. "Even when you ask me for shower sex, you still manage to make it cute and innocent."

He smiled. "Well based on how you feel about me when I come back from yoga, I don't think it will be cute and innocent when I'm screwing you in the shower."

"Touché," she agreed. "Something about you and yoga..."

"I think you just like the running shorts I wear," he said, coming back into the bedroom area. "They're short and tight."

"That could very well be it. Along with the fact that I've never seen a man do a shoulderstand before, nor have I ever been turned on by one until a couple days ago."

"You liked that shoulder stand huh?" he smirked, giving her a wink. "You should see me...halasana."

"I should see you hala-what now?" she asked.

"Halasana. Plow pose," he shrugged. "Basically I...bring my legs even further over my head, to the floor. It hurts. But it kind of...feels nice, actually. I was proud when I did it."

She looked extremely intrigued, just at his brief description of the pose. "Alright, I'm getting up, I'm getting up. We are _going._ "

He smirked, watching her get out of bed, fully naked after having cleaned herself up.

"Wait," he said, watching her walk to the bathroom.

She stopped and turned her head to look at him. "Hm?"

"Nothing, I just wanted you to stop so I could stare at your ass a little longer."

She rolled her eyes and gave him a wink before disappearing into the bathroom.

They got ready for their little run and yoga, which meant Olivia wearing leggings and a tight tank top, and Fitz wearing a dri-fit running shirt and running shorts. The shirt would come off eventually.

She ran inside and he ran outside and lifted a little bit until their yoga class at ten. She watched him as she'd begun to do when he ran, since she had an optimal view. He looked damn sexy when he ran.

The yoga class was something she'd never experienced before. Aside from beginners yoga that she'd done in high school, she was pretty unfamiliar. Her mom liked yoga, but she'd never really gotten into it.

It seemed there were a lot of different levels mixed in with the class. Everyone did what they were able to, and it was a really comfortable environment.

Although, she had a hard time not looking over at her husband while also trying to do her own goddamn yoga.

His ass. Those shorts. His abs. What the hell kind of amazing gift was yoga, and why on earth had it not been presented to her sooner?

What she really found adorable was the fact that he really seemed to take to it. He was definitely distracted by having her next to him. Watching her, and whispering to her every now and then, which caused her to laugh.

But…he actually focused pretty hard, and went as far as any of the instructors tried to take them all. He still had lots to get the hang of, but he never gave up.

Olivia, on the other hand, was pretty much a natural. Her little body seemed to understand what to do right off the bat. She knew she was flexible, so that part wasn't a problem. But some of the poses did require more strength than others, which she lacked in some areas. She was toned and strong, but she was still small. She found it to be an enjoyable challenge, as did he.

Yoga…perhaps they had found a new hobby.

They certainly enjoyed doing it together. After their class, they went back to their room to shower and get ready for their last day at sea, and a very special day overall.

Fitz didn't let her out of the shower for a nice long time.

However, there was a bit of a time crunch. One that Olivia had no idea about.

"Wait, but where do we have to go?" she asked, dropping her towel to the floor as they started to get dressed together.

"Well…I can't tell you that, can I?" he asked, eyeing her beautiful naked body.

"Yes you can!" she exclaimed.

"You'll see soon enough anyway. I can't exactly keep it a secret for very long when there are only so many places you can go on this ship," he chuckled. "Just get dressed, birthday girl. So we can go and so your body can stop distracting me."

She smirked, stopping midway through putting on a bra.

"Nuh-uh, you keep clasping that thing, or whatever. Put it on," he laughed.

She giggled, clasping it together from the front. One of her favorite bras!

"You really like birthday surprises don't you?" she asked, pulling out a pair of underwear.

"And what about it? You really like birthday blowjobs. Everyone's got their thing," he shrugged, pulling a shirt over his head.

She laughed. "I do really like birthday blowjobs, this is true."

"It won't be that much of a surprise. It isn't new to you. But you'll love it," he nodded.

"I am already intrigued," she said, smiling at him.

When they were fully ready, he led her down to deck 5, the same deck as the Royal Promenade.

And they headed to the very front of the ship, which confused her. Completely the opposite of the main dining room, and everything else she knew well on the fifth deck.

But then she saw the sign near the far elevators, "Vitality At Sea Spa."

She gasped. "Oh my god. I forgot about the spa on this ship!" she laughed. "I should have known."

"Mmhm," he smirked. "I snuck down to make you an appointment when you were in the shower yesterday. And I said to include absolutely everything imaginable, because it's your birthday. You'll get the works."

"Oh Fitz," she said, smiling. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You spoil me."

"Yes," he nodded proudly. "Happy birthday, baby."

"Thank you, sweetie," she replied, as they neared the front desk for check-in.

They got her all checked in, and then they were separated for pretty much the first time all week.

Besides when they'd been working out. Which, was for an hour at most, if they were even far apart. Half the time they were still on the same deck, just running in different places.

Now, though. Now, he could _finally_ go get her presents. He loved the woman to death, but it had been nearly impossible to get away from her all week. Understandable, considering it was their honeymoon. But that made it difficult when her birthday happened to fall on one of the days, and he didn't want to bring presents in his suitcase. That was lame, and he wanted some things from the ship.

On top of the endless souvenirs they'd already gotten, he wanted something really special for her birthday. Or probably, multiple things. He had a few things in mind.

His first stop was Regalia, the fine jewelry store, where he knew what he wanted already.

She'd _loved_ the real turquoise in his bracelet so much, so that's what he went looking for first. And he found it.

A turquoise bar necklace. Silver embedded around it, and a silver chain. Perfect. They would kind of match!

But then he went right to "The Shop", which sold things specific to Royal Caribbean and Symphony of the Seas.

That was a fun store. One they'd already been in, actually, and had purchased a few things from. But he knew one thing she'd been looking at, that she would never buy for herself. A long sleeve shirt, with 'Symphony' written across the back in big letters. There were a few different colors, but he chose the white one, with navy letters on the back.

He got her a Cruise ship birthday card, which he chuckled at. Shaped into a cruise ship and everything, which he knew she'd get a kick out of. As well as a pen, which also gave him a good laugh. Tilting it back and forth caused the little ship in it to go to one side or the other. Funny, dumb trinkets to make her laugh, _check._

His last stop was Solera, a place he could get general beauty and skin care products. They sort of had that tradition, of getting those practical gifts as well. His aftershave, cream for her hair, cream for _his_ hair, they'd done a lot of different practical gifts.

So he carried on with that, buying her a huge bottle of some of the leave-in conditioner he knew she used, and one of her favorite lotions. He couldn't exactly buy her the Lush products she liked on board a cruise ship, so he stuck with the best he could find that he knew she still liked.

That woman and her…cream stuff. They barely had enough cupboard space for it all at home, and here he was buying her more. Kind of how he rolled. Worth it.

He still had about half an hour until she'd be done, so he went up to the room and organized his gift-wrapped presents on the coffee table. He stuck the conditioner and lotion in with the gift-wrapped shirt and necklace, and wrote on her card.

 **My dear Olivia,**

 **Happy Birthday, my beautiful wife. I hope you enjoy your cruise ship gifts. And just so you know, you have to keep this pen at home because I will most definitely be writing anything and everything for you with it in the future.**

 **I love you endlessly. This has been the best week with you, and it's going to end even better today. Happy 23rd, baby.**

 **All my love,**

 **Fitz**

He had the room looking perfect for her by the time he picked her up and returned from her spa treatment, which she'd loved. She told him all about the massage, the facial, the manicure and pedicure she got, to replace the wedding nails that had slowly been fading from before.

She seemed pretty happy with the whole deal, and was even happier when she opened her gifts.

"Did you just get all this today?" asked.

"Yeah. It was hard for me to sneak away any other time," he chuckled.

"You are so sweet, Fitz," she said, climbing onto his lap and hugging him tight. "Thank you for everything. This has been the _best_ birthday I've ever had."

"Of course," he nodded, pecking her cheek and wrapping his arms around her back. "But…the day isn't even close to over yet."

"Mmm," she smirked. "You did say in the card that this week would end even better today."

"I did. You wanna go out?" he asked.

"I do," she nodded, leaning in for a kiss.

He smiled, kissing her back, and rubbing his nose against hers before placing a soft kiss there, too. "Happy birthday, baby," he whispered again.

"Thank you," she smiled.

"You ready?"

"Ready."

They drank. They ate. They lounged in the sun. And they celebrated.

With a nice dinner that evening, followed by a show at the theater that they'd been dying to go to. "Hairspray." And funny enough, they even ran into their friends from earlier in the week, Desmond and Chloe there, who remembered the day and wished Olivia a very happy birthday.

But the night ended even better. They looked out at the water on the balcony together, as they got closer and closer to Fort Lauderdale again, where they would arrive early the next morning.

And after an evening on the balcony, looking out at the ocean, he did as he'd promised he would do, way before the honeymoon.

He carried his wife up the loft to that king-sized bed, and he made love to her.

It was a perfect end to a perfect honeymoon trip at sea. On the ship that would always have a special place in their hearts. The ship that had brought them a week full of fun, sun, and love.

Symphony of the Seas.

* * *

Wow. That was long, I know. You just went on a whole ass honeymoon.

I hope you enjoyed it. I know it took a little longer than usual, but I hope it was worth it.

The next chapter may also take a little bit longer, just because I am finishing up my semester currently and am also dealing with an illness, as some of you on Twitter may know. However, I never forget y'all and I never forget my favorite couple.

I will always write whenever I am able to! :)

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	95. The House On Andover Lane

"Careful, baby, that one's fragile."

"I know, I know, dishes," he nodded, readjusting it on his leg. "Jesus. How many do we have?"

"That's just your set, Fitz," she laughed. "We got rid of mine, remember?"

"Oh, right, right. New…fancy set. On the way. Yes," he nodded, wiping his sweaty forehead.

"Right. Where are Reid and Jai?" she asked.

"I just passed them on my last trip up, they had the last of the bedroom boxes, I think."

"Oh gotcha. Okay, you go take that down, I don't want you to have to keep holding it," she laughed.

"Mmkay," he chuckled.

"Hurry back to me," she said, taping up her last kitchen box.

"I shall," he nodded, heading through the propped open front door.

Arie let out a sad whine, watching her dad leave the apartment yet again.

"Oh baby, you know he's coming back. He's come back each and every time," she assured her.

Arie tilted her head, which made Olivia laugh to herself.

"I would let you out of your kennel, but I know you, missy. I know how fast you'd take off after dad, especially with that door wide open."

She tilted her head again.

 _"_ _Mmm_ hm, you just keep playing the confused card, girl, I know you know what I'm saying," Olivia nodded, pointing at her.

Arie laid her head down, still eyeing the door as the two movers they'd hired, Jai and Reid, came back through.

"Alright, just the rest of the living room and kitchen ones now right?" Jai asked.

"Yep, looks like it. I just finished the last of the boxes, these should be good to go," she said, gesturing to the kitchen ones.

"Perfect."

They each grabbed a couple boxes each and continued on with their trips down to the huge Uhaul truck, and to their cars, too. Wherever they could fit things.

Fitz's car could fit less, because he had a spot cleared for where Arie's kennel would go in the way back. But each little bit of space counted for something.

Their apartment was pretty big and they had a lot of stuff, so they'd hired the two movers and had some more help coming a little later to start unloading at the house as well. All her friends, and Logan, when he got off his shift.

They'd recently all done the same thing for Harrison, who'd moved out of his and Huck's apartment, and Teagan, who had moved _into_ it. And a while back they had helped Abby and David with theirs as well. So now they'd do the same for Olivia and Fitz's house. Such a supportive group of friends they were.

Although, her friends were pretty damn excited to help them move into this house. A few of their friends had only ever seen pictures and the view from the outside, and some of them hadn't even seen _anything_ in person. So they were pretty stoked to see their beloved Olivia's new place of residence.

She and Fitz were pretty damn stoked themselves. They'd taken their first trip there this morning just the two of them, to drop off Fitz's R7 there. They packed both the Audis as full as they could, thinking they shouldn't waste a whole trip there without bringing as much as possible.

They unload both cars, and then left the R7 there, and had driven the Q8 back so it could be reloaded yet again.

They were in and out pretty quickly though, as they needed to get back to the apartment before the movers arrived. So she couldn't wait for later that day to have the chance to just stop and absorb everything that was happening. The fact that she now owned a house with her husband hadn't really hit her yet. The fact that the house she owned was as amazing as it _was,_ hadn't hit her either.

Something else that hadn't hit her—the fact that they'd never sleep in this apartment again.

That much made her sad. She loved this apartment, and she knew Fitz did too. Even though he was ready to get the hell out of dodge, he'd lived there for a lot of years.

So when the time actually came to say goodbye, they were both sad.

They stared at the empty living room that held so many memories. Endless nights laying on the floor, watching TV.

The first night Olivia had ever come over, so excited to see a Paxton Hills apartment in person. They'd looked through his old boxes on the couch, before one thing starting leading to another. Their first kiss had happened in that very room.

The corner, right by the hallway, where Arie's kennel had always sat. Fitz remembered the first night she spent here as a puppy. She'd barked and barked and barked, so after he took her out to the bathroom, he slept on the floor in front of her kennel, so she wouldn't bark and wake Olivia up.

Just the _living room_ held so many memories. Nearly every room in the apartment did.

Fitz squeezed Olivia's hand, looking over at her with an encouraging smile. "I loved it here."

"I loved it here too," she nodded sadly.

"But we've got a beautiful house waiting for us," he said. "And I know we're going to love it there, too."

She nodded at him with a smile, and looked down at Arie, who was currently on her leash. She looked around too, probably confused as to why the hell her home was empty!

"You ready?" she asked him.

He nodded, doing his last look around. "Yeah. I think so."

"Okay. Come on Arie girl. Time to say goodbye," Olivia said, starting to slowly walk toward the front door.

Arie followed, as did Fitz.

Fitz smiled, eyeing the apartment one last time and patting the door frame.

They, of course, paid a visit to Logan, turning in all their keys and such.

"This a sad, sad day," Logan nodded. "I'm gonna miss having y'all around here."

"We'll miss you too, Baxter," Fitz said, patting him on the back.

"Who the hell am I gonna make fun of every day. In his preppy clothes!" Logan exclaimed.

They both laughed. "Oh I imagine you will find _plenty_ of time to insult my clothing," Fitz said, giving him a smile. "We'll only be a half hour away!"

"You're right. I'll see you two a little later. I got the address and the...gate code, or whatever," Logan nodded.

"Alright, thanks buddy. We'll see you," Fitz said.

"Bye Logan," Olivia waved.

"Bye you two. And Arie!"

They gave him one last wave before officially leaving Paxton Hills, as well as saying a sad goodbye to Christian, holding the door open for them.

The movers drove the big Uhaul truck they'd come in, and Fitz and Olivia drove their separate cars, both extremely packed full.

Arie had her prime spot in the back of Fitz's car, too. Still probably confused as to what was going on.

She was a lot happier when they arrived, though, to the beautiful house on Andover Lane.

Fitz got there first, so he hit the small button on his gate and garage opener, now clipped on the mirror above him, and it started to open for him. He smiled, because it was very similar to the gate he'd had at his Santa Barbara house.

The Malibu one had been much different. This one…it brought him back to Santa Barbara.

He didn't press the button again to close it, as Olivia and the Reid and Jai would be close behind.

The long, winding brick driveway split into two different directions. If you took a right, it led to the back two garage stalls, and straight ahead, was where the front of the house was.

Just the driveway itself was quite beautiful. Trees lined it on either side, and it took one big curve to reach what was a parking area of sorts. It was huge, and tons of cars could be parked there. Which, would be nice for parties.

There wasn't parking on the streets, so that was kind of a requirement for the neighboring houses. All of which, that was no problem for, because they were huge. Mansions, was really the only word.

He pulled up next to his R7, which he'd parked there earlier that morning, and Arie was already itching to get out. He could hear her rustling around excitedly since they'd slowed down. She was smart. She knew that meant she could get out soon.

The second Olivia pulled up next to him and the Uhaul truck was parked, he let Arie out, She started sniffing around like crazy.

"This is your new home, baby girl. This is Arie's house," Fitz said, giving her a little butt pat as she sniffed around him excitedly.

"Here. You can go blow off some steam," he said, unclipping her leash. "Go!"

She trotted over to the garden that lined the long driveway, deciding that should be the first place she checked out. She would have _lots_ to check out on their two acres of land, all fenced in. The gate was now closed as Olivia had pressed her button, so Arie was safe to do so.

Olivia walked up to Fitz, laughing as she watched Arie run around for the first time. "She's gonna love it here."

He pulled her into his body, wrapping his arms around her lower back. _"We're_ gonna love it here."

She smiled, standing on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his lips. "You wanna go…I don't know. Run around in our house or something?"

He chuckled. "Oh is…is that what people do now when they buy a house, Liv?"

She laughed, shaking her head. "I don't _know_ what people do when they buy a house. I am…still trying to grasp the fact that we actually bought one."

"We did," he smirked. "We can go run around in it if you really want. But fair warning, I'm kind of fast."

"You _are_ fast," she nodded. "Way faster than me, I remember our race in the park behind my house!"

He smiled. "Mmhm. If I remember correctly, I won…a blowjob, in the shower."

"Sounds about right," she nodded. "And then…my dad came home."

His eyes widened. "Oh _shit,"_ he chuckled. "That's right. Full grown man and I'd never been so terrified in my _life."_

"Me neither," she agreed. "He loves you now, though. _Growth."_

"I love him too. Speaking of him, did you hear about our pool table conversation?" he asked.

She raised her eyebrow. "No…"

"Oh. We're getting a pool table," he shrugged.

"Ummm…we are?" she asked.

"Yes. We decided the morning after our wedding. You shoulda seen him, Liv. He got so excited when I suggested it. I mean, unless…you say no. But…don't say no. Your dad will be sad."

She laughed, shaking her head. "He does love pool. Where will we put it?"

"The basement. We've got too much room down there, anyway. That's where the previous owners had theirs, too, remember?" he asked.

"Yeah. Okay. But…no green. It should be…a different color, one that looks nice with everything. Green tables are too mainstream, anyway."

He shrugged. "I don't care what color. Your dad and I are going to have some battles, regardless."

She shook her head. "Oh, you boys. Is there any other large purchase I should know of? Things we _must_ have at our house?" she asked, shooting him a look.

He stood in thought. "Hmm. Well…just the trampoline and the amusement park that will go in our backyard."

She laughed, resting her head against his chest. "I love you, you dork."

"Ditto."

"You guys want us to start heading in?" Reid asked, gesturing to the boxes they'd already unloaded on the driveway.

"Oh, yes, of course," Fitz nodded, taking Olivia's hand. "We'll prop the garage door and the front door open. We have some more help coming pretty quick here too."

"Sounds good," Jai said.

They headed inside, Fitz unlocking the front door with his key. And they entered the large foyer, which was truly one of Olivia's favorite parts of the house.

There was a curved grand staircase right in front of you as you entered. And just straight ahead, through an arched doorway, led to the breakfast nook, and the kitchen to its right.

Through the arched doorway on the _right_ of the foyer, was the dining room. Also accessible through the kitchen.

And through the arched doorway on the left of the foyer, was the living room, which also connected to the library.

That was one of Fitz's favorite parts already. He'd always had his bookcase in the living room of the apartment, stacked full with politics and law books. Books for enjoyment, too. But that thing overflowed to the point where he couldn't fit many of his books on it anymore.

That's why the library made him so happy. It was a beautiful room, composed mostly of a beautiful oak wood. Shelves built into the wall already, as that was the room's only purpose.

He'd have _plenty_ of space to store his books at this house.

But that wasn't even half of the house.

Adjacent to the kitchen was the family room, and the stairs nearby that led down the basement, and a back staircase that also led upstairs.

From the kitchen, you could pass through a nice walkway to either get to that family room to the left, straight ahead, or to the right.

Straight ahead, there was a pair of bedrooms, adjoined by a Jack and Jill bathroom.

To the right, was the mudroom, which of course led to two of their garages. The other set of garages was down the side of the house a bit, and led into the basement. Fitz planned to park his R7 back there.

That made up the first level. The _huge_ first level.

Up the beautiful grand staircase to the right, was a long hallway, the entire length of the house.

At the end of the hallway was what was classified as a playroom. Classified this way because the entire second floor was filled with bedrooms, and it was no secret who the bedrooms were for.

The laundry room was just off of the playroom, as well as that back staircase that led down into the family room.

But up the grand staircase straight ahead, was an office.

And to the left, the master suite.

The master suite was pretty special. Aside from the fact that it had a fireplace and a whole sitting area, it was a loft of sorts, as well. Stairs led up to a room the previous owners had used as an exercise room. Olivia and Fitz probably would do the same.

The bathroom, of course, was also quite amazing. In total, two walk-in closets that were very spacious, and two huge beautiful vanities. The way the bathroom was set up, was interesting.

On either side of their fireplace, there was a door to get in. The left side held one closet on the right-hand side, and straight ahead was a beautiful shower with a tub next to it, and a toilet next to that. The first vanity, just behind that.

But on the door to the right of their fireplace, was essentially an entirely different bathroom, connected through the walk-in closets.

In the other bathroom, was a toilet, a shower, and a vanity. The only thing there was one of, was the bathtub.

Their apartment had certainly had a spacious bathroom already. They were used to a double vanity, and a large shower with two shower heads. But _two whole_ vanities? _Two whole_ showers? _Two_ toilets, for god's sake. Not to mention, a huge walk-in closet for each of them.

That had been a bit of a problem at the apartment, as they'd had to share one _regular_ closet, and one dresser for a while, until they bought a second. Not only did Olivia have a ton of clothes, but so did Fitz. Not to mention; _shoes._

The woman and her shoes. Actually, the _man_ and _his_ shoes. They were both guilty.

There was no doubt they had room enough in the house for anything they could have possibly imagined. Too much room.

It was far too big for them now. In the future…maybe not so much.

The last part of the house, itself, was its basement.

It had a huge storage room, covering pretty much an entire side of the house. Other than that, it was very open. Plenty of space for a ton of furniture, a pool table, pretty much anything they wanted. Just off the big open space was a bar area, that the previous owners had built in themselves.

There was a bar, a fridge, a dishwasher, enough for a decently sized, basic kitchen.

But Olivia's favorite, was the wine cellar. The wine cellar was also just off the living area on the other side. Like the library, the room was made of the same beautiful oak. With rows upon rows of wine bottle cubbies.

The room had its own thermostat, and had to be kept at just the right temperature for the wine.

They were gonna have a lot of wine to fill it with.

Lastly in the basement, there was also another small mudroom, that led to the second set of garages.

That summed up the house, but that didn't even come _close_ to summing up the property.

The number of gardens it had…was insane. Surrounding the entire house, and the entire backyard area.

The backyard was something else. Beautifully landscaped with trees and gardens and stone ledging, all perfectly placed around one of the centerpieces of the backyard, the pool.

Large gray, rectangular stones surrounded the in-ground pool, giving it a very classy look to match the house.

There was a diving board too, and plenty of space for lounge chairs and tables.

Aside from the pool, there was a ginormous patio that essentially spanned the length of the house, all of the same gray, rectangular stone that surrounded the pool. That was where most of their outdoor furniture would go, as it really was insanely large.

It could be accessed from pretty much every room on the first level, all through beautiful glass French doors. The family room, the breakfast nook, the living room, and even the library had a single glass door, leading out to the patio. That's how far it spanned throughout the backyard.

The view from it was extremely nice as well. There there was the pool area, just ahead and off the left.

And then there was the rest of their acreage. Straight ahead, and through a few trees before you really reached the open land.

It was huge. Large, pretty trees lined their property on all sides, along with the white, paneled fence.

Their property was extremely private, due to the gated driveway, the fence and all of the trees. Which, they liked. But they still knew what lied beyond their fence and their trees. Their neighbors just off to their right had about _four_ acres of land, with a little creek that was technically theirs as well.

Their neighbors to their left were much closer, as they could actually see their house through the trees from the driveway

The entire neighborhood was just _magnificent._

And now, they were a part of it.

It was still hard to grasp that, even while they slowly unpacked their things, bringing boxes and certain things into designated rooms.

Help started showing up a little while after they arrived, themselves, so Reid and Jai were particularly helpful before people started arriving.

Their additional help included Harrison, who had taken the weekend to come back to Connecticut. He had only recently this summer started his new job in Virginia, so he now understood the drive Olivia always endured to get back and forth.

Quinn and Charlie, Abby and David, and of course, Huck and Teagan. They all made the trip to help out, and they all were in awe of the place the _entire_ time. Their favorite nickname for the house that they'd already established months ago; "The building."

Except for Abby, who seemed to come up with a fairly logical nickname, the "pretty house."

Her reasoning made them laugh.

"Hey, look, all I'm saying. Pretty boy. He calls her pretty girl. Therefore, where do they live? Pretty house," Abby shrugged, stacking one of the boxes she'd just brought in.

"So according to your logic…they drive pretty cars, and their dog is…pretty dog. That kind of thing?" Charlie asked, which had everyone laughing.

"Uh, yeah. Have you seen the Audis parked outside? They're fucking _pretty,"_ Harrison added. "Also…I mean, Arie's damn cute too, so."

"Hey now. Let's not forget about _my_ precious car," Olivia piped up. "It may not be an Audi but it does the job."

"And I actually prefer to call my car sexy dad car, so," Fitz shrugged.

"You're not even a dad yet, bro," Harrison said.

"Uhhh, have you seen the beautiful dog sprinting around the yard… _bro?"_ Fitz asked.

"Oooh," everyone laughed.

"Okay, okay, you know what I _meant,_ prof," Harrison said.

Fitz shot him a look. "I take offense. I'm a dedicated dad already. Even if I haven't impregnated my wife yet, which, I assure you, I _will_ do."

"He _is_ very dedicated," Olivia assured them all.

"Maybe you should punch him for saying that, Fitz," Huck suggested.

Harrison turned to Huck, shaking his head while everyone laughed. "Someone's _always_ gotta bring up the damn punch!"

"Well, you did destroy my face," Fitz pointed out. "It was quite an event, one that's hard to forget."

"You really did," Abby nodded in agreement. "So unfortunate for a pretty face. Which brings me back to my original point. Pretty house."

"I like it," Olivia nodded, starting to follow her back out to the truck. "I did always tell Fitz we were going to buy a pretty house."

"That's true," he nodded, starting to follow them as well.

The movers were just coming past them, carrying their kitchen table.

"Where to with this? Dining room?" Jai asked.

"No, why don't you set that in the breakfast nook, actually. We've got a dining room table on the way," Fitz said.

"Roger that," Jai nodded.

"Breakfast nook. The hell! So where do you eat lunch? There or the dining room?" Charlie asked.

"The lunchroom," Fitz replied.

"What?! Where the hell is that one, I've scoured the house a million times already!" he exclaimed.

"Buddy, I'm kidding," Fitz chuckled.

Olivia giggled, shaking her head.

"Oh! Well damn, I believed you for real," Charlie nodded.

"Me too…shit," Harrison chuckled. "Wanna do the couch now? This sucker's big."

"Yeah, let's do it," Fitz nodded. "Charlie and David, wanna help on the back end when we lift it up?"

"Yeah," they nodded, positioning himself to get ready for when they pulled it out.

Fitz and Harrison tugged it out from the back so that Harrison could squeeze back there and lift it up.

"Alright, one, two, three."

The three guys lifted it up from its multiple sides, and it was heavy, considering it was a sectional. Charlie and David jumped in when they had enough room to grab the back of it.

Fitz had to watch his step, as he went backward down the truck's ramp.

"Woo! Lookin' good baby," Olivia nodded, making herself flat against the wall off the truck so they could pass.

"Thanks, uh—Liv, did we discuss where this is even going? We should have…discussed that before we picked it up," he chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah. Family room," she nodded.

"Kay," he nodded, biting his lip as he readjusted his grip on his side of the couch.

"Alright, girl power, let's grab this big ass chair," Quinn said, pointing to it.

"Sounds like a plan," Olivia nodded.

So the fours girls tackled that. The big chair was still much easier for them than the huge couch was for the guys. Especially since they had a lot of maneuvering to do to get through the front door.

"Okay, to the left, right?" Harrison asked, nodding in that direction with his head.

"Uh, no—no, right. Living room is left, family room is right," Fitz panted.

"Wait. _What?_ There's...a difference? Oh my god, I thought...there were just two family rooms. Just could also be called…living rooms," Charlie panted, walking sideways as they shuffled along with the couch.

"Family room is…less formal. For family. Friends. Living room…for guests. More formal," Fitz answered.

"Family rooms are more…functional, too," Teagan added, readjusting her grip on her side of the chair.

"What she said," Fitz nodded.

"What in…the holy fuck," Charlie chuckled.

"I've got one of each…at my own house, and I've…said them wrong…my whole life," David laughed.

"Living room, family room, same difference," a voice said, entering the kitchen.

Fitz and Olivia smiled, recognizing the voice. "Baxter, you decide to show up _after_ we bring the damn couch inside?" Fitz asked.

Logan just laughed, looking around at all their friends. "You know me. Good timing."

"Opposite…of me," Fitz said. "Alright, here's good guys, we can rearrange it later if need be."

They all set it down, rubbing their hands together and shaking them out.

"Nice to see you all again," Logan said, waving to everyone.

They all greeted him happily back, not having seen him since the wedding, when many of them had all met the first time.

"Thanks for coming, buddy," Fitz said, going over and patting him on the back.

The women set the chair on the floor next to the couch, both still all heavily wrapped up in plastic.

"Yeah, no problem. You two…this house is something else," he said, looking around.

"Yeah, man, you approve?" Fitz asked.

"I do," he nodded. "What else we got? I'm ready to lift."

"Oh, still a lot. Our movers have been helping a lot with the heavier stuff too, though. The couch was just a big one," Fitz said. "We've still got tons of furniture in there yet."

"Yeah, I got a good luck at the truck. It was still packed pretty full, except for that right side," Logan replied. "I assume that's where the couch was."

"Yep. Whew, it's damn hot," Fitz said, wiping his sweaty forehead with his arm.

"Yeah. Screw this," Charlie said, stripping his sweaty shirt over his head as they all started heading out to the truck again.

"Yeah, nah, you youngins will not see me doin' that. Not a pretty sight when the shirt comes off," Logan said, which had everyone laughing.

"What're you talking about, calling them youngins? You're younger than me, you make sure to remind me of that. Are you calling me old?" Fitz asked.

Logan smirked. "Well, you are the oldest person here, Grant."

Olivia linked her arm with his, leaning her head against his arm as they walked. "But isn't he just so cute?"

Logan eyed him, wearing a khaki pair of shorts and a blue polo. "I don't know if cute's the word I'd use. Maybe—"

"Don't you dare," Fitz warned.

"Preppy," Logan said with a smile.

Fitz looked down at Olivia, who was giggling.

"Seriously. _What_ is wrong with this outfit? I mean, what could _possibly_ be wrong with it? Do _I_ have to take my shirt off too?"

"Nothing's wrong with it, I like it," Olivia shrugged.

"Yeah I think you look nice, Grant," Charlie shrugged.

 _"_ _Thank you,_ Charlie," Fitz nodded, as they reached the truck again, passing Reid and Jai who were carrying one of the guest room dressers.

Logan laughed. "You know I just love messin' with you brotha. You look fine."

"Where you want this boss?" Reid asked them.

"Baby," Fitz said, looking at her.

"Uh…so the two bedrooms on the first floor, the _left_ one," Olivia specified. "That goes with the bed frame that's already in there."

"You got it, ma'am," Reid nodded.

"Thanks!" Olivia said politely.

"Big boss woman Liv!" David chuckled.

"Yeah, it's like…'Bossman Bing', from _Friends._ Except…Bosswoman…Grant," Abby laughed.

"Yeah, and she's sexier," Fitz added, giving her a look over.

"Mmm," Olivia smirked, looking back at him. "And by the way, Bosswoman Grant is not opposed to boss _man_ Grant removing his shirt, by the way," she added, climbing up on the ramp.

He followed her, wrapping his arms around her from behind and kissing her cheek. "Yeah, I bet she'd like that."

"Okay, okay, don't fuck in the truck," Charlie said.

"Hmm…that would be a first," Fitz whispered.

She smiled, looking back at him. "Surprisingly, yes, that would be."

He kissed her one last time, before looking around at the truck, deciding on what to grab next. "Okay…one of our dressers. Baxter?"

"Yep," Logan nodded, coming up behind him. "I got the back side, you can take the front. Direct me to wherever the hell we're going."

"Alright. One, two, three."

The two men lifted up one of their dressers, and everyone got out of the way as they headed down the ramp.

"Okay. We should do some bedroom boxes then," Olivia said, grabbing two.

"We can take the other dresser, too," Harrison nodded.

"Yeah, okay. Thanks, guys," Olivia nodded. "It's just up the stairs and to the left."

"Right," Harrison nodded.

They all took more loads of bedroom things up to the master suite, which turned into quite the event.

"Y'all have like two bathrooms up in this bitch," Logan said, peeking his head through one of the doorways.

Olivia laughed. "Up in this bitch."

"Uh, yeah you're forgetting the stairs. Like…the literal stairs, in the bedroom," Quinn said.

"Where do they go again?" Teagan asked.

"Exercise room," Fitz answered.

"Do you guys even have any exercise equipment?" Huck asked.

"Nope. Well...aside from my set of weights. But our apartment had a gym, so..." he chuckled.

"There's a lot we don't have. You should see our inboxes right now. Both just full of confirmation emails that our 'something or other' has shipped," Olivia said.

"Well, at least you thought ahead. You'll be getting packages and furniture for weeks," Abby laughed.

"Pretty much," Fitz nodded. "We have a lot more space to furnish now. But I'm leaving that up to her, because she knows what she's doing."

Olivia nodded. "I spend all my free time...what do you call it, baby?"

"Pinteresting," Fitz nodded, wrapping an arm around her.

"Yes, Pinteresting," Olivia agreed, as everyone laughed. "Pinterest gives me a lot of inspiration."

"That's probably the safest bet, Grant. I try to make the apartment look nice, but Aliyah just ain't havin' it most of the time. I'm not good at that matching shit. It's like okay, baby, okay, you do what you want then!" he chuckled.

"Yep. Happy wife, happy life," Fitz said, lifting her up in a big hug.

"I would come up with a rhyme, but nothing rhymes with husband," she giggled, pressing her lips to his.

"That's okay," he smiled, pecking her lips gently back. "We better keep at it, guys. Lots to unload still," he said, looking around.

"Alright, bossman Grant has spoken," Logan said.

Fitz lowered her down to the ground and she linked their arms as they walked together, all of their friends following them out of their beautiful master suite.

That was pretty much the extent of their day, well into the afternoon. Unloading, organizing as well as they could, putting together furniture that they'd taken apart to save room in the truck.

They got their truck unloaded that afternoon finally, after a late snack break, which was a good thing to have done. They were very grateful to Reid and Jai, and sent them on their way with a generous tip and the Uhaul truck they'd come in.

By that point they were all sweaty and hot, and...kind of disgusting, which gave Charlie an idea.

"Hey Grant. Liv," Charlie said, leaning against the wall as he stared out one of the patio doors.

"Yeah," they answered.

"How much do I have to pay you to do whatever you need to do to get that pool all up and running and...let me jump in right now?" Charlie asked.

They laughed. "Uh...it's already all set. Owners had it cleaned and maintenanced last week," Fitz replied.

All their friends looked up at Fitz, instantly intrigued.

"Are you for real?" Harrison asked.

Olivia nodded, along with Fitz.

They all looked around at each other, as if waiting for someone to say what each one of them was thinking.

"Do you guys wanna...jump in the pool?" Fitz chuckled.

"Yes sir, that is the only way I'm taking my shirt off, let's go," Logan said, opening the patio door.

"YES," Charlie exclaimed, following him.

Olivia laughed, joining her group of friends as they exited the house.

"Alright, just wait, just wait," Fitz said, going to grab the key for the automatic pool cover. All the keys for anything and everything they'd need we're currently laid out on the island, so he grabbed the blue one, remembering what the blue stood for.

Arie trotted over to him, still tired from all the running around she'd been doing all day. But certainly not wanting to miss out on whatever the hell was going on now.

"You wanna come too, baby girl? Okay, come on!" he said, shutting the patio door behind him.

He walked out into the backyard, seeing all their friends stripping down if necessary, and laughing at each other.

"Oh god. This probably isn't a good idea considering any extra clothes we have in this house are all packed away," Fitz chuckled.

"Yeah and towels too. Be ready to air dry," Olivia laughed.

"I think we're all aware this is a stupid idea, but I think we all want to do it anyway," Abby giggled.

"Fully aware, still fully wanna do it," Teagan nodded.

"Alright, here we go," Fitz nodded, kneeling down and turning the key in the pool cover box.

They all watched it slowly move back from the shallow end, revealing the pretty blue water underneath.

Logan took his shirt off, tossing it on the ground behind him, which made everyone cheer.

"He's done the impossible, ladies and gents," Harrison laughed.

Logan nodded, posing for everyone. "Yeah, nevermind what I said earlier. We're pretending I'm younger today."

Fitz walked over by Olivia who kept her tank top on but took off her shorts, considering they were denim.

Underwear was essentially a pair of bikini bottoms anyway. Luckily they were not one of her lacy, revealing pairs, even though her tank top covered them for the most part anyway.

Fitz stripped off his polo, revealing his tanned, muscular chest. His pants hung a bit lower than the waistband of his briefs, so the entire inch of Calvin Klein was visible.

And Logan sighed, looking at him. "Alright. I feel old again."

Everyone laughed, turning to see what Logan was looking at.

"Damn, pretty boy, I didn't expect your whole body to be that tan," Abby said.

"It's not fair. He's from California, that's cheating," Charlie said.

"Oh, I think you'll find that you need to shield your eyes when you see my thighs," Fitz chuckled, starting to unbuckle his belt.

"Oh your thighs aren't even that bad," Olivia said.

"Mine are. Good thing I'm wearing gym shorts because I'm not takin' them off," he laughed.

"Fuck. I knew I shoulda worn gym shorts today," Harrison chuckled, taking off his khaki shorts as well. "Girls, any of you wanna wear my dri-fit shirt? They dry fast."

"Ooh, actually, I'll take that," Abby said, reaching her hands up so he could toss it to her.

"Oh, I've got one too," Huck said, lifting his up. "Teagan's got a tank top so."

"Yeah sure, that way I don't have to be half naked," Quinn laughed.

They all made it work one way or another. Between girls wearing guys' shirts or their own tank tops to cover their bodies, and guys wearing their gym shorts or their underwear. Good thing they were all friends.

Charlie was the first one in the pool, taking a running start from the side and doing a nice big cannonball.

"Wooo!" Quinn yelled, running in after him. Her cannonball splash was noticeably smaller.

"Y'all are wild," Logan said, entering the pool _calmly_ by the stairs in the shallow end, which had Fitz laughing.

"Well you're no fun, Baxter," Fitz said, making his way to the diving board.

Teagan and Huck hopped in in the deep end, and Abby sat down on the edge, pushing herself off into the middle of the pool.

"Alright heads up," Fitz warned, stepping on the diving board.

Olivia smiled up at him from behind, walking toward the diving board too.

"Oh, this should be good," David chuckled, hopping in next to Abby.

"What's the Cali man gonna do?" Charlie asked.

"Well, hopefully, I can still do it. I'm old, we'll see," he said.

He took a few big steps and jumped up and out as high and far as he could, flipping his body backward and tucking his legs. He completed the reverse backflip and made quite the big splash when he landed.

"Holy _shit!"_ Harrison yelled, above the cheers.

"Now, see, why does this man always gotta outdo everyone!" Logan chuckled, as Fitz resurfaced, shaking out his hair. "Grant, did you hear me? You crazy as fuck!"

He laughed along with everyone else. "I had to make an entrance. This is half my pool, after all," he said, rubbing his eyes. "I'm glad I can still do it."

"What the hell _was_ that? You couldn't have just done a _regular_ backflip?!" Logan laughed.

"I can do that too. I just had to bring out my best party trick," Fitz said. "Alright, baby, let me see you."

"That was _extremely_ hot, by the way," Olivia said, stepping up on the diving board.

He smiled, giving her a wink and wiggling his fingers at her, gesturing for her to jump in.

"I'll do the best I can do with the low diving board," she said, shaking out her hands and getting ready.

She walked to the end and turned around, facing the other way.

She bent her knees and swung her arms back, and jumped as high as she could, arching her back perfectly until she straightened out and completed the back dive, that she made look just _gorgeous._

 _"_ _Damn,"_ David said.

All her friends gave her much deserved applause as she resurfaced right next to Fitz, who was smiling big.

"How come they're both always the best at everything?" Quinn laughed.

"Well, she was a champion swimmer and he's Californian, so he's like...a master of all things water basically," Abby pointed out.

"Oh, I am? I didn't know this," Fitz chuckled.

"Well, now you know," Abby shrugged.

"That may be true on his end but I don't think I was a champion swimmer," Olivia laughed.

"Uh- _huh_. My little fish," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

"Fitzgerald!" she exclaimed.

"Yes?"

"Ha! _Fitzgerald_ ," Charlie chuckled.

"Think my name's funny, Charles?" Fitz asked.

Charlie's smile disappeared. "I should have foreseen that."

"His middle name is Bernard," Quinn giggled.

"Hey!" Charlie exclaimed, as everyone laughed. "It's a family name."

"So is mine. Be thankful you're not the third of your kind," Fitz chuckled.

"Oooh, I always forget you're Grant the third," Harrison said.

"I don't. FTG Three, It has a ring to it," Logan said.

"I fuck with that," Huck said, pointing at Logan.

"Right?" Logan nodded.

"Wait, so...am I allowed to ask..." Harrison began. "Will there be a...fourth?"

Everyone looked at the newly married couple in anticipation.

"Nah," Fitz said, shaking his head. "No fourth."

"But that's not to say we won't carry it on in another way," Olivia added, looking at Fitz.

"Right," Fitz agreed.

"Hmm...I'm intrigued," Logan said.

"Don't leave us hanging," Quinn giggled.

The two of them just shrugged and smiled. "We'll just leave it at...we've had the conversation a few times, and...we do like family names."

"Whose side? Or...both sides?" Harrison asked.

Olivia shrugged and looked over at Fitz, who also gave everyone a shrug.

"Y'all know what you doin'," Logan chuckled. "They're the type not to tell."

"I can confirm that," Abby nodded. "I know everything there is to know about them. But not this."

"So then you _don't_ know everything," Harrison smirked.

"Oh, pretty damn close," Abby said.

"She's right," Olivia nodded.

"Girls really do tell each other everything, don't they?" Charlie asked.

"Yes," all the girls replied in unison.

"Every detail is important," Abby reasoned. "Even personal things like...you and your boyfriend's sex song."

David looked at Abby confusedly. "We have a sex song?"

Abby laughed. "Oh no. I was referring to Liv and pretty boy."

Olivia laughed too. "Well _now_ it no longer feels personal."

"What is it? A little Marvin Gaye?" Harrison laughed.

"Khalid, actually," Olivia replied.

"Aw fuck. I like Khalid. I don't need these images in my head when I listen to him. Don't tell me the song, I don't wanna know," Charlie groaned.

"Love Lies," Abby said matter-of-factly.

Charlie winced. "Dammit, Abby."

David burst into laughter at his girlfriend. "Oh, Abs."

"That's a good song," Teagan nodded.

"It's a _great_ song," Fitz agreed. "What did you say when I first asked about it again?"

"It has...fuck me vibes," Olivia shrugged.

"Liv!" Quinn giggled.

"What? Have you heard the song? It _does,"_ Olivia replied. "And plus, I didn't start it. He's the one who first said it sounded like a song he should rip my clothes off to," she said, pointing to Fitz.

"Jeez, baby, throwing me under the bus here!" Fitz chuckled, amongst the laughter.

"See, this is how you know their honeymoon was _wild,"_ Charlie said, before everyone burst into laughter.

Olivia scoffed, looking around at everyone. "Our honeymoon was full of other things too! Love and...happiness and...sunshine," she said with a confident nod. Hey, that was true!

"Yeah, but...mostly sex, right," Quinn laughed.

"Yes," Fitz nodded, which had everyone laughing. " _And_ everything that Liv said too. And...turtles and planes."

"And pizza," Olivia nodded.

"Oh, yes, and pizza," he agreed.

"And jewelry," Abby nodded, gesturing to the two of them.

Olivia had on her turquoise bar necklace even still, because she'd been wearing it a ton ever since.

Fitz didn't have his necklace on anymore. He'd had the bracelet on earlier, but he took it off before getting in the pool as it was leather. It was still very clear that he'd been wearing quite a lot on his left wrist, though.

There was a prominent tan line where not only his watch would normally go, but where his bracelet and his cruise wristband had gone. It was pretty distinct, and it made them all laugh.

His right wrist though, perfectly and evenly tanned, as both of them rarely ever wore anything on their right wrists. Their tattoos could seldom be covered up, of course.

He had a little bit of a tan line on the back of his neck from his necklace, but thanks to Olivia he'd always had his chest and back pretty thoroughly covered in sunscreen, so that one wasn't so bad. It would fade, far quicker than the wrist one would.

"Yes. Lots of jewelry," Olivia nodded. "I made him," she giggled.

"Yeah, bud that tan line is a little aggressive," Logan chuckled.

He shrugged, looking down at his wrist. "It'll remind me of her."

He winked over at her with a smile.

"Yeah, man's got a tan line on his left wrist from their honeymoon and her name written on his right wrist, I think he's covered!" Logan said.

"Not to mention...Liv literally has the first letter of his name on her left wrist and his name on her right one..." Quinn said.

"Yeah, jeez guys we get it. You like each other or whatever!" Harrison teased, smiling at Olivia and Fitz.

"Hey, I wouldn't be talking over there, Harry," Olivia teased back. "I've seen the way you look at my cousin and you sir, have got it bad."

Harrison's smile brightened, and he looked down into the water, not able to meet Olivia's eyes because she was spot on.

"Awww! Harry's finally listened to those little feelings inside," Abby laughed.

"Okay, enough with the Harry!" he exclaimed. "I only like it when she calls me that."

Olivia's mouth dropped open. "You _hate_ that nickname! What on earth!"

He shrugged. "But...she's so cute when she says it."

"Damn," David said, looking over at Olivia. "He's _really_ got it bad for your cousin."

"Oh, I'm aware," Olivia laughed. "She texts me about him like crazy."

"Really?" Harrison asked, almost leaning in with curiosity.

"Mhm. From what I hear...you're actually quite the romantic, Harrison Wright," Olivia smirked.

He looked around nervously, scratching his head. "Yeah, I mean...yeah," he nodded, as everyone "awww"d. "She's really special."

"Do tell, Harrison," Abby said with a smile. "Seriously."

"What?" he chuckled with a shrug.

"It's really nice to hear you say things like this, man," Huck piped up.

Olivia nodded in agreement, as did Fitz.

"Look, I know I haven't always been the perfect guy. I've fucked around a lot and I haven't always been smart about things. I'm still learning and trying to continue to be better, but...she makes it...easy. Or, at least _easier_. She makes me want to be better. She helps. I'm not gonna go on and on about her because...then I won't stop," he laughed quietly. "But I'm serious about this, for real. Not how I was with...my other girlfriends. She just feels different. And...that's all I'm saying now, because you're all looking at me with these puppy dog eyes, I told you if I started I wouldn't stop—"

"No! No keep going, oh my god!" Abby exclaimed.

"Continue, man," Charlie nodded.

Harrison sighed, laughing a little bit. "I feel like...fucking prof, getting all up in my feels right now."

Fitz shrugged, holding up his left hand. "I got a ring on my finger so I'd say getting all up in your feels does you some good."

Everyone looked over at him and nodded. "You know what that was?" Abby asked, gesturing to Fitz.

"Big dick energy," they all nodded in unison.

"Thank you, thank you," Fitz said, bowing his head for all of them. "Harrison, anything else to add? Show us your big dick energy."

Olivia cracked up next to Fitz, looking over at him with a smile. "I love you," she mouthed.

He mouthed it back, before turning to Harrison, who shrugged.

"Look, you want me to lay it out on the table for you guys? I will. I landed my dream job in Virginia this summer. _Virginia_. Then I met Mace just _weeks_ after that, at your guys' wedding. And where does she go to college? VCU. Twenty minutes from me. Gives me some things to think about. Gives me some reason to believe...everything happens for a reason."

Everyone nodded, clearly impressed with his words. Sounding so much different than Harrison months ago, who would have likely been in between meaningless hookups at that point.

"Wow," David nodded.

"Wow," Huck agreed.

Harrison shook his head, not able to keep the smile off his face. "Okay...okay, let's talk about something else now. You're all making me feel weird!"

"Alright well are we all cooled off enough? We're gonna have some drying off to do," Olivia said.

"Yeah, probably smart," Teagan nodded, wading over to the stairs.

They all got out of the pool, which had Arie up and wagging her tail, so excited that all the humans were gonna join her again after she'd done some more sniffing around in the gardens.

And before they could go back in, they really _did_ have some drying off to do.

The sun helped a good deal with that, as did running around and throwing the tennis ball for Arie. She sure liked that idea, she was in heaven.

So far, the new house was pretty cool.

One by one, friends started to leave though, wanting to give Olivia and Fitz time and space in their new house. To unpack, to rest, to do whatever they wished to do after such a long day.

Fitz covered up the pool again and fed Arie, who devoured her whole bowl in a matter of minutes, along with two full bowls of water. She would sleep _good_ tonight.

Olivia and Fitz managed to dig out some clothes, just so they could hang their slightly damp ones in the shower to fully dry.

And then they continued to be productive. Unpacking, organizing, getting everything ready so they could at least spend their first night comfortably there.

It was quite funny at times, when they were in different rooms. Sometimes, at different ends of the house, and they had no idea where the other was.

"Babe," Fitz yelled from the library

"Yeah," she yelled back from the family room.

"Where are you?"

"Uh...family room," she said.

"Oh," he chuckled. "I had a question, but you're far away from the library, you don't have to come in here."

"No, it's fine. What's your question?" she asked, heading to meet him.

"Well...I just didn't know if I should maybe try and bring the desk down here instead of keeping it in the office upstairs? I thought maybe it would go better in here, with the oak. The office is pretty...versatile, I feel like. I don't know. You're better at these things than I am," he shrugged, as she came in.

"Hmm. Maybe. Does the desk come apart easily?" she asked.

"Yeah, it wouldn't take me long to do it and bring it down. I just wish I would have thought about that before," he said.

"Well...I have a feeling we'll have to rearrange a lot of things no matter what. And...there's still a lot we have yet to pick out," she replied.

"I know," he nodded, wiping his forehead. "Well, we can think on it. I'm done in here for tonight, I just wanted to unload these boxes because these were the only ones I knew for sure what to do with," he chuckled.

"Kay. Where you off to next?" she asked.

"Our room, probably. Get some of our bathroom stuff in there for sure," he said.

"Okay, baby. I'll be down here," she said, leaning in to peck his lips.

"Mmkay. I'll probably come down every once in a while. To kiss you and stuff," he said, starting to jog up the stairs.

"Okay," she giggled, smiling up at him. And she returned to the family room. She at least had that room looking decent. But she thought the kitchen was most logical now, so at least they could have some things unloaded in there.

Arie laid on her dog bed in the breakfast nook, sleepily watching her mom unpack the kitchen boxes.

She did pretty good, getting lots of stuff done. And getting extremely hot too, moving back and forth about the large kitchen. Whew, moving was a sweaty job.

"Baby," Fitz called out.

"Yeah," she called back.

He chuckled. "Marco."

She smiled. "Polo."

"Don't tell me, I'll find you," she heard him murmur.

She looked at Arie and rolled her eyes. "Dad is so weird," she said.

"I heard that!" Fitz chuckled.

"Good!" she smiled.

She heard him let out a sigh. "Okay. Send me your location."

She burst into laughter. Well, the looking hadn't lasted very long. "Kitchen, sweetheart."

"Oh," he exclaimed. "I really expected you to be avoiding the kitchen. That's a big job."

"But also very important," she nodded, seeing him turn the corner through the hallway, and walk quickly to her.

She giggled as he wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up. "Found you."

"Hi there," she said, getting comfortable in his arms.

"Hi," he said, kissing her a few times. "I missed you, pretty girl."

"Did you come down here to tell me that? And kiss me?" she asked, smiling at him.

"Yes," he nodded. "And...something else too."

"Okay, what's that?" she asked.

He slowly moved her over, sitting her down on the island. "It's a very serious question."

He stood in between her legs, both hands resting on the island. She looked at him curiously and nodded, wondering what serious question he had for her. "Okay, and what might that be?"

He sighed, looking around. Acting very serious. "Do you by chance know where my chapstick is?"

She closed her eyes, leaning her head against his and laughing. "No, baby, I do not know where your chapstick is."

"Damn," he said. "I think I put the rest of my package in a random box because it needed to go somewhere. But I had one single one, too. I just had it yesterday, and now I can't find it! I need it really bad right now."

She tried to hold in her smile, except it was kind of funny to her. "How could someone as organized as you...lose all your chapstick."

He frowned. "Well, we were drunk packing two nights ago, and that is the night most of my chapstick went missing. Does that answer your question?"

She laughed. "Yep, you're right. That answers it."

He opened and closed his palm against the counter, fidgeting as he looked around at all the boxes in the kitchen and breakfast nook. The family room. The hallway, that led to the mudroom.

"So many boxes...so many possible places it could be," he sighed.

"I'll keep an eye out for it. I should have some in my purse sitting on the front stairs, you can use that for now," she said, patting his face.

He smiled and kissed her abruptly. "Thanks."

"You and your chapstick," she laughed, watching him exit the kitchen as she hopped off the island.

"I'm addicted," he yelled to her. "It could potentially be an issue."

"Potentially," she agreed. "What do you wanna do for dinner, baby?"

"Um...I'll check out what's nearby. What delivers over here. We have to learn the ropes around here," he replied, coming back and coating his lips with her chapstick.

Just that sight made her laugh. He looked down at her baby blue "Baby Lips" chapstick in his hand, smacking his lips.

"Baby Lips. By...Ooh, Maybelline."

She couldn't stop laughing, looking over at him.

"Easy...breezy...beautiful, Maybelline," he said confidently. "Wait—no, that's not right."

She leaned down over the island, putting her head in her hands as she laughed her ass off. "Fitzgerald, that's _Covergirl."_

"Oh!" he shrugged, putting some more chapstick on. "Whatever, somewhat close."

"Right," she giggled. "I think you got enough chapstick, babe."

"Come on over here, I'll share some of mine with you."

"You come on over here, Mr. Maybelline man," she smirked.

He twisted the chapstick down, smirking as he walked over to her. And he put it in his pocket so she could see him do it, and then he pressed his lips to hers, lingering there for a long time.

"It's okay if I...keep it for a little bit, right?" he murmured, taking her top lip into his mouth.

"Mmm," she giggled, tasting the chapstick, now very much on her lips too. "You're back to your chapstick thief ways, huh?"

"Temporarily," he whispered, pecking her lips again.

"You can keep it. It seems your needs are greater than mine right now," she nodded.

"Thank you," he smiled. "I still gave you some though," he whispered, touching her lip lightly with his finger.

"Thank you," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Mhm," he nodded. "Want me to check out dinner?"

"Sure, sweetie," she nodded.

"Mmkay," he replied, kissing her once more before grabbing his phone.

She unloaded a few more things while he sat on their barstools by the island. They at least had those set up, thankfully.

"Hmm...pizza, obviously. DoorDash delivers Chili's, apparently. And...Zheng's Chinese Restaurant..."

She turned around to look at him, frowning.

"What's up?" she laughed.

"I forgot...they don't have Ivy Wok here," he said.

"No...just New Haven, baby."

"That's so unfortunate," he said. "I didn't think this through well enough. You know what this means, babe."

"Mhm. We gotta try out Zheng's Chinese Restaurant tonight! That sounds really good actually."

He shook his head. "Nope. It means we have to move back. Quit unpacking, and start repacking. I think I can get Zach to let us move back into our apartment, he's super nice. He doesn't need it—"

 _"_ _Fitzgerald Thomas,"_ she giggled.

He laughed. "What! Liv, do you know how many times I have been to Ivy Wok in my many years of living in Connecticut?"

"I don't think I _want_ to know," she replied.

"You absolutely do not. Too many to count. And now..."

"Fitz. You literally _work_ in New Haven, where Ivy Wok is," she said, bursting into laughter. "You can still get it _whenever_ you want."

"Well I can't get it...right _now_ ," he pointed out.

She raised an eyebrow at him.

He gave her his best frown back, but then started to laugh at himself. "Okay I'll stop whining. We'll give Zheng's a shot. _Maybe_ we don't have to move back to New Haven."

"Like you ever would, anyway," she laughed, watching him order on his phone. "I know you're in love with this house."

He smiled, looking around. "Yeah. It kind of makes me want to blast 'My House' by Flo Rida because I'm so proud of it."

"I truly would expect nothing less of you, Fitz," she laughed.

"I think my dad would have been proud of it too," he said quietly.

She stopped stacking their dishes, and turned back to look at him again.

"Of course he would," she said with a smile. "He was proud of you for everything."

Fitz nodded and looked upward, letting out a small sigh. "I was thinking about him a lot today. I hope...he's with mom. She just...brought out the best in him, _always_. She made him better. I hope...I just _really_ hope, they're together."

She smiled, looking down at the floor. "They are."

"You think so?" he asked, looking over at her.

"I think so," she nodded.

He finished ordering and set his phone down, coming over to her. "You are so like her, you know," he whispered.

"Like your mother?" she asked.

"Yes," he whispered, leaning his head down against hers. "So kind, and caring. So devoted, and loving. Both...worriers," he said, flashing her a smile. "And...you make me better. Like she made him better."

She rested her head against his chest, and hugged him so tight. "I know she was a wonderful person."

"She was," he whispered. "She would have loved you. _Man_ , she would have loved you."

"Yeah?" Olivia smiled.

"Yeah," he nodded. "And I think you would have loved her. I know I've told you this before. But it's just very true."

"I know that I would have loved her. Hearing about her...makes me know that I would have. She and I are not the _only_ two that are alike, I don't think," she said, giving him a smile.

He smiled back. "Yeah. Big momma's boy."

"I know you were," Olivia laughed. "I find it very cute. All the things you did together."

"Mhm, I promise you will never know a man that can garden like me. Momma taught me _well,"_ he said, nodding seriously.

She smiled. "I know, I saw you out there analyzing the gardens before. Envisioning how you're gonna make 'em all pretty for me, right?" she asked.

"Absolutely," he nodded. "I'm serious. The garden obsession I've always had is...because of her. You should have seen our Santa Barbara gardens. They were just always...so colorful, and bright, like she was. She refused to let anyone do them but her. If my father'd had it his way, he would have just hired gardeners probably. But no way, she would _not_ have that. Nobody could touch them, but her. And eventually me, when I learned how to _not_ kill the flowers," he laughed.

"Elle and Fitz's garden, _only,"_ Olivia said, smiling at him.

He smiled, and nodded. "Elle and Fitz's garden only. Now it'll be Olivia and Fitz's garden. You've gotta help me."

"Oh I will absolutely help you. My mom taught me a few things too, I'll admit," Olivia replied.

"Mhm. We'll have the best gardens on the block, just you wait, baby," he said.

"I can't wait," she replied, kissing him.

He smiled against her lips, letting her kiss him endlessly.

"Me neither."

* * *

"Man, we must have been drunker than I thought we were two nights ago," Olivia said, chewing her food thoughtfully as she read what one of the boxes in the family room said.

"What makes you say that?" he chuckled, looking over at her before grabbing a potsticker with his chopsticks.

"Uhh...because this box says 'stuff' and this box says 'fucking stuff.'"

He leaned down, laughing. "Oops. That was me, I take it?"

"Yes. This adorable handwriting—not mine," she laughed.

"I don't even remember writing that. I think that means I need to tone it down a bit," he laughed.

"Maybe. But I hope you at least remember fingering me while we looked at couches online," she said, pointing at him.

"Oh, I could never forget that," he replied. "I'm convinced it helped you pick the best one. I can't wait until it comes."

She giggled. "We probably should never tell our guests that."

"Probably not. People think we're weird enough as is, I think."

"Probably," she agreed. "Oh well. Normal's overrated anyway."

Fitz nodded, finishing the last of his sesame chicken and vegetables. "Agreed."

He set his dinner down on the coffee table, doing a double take at the partially opened box next to him, labeled "fucking stuff."

"Wait a second..." he said, lifting one of its flaps up.

"What?" she asked, looking over at him.

"My chapstick!" he exclaimed, pulling out a single Burt's Bees stick of chapstick and starting to put some on.

She doubled over in laughter. "Baby, what the _fuck."_

He rolled his eyes, putting it back on the table. "I'm ridiculous, Liv."

"I'm just happy you found it in the...fucking stuff...box," she giggled.

"Me too," he nodded. "We'll still have to be on the lookout for the rest of my pack, but...this was a good first step," he chuckled.

"It was. And now you don't have to steal by Maybelline either," she pointed out.

"Very true," he agreed, digging it out of his pocket and putting it next to his chapstick. "There."

"Perfect. And I see that you also devoured your dinner, mister. That must mean..." she smirked.

He peered up at her and smirked.

She laughed. "Youuuu liked Zheng's, didn't you. No, no, you _loved_ Zheng's."

"I didn't say anything like that!" he said.

"You didn't have to," she replied, nodding at his empty plate.

He sighed, and nodded. "Okay. It was...pretty good."

"Ah!" she laughed. "I agree, I thought it was good too."

"It's not Ivy Wok, but...it's a close second, I'll admit," he nodded.

 _"_ _Good,"_ she smiled. "I'm glad we can officially rule out moving back to New Haven for Ivy Wok."

"Yes," he chuckled, looking around. "I don't think it has hit me yet, even though we're...here. It hasn't hit me that this has been our dream all along, and we're living it."

And she smiled. "Damn right we're living it."

It was pretty amazing, that they'd made it there. Such a beautiful house was alllll theirs.

They were already in love with it on day one.

And they'd been pretty productive on that first day. Everything unloaded at least, which was the biggest thing. A pretty good amount unpacked and organized, too.

They cleaned up their dinner and continued to unpack some of the family room, as that was one of the rooms they could really unpack. That was the room they could furnish and decorate fully for the most part. The living room, on the other hand, would be getting pretty much new everything.

The family room, though, they had down, along with their bedroom for the most part.

And despite their bedroom being set up enough for them to hang around in and sleep in, they found themselves spending the remainder of their evening in the family room. Only _after_ they washed off in the shower, though, since they still smelled a bit like chlorine.

They'd laid a big blanket down in front of the beautiful stone fireplace, with couch pillows next to each other.

It truly wasn't the most comfortable, in all honesty. But they didn't really care.

The room was dimly lit, by one lamp only. The rest of the lights in the house were off, save for the built-in LED lights under the cabinets in the kitchen. All the doors were locked. Everything was set for their first night in.

They would have liked to turn on the fireplace, but at the beginning of fall, it was still a bit too warm for that. It was still beautiful nonetheless. That, along with the _other_ three fireplaces in the house.

She snuggled up to him, both looking at each other in the dim lighting. Smiling, kissing, cuddling. An everyday routine.

"We did this," she whispered, playing with his hair.

"We did this," he whispered back, smiling at her.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you," he whispered, softly kissing her lips. _"I love you."_

She snuggled her face impossibly close to his bare chest, feeling his light, soft chest hair against her skin.

Her arms wrapped so tightly around him, and one of her legs draped over his waist, too. It was never tight enough for her. It would never be.

It felt so good to be held by him, and to hold him back. Especially tonight, when today had been such a big step for them.

Another thing that seemed to feel right, especially on that night, was the very slow, quiet moves being made between the two of them.

No words were exchanged after their whispered professions of love for each other. After that, it was nothing but silent actions, conveying their emotion.

It started with another kiss. A small, innocent kiss from Olivia, that they slowly escalated.

She laid partially on top of him, making out with him slowly. Letting her tongue lazily brush his, as he gradually eased it into her mouth.

He had an arm around her back, holding her there, and a hand planted on the back of her thigh, draped over him.

She started to feel him harden against her thigh underneath her, which prompted her to fully shift her body on top of him.

But their lips stayed connected. Their kisses were slow, and long, with heavy breaths in between.

He hadn't even touched her yet, at least not anything more than holding her tightly to his body. He was content to kiss her, and hold her. She rubbed herself against him slightly, enjoying how it felt and how hard he was through his shorts.

But that eventually did get maddening when all she craved was for him to be inside of her.

She reached down and squeezed her hand between their bodies, trying to lower her own skimpy pajama shorts that she liked to wear when it was warm out.

He caught her drift even though they hadn't spoken in a long time. So he squeezed his hand between them too, gently pulling his shorts and underwear down as far as he could with the both of them in that position.

She had to take hers all the way off, so she could open her legs wider. But as soon as he got his far down enough, he didn't bother taking them the rest of the way off. He didn't need to, and he craved her just as much and just as desperately.

She remained knelt about him, kissing his lips just as eagerly as she had been when their innocent little makeout session had first started.

He guided himself into her, entering her ever so gently and slowly. He held her face in his hands, keeping the tightly coiled curls out of the way as he kissed her.

His thrusts from underneath her were slow, and deep, lingering inside of her for as long as they could bear for him to do so with each roll of his hips.

She enjoyed the feeling of his strong hips underneath her, and him in general, of course. Long and thick, sliding in so effortlessly at this point.

She felt his breath against her lips, kissing her, but having to take a few breaks too, as they gradually got closer and closer to the edge.

He reached down and started rubbing her clit gently, as he stroked her tongue slowly with his own. That made her start to rub herself against his thumb, craving even more contact.

He never once sped up, he kept his steady, slow pace until he felt the familiar feeling of her clenching around him. Squeezing him tightly, sometimes without even trying to. Her slick, tight walls fitting perfectly around him. The way it felt when he pushed all the way in, and lingered there, even for just a few moments. The perfect fit.

He got her there first. It's all he wanted was for her to get there first.

He held off until her telltale signs gave him a warning, and she was coming. Only then, did he succumb too, spilling inside of her eagerly. Desperately. Still, not a single word spoken between them for a long time.

All that could have been heard was breathing, and quiet moaning. Lips on lips. Skin on skin.

But now it was just panting, as she collapsed her tired body on top of his fully. Her arms stretched out above her, and her eyes closed against his chest.

His arms were stretched out tiredly too, and his eyes were also closed. He remained inside of her, despite how messy he could feel that they both were.

She eventually felt it on the very inside of her thigh, the warm liquid slowly dripping down.

"Fitz," she whispered. He lifted his head up slightly, before feeling it, himself. He nodded and kissed her temple, slowly pulling out of her as she lifted her body up, too.

She crawled a few feet and reached over to one of the coffee tables, where they still had a stack of clean, untouched towels they'd had for wiping down furniture from the truck, or whatever they may have needed them for.

She was exhausted and that was the best thing in sight, so she took advantage of not having to go far.

She cleaned herself up first, looking down to make sure she was thorough. And then she did the same for him.

He was sitting upright now, balancing his weight on his arms, stretched out behind him with his palms on the floor.

He smiled at her as she helped him, and she smiled back sweetly at him. Watching him look so adoringly at her while she did something as simple as…clean him up after sex.

She put the towel down next to their blanket and crawled into his arms, as he laid down with her, bringing one side of the huge blanket up over their bare bodies.

"Hey," he whispered, finally breaking his silence and holding her as tightly as he could.

"Hey," she whispered back.

"Today was everything to me," he whispered, starting to play with the cute curls that lined her face.

She smiled, kissing his chest softly a few times before laying back down on it. "To me, too."

He sighed contently, wrapping his arm around her side. "I love you. More than you know."

"I love you too."

* * *

Olivia awoke to the sunlight streaming in through the beautiful glass French doors of their family room. Oh, and to the clicking of Arie's paws on the hardwood floor, wandering around in what sounded like the kitchen.

She smiled, hearing her sweet dog up and sniffing around. And feeling the arm draped across her back.

They had shifted since they'd fallen asleep.

He was pressed up against her side, but laying on his stomach now. His head was turned the other way, facing away from her. But his arm, of course, was still around her.

She looked around, seeing Arie's tail wagging like crazy behind the island all the way in the kitchen.

"Arie," she whispered, hoping her great ears would hear it all the way over there but that Fitz's sleeping self wouldn't.

Arie peeked her head out from the other side, ears perked up at her. Success.

"Come here," Olivia whispered, patting the floor in front of her.

Arie immediately trotted over to them in the family room. Olivia patted the floor next to Fitz.

"Get him. Get him, Arie girl," Olivia whispered with a laugh.

Arie sniffed Fitz's face and started licking him, nuzzling the curly hair out of his eyes with her snout.

"Mmm," he groaned, starting to shift onto his side. He turned his face toward Olivia, squeezing his eyes shut from the constant sniffing and licking of his dog. "Baby girl," he groaned.

Arie didn't care. She just came around to the other side, and laid down, squeezing her head in between Olivia and Fitz.

Olivia giggled to herself, brushing the hair out of his eyes too. He immediately smiled, at the feeling of her skin. Her fingers. And he opened his eyes to his wife and his dog, snuggled up next to him.

"How are my girls doing this morning," he whispered, reaching to rub Olivia's back.

"Wonderful," Olivia nodded. "I think I speak for Arie as well."

"I think you do too," he chuckled. "Hi there, Arie."

She started sniffing him again, licking his nose.

"Ah yes, good morning," he laughed, wiping his face.

"How'd you sleep baby?" she asked, running her fingers through his messy hair.

"Okay," he whispered. "Although, I think we should have just gone upstairs last night. I'm too old to sleep on this floor," he groaned, stretching out.

"Fitz. I witnessed you flip off the diving board yesterday. I don't think you're too old for anything," she giggled.

He smiled. "I was very surprised I could still do it. Do you know how long it's been since I have?"

She shook her head. "I don't need to know, I was not a single bit surprised that you could."

"Really?" he smiled.

"Really. You seem to…defy the rules of…age. And...most other rules, too."

"Oh, is that right?" he chuckled.

"Yep."

She pulled the blanket back, revealing his whole body. Naked as could be.

"See, here's one example."

She felt his beautiful body was proof enough of his defiance of aging, at least.

He peered down at his naked body, nodding. "Hm. I forgot I was naked."

She laughed. "I sure didn't."

"You're naked too, right?" he asked, peeking underneath her side of the blanket.

"I think it would be strange if you were and I wasn't," she replied.

He thought for a second. "Hm. Yeah, probably true. How come Arie always seems to catch us when we're not clothed?" he asked, petting her head.

"Oh, see, I called her over here to wake you up, so I take full blame," Olivia said.

He smiled, shaking his head at her. "What am I going to do with you, Olivia Grant."

"Well, today, you're going to continue to unpack our house with me," she said with a smile.

He smiled even bigger.

"Deal."

And so, their day would be spent just how it was the day before. Unpacking, organizing, and rearranging.

In their house on Andover Lane.

* * *

Well there you go, I hope you liked reading about the house on Andover.

If the descriptions weren't enough, there are visuals of the house on both Twitter and Tumblr as usual!

Also, just a quick message, I wanted to let y'all know I'll be taking a little break from writing. I don't want you all to think I'm done, I'm not, I just need a break from some of the negativity. I'm not going into it on here, but to sum it up, I just can't write if the negative is taking over my head more than the positive. That's not how I want it to be, but right now, that's the case for me. I'm not sure how long the break will be, it could be short, it could be long. However much time I need to get my head back in it.

And who knows, I may come back with a couple fully written chapters, I don't know. I didn't initially want to say anything about it because I know people worry and could think I'm done writing or something. I'm not. I just wanted to warn you all so you wouldn't think I abandoned the story, even though I hope you all know I would never do that. Always wanna keep y'all in the loop, no matter what.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

I'll be back. Read on,

~T


	96. Soon

"Your fingers are pruney."

"Not as pruney as yours."

Fitz lifted his other hand out of the bath water too, and held both of his hands out for them to see. His fingers were pretty shriveled from the water, as he'd been holding Olivia's body tightly to him underneath it. And so, pruney fingers. Prunier than Olivia's, according to her.

"See," she giggled, showing him her hands. She was right. He had her beat.

"Alright," he agreed with a nod. "I'm a prune."

"You're super cute though," she said, running a hand down his wet chest.

"Oh you think so?" he asked.

"Uh-huh. Cutest prune I've ever seen," she nodded.

"Thank you. I think my fingers have still been worse, though. From you, actually."

She raised an eyebrow. "Worse from _me?"_

"Mhm. This is what they look like after I finger you for a long time."

She giggled, nodding at him. "You know, I never thought about that. You're actually right."

"Of course I'm right," he nodded. "Do you know how wet I can get you, Olivia? Sometimes I still impress myself."

"I do know," Olivia replied. "Three years and counting and you still impress me, too."

He smiled. "As do you. Last night you were very impressive."

She laughed. "You think so? I thought that got old to you."

He tilted his head. "My extremely sexy wife...riding my face. Yeah, no, I'm not really sure how that would ever get old."

"Well is that better than...when I'm on my back then?" she asked curiously.

"Mmm...no, not better. Equally amazing in different ways. I like to have you on your back because I can spread your legs myself, and keep them wide. You shake a _lot_ , so it's easier for me to do it that way. I like when you're above me, though, too. It's just sexy. And I like if you're turned around. and not facing me, because then..."

"Then...I can go down on you too," she nodded with a laugh.

"Yes..." he admitted. "I could have you against the wall too. Rest one of your legs over my shoulder so I can eat it better."

She smirked at him, eyes widening at his matter-of-factness. "That _has_ happened many times in the shower, you know."

"Yes. And if I recall, I once did it to you against the wall in our old living room."

"Yes," she agreed. "We were very tipsy."

"Mhm. And I think our relationship was still pretty new at the time," he added.

She smiled and leaned into his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck. She hadn't left his lap for practically their entire bath.

It had started out as each of them on their own end. But it hadn't taken long for her to shift to the other end and sit where she preferred to sit.

"Do you remember those days? The days when...we never wanted to leave each other. When...it hurt _so_ _bad_ to leave."

She played around with the damp curls at the back of his neck as he sat in thought. "Yes. Vividly. Only...I still feel that way."

She smiled. "So do I. But we don't have to leave each other as often anymore. Back then, we didn't live together."

"That's true. Man, that was so weird. To think about...the nights I spent alone, the nights you spent alone. Dumb."

She laughed. "Dumb is right."

"I would have been ready to live with you after...a _month_ of knowing you, Liv. I'm serious."

"Neither of us had even made a _move_ yet after one month!" she giggled.

"I know! I didn't need to make a move on you to know that, one, I wanted to and had wanted to since I first saw you. And two, that I was going to marry the fuck out of you."

"You were pretty confident, huh?" she asked, pulling back to look at him.

"Mhm," he nodded with a smile.

"And...what was the first move you wanted to make on me?" she asked curiously.

"All you have to do is think back. I successfully made it," he shrugged.

She smiled. "My hand?"

He nodded, with a smile on his face.

"Wow. Such innocent thoughts back then, baby," she said, smiling.

"Hey, come on now, I wasn't just some dirty old professor!" he exclaimed.

 _"Oh, Fitz,_ of course not, but...come on. You can't tell me I was the only one thinking the thoughts I was thinking...back when we first met."

"Oh no, you were not the only one. I just kept the thoughts...far away. At that point I knew I wanted you, but I didn't really think I could have you. At least...not yet. And it still took me a little while to be able to read you. To be able to read if...it was mutual."

"It took me a little while too. I think sometimes we become dumber when we're into someone. We just overthink things. Abby was kind of the one to drill it into my brain that...you were into me."

"Yeah that was definitely the case for me. You messed my head up _so_ bad," he chuckled.

"Mmhm," she agreed. "You did too."

"I remember the first time I realized...you were _in_ my head and you weren't ever gonna get _out_. It was the last Thanksgiving I ever spent in Malibu with my dad."

"Do tell," she said.

"I remember thinking it was real. That you were kissing me. You were touching me. My chest. I was so hard, Liv. I think harder than I'd ever been. Your hand was going lower, that's all I felt. It kept going lower and then...I woke up."

"Oh noooo, a dirty dream," she said with a laugh, hugging him. "I'm sorry my dream self did that to you."

" _I'm_ not! It was heaven," he chuckled. "It all seemed so real to me. I really thought it was happening. And then I woke up, and...none of it had been real. The raging boner though...was _very_ real."

"My dream self is a _tease,"_ she said regrettably.

"Your _real_ self is a tease, ms. 'that's classified information,'" he chuckled.

She laughed. "Alright, alright, fair enough. I had my fair share of dreams about you too, back then. Not all of them were dirty. Some were."

"Tell me about one."

"A dirty one?" she asked.

"Any one," he said, intertwining their fingers. Their _pruney_ fingers.

"Hmm, okay. Well there was a recurring one I used to have. On _occasion_ I still get it, but not too much anymore. We're driving, in your old car. I don't know where we're driving to, I think it must be...you can't sleep, so we're just driving, kind of thing," she explained.

He smiled, looking up at her as she told this story. Rubbing his thumb across the top of her hand.

"We just talk, I never remember what we talk about, that seems to fade by the time I wake up. But I do remember that every single time, you grab my hand. You reach over and grab it, and every time I'm thinking 'oh my god, he's touching me. He's holding my hand.' I distinctly remember thinking that in the dream. So it must be, like...that's the first time you've ever touched me, in each one of these dreams. Which is funny because I've had the dream many times when we'd already been together for a long time," she laughed.

"Aw. So your dream's just making you remember the first move I ever made. See, it was the right first move to make!"

"Hey, I'm not arguing with you, I think so too!" she said. "I wish I'da had the courage to make one myself. I didn't really."

He sat in thought. "Well, I don't think that's entirely true. I remember our first kiss. I was afraid because I wasn't sure if...you would want to take that step, you know? It's easier, in a way, to know something's there, and... _not_ act on it, in a situation like ours. Be flirty, tease each other, that's safer. But to actually act on it, physically. I just wasn't sure if you wanted to. But you climbed right in my lap and you kissed me back so hard. _That_ was it. _That_ was your move."

She smiled. "I guess you're right. And my move led to...many other things that night."

"It did," he nodded. "That night meant everything to me."

"That's what you said to me a few nights after it happened," she whispered. "When I asked if you regretted it."

"And I still mean it too," he whispered, pressing his lips against hers.

She kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck again.

Her breasts were pressed against him, which he liked. He could feel her nipples against his chest.

He pulled away and leaned his head down, and pressed a few soft kisses against her breasts. Even briefly playing with her nipples with his tongue, enjoying how she giggled, and held his head in her hands. Enjoying how they hardened against his tongue.

And he of course, had to give both equal attention, even if it was just for playful purposes.

He pulled back and smiled at her. "I love you lots you know."

"I do know," she nodded, touching her nose to his.

"How much do you love me?" he whispered.

She kissed his lips a few times, looking at him between each one. "More than you love me."

He gasped. "How dare you."

"You asked, I answered," she smirked, continuing to kiss him.

He was trying to frown at her and kiss her back at the same time, which made her giggle.

"Stop kissing me, I'm mad," he murmured, while still continuing to kiss her back.

"Your lips don't feel mad to me," she whispered, sucking on his top one.

He smiled, not kissing her back now.

She gasped. "You better kiss me back right now, mister."

He didn't kiss her back.

"Fine. Next time you try to make out with me I'm going to reject you," she said, pulling away from him.

He frowned. "Aw. No. Come back."

She shook her head at him, giving him a shrug.

He crinkled his eyebrows at her. "No, I'm sorry. Make out with me."

"No."

"Yes."

She tried to hold back her smile, shaking her head at him. _"No."_

He sat in thought, scratching the side of his face. "Well...I could tickle you then."

Her eyes widened, given that she was in the absolute worst position and situation possible for that. "You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, baby. We both know that I would," he said, smiling at her.

She tried to frown back at him, but his smile was so damn contagious. She fought back the smirk forming on her face as he started to laugh, pulling her closer to him once more.

"Whaddya say, pretty girl. You gonna kiss me or what," he whispered, his eyes flickering between her big, brown eyes and her perfect lips.

She smiled and leaned back in, capturing his lips in a kiss.

Kissing him never got old. His lips, always so soft and so warm. Fitting together perfectly with hers.

His tongue, not shying away from contact with hers.

They were long, slow kisses in the bathtub full of soapy, hot water.

Only the water didn't stay hot forever, unfortunately.

They waited until the _last_ possible second when they started to get cold, to get out.

She stood up first, given that she was on top of him. And he just laid back in the tub lazily, looking up at her naked body.

She put her hands on her hips. "Fitzgerald."

"What?" he asked, as the water drained around him.

"You need help?" she asked, reaching her hand down.

"Mmm, no," he said, shaking his head. "I'm just looking up at you."

"Oh I see," she laughed, staring down at him. The water slowly drained, so she was able to see everything within a few more moments.

He looked nice there, all wet and muscular and...well, naked.

"This could easily turn into a staring contest," she pointed out.

"In which I would win," he nodded.

"Says who?" she asked.

"Says me," he said, reaching for her hand. "Why don't you come on over here so I can see you better."

She let him pull her more toward him, stepping on either side of his body in the tub. The tub was big, so it wasn't difficult, but she still wasn't prepared for what he did next.

He sat up straighter and dragged his hand up her leg, easily spreading them. He placed one leg on the edge of the tub, and looked closer, beginning to slide a finger inside.

"Fitz," she gasped, gripping both the side of the shower in front of her, and the window right to her side.

He bit his lip, concentrating heavily as he slid one finger in and out. "Yes?"

"Ohh," she moaned, putting her leg up higher on the edge of the tub so she was wider for him. It was safe to say he had never fingered her in this particular position before.

"Sorry. Is this okay? It just looked so perfect," he said, rubbing her clit with his thumb too.

"God—yes. Just maybe—a warning next time," she laughed. "And by the way, it _is_ perfect."

He smirked, looking up at his hand working. Her skin so smooth, and her entrance so tight. Nothing new to him, but it never failed to intrigue him.

" _You're_ perfect," he said. "And mine."

"Better show me," she whispered.

"I intend to."

He sure did. He had her whimpering. Shaking. On the verge of needing to sit down because it was such an intense one.

He watched in pleasure as she cried out and started to come. Down her leg and on his hand. It made him smirk.

After she finished she just stood there panting, watching him watch her. "Well...so much for our bath."

He chuckled and stood up next to her, reaching over to grab a washcloth from their vanity so he could clean her up.

She was absolutely freezing, from standing in the cold air after being in warm bath water. She shivered in his arms after he was done cleaning her up and washing off his hand.

They toweled off and he picked her up to walk her to their bed. Their beautiful king-sized bed, to lay her down on it.

He immediately covered her shivering bare body up with their comforter, pressing kisses to her cheeks and neck. "Gotta warm up, baby."

"Warm me up," she whispered back.

He crawled underneath the covers with her and pulled her into his body. He wasn't as cold as her. Certainly not hot, but she'd been the one full-on standing up, surrounded by the cold air. So he warmed her up. It was his fault anyway, he figured.

After, they got ready for bed on that Sunday night in October. Only to return to their earlier position in bed, him holding her from behind.

And that's how they fell fast asleep.

* * *

"Baby," she whispered, kissing his cheek.

Nothing.

"Sweetheart. You need to get up," she whispered again, running her fingers through his messy curls.

He stirred in bed, groaning quietly before he opened an eye at her. "Hi, you."

"Hi," she greeted back. "Early meeting today."

He nodded and groaned, before collapsing his head against her chest. He wrapped his arms around her little body and laid there contently. "I could just...stay home today. Play hooky with my wife."

She smiled. "As much as I would love to, I've also got some meetings today, babe."

"Mmm. How many?"

"Three," she replied, playing with his hair.

"You're so important," he whispered sleepily, snuggling up to her chest more.

She smiled. "I'm getting there, sweetheart. I'm getting there."

"You're there already, you're just being modest," he said.

"Well I feel I'm important to the team now, yes. But...I would be more important as a communications _specialist_ , instead of an _associate_ ," she smirked.

"Mmm, I know, I know. You got your eyes on that promotion," he smirked back.

"I do," she admitted. "Gotta find a way to take care of my man like he takes care of me, right?"

"Mmm, yeah. But you could just let me do it," he murmured, kissing her neck. "I will always take care of you."

"But you know that's not how I roll," she whispered.

"Oh I know. This is coming from the woman who insisted she get a shitty Starbucks job just to pay for my expensive ass wedding ring," he chuckled.

"Uh, yeah! That was important to me. Do you know how much it means to me to see that on your finger, knowing I bought it?" she asked.

"I know, baby, I know," he nodded.

"Not everyone's got your 185 grand-a-year Yale job yet," she giggled. "I had to resort to Starbucks. Which really wasn't that shitty at all, despite my hate for coffee."

"Hey, and it was admirable. _You're_ admirable," he said. "You keep doing you, baby. Don't compare yourself to me. My job pays well, yes, but I've always had a cushion from my family. Much more so after...dad passed. It hasn't been all me. This..." he said, gesturing to her. "Has been _all_ you, all the time. All of it. _You."_

"You never give yourself enough credit, Fitzgerald Grant. You certainly didn't start at where you are now. You had to work your way there," she whispered. "And my parents have helped me too. So much. It has never always been _all_ me."

"Oh _now_ look who's not giving themselves enough credit," he said, propping himself up on his elbow to look at her.

She smiled. "I think we should just chalk it up to...we've both had supportive parents, and...were privileged enough to let it help us get to where we want to be."

"I think that's a good way to chalk it up," he nodded. "Except...your parents—way more awesome."

She laughed. "Hey now. From what I've heard, your parents were equally awesome. Especially your mother."

"Maybe my mom, yeah. My dad. Eh," he shrugged.

"Now, now," she said.

"I know, I know. I...love him. Just...you know what I mean."

"I know what you mean," she agreed.

"Your dad, though...him and I _get_ each other," he said. "Well, _now."_

"Yes," she giggled. "You sent him the picture of the pool table, right?"

"I sure did. He is so excited," he chuckled.

"Good! They'll have a reason to get up here again, maybe before the Holiday season," Olivia replied.

"Hopefully. They love it here, so I don't think that would be much of a problem except for the annoyingly long drive."

"Mhm. I've never seen my dad go on and on about the design of a home. And trust me...I've heard my fair share about our Virginia house, so that's saying something," Olivia laughed.

"Well, hey, good! If we have the big, boss architect on our side, I think we picked the right house."

"I think we did too," she smiled, leaning in to kiss him. "Okay, we've gotta get up, mister."

"Alright," he nodded, pulling the covers back. "Yoga?"

"I don't think I have time this morning, sweetie. Tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," he nodded, pecking her cheek.

She went downstairs to let Arie out and feed her before she got ready to shower, and he put on some workout clothes and headed up the stairs of their loft, to their exercise room.

He put on his running shoes up there and stretched out, before running a few miles on their treadmill—brand new, as of September. It was _extremely_ nice. He preferred to run outside, of course, but when it started to get cold, he didn't have many other options.

He was still waiting on their Bowflex Xtreme home gym machine, which allowed you to do more than 70 exercises on just the one machine.

It had tons of removable parts, all for legs, back, shoulders, arms, core. Everything imaginable. If they were going to have a home gym, they needed a machine that was pretty versatile, so it was really one of their best options. Olivia was excited for it too. She liked her cable machines for sure, which she'd certainly get lots of versions of with this machine on the way.

He did some pull-ups, too, something that had become a part of his routine without any other machine to use yet. Their pull-up bar was mounted right above the trim of the doorframe, so if he had the door open, he could see down into the bedroom every time he lowered his body from the bar. They found that to be pretty funny.

He lifted. And then he did some cool down yoga, something he'd become quite fond of. They each even had their own mats next to each other by the window.

It was a good way to cool down and stretch muscles after a workout, but it was still challenging. He'd been trying to learn some new poses too, with all the videos he'd been watching.

They'd installed one of his old, smaller TVs on the wall by the window, which was nice for workout videos.

Overall, the exercise room was awesome. He liked having it right there in his house, rather than having to go down to the apartment gym, usually packed with people. Not only was it right in his house, but just on top of his bedroom.

Olivia was quite used to that, as she had an exercise room in her basement in Virginia. Fitz on the other hand, hadn't had the luxury of a home gym for over a decade! It was safe to say he liked it again.

Their house had really been coming along. Over the course of the fall, they'd been getting their new furniture, painting, online shopping, and in-store shopping too. Learning and re-learning all about what it was like to be a homeowner. Fitz was re-learning, and it was still something to get used to again, after living in an apartment for a long time.

He'd loved the apartment, of course. It had been perfect for him, even though he could have easily afforded a house. But he hadn't wanted that, not until he met the person he wanted to share the house with.

Now he had his two girls with him in this big house every day. Still far too big for the three of them, but so gorgeous.

He'd bought his first grill in over a decade, which was pretty cool. It was huge and had many bells and whistles on it. They'd had a large patio with grills for everyone to use back at Paxton Hills, but this just wasn't the same. This was far better, now, especially having it on their _own_ beautiful patio that overlooked their backyard.

They'd done a bit with the gardens, as much as they could do as winter neared. Next spring would be their time to really spruce things up outside, before heading into the summer. Another thing he'd had to buy was a lawnmower—something he hadn't had to use very often at any point in his life, as it had really always been done for him. They made sure to buy a nice big, zero turn mower.

The thing was—Fitz actually rather enjoyed mowing the lawn when he ever got the chance to. But they had over two acres of land, and because of all the trees they had and the time it took to do it, they'd taken the advice of their friendly neighbors next door, and called the same lawn service they used for their large, complicated yard. The service used the mower and trimmer you had at your home, and did it once a week, right on the dot. Coming home to a fresh, beautiful lawn once a week was rather nice, he had to admit.

He only wondered how snow blowing would be when winter really did arrive. Their driveway was large, and Connecticut was a snowy state. It's something he'd never really had to do, growing up in California and then living in an apartment complex in Connecticut, where residents didn't have those responsibilities. He'd figure it out when the time came.

They had also made use of the pool a lot while they could, before it started to get a bit too chilly for it. So they'd had to go through the process of winterizing it, yet another thing they had to learn. But they couldn't wait for the spring, when they planned to have their official house-warming party. That way, their friends and family could swim too.

They hadn't had enough time to get their house all settled for a party before the air became chilly and the pool could no longer be used. At least they had something to look forward to.

Hopefully, _many_ things to look forward to. There were many things on his mind lately, and many things that he had reason to be excited about.

But for now, he tried to push them out of his mind as he finished up his workout.

He jogged down the stairs panting, seeing Olivia's shadow getting ready in the bathroom. "Arie fed, babe?" he called out.

"Yep. She might want a little more water though."

"Doesn't she always," he chuckled, heading out of their room.

"Oh baby girl," he yelled, coming down the main staircase.

He heard jingling near the kitchen, where he was walking to get himself some water too.

She trotted over to him from her dog bed in the family room.

"Oh well hello there. Momma says you want more water," he said, grabbing her dish by the mudroom. Arie looked up at him eagerly while he filled it up for her.

"I think momma's right," he said. "She normally is."

Arie jumped up a little bit, pushing her front paws off the ground in excitement.

"Alright, alright. Come here," he said, going to put her dish down.

She eagerly drank her second bowl of water that morning, which was pretty much the usual for her.

He got himself a tall glass of water and pounded it too, before turning on the coffee pot and heading back upstairs.

After a nice shower, he started getting ready. Olivia was no longer in the room, so he knew she was likely getting some breakfast and packing her lunch.

Neither of them ever left without a goodbye. House rule.

He came downstairs, pretty much ready for his day. Hair styled, clean shaven, all dressed, save for the top buttons on his shirt which he was now buttoning as he turned into the kitchen.

He saw Olivia on the phone as she stood over the stove top, making something. She was fully dressed in a pantsuit that fit her perfectly. He could hear her heels against the floor as she walked to the fridge and back. Her hair in loose curls, and that Michael Kors watch he gave her as a gift.

Something about Olivia going to work...it had always made him smirk. So sexy.

"No, I'm not—no. We just can't do that right now, Al," she said, switching the phone to her other hand. "Because you know how busy it gets before the end of the quarter. We just don't have the time or the people right now, unfortunately."

Fitz raised his eyebrows, grabbing a piece of toast that she had stacked up on a plate, and then filling up a cup of coffee.

She turned around and smiled at him, pointing to the eggs she was scrambling.

He gave her a thumbs up and mouthed "thank you."

She nodded back, holding the phone between her shoulder and her ear as she stirred and then emptied the eggs onto two plates.

"Yep, that sounds better, I think. We can talk about it when I get in, and run it by Dan," she said, turning the stove off.

She handed Fitz his eggs and started to eat hers, while continuing her conversation with...Al?

She finished in mere minutes, loading up the dishwasher and finally hanging up the phone.

"Okay. Thanks. Yep, I'll see you in..." she began, looking down at her watch. "Forty-five minutes. Alright. Yep. Bye."

She hung up the phone and sighed, slipping it inside her purse. "Sorry about that, baby. I'm so sorry," she said, coming over to the barstool he was sitting at.

"It's okay," he replied, looking up at her with a smile. "Don't apologize for work."

"It's just busy with the earnings call coming up," she sighed, wrapping her arms around him.

"I know it is. You better get going so Al doesn't go ballistic," he chuckled.

"He already is," she laughed. "I'll see you later. I'll text you," she said, putting a finger underneath his chin. She gave him a nice big, long kiss.

He smiled against her lips, kissing her a few more times. He grabbed her side, pulling her in for more which made her laugh.

"Okay. Sorry, sorry. You go," he said, kissing her once more.

"Okay. I love you," she said, grabbing her purse.

"I love you," he replied, watching her grab her mug of tea, walk out of the kitchen, and toward the foyer.

Her heels clicking on the wooden floor. The flip of her hair as she turned around. Her hips swaying back and forth with that Michael Kors purse slung over her shoulder. Her ass, looking perfect in those dress pants. He practically drooled, watching her walk away.

Hated to see her go, but loved to watch her leave.

He had to snap out of it and finish his eggs and toast, because he had to get going here pretty quick too.

Usually she was out of the house before he was. He didn't have to drive as far and she generally went in earlier and got home earlier than him.

Some days of his were earlier than others. Today was one of them, as he had an early meeting as she did.

So he cleaned up the kitchen a bit and made sure Arie went out one more time before he left.

The air was getting colder every day, which he was most definitely _not_ a fan of.

He wore a dress coat over his clothes and even gloves. Today was especially cold. He didn't pull out the hat—not yet. But oh man, he would soon.

Their days at work that day were very similar. Long, with meetings. More for Olivia than Fitz. But Mondays and Wednesdays were definitely his longer days of the week. Classes spread out throughout the day, with office hours in between. Lunch with Sam on Mondays. Lunch with Cyrus on Wednesdays. He always made it work.

That day, he couldn't wait to just get home to his girls and relax.

He pushed the button on his opener in his car and pulled into their long driveway, closing the gate behind him afterward.

He'd begun to like the drive to and from work every day. It was a bit longer. A little over half an hour, when it used to be about fifteen minutes _with_ traffic from their old apartment.

He took the highway and listened to music. It was relaxing, and a much smoother drive than stopping and going at every stop light in New Haven.

He pulled into the garage next to Olivia's car and saw Arie sprinting around from the backyard.

"Well hey there!" he greeted, patting his leg. "Come on, wanna come inside? It's cold out here."

She pranced up to him and nuzzled his leg while he pet her, before they headed inside.

She trotted in ahead of him and drank the rest of her water, which did not surprise him.

"Baby," he greeted, hanging his keys on the hook. "I'm home."

"Living room!" she called out.

He smiled and took off his shoes. _On the mudroom rug._ He'd been much better about the shoes thing ever since his bachelor party.

He made his way to the living room to the left of the house, seeing her standing and leaning against the arm of the couch as she watched the news, it sounded like.

"Hey you," he greeted.

"Hey yourself," she greeted back, smiling.

He walked up to her and pulled her in for a hug, lifting her up in his arms. "I missed you today."

"I missed you too. How was your day?" she asked.

"Good. How was yours? How was Al?" he chuckled.

She laughed. "My day was good. And Al was...Al."

"Cade and Jasmine?" he smiled.

"They were Cade and Jasmine. Brilliant but..." she sighed. "Cade and Jasmine. Although, I did talk Cade down from sending an E-missile to Elizabeth today."

He started laughing. "Oh no. Not an _E-missile!"_

"Mhm. She's just...she's not a good person to work with. I don't understand how she has _had_ all of our jobs before, literally done _nothing_ in any of the roles, and still thinks it's okay to pick apart everything we've done for the company's external communication so far. Especially when it's of zero concern to her anymore, and especially when she never thought it was necessary to do what we're doing right now. And, she sent this all in an email with my superiors in it. Karen was not pleased, and neither was I for that matter. His E-missile was spot on and I think it would have done her good to read it, but...not one of his most brilliant moments."

"No, probably not. What did his E-missile back to her originally say?" he asked.

"Essentially that I was given very strict guidelines about the online newsroom update. That's what she was shitting on this time, which like I was saying, she has _no_ right to do, because she never cared to update it herself. That not only pissed off Cade and I, but Jeffrey too. Jeffrey's worked so hard on it. But anyway, it explained that I organized things as best as I saw fit with the help of my team, and Jeffrey, a _marketing and advertising_ major back in the day, mind you, also agreed it was the best way to do things. It wasn't all that bad, but he was passive aggressive about things for sure. I wrote a much calmer one myself, and addressed everything she'd said. Cade thanked me about an hour after I did it," she laughed. "He needed to cool down. He would have regretted it if he sent it, and there would have been...problems."

"Well I'm glad he was standing up for you and your team members at least. Even if...he couldn't officially fire the E-missile," he chuckled.

"Yes. He's a good guy," she nodded.

"I feel his pain," he said, carrying her over toward the kitchen. "I've sent and received my fair share of E-missiles in my day."

"I wonder how many times we've said that made-up word in the past three minutes," she wondered.

"Probably enough to where it's no longer made-up, but an actual word," he said proudly.

"Good. I think it would be a nice addition to the dictionary," she replied. "May I ask where we're we going?" she laughed, clinging tightly to him.

"Oh, well, I'm gonna make us dinner and I want you with me. So, therefore, you are mine to carry," he said, going to set her down on a barstool.

"Well mister, you will be happy to know I'm thawing chicken as we speak," she said. "Pesto chicken and veggies."

He gasped. "No..."

"Oh yes," she nodded. "I was going to start it when you got home."

"Look at you _go_ today," he said, standing between her legs as she sat down.

She smirked, putting her hand on her hip proudly. "I know, I know. Hey, I may have taken longer than the average individual to learn to cook properly but I am definitely getting there."

He laughed. "You still haven't really taken that long. You're 23. Do you know how many 23-year-olds are still making ramen or mac and cheese for themselves most nights? I promise, there are still _many."_

"Well, that is true. However, I don't just have myself to think about. I've got this cute family, you see," she said.

"Oh yeah?" he asked, leaning in. "Who are they?"

"Well...there's my husband," she began. "He's tall, and he's got curly hair, kind of weird."

He nodded, appearing deep in thought. "I see. So...I've been reduced to a tall, curly-headed weirdo."

She giggled, grabbing onto his hand. "I wouldn't have you _any_ other way."

" _Mm_ hm," he chuckled.

"Oh, and I see you brought in the other member of the family," Olivia said, gesturing to Arie who was lounging on the floor.

"Mhm. She was thirsty after doing endless sprints, I assume," he replied.

"Oh yes. She was desperately pawing at the door just before you got home. The girl needs to _run."_

"That she does. Just like dad, huh?" Fitz asked, looking over at her.

She tilted her head.

"Typical response," Olivia laughed. "My two favorite runners."

"Don't you forget it," he said, pecking her cheek.

"I would never. You want me to start dinner?" she asked.

"Sure. You want help?" he asked.

"Nope. You just sit down right here and let me look at you every once in a while," she said, getting up.

"I think I can do that," he nodded, swinging his leg over the barstool.

She made them dinner, the pesto chicken and veggies as she'd promised. The same dinner she'd made him when she'd lost that bet on if she'd get sick or not.

That dinner had actually been pretty decent too. But this one was better. She truly had continued to learn and get better.

After dinner, they went upstairs and changed out of their work clothes, which felt good to do.

Arie followed them upstairs, of course, with her treat ball in her mouth. It would take her a little while to get that treat out.

They were lounging on the sofa in their bedroom, talking more about their days, when Olivia asked if he could hand her her Advil in her purse.

"You have a headache?" he asked, reaching over to the floor to look through her purse.

"Yeah, a little bit," she nodded.

He dug through and found the Advil. But something else caught his eye too, when searching. The circular package, full of many little white pills.

It had been on his mind. It had _always_ been on his mind. But even more so lately, as they'd gotten settled in the house, and continued to move forward together. It excited him, even though they hadn't really had the conversation he wanted to have yet.

He pulled out the Advil and handed it over to her, which she thanked him for. And then he pulled out her package of birth control.

She hadn't noticed yet. Too busy opening the Advil and pouring two out into her hand.

But then he spoke up.

"What if...you stopped taking these?"

She looked over at him, seeing the pills in his hands, and smiled.

"Well then you'd have to use protection. And we all know how spoiled you've been. Could you even bear to wear a condom at this point?" she asked with a little laugh, putting the cap on the Advil.

He smiled, looking down at the packaging, turning it over in his hands.

"I'm serious, babe."

She looked over at him again, and her smile faded into a much more serious face. "Oh. Wait. You're...you mean..."

He nodded. "Yes."

She slowly shifted on the sofa, turning toward him. _"Oh."_

He felt his heart about drop to his feet. "Oh?"

"Well, no, not...sorry, no. I didn't mean for it to sound that way, I was just...not expecting that is all," she said, tucking her leg underneath her.

He nodded. "I mean...do you think about it?"

 _"_ _Yes,"_ she nodded back.

"And... _what_ do you think?" he asked.

"I think...we've never had this conversation before," she said, peering up at him.

"We've had...variations of this conversation," he replied.

"Yes. But this feels like... _the_ conversation," she replied.

"Is that a bad thing?" he asked.

"No," she replied. "Not at all."

He set her pills down on the table in front of him, turning his body toward her. "Do you think it's too soon?"

"To talk about it? Or to...do it?" she asked.

"Both, I suppose," he replied.

"I don't think it's a matter of it being too soon. 'Too soon' means something different for everyone. It's a matter of...just being ready," she said. "Of finding the best time for _us."_

He nodded. "And when do you think the best time is?"

She looked down at the couch nervously. "You're asking me these questions like...I _know_ for sure."

"I'm asking you these questions because I want to know how you're feeling. What you're thinking. I'm asking you these questions because...I'm ready, Liv," he replied. "And I want to talk about it."

She looked back up at him, not shocked to hear that. She had known that he was, and had been for a while. They'd certainly had their fair share of conversations about it before. But they were mostly just the "when the time comes" conversations and the baby names conversations, because they really enjoyed those ones. She just hadn't known when they were actually going to have _this_ conversation. She'd actually kind of been waiting for it to come up. And...here it was.

"I don't think it's too soon," she began. "We've talked about this numerous times, I certainly didn't expect us to wait another five years. I just want us to find the best time with...you know, making sure we're settled in and...with work, too."

"I know. I can see how much you're needed at work and how heavily they rely on you. That needs to be taken into account for _sure,"_ he agreed.

"As does _your_ work," she nodded.

"Yes, as does mine, but you have to remember I'm not exactly climbing any ladders here, babe. At least not right now. My work is not my main concern."

"Well...what is your main concern?" she asked.

He grew quiet and bit his lip, looking down at his lap. "Livvie, I'm just...I'm not getting any younger."

She was definitely nervous now. It wasn't a bad kind of nervous by any means, she could feel the intense excitement in her. But there were nerves, nonetheless, and she knew they were showing as she tucked her hair behind her ear and folded her hands in her lap.

"Sixteen years, Liv. We rarely let it affect us. I don't think we even remember it's there very often. But it will _always_ be there. It will never go away, and sixteen years is...a lot of years. You're young, and I'm just...not quite there anymore. I've definitely got time. But...there are things that we have to consider. Time it will take to get pregnant. Time in between because...we want more than one. They're going to get older and so am I. These are just things that...we always have to keep in mind. And I know you know that, I just...wanted to talk about it."

She nodded, a bit sadly. There weren't many areas that their age difference affected. At least, not anymore. This would always be one of them though, just as he'd said.

"I know what that would mean for you. I know it's a sacrifice. Most people your age aren't married with a house and a dog and a good, steady job. You would...miss out on a lot of your twenties, and I'm so sorry about that."

She shook her head. "Fitz. This is not something you need to apologize about. Children are a sacrifice for everyone, no matter what age you have them at. You've gotta give some things up, of course. But it's not like we haven't thought ahead, knowing what our future might look like. It's not like we didn't anticipate that we'd want to start a family sooner rather than later. If I didn't want that, we wouldn't even be having this conversation right now."

He nodded, giving her a small smile.

"And I _do_ want it, so badly. It's what I've wanted ever since I met you," she began. "But...in the back of my mind, there's still a part of me that's thinking...what if...I'm _not_ prepared for it yet? What if...I'm still not ready?"

He scooted closer to her and pulled her into his body. "Then that's okay. I don't mean for you to feel rushed, I just wanted to have the conversation. Only _you_ know if you're ready. Only _you_ are allowed to tell me when you are. That's not for anyone to decide but you. Okay?" he asked.

She nodded, meeting his eyes.

"But with that being said, I don't want you to doubt yourself either. You are...incredible, Olivia. Like I said before, there aren't too many people your age in the role that you're in. You make everything look so easy to me, I don't know how you do what you do. Twenty-three-year-old me would have looked at you in complete awe. _Thirty-nine_ -year-old me looks at you in complete awe. You are...inspiring. You're a role model already, and don't forget that you're a fantastic mom to Arie. I don't know anyone more ready than you."

She smiled, holding onto his hand tighter.

"And...you have to remember how many people do this. How many people parent children...even when they were not prepared to do it. Is there ever a _perfect_ time to put your work on hold? Maybe. Maybe not. Is anyone ever... _fully_ ready for it? It's hard to say. I would like to think that I am. I've never felt more ready for anything in my life. But that doesn't mean that I'm not scared, too. We're in this together, baby. Every step of the way. You've just gotta tell me...when we take that first step. That's all that matters to me, is you being comfortable."

She nodded. "You're scared...too?"

"Of course I'm scared," he replied. "These are only our future children we're talking about here. The most important little ones, like...ever," he whispered with a smirk.

She giggled, leaning her head against his shoulder. "You know...you're right about maybe never being fully ready. Are _you_ fully ready to do hair? I mean beautiful, perfect biracial hair?"

His eyes widened. _"Shit."_

She laughed.

"You will have to be my teacher," he whispered, pecking her cheek. "I may not be fully ready to do it. But I am _so_ fully ready to learn."

She smiled. "Well, it's still going to be a different texture than mine. It'll have some of this mixed in," she said with a smile, lifting up one of his soft curls. He smiled back, leaning his head down toward her.

"So I'm gonna have to learn, too," she added.

"Hmm," he replied. "Well...we _are_ in this together."

"We _are,"_ she agreed, smiling.

"You know what else I'm ready for?" he asked.

"Hm?"

"Teaching them all to ice skate," he said happily.

She giggled. "We're gonna have to wait a couple years before we strap skates on them, baby."

"Oh, I know, I know. I'm _very_ excited for those couple years too. I'm ready for the squishiness."

"The squishiness?" she laughed.

"Yes! Squishy little...hands and feet. Just...squishy."

"Squishy," she giggled. "Yes. That's a pretty good description, I suppose."

"Mhm. And...that baby smell," he added.

She nodded. "Mmhm. And their _laughs._ So cute."

He smiled, squeezing her hand. And she met his eyes once more.

"I want this. All of it. That much I know and _have_ known. And I'm nervous as hell about it, but I've also never been so excited, thinking about this as a real possibility in the near future. Thinking about my work right now...it's always going to be busy. Always. No matter how slowly or quickly I'm able to climb the ladder. I guess you made a good point about...you know, is there ever really a perfect time," she noted.

"I think that should be taken into account, yes. But if you think there _is_ a certain time that would be best, then you tell me, baby. I still have no right to say when the perfect time for you with work is. I don't want to interject myself into a situation where I have no say. I just wanted to talk about it, is all," he replied.

"Well, baby I appreciate that. But you do have a say in this. In all parts of it. We're a team. And I'm glad that we talked about it, because I had been thinking about it, too. And because...I think I've got that first step in mind."

He sat up straighter, looking at her with wide, excited eyes. Waiting for her to continue.

She smiled, reaching forward to grab her birth control pills. "I just started this pack a few days ago. So...why don't I finish it, so I don't disrupt my cycle and I know for sure where it's at before I adapt back to my natural one. I'm not completely sure how long it will take for my body to adjust being off of it, because everybody's different and I've just been on it a _long_ time. That's why...this step _could_ be a very small one. But it's _definitely_...a step."

"Okay," he nodded eagerly. "Okay. Do whatever is best for you. _Whatever_ is best."

"I don't exactly get much of a period with this, but...I take the placebo pills for seven days anyway. After that, this pack will be gone. That will be about a month from now," she said.

 _"_ _A month from now,"_ he whispered in awe.

She smiled. "Mhm."

His smile slowly faded. "And...will it be bad for you? The first month that you're off? And...from then on?" he asked concernedly.

"I'm not sure. It very well may be. It was _awful_ for me when I was younger, which is why I'm on it to begin with. I missed school a lot. That's why I don't want to stop midway through this pack. If I finish it I'll at least have a better idea of...when hell is scheduled to break loose in my uterus," she explained with a laugh.

He sighed sadly. "I'm sorry about that. I'm so sorry about that."

She put her hand to his cheek, looking at him sweetly. "It's okay, baby. It will be _well_ worth it. And hey. Maybe...you'll knock me up right away and I won't even have to experience my period off of it," she laughed.

"I will try my absolute hardest!" he chuckled. "I don't want it to be awful for you. I don't want that at all."

She shrugged. "If it is, I'll deal with it like I did before, and like every other woman does. It's kinda what...we gotta do. I was just lucky to be able to use something that helped me before."

"Women amaze me," he said.

"Women amaze _me_ ," she nodded matter of factly. "I would be modest but...we really are just amazing, and that's that."

"Yeah, don't be modest. Tell it like it is," he nodded.

She smiled, intertwining their fingers together. "I want to do this."

"Me too. More than anything," he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers.

"So then...soon," she began. "We'll start...trying."

He smiled brightly, pulling her into his lap fully now. "Start _trying,"_ he whispered excitedly, pressing kisses all over her face. Almost as if he couldn't believe such words were coming out of their mouths.

 _"_ _Soon!"_

"Mhm," she giggled, holding his head in her hands. She leaned in and pressed a long kiss to his lips, and pulled back to look at him with a smile.

"Soon."

* * *

We've never heard those words from them before! But now you've heard them. Soon, they'll start trying.

I wanted to thank you all for being so understanding of my break and time away. It really did me some good, and you all were extremely supportive and kind to me about it. I know it may have felt unfair to those of you who are always supportive, it just takes a lot—emotionally and mentally, to write a story, so sometimes we just need a break to clear our heads a bit, and I hope you can understand that. But I will never let negativity keep me from telling my story. Never.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Thanks again for such kind words of encouragement. They meant so much to me, especially these past weeks.

Read on.

With Love,

~T


	97. Big Steps

"Oh god," she whispered to herself, clutching her abdomen. The burning, dull, aching sensation was at its absolute worst. Worse than it had been yesterday.

All the things she'd read about going off birth control remained permanently etched into her mind. Sometimes women went off of it a few months before they started trying, in preparation to get pregnant because they weren't sure how their bodies would react when they went off.

Sometimes, they wouldn't even get a period for a few months. Sometimes the bleeding would be irregular, and it would take a few months to return to normal. Sometimes their body returned to normal right away.

It was very possible for a woman to get pregnant as soon as she stopped taking it. There were so many different possibilities.

As for Olivia, hers had been a little bit late, which she could have predicted, but man oh man, she was _definitely_ bleeding.

It had pretty much hit her like it had hit her when she'd _started_ the pills as a teenager, which had been a quick transition from hell in her uterus, to _heaven_. Only now, it was vice versa.

Her periods on the pill had always been a gift. Extremely short. Very light. Painless.

Off the pill, she was now remembering what it had been like for her. Long. Heavy. Painful. The only plus side was that they had always been fairly regular.

It was now day four of it, which usually meant she was nearing the end of her cramps. Not the end of her bleeding though.

So there she laid, waiting for another round of Midol to kick in.

"Okay," Fitz said, coming into the bedroom with his arms full of things. "Heating pad, check. More water, check. Chocolate, check..."

She giggled at him, giving him a little wave.

He climbed into bed, pushing her sweatshirt up a bit and putting the heating pad on her abdomen.

"Thank you, baby," she whispered.

"Mhm," he nodded, leaning over and setting her other things on her nightstand. "I think I completed the checklist. Oh, wait..."

She smiled, watching him lay his head down on top of the pad and wrap his arms around her. "Me, check."

"You are the most important checklist item," she said with a smile, playing with his hair.

He looked up at her, giving her a reassuring smile. "How're you feeling?"

She sighed. "I'm okay. The pain will go down a bit soon, when the medicine kicks in again. Sorry I haven't been much fun today. Or...the past three days. I'm just trying to readjust."

"Don't be sorry," he said, shaking his head. "I'm the one that's sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," she replied, holding his face in her hands.

"Well, I didn't knock you up right away. I tried so hard!" he exclaimed.

She couldn't help but laugh. "Fitz, I really didn't expect it to happen for us the first month after _just_ coming off birth control.

"I was confident I could do it," he murmured. "I was wrong."

"Well, it certainly wasn't from lack of sex," she laughed.

"No," he chuckled.

"Maybe I just miscalculated my most fertile days. They might be a little bit iffy these next months because I'm still adjusting. I'll buy an ovulation kit so we can be positive next month," she said.

His eyes widened at the sound of that. "Does that hurt?"

She laughed. "No, sweetie. I mean, I've never used one but I know that it doesn't hurt."

"How do you test it?" he asked.

"The same way you test to see if you're pregnant," she replied.

"Ohhh," he nodded. "Okay. That makes me feel better."

"That I'll continue to test my urine all the time?" she asked with a laugh.

"Yes!" he chuckled. "I just mean...the less pain, the better. You're already...dying as it is."

"I'm okay. I was plenty prepared," she replied. "Thank you for your concern though, baby."

He nodded, resting his chin on the top of her heating pad and looking up at her sweetly. "I don't want you to hurt."

"You make me forget," she whispered, twirling one of his curls around her finger.

He smiled, reaching for the bag of little Dove chocolates he set on the nightstand. He unwrapped one and held it up to her mouth.

"I'm okay right now. Thank you, babe," she laughed.

He shrugged and popped it in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "This is really fucking good."

"Isn't it? Dove is the best," she nodded. "My mom's got a point with that."

He slowly reached for the bag again, looking at her innocently, which made her laugh.

"You don't have to be sneaky. Everyone knows you love chocolate."

He leaned his head down against her, laughing. "You got me."

She smiled, continuing to play with his hair. And then she changed her mind. "Yeah, okay. I'll have one."

"Ah," he said, unwrapping it for her. "I knew it."

"Where's Arie?" Olivia asked, taking the chocolate he handed her.

"Passed out in her room," Fitz answered, grabbing another for himself. "Tired as hell from all the snow sprinting she's done already today. But I'm sure she's ready for more."

"Doesn't surprise me," Olivia laughed. "She's crazy, that sweet dog."

"She is," he nodded. "But we love her."

"We do," he agreed. "And speaking of snow, I probably need to snow blow. So she can come back out if she wants."

"Ugh," she groaned. "You have to again?"

"Yes, again," he sighed. "Have you looked outside recently?"

"No. I've been avoiding that," she laughed.

"Well then I won't open our bedroom curtains because it's bad," he nodded.

"Well, since we're both off work now, I suppose it's okay. Not like we have anywhere to be these next couple days. As long as it's okay by Wednesday," she said.

"It should be fine by then. I think the blizzarding is supposed to be done by tomorrow night," he replied. "I just wanna get at least some of it clear by tonight so it's not so awful the next couple days. If we _did_ need to go somewhere, I don't know how easily we'd be able to get out, as of now."

"Oh goodie," she laughed. "Isn't it fun, living in Connecticut, baby?"

He rolled his eyes, but then laughed. "I think I shit on Connecticut too much. I hate the cold but...it's home for me. Has been ever since I met you."

She smiled. "Not since...you came here to go back to school?"

"No. Back then I didn't feel like I belonged anywhere. Then you came into the picture and bam. I knew exactly where I belonged," he said.

"To me?" she asked, smiling at him.

He smirked. "I was going to say I belonged here, but yes. Your answer is much better."

"I think so too. You're mine," she shrugged.

"I am," he agreed.

"Nobody else can have you," she added.

"Nobody?" he teased.

"No."

"Not even—"

"No."

"You didn't even let me fin—!"

"No."

 _"Baby,"_ he chuckled.

She laughed back, tightening her grip around him. "Now if you left me for Myrtle...I think I'd understand. She's the only one though."

He burst into laughter. "Myrtle. She was cute. But by now I'm sure if we went back to Turtle Cove, we'd probably come to realize she's now a fully grown 350-pound reptile and also a man turtle."

She giggled. "Hey, that's okay! Myrtle works for a man too."

"Yeah. But I don't think the man version of Myrtle would want me. In fact, he might kick my ass if he's got 150 pounds on me."

"I wouldn't let him. He'd have to get through me first."

"Oh good. My wife will protect me!" he exclaimed.

"Mhm! I'd show you my guns. But I'm too tired," she said lazily.

He laughed, reaching to lift up her right arm. "Come on. Let me see."

She smirked, and gave in, flexing her bicep for him. Hey, she worked out. She lifted. She sure as hell had some muscle there.

"Whew!" Fitz exclaimed, shaking his head. "I sure as hell wouldn't wanna fight you."

"I'd kick your ass," she whispered, touching the tip of his nose.

"You would," he nodded in agreement. "But...but don't go kicking anyone's ass right now, okay? Just rest," he chuckled.

"Alright. I'll just send Abby your way to protect you. She's a black belt in karate and she enjoys...whoop-ass cans or whatever."

"A can of whoop-ass?" he chuckled.

"Yes! Yes, that," she agreed.

"Oh Abby," he laughed.

"She's a gem," Olivia noted.

"She really is," he nodded. "I miss her."

"I miss her too. I miss _all_ our friends. It's weird being all over the place."

"Mhm. Let's see. Harrison in Virginia. Abby, David, Huck, and Teagan in New Haven. Charlie and Quinn in Hamden. Cy in Branford. Brett in Pittsburgh. Matt and Jay in New York. And Logan in West Haven. Am I forgetting anyone?" he asked.

"Sandra and Stephen are also in Virginia. I barely see them anymore, except for over the holidays," she said sadly.

"Oh that's right. And they may be moving even further away soon, right?" he asked.

"Yeah. Virginia Beach. They'll be about damn near in North Carolina by that point."

"Wow," he said, shaking his head. "Everyone's taking big steps, babe."

"Mhm. And Huck and Teagan will be moving again here pretty quick. They can only stay in that apartment for so long before their grace period is up. They're not students anymore. Poor T's just had to move from one place to another recently," she noted.

"Yeah," he agreed. "But they'll get through it, they'll figure it out. Like I said, everyone's taking steps. Logan is working his ass off to get out of Pax and land that job at KeyBank. He's so close, I can feel it."

"I think he'll get it. I really do. He deserves it so much," Olivia replied.

"He does," Fitz agreed. "He's deserved it for a long time. And I'm glad he's finally trying to go for it."

"Me too. Look at all of us go, huh?" she smiled.

"Yes! All of us. Just...nobody knows about _our_ big step right now," he chuckled. "Well, except for your promotion."

"Yeah, but...I knew which step you were talking about. I'm so happy about where I am with work now," she admitted. "I had wanted this position for over a year, and I know that I deserved it. It's so important to me, but at the same time, it feels...furthest from my mind, in a way. Because now, since we've started trying...it's all I want. _This_ is all I want."

He gave her a big smile and the best hug he could give her in the position they were in at the moment. "Me too."

"And hey, it's still a huge step, no matter who knows about it."

"That it is," he agreed. "Has it been weird so far...keeping it from everyone?"

"A little bit," she nodded. "I don't think it would be the end of the world if people knew. It wouldn't bother me, necessarily. But...it also just...does feel better, keeping it private. At least right now. I know most people would be more than supportive, but it's still just...our business right now."

"I think so too. It's between you and me," he said. "Although, I have to admit. I already think I know who we'd tell first. When...it does happen."

"Yes. I'm sure we're thinking of the exact same people," she laughed.

"Abby. Cy. Your parents," he nodded. "And maybe...one more person."

"The high school friend you're closest with," she guessed.

"Yes," he agreed.

"Brett."

"Brett," he nodded.

"Yeah that's...essentially who I had in mind too. First to know."

"You and me..." he began, gesturing to the both of them. "We get each other."

She giggled, putting her hand in his hair. "We do. Are we at the weird, _finish each other's sentences_ stage of marriage yet?"

"Hmm," he thought. "Well...if we are, I say it's cute, not weird."

"I think _other_ people think we're weird," she said.

"Oh yeah," he nodded. "But I don't give a damn. Normal's overrated, like you say."

"Normal _is_ overrated," she agreed. "We're...completely abnormal, sweetheart."

"Hmm. Let's see," he whispered, dragging his fingers lightly across her arm. "Met in a college lecture hall. One of us thirty-six. The other...twenty."

She nodded, smiling lightly as she waited for him to continue.

"One of us...a professor. The other...a student," he continued. "One of us...weird and old, and the other—way out of his damn league. So beautiful and perfect, and—"

" _Not_ true, Fitzgerald," she laughed, cutting him off.

" _So_ true," he whispered, smirking at her.

"You're the one that's out of my league," she replied.

He laughed. "Oh, baby. Are you drunk?"

"No!" she giggled. "If you'd just stop and admit every once in a while that you're damn near perfect, then this conversation wouldn't even be happening!"

"Liv, I am _so_ far from perfect," he said, shaking his head.

"Bullshit."

"You just think so highly of me because you love me," he said, smiling.

"Well I do love you. A lot," she agreed. "But you are perfect to me."

"You are _so_ perfect to me," he replied, extending his body over her so that he could meet her eyes.

"Thank you! But not right now," she laughed.

"Yes? Of course right now. Always."

"Right now I'm...wearing sweats. Your sweats, to be specific. My hair is a mess and I'm bleeding. I'm _gross."_

"You are _beautiful,"_ he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "My pretty girl."

"My sweet guy," she whispered back, holding his hand. "Love you."

"Love you back," he whispered. "Do you need anything else? How is everything feeling?"

"Decent," she nodded. "You've been so sweet these last few days, helping me. Thank you, Fitz."

"Of course. Anything to help you," he nodded.

"Well you know what would help me right now?" she asked.

"What?"

"A kiss, first," she said.

"Oh," he murmured, immediately leaning down to touch his lips to hers.

She laughed against his lips, as he gave her a lot more than a single kiss. "Oh—oh, how many?"

"I think you covered it," she smiled.

"Oh good. Okay what else?"

"Our dog," she nodded.

He gasped. "We can make that work. Come on, you."

She smiled as he pulled her out of bed, lifting her up bridal style as she giggled endlessly. She put the heating pad back on the bed before he started carrying her out of the room.

"You just gonna carry me around the house like this?" she laughed.

"Uh-huh. Let's go find our spoiled fur baby," he said, carrying her down their long hallway.

"Which of her eighteen dog beds is she laying in today," Olivia laughed.

"Her favorite one, of course," Fitz said, reaching the playroom at the end of the hall.

"Ohhhh Arieeeeee," Fitz said, entering the room.

And there she was, lounging on her bed by the window. It was her room, after all.

It had taken a little while for her to understand that it was for her. And whether or not she truly understood that, they didn't know. But she at least had started to lay in there when she was tired and when she was already on the top level.

They'd only put one dog bed on that level, and it was the first one she'd ever had as a full grown dog, so they figured she loved that one more than any of the others. And that way, she would come to understand that was where she could go. Plus, her kennel was in there, and she loved to sleep in there.

There were two of her other beds in the house, one in the family room, because they liked to have her with them when they were downstairs. And one in the basement too. Probably a little excessive, but it was no secret that they spoiled the hell out of her.

But her room was actually very convenient, for many more reasons than just the dog bed and kennel alone. They'd chosen that room because every other bedroom in the house had a bathroom in it. Arie obviously didn't need a bathroom, so they figured it would be good to use that space for her.

It had a little closet in there, which they'd put a shelved stand in to hold all of her things. Some treats, all of her grooming supplies, her toothbrush, her shampoo.

All of the things she had to take every so often; her heartworm preventative, her flea and tick medication. A few extra leashes and harnesses, because lord knows she had multiple, besides the two main ones that stayed downstairs for convenience.

Extra collars, dog tags, and poop bags. An extra water dish on the floor, because that fluffy girl could never have enough of that. That closet was full of stuff, which had taken up a lot more room in their apartment. Having her room was very beneficial for all of them.

And the room itself was pretty cute. They'd painted it blue, actually, for her. Because once upon a time when she was just a little puppy with no name and no owner, she was called blue girl.

Aside from the bed and kennel, it had a basket full of toys that didn't always stay full. Her toys were still scattered across the house normally, but at least there was a home for them. And they'd hung a big, blown up picture on the wall. A selfie of the three of them that they'd taken about a week after they got her, the same one that Olivia had on her nightstand. That was a lot more for them than it was for Arie. But hey, they couldn't leave the walls totally empty.

There were a few other things to make it look a little less empty, even though it was one of the smallest rooms, to begin with. A chair in the corner, a clock on the wall, and some curtains on the window. Arie was living large, in their opinion.

And she loved having visitors in her room.

She immediately got up from her bed, tail wagging like crazy at the sight of them entering her room.

"Well hello there, miss Arie girl!" Olivia said.

"Hey baby girl!" Fitz announced.

She came running over to them, jumping up a little bit to be closer to Olivia.

"Oh yes, I know. Dad's carrying the momma," Fitz said. "But here, you can give her a proper greeting."

He set her down and Arie excitedly sniffed her.

Olivia smiled and kneeled down, giving her ears a good scratch as she sat right in front of her. "Hi there. How are you, huh? How are you this afternoon?"

Fitz kneeled down next to them and also gave her some love.

He caught sight of her water dish in her closet, and saw that it was empty. He gasped, looking at Arie.

"Well we cannot have that, can we. That's probably been empty for one whole hour. My sincerest apologies," he said, going to grab it.

Olivia laughed. "You wanna go outside? Run around some more?"

Arie's ears perked up at the word "outside."

"Ohhh I know. Sounds fun, huh. All that snow. Your water will be full when you get back, let's go!"

Arie's tail resumed its excited wagging as Fitz brought her water dish back from the bathroom into the playroom.

"Oh, and where are we going?" Fitz asked.

"I'm going to let her outside. Run for a while," she replied.

"Mmkay. She'll love the blizzard," he chuckled.

"Yeah, I still haven't looked. Let's go find out," she winced.

They headed downstairs and Arie excitedly followed them, passing them into the breakfast room because that's the door they tended to let her out of.

As soon as Olivia looked through the set of double French doors, her eyes widened. It was completely white outside.

"Oh lord," she remarked, opening one of the doors for Arie.

She, of course, sprinted right out. She loved the cold and she loved the snow, as all German Shepherds did.

"Well. Better get out my…fucking parka," Fitz said, heading toward the mudroom.

She laughed. "Want me to come help? Any areas that I can shovel?"

"No, baby that's okay. You just stay inside and rest," he said.

She followed him toward the kitchen, watching him dig through the closet.

"Hmm…well I need to do _something_. It feels weird, knowing my weekend isn't over tomorrow. I don't have to get ready for tomorrow or do any work before my week starts."

"Yes, babe, that's exactly why you should take advantage of it. Sleep or…watch a movie!" he encouraged.

She shook her head. "Nah. I'm gonna make cookies."

"Make cookies?" he questioned.

"Mhm. We can bring some to my parents' this week, too. And, I'll have some hot and ready for you when you come back inside," she smirked, heading to the pantry.

He nodded. "Hmm…intrigue."

"That's right. You go out there and blow some snow. You'll get your reward when you come back in."

He smiled at her, putting on his big Canada Goose jacket and zipping it up. He had on his winter boots and was just now finishing off the look with his hat and some thick gloves.

"You got it," he nodded.

She gave him a little wave of her fingers before he headed outside.

Thanks to her dad, she could bake some damn good chocolate chip cookies. Not like it was really that hard, but his specific recipe was imprinted in her brain. Fitz loved them and the chocolate sounded pretty good to her at the moment, too.

She was also guilted into having a bit of the dough, while she was separating it into the decent-sized cookies that she wanted. Chocolate chip cookie dough was always a treat.

The cookies fresh out of the oven were the best, too. When they were all melted and hot. Her mouth watered just baking them!

She cleaned up the mess she'd made in the kitchen while she waited for them to be done baking.

The kitchen was now one of her favorite areas of the house, because it was truly very beautiful. The white cabinets with the silver handles. The stainless steel appliances, and the beautiful gray and white speckled granite. It was gorgeous.

Something else that was gorgeous, was seeing Fitz cook in it. She'd become a decent cook, and she had begun to enjoy it more, sure. But he was a natural, and still far better than she was. He looked damn sexy with an apron on in that kitchen.

She walked to the foyer to check on her two loves outside, and was met with quite an adorable sight.

Fitz was pushing the snow blower, and the snow was shooting out into their yard at the moment, continuing to pile up on the sides of their big driveway. And then there was Arie, running back and forth on that same side of the driveway, as if saying, "try to get me, dad!"

She could see and hear Fitz laughing as Arie kept teasing him, her tail wagging like crazy. Fitz never got close enough to hit her with the soft, fluffy snow, but he did have a good time teasing her back, it seemed.

Olivia watched with a big smile on her face, not able to keep herself from thinking about what they were trying to do right now.

He would be such a fantastic dad.

She tore her eyes away from the beautiful sight outside, because the oven timer had interrupted her thoughts.

She went to go take the cookies out of the oven so they could cool. And as they were cooling, she heard the mudroom door open.

"Hey, hey, hey. Come back here and let me wipe your wet paws, miss."

Olivia smiled to herself, spreading the cookies out on the cooling racks.

"Mmhm, that's what I thought. You know the drill," he added.

Olivia laughed quietly. "How was the snow, you two?"

"White. And…annoying," he yelled back.

"Hmm…" she began.

"Oh, jeez, I set myself up for that one. Yes, me and the snow are similar!" he exclaimed, which made her laugh.

"I wasn't gonna say anything!" she said. "You're not annoying."

"Oh good," he chuckled. "Okay, go on. I'll get you some peanut butter in a second."

But Arie came running up to Olivia immediately, undoubtedly smelling the scent of the wonderful cookies in the house.

Fitz smelled them too.

"Oooh! Baby, you've outdone yourself. I can already tell," he said, walking into the kitchen with just his hat on now. "Smells amazing."

"Well thank you. Here, you can try the first one," she said, handing him a warm cookie.

He grabbed it and bit into it, before nodding eagerly. "Whew. Now _that_ is a chocolate chip cookie."

She laughed, grabbing one for herself too. "I do make pretty good ones, I'll admit…props to my dad."

"Mmhm," he agreed, chewing thoughtfully. "Alright. Arie, go find your Kong. Find your Kong."

She immediately ran off to the family room and Fitz pulled out a knife and her jar of peanut butter, sticking the rest of his cookie in his mouth.

"Fucking fantastic," he nodded, pointing to the cookie still in his mouth.

She nodded in agreement, finishing her cookie too.

Arie came back with her red Kong in her mouth so that she could have a nice treat too. Fitz did not disappoint. She ran off to the family room to enjoy her peanut butter.

Fitz smiled at Olivia, coming to wrap his arms around her and give her a kiss.

"Do I taste like cookies?" he murmured, connecting their lips once more.

"Mhm," she giggled, kissing him right back.

She put her hands on the side of his face, admiring his rosy cheeks and winter hat he had on.

"You're adorable in the winter. Do you know that?" she asked.

His cheeks flushed even more. "It's the hat, isn't it."

She laughed. "I do love the hat. Always have."

"Well I'm grateful. It probably helped me in earning that delicious reward," he said with a smile, taking it off and setting it on the counter.

She tilted her head in confusion. "Oh you thought…the _cookies_ were your reward?"

He raised his eyebrow at her, nodding.

"Hmmm," she replied, running her hand down his chest. "I had a little something else in mind. Cookies were just a bonus."

He looked down at her wandering hand in amusement, watching her begin to undo his belt.

She smiled at his already desperate eyes, watching her like a hawk. And then she pushed him back toward the island.

"I'm a big fan of this," he noted, watching her unzip his jeans.

And then she knelt down in front of him.

Just the simple act of her getting on her knees, yanking at his pants so desperately. That in itself was enough to make him hard.

He bobbed free of his briefs and his skinny jeans, which were extremely annoying to pull down. She made quick work of them though.

And she made quick work of taking him in her mouth immediately.

He drew in a quick breath, clutching the countertops behind him.

She started stroking him with one hand and focused on just his tip with her mouth for now. Swirling her tongue around the head and starting to taste his wetness.

He let out steady breaths, watching her head move back and forth on him as he stood there, clutching that granite for dear life.

He watched her drag her tongue slowly up and down his shaft, looking up at him with a devilish grin. Like she knew what a tease she was, and wanted him to know she was enjoying herself.

It was so sexy to him. Watching her give it her absolute all. Like all she ever wanted was to have his dick in her mouth, or her tongue all over him.

He groaned, moving one hand to her head to grip her hair.

He guided her a little bit, enjoying how she went deeper and deeper with each thrust.

"Take off—your sweatshirt," he begged.

She pulled back, pressing the softest of kisses to his tip and peering up at him. He exhaled just at the feeling of her kiss there. And then she stripped her hoodie over her head, and tossed it behind her. The sports bra came next, and she shook that off effortlessly for him.

He wet his dry lips, looking at her breasts so eagerly. Wanting to touch them, but being unable to in the position that they were in. All he could do was watch, while she continued to suck on his thick, throbbing member. And her breasts weren't the only thing he was desperate for.

"I want to touch you," he groaned. "I want to kiss you—taste you. I want…you," he groaned, returning his hands back to the countertop.

"I know, baby. But for now, just let me make you feel good," she said, kissing him down there a couple more times.

He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, knowing that he, of course, couldn't exactly do all that he wanted to do at this point in the month. He knew how it went, he'd had plenty of experience with it. He was just horny right now, he had no other excuse but that. Plain and simple.

He could feel himself nearing his end. His fingers twitched against the cupboards as his breath quickened. The kitchen was full of the sounds of his panting now, and his chest was heaving.

"Livvie," he whispered.

"Mhm," she murmured, keeping her mouth fully around his dick.

The vibrations her response sent through him made it feel even better, very similar to how it felt when she moaned against him.

He lost control of his breathing at the last second, letting her name and his groans spill out of his mouth.

And then he was releasing, shaking as she eagerly swallowed multiple times. He was one of her favorite tastes, and he damn well knew it by now.

He panted, holding out his hand for her to grab.

She gratefully took it and let him pull her up to her feet.

She smirked, wiping the edges of her mouth with her thumb, before leaning in and pecking his lips.

He didn't hesitate to kiss her right back, still trying to come down from his high.

"So…I blow snow. And then…you blow _me,"_ he whispered, putting his hands on her hips.

"Sounds about right," she nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck. She could feel him wet and hard still, pressed up against her abdomen. And she liked it.

He gently started massaging her breasts, looking down at her body so admirably. "God, you are a work of art."

She smiled, looking down at him pressed against her. "So are you," she replied, rubbing her thumb against his tip ever so gently.

"Oh," he groaned, leaning his head against her shoulder. "I love that."

"I know you do," she nodded.

He just stood there, leaning against her. Letting her rub him because wow, what a feeling.

"Sure you don't want me to return the favor?" he asked, meeting her eyes. "I know you love a good clit rub."

"That's okay, baby," she laughed. "Wednesday, you can do whatever you want, though."

"Alright," he nodded. "Deal."

She nodded, reaching for her bra and hoodie. "Can I put these back on now?"

"Aw," he replied, giving her a frown.

"Well I certainly don't assume you'll be walking around the house like _that!"_ she laughed, pointing to his pants and underwear shoved to his knees. Everything hanging out for the…kitchen…to see.

He nodded, looking down at his just about half-naked self. "Yeah…I probably shouldn't."

"I mean, I would be all for it. But seems chilly."

He nodded in agreement. "Okay, fine. But come upstairs with me to change," he said, pulling up his pants so he could walk normally.

"Change into what?" she laughed, pulling her bra on.

"Something comfier. Something I can breathe in. Skinny jeans aren't it. Not after a blowjob."

"I'm all for letting it breathe," she shrugged, putting her sweatshirt on as they walked.

"I'm proud that Arie didn't catch us naked that time," he said, looking back at her while they walked up the stairs.

She laughed. "Ha. Yeah, if you would have given her just a little less peanut butter she probably would have!"

"Yeah, probably. That crazy dog," he chuckled.

And as he said that, they heard the sound of her jingling collar, and her nails clicking against the hardwood floor.

They burst into laughter, immediately seeing her turn the corner and bolt up the stairs after them.

She did not want to miss out on anything, that dog.

They gathered in their bedroom and Fitz changed like he wanted to.

Otherwise, they did enjoy their Sunday, with no upcoming work on Monday. Fitz had already had off for over a week now, so he would enjoy having Olivia home with him now for a few days, before they drove down to Virginia for the Holidays again.

It was nearly Christmas now, which was absolutely crazy to them as the time had been really flying. Their first Christmas as a married couple.

They'd already had a little Christmas party with some of their friends. The best one they could have with everyone all over the place these days.

That was at least a nice way to break in their house for now, before their real housewarming party in the spring. The only presents that remained under their Christmas tree now, were the ones for each other and the ones for her family members back home that they'd bring with them.

Their tree was a massive twelve feet tall, sitting in the living room because the living room was much bigger than the family room. Although, there were decorations _everywhere_ in the house. Olivia had made sure of that.

As soon as she owned a home, she wanted to be able to decorate her space like her mother did, since she had always loved the festive house on each Holiday growing up.

So that's exactly what she did. But she had Fitz help her. That was pretty funny, watching him try to arrange garland on all of their railings. He did it as best as he could.

And she made him put the star on top of their tree, because he was taller and didn't have to climb up as high on the ladder.

They even had a mini, fancy tree in the corner of their bedroom, with stockings of their own hanging up on the fireplace in there.

They had some new ones stitched for their own house, not wanting to take theirs from her parents. Plus, they had one made for Arie as well, since they hadn't really hung up stockings in their apartment and she didn't have one yet.

Except for Fitz's mothers, that was. They'd always had that one. Hers now went on its own hook downstairs in the family room. She had always loved Christmas, according to Fitz, and Olivia always saw how that stocking made him smile. It had to have its own place of honor.

The outdoors, however, was a bit trickier. There was a lot of area to cover, so Fitz just put up lights on the front side of the entire house, and Olivia wrapped lights around their shrubs. That had taken pretty much an entire day. Their house was pretty damn big, after all.

It was safe to say they were set in regards to decorations.

It made for a fun couple days to spend together at the house all decorated, despite the fact that Olivia wasn't feeling all that great.

She didn't let it get her down too much though. She had prepared. She remembered and knew what it was like. But women did it every day. She could deal with it. Plus, the fact that she was feeling the pain again made her think about _why_ she was feeling that way.

They were trying!

That in itself, was more than enough to get her through.

It was much better by Wednesday though. Tuesday was her last day, she was pretty certain it would be, as it was day six.

It had been a long, gross week, and by Wednesday she was in the clear.

Which was beneficial as that was the day they left for Virginia. She didn't need that slowing her down, not so close to Christmas!

Plus, she just loved to go home and see her parents. Not being in school anymore provided her with fewer breaks, and it was harder to go and see them. They worked too, they were busy too. Everyone understood, but she did start to miss them after a while.

It was easier during the early winter. They'd just seen them a month prior for Thanksgiving, which was nice. But even still, she knew after Christmas, it might be a few months before she saw them again.

And not only her. Fitz too! He grew to miss them just as much as she did, and she was certain they felt the same way.

So going back on that Wednesday was pretty nice.

They even went to O'Sullivan's for some beer and pool that night, the same pub they traditionally went to the day after Christmas.

Eli and Fitz could barely be pulled away from that pool table. Practicing for their next rematch at Olivia and Fitz's house, since their first ever few games back in early November.

As for Olivia, she drank a beer with her mom at the bar, watching her dad and her husband shoot pool. Beer wasn't exactly her favorite, but she always made an exception at O'Sullivan's. They at least had great beer.

Part of her wished to tell her mom what was going on. What big thing was currently going on in her life. But she didn't, not yet.

There would be a time and a place. Right now was certainly not the time, and an Irish pub was certainly not the place.

Both would come eventually.

Instead, the conversation was filled with both of their jobs, her promotion, and her friends and what they were all doing these days.

They all came back to the house eventually, driving through their Christmas-y town, which just made everything feel all the more magical.

When they got home, Fitz took Arie outside to stretch her legs and go to the bathroom one last time, before they all retired upstairs for the night.

Maya was quick to give them both hugs immediately.

"I'm so happy you're both home again. _We're_ so happy," Maya said, moving from Fitz to Olivia with her loving hugs.

"We're so happy to be here too, mom," Olivia said, squeezing her mother tight.

"Yes we are. We were itching to come down here all weekend," Fitz said with a smile.

"Well next time you just come on down early! We'll gladly take you in for a few extra days," Maya said with a wink.

"Will do," Fitz nodded.

Olivia gave her one last wave and a wave to her father in the doorway of their bedroom at the end of the hallway.

"Goodnight kiddo. Goodnight Fitz. I'll beat you one time...just you wait," he said, pointing seriously at Fitz, referring to pool.

He chuckled. "Oh, I know. You shoot a mean game of pool."

Eli nodded and gave him a smile back, as Maya went to join him.

"Goodnight, you two."

"Goodnight!"

They headed to the bathroom together to get ready for bed. Teeth-brushing, face-washing, the usual.

"Okay, I gotta pee," she whispered, tapping his chest so he'd leave.

"I gotta pee too," he whispered back, tapping her chest.

She laughed quietly, knowing her parents' bedroom was just on the other side of the wall.

"I'm going first!" she whispered.

"Says who?!" he whispered playfully.

"Says your future baby momma. Out you go," she mouthed, waving her hand.

He seemed to debate in his head and then shrugged, as if he couldn't argue with that. And then his smile got big and he leaned in to kiss her. Multiple times. Before leaving her to use the bathroom. She giggled, knowing just the mention of anything baby-related these days made both of them smile like idiots.

She peed quick and he did the same before they officially closed their bedroom door for the night, Arie already fast asleep in her kennel on the floor by the foot of the bed.

They stripped down, out of their day clothes and put on pajamas, as both of them were tired.

But not too tired. Not yet.

They laid in bed, snuggled up together with the bedside lamp still on. It was Wednesday...and she'd made a promise on Sunday about Wednesday.

"You want to?" he whispered, lightly touching her nose.

She gave him a smile and nodded. "Sure. Not the most optimal of times to try, but we could go for it."

"Well—it's still possible," he smirked. "If it's possible, I'm up for it. And either way...you _deserve_ it."

"Alright mister, take off my clothes then," she said, nodding at her body.

He smiled and rolled over, kneeling above her. He tugged at the bottom of her shirt, so she lifted up her arms and he pulled it over her head to reveal her bare chest.

And then his fingers went right for her pants. A silky little pair that fit her nicely. He liked them, but right now he wanted them gone.

When he got her completely naked he had to stop for a second. Stop and admire her, while he knelt above her. He eyed her body up and down, bracing himself on the mattress on his hands and knees.

"What?" she whispered.

"Nothing," he whispered back, running his hand down her tummy. "You're just so beautiful."

She smiled. "Well thank you, baby."

He looking at her admirably, bringing his hands up to her breasts. But leaning his head down.

She raised an eyebrow at him as he laid down, resting his head near her hips. Still playing with her boobs of course, because he was Fitz. But not exactly looking like he was ready to have sex.

"You uh—need a minute babe?" she laughed, bringing a hand up to his curly head.

"No," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her hip. "I'm hard as a rock right now."

She laughed. "Well, yes, I can feel that against my leg."

"I just...I'm so happy that we're doing this," he said, running his hands over her skin.

"That we're gonna have sex?" she teased.

"No," he chuckled. "I mean _yes_. God yes, always. But...no. You know what I mean."

"I do. And I'm happy too, sweetheart," she said, playing with his hair.

"I get so excited, thinking about it. Thinking about coming home and talking about it with you. About all of it. I'm just so happy," he said.

Her smile couldn't be contained. She looked at him sweetly, rubbing her fingers softly across his cheek. "I have never been so excited for anything in my life, Fitzgerald Grant."

He peered up at her with a shy smile, and then laid his head back down on her, pressing a few more kisses to her skin.

"I love you," he murmured, between kisses. He extended his body upward to meet her eye to eye. "I love you _so_ _much."_

She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek while he buried his head in the crook of her neck. "I love you too. More than anything else."

"Mmm," he moaned happily, kissing her neck. "I'm very glad about that."

"I know you are," she laughed.

"Sorry. You probably just want me to fuck you now."

"Well, I'm definitely ready for you to," she laughed, looking down at her naked body. "But I'm never going to complain about my husband stopping what he's doing to tell me how happy he is and how much he loves me."

He smiled, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose. "Alright. Let's do this."

"Let's," she agreed, watching him reach down to yank at his shorts.

He pulled at his underwear too and kicked them off. He pressed himself to her abdomen, wetting his fingers first.

She sighed lightly as he rubbed her with his wet fingers, smiling down at her. "Mmm. A little wet already."

"I know. I could feel," she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Well, I'm jealous. I wanna feel," he whispered, pulling his hand away from her now. She widened her legs in preparation for him. He braced his hand against the mattress and looked down as he pushed in.

He had to go really slow as she hadn't adjusted quite yet. The descent felt so amazing, as it always did.

"Ohhhh...yeah. Feels nice," he nodded, smiling at her.

"Yes," she breathed, biting her lip so that she didn't cry out.

She failed immediately, as he pulled out slowly and pushed back in. "Oh," she moaned, certainly not quietly.

"Shhhh," he whispered, putting his hand over her mouth.

"Sorry," she half-murmured, half-moaned into the palm of his hand.

"Oh baby, that's okay. You be as loud as you want, I'll keep my hand here," he whispered, quickening his thrusts.

She held onto his wrist, the one that was attached to the hand keeping her quiet at the moment. She held onto it for dear life, angling her jumps toward him desperately for more contact. It felt so good and he had barely even begun. He just always felt _so_ good.

She could tell he was biting his lip and fighting to stay quiet too. They both always had to when they were here, just down the hall from her parents. Awkward.

Her nails dug into his wrists and her back arched beneath him. He rolled into her, watching her body respond to him in pleasure.

"Kiss me," she begged.

He looked at her, and within a split second of thought, took his hand away and replaced it with his mouth. He kissed her hungrily—keeping her perfectly quiet. Well—for the most part. But she could moan into his mouth, that was fine. And she did. As did he.

"Fitz," she pleaded, feelings the marks she was making on his back.

"Yes, Livvie," he murmured, sliding his tongue deep in her mouth. He continued to go at it, and thrust harder too.

"Come. For me," she begged.

"I will, baby. I will. All for you," he whispered, gripping the sheets.

He panted heavily into her mouth, reaching down now with one hand to touch her breasts. Anything to get him there faster, because he was so close.

She laid there with her legs wide open for him—as far as they could go. And she moaned and shook as he pounded into her. But they both did so quietly.

He had to lean his head down near her shoulder and surprise his sounds when he finished. As well as keep a firm hand over Olivia's mouth. He shook and squeezed his eyes shut, pushing in and out—feeling her squeeze around him as he spilled into her.

"There we go—there we go," she panted, feeling his body start to slow above her.

He pushed in deep and tried to calm his body, breathing heavily as he met her eyes.

His face was sweaty and his arms were physically marked from her nails. "That one felt like a good one."

"Yeah it was a big one," she nodded, looking down at their bodies, still connected. "Okay. Pull out, baby."

He nodded and slowly slid out, reaching over to her nightstand for her tissue box.

"We can go again, just give me a little bit," he whispered, cleaning her up.

"We don't have to if you can't," she whispered, putting her hand on his other one.

"Oh, I can and I will," he assured her. "Unless you're too tired?"

"I'm sleepy but...one more time before bed," she nodded.

"Mmkay," he agreed. "I'll get you there this time. You'll sleep better."

She smiled. "Thank you, baby. Although, I am still mostly interested in you coming inside me these days. As long as that happens, I'm happy."

"When do I _not_ come inside you?" he asked, giving him a smirk.

"When you come in my mouth, or all over my stomach."

He raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Okay. That's...that's fair."

"Mmmhm. So you just stay all up in there, okay."

He started laughing. "I see, so...does that mean when we're just hanging out in our bedroom I can just casually push in and stay there? Better yet, can we sleep that way?"

She giggled. "Okay. That might be a tad aggressive."

"Aww. But it's my favorite spot to be," he said.

"I know it is," she nodded. "So...you ready?"

"Yes. But fair warning, I'm not coming until you come first. I want to feel you come around me. _Then_ you can have my orgasm."

She smirked, giving him a wink. "Better get me there then."

He smirked back, because what a wonderful challenge. Only it wasn't truly that big of a challenge. He knew how to get her there. Sometimes it just took a little longer than other times, but he could always do it.

And that night was no different.

The only thing that was different about that night, and the many nights before that, was that they weren't just fooling around for fun. Something that they were extremely good at, no doubt.

But the last month had been dedicated to building their family, and their future.

And so, they'd keep trying.

* * *

There you go. Well, they're trying now!

Crappy periods aren't fun, but they're a part of life. And the rest of their experience is certainly exciting so far!

Hope you enjoyed.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	98. It Will

"Ohhhh—my god. Yes. Yes—there."

"Wait for me, hold on—" he panted.

"I'm trying. Fitz—I'm...I can't."

"I'm so close. So close—baby—just—"

His eyes rolled back and he paused deep inside of her, coming as soon as he felt her come too.

Her mouth opened and her eyes squeezed shut, feeling the result of both of their orgasms, now about to run down her leg.

"Oh," he groaned, collapsing down on top of her tiredly.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, keeping her eyes closed as she panted. She was drenched in sweat, as was he.

It was round two in a matter of half an hour, not to mention they'd been at it pretty regularly for the past few days. And would be for the next few days as well. But today was important. Today she was ovulating, which she'd confirmed yesterday with her ovulation kit.

She'd pretty much gotten the ovulation kit down now, as it was early February and they'd been trying for around three months now.

Start testing with plenty of time before she expected to ovulate. Have sex every day for a few days _before_ she expected to. And when the test detected a surge in her LH levels, she could expect to be ovulating about 36 hours after that.

Then, have sex that day for sure, and a few days afterward.

They followed it pretty regularly, even going multiple times some days, like today.

That was their routine. Sex. Olivia peeing in a cup in order to test her LH levels, or on a stick to see if she was pregnant. More sex. And...even more sex.

Along with the disappointment they experienced every month so far, when they either tested to see if she was pregnant, or if she just got her period instead.

Trying to get pregnant was a lot of work. And it definitely took a toll emotionally, even though it had not been very long in all reality.

But after four months of being ready, and three of actively trying...it felt long no matter what. The disappointment was still always there, _because_ they were so ready.

They told themselves not to get their hopes up. They knew the reality of trying to conceive. It could be an extremely long process. And as long as they were trying, there was nothing else they could be doing at this point. They just had to keep at it.

So it was understandable now, after two rounds and the many, _many_ rounds before that in the span of a few days, that they were tired.

Fitz, more so than she was. He did have some years on her. And although he had always been impressive in the bedroom, there was still only so much a man could endure. There was still only so much he could do.

Right now, it was safe to say he was dead to the world.

He didn't even move. His eyes were closed, and he was trying to slow down his breathing. His hair was an absolute mess. Even messier than Olivia's, who could usually have him beat in that area easily.

But right now her hair was pulled back into a tight bun, besides the few damp curls that refused to cooperate. As usual.

His curly hair, on the other hand, was completely damp and all over the place. Long, because it was winter. And because Olivia liked it that way.

She finally opened her eyes to look down at her sweet, exhausted husband, still so deep inside of her and both of them messy, but too tired to clean up at the moment.

She looked down at his closed eyelids and his long lashes. How men seemed to be blessed with the longest, most beautiful eyelashes, she did not know, but he certainly had them. And she looked at his hands, one of them resting on her bicep and the other on the comforter beside them.

His body was already relaxed now. But the second she started running her fingers through his hair, she could almost physically see him relax even further.

Feeling the thick strands between her fingers made her smile. Such thick, dark, curly hair, even at almost 40 years old.

He'd be 40 in about two months. Maybe by then, he'd be 40 _and_ she'd be pregnant.

That's all they could hope for.

And it's really all they thought about and talked about these days. Especially since it was just the two of them that knew.

All throughout the holidays, and New Years, they'd kept quiet while surrounded by plenty of people they _could_ tell. And they intended to keep quiet until it happened for them.

It was hard, but they did it.

And so, despite all their routines, they looked and seemed completely normal to anyone on the outside.

Even if half the time, they were as exhausted and sexed-out as Fitz was in that very moment.

She leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his head, watching his lips curve up in a happy smile at her touch.

"What are you thinking, sweetheart?" she whispered, touching his nose gently with the tip of her finger.

"I think...that was it. That was the time."

"You think so?" she asked with a smile.

"Mhm," he nodded.

"I like your optimism," she smiled.

"I like you," he replied, peering up at her.

She laughed. "Oh, well how sweet of you to say!"

"Do you like me?" he asked.

"Not really," she teased, trying to keep a straight face.

"Hm," he nodded, laying his head back down on her chest. "That's odd, considering my dick's inside you."

She widened her eyes and smirked down at him, watching him look up at her now with a "got ya" look.

"Well I never said I didn't like your _dick,_ " she replied casually.

"Well played," he chuckled. "I hope you like it, because otherwise this process wouldn't be so fun for you."

She laughed. "Of course I like it. Long. Thick. Pretty."

He raised his eyebrows at her and propped his chin up on his elbow on the mattress. "I like when you talk about it like that."

She smirked back at him. "It's all true."

He leaned in, pressing a kiss to her lips.

He pulled away and bit his lip, eyeing her eagerly.

So she clenched around him and watched him open his mouth, a staggered breath escaping it.

"You better watch yourself, or I just might be able to go again within the next ten minutes," he chuckled, watching her laugh.

"Fine by me," she shrugged. "Why don't you pull out now though."

"Is it because I'm soft in there now?" he frowned.

"No, it's because I wanna get up and pee," she laughed, reaching down and patting his bare ass.

He nodded. "That's fair."

He pulled out and she eyed him. He was a mess and she could only assume she was too, she just couldn't see yet. She did however, feel that the sheets were soaked.

Oops.

She got up and threw a clean washcloth from the bathroom to him.

She smiled at him before closing the door, watching him look down at himself and clean up. And then down at the sheets.

"We absolutely destroyed our sheets."

"Your turn to change them," she called out, heading to the toilet.

"Ugh. Fine," he called back. "But I'm not putting clothes on to do it."

"Good," she yelled back.

She cleaned up and used the bathroom, before coming out to quite the sight.

Fitz standing in the bedroom causally by her dresser. He'd clearly gone to put the sheets in the washer because the bed was stripped.

As was he, since he was still butt naked.

So was she, though.

She laughed, eyeing a particular region of his body. "See. Pretty when soft, too."

He chuckled, walking over to her.

He wrapped his arms around her lower back in a hug, and kissed her cheek.

"I gotta get ready okay?"

"Okay, baby," she nodded, standing on her tip toes to kiss him again.

"You wanna shower with me?" he asked, heading toward the bathroom.

"I would, but I've gotta wash my hair and stuff anyway, it will take too long. I'll just do it later. You go ahead," she replied.

"Kay," he nodded, starting to close the door.

"Wait."

He paused, looking over at her.

She gave him one last good look over, before nodding. "Okay. You can go now, I just wanted to admire you a little longer."

He smirked and gave her a wink before closing the door, leaving just a little crack in case she wanted to come in.

She did that sometimes. She was indecisive.

She reached for her phone on the nightstand and scrolled through her emails while he showered, until he came back out.

His body had been toweled off already, save for his glistening wet chest.

He was running the towel through his hair, trying to dry the wet strands as he walked into the bedroom again.

She peered over the top edge of her phone and looked at him, walking to his dresser.

"Mm. I see you didn't bother to get dressed," he smirked.

"Nope. I'm sending emails, though," she replied. "That's more productive."

He put on a pair of boxers and walked over to her, leaning down to give her a kiss. "I know another way we could be productive."

"Two times today and you're not the _least_ bit affected," she laughed.

He shrugged, looking at her naked body. "Not when you lay around like that, no. I'll go _ten_ times if you want."

" _Wellll_ you've gotta go meet up with Logan though," she said, patting his hip.

"Yeah, I know," he nodded with a sigh. "But when I come back..."

"I'll be waiting for you," she nodded.

He chuckled and patted her tummy, starting to walk to their closet to get dressed. "Yes, you will be."

She put her phone down, looking back at him. "By the way, I think ten times is a bit aggressive, if not impossible."

"Nonsense," he replied, pulling an undershirt over his head. "Nothing's impossible if you put your mind to it."

"Well, again, I appreciate the optimism," she laughed.

"Mmhm," he nodded, walking back over to her and simultaneously pulling up his jeans.

She laughed when he did a little jump to get them up all the way. Him and those skinny jeans.

"I'm all about optimism these days," he said leaning down over her.

"Are you now?" she whispered, locking eyes with him.

"Mhm," he nodded.

"Well that's very important these days," she noted.

"It is," he agreed, looking her body up and down. "Now. I've gotta go. But, I will miss you lots," he added, pressing soft kisses to her chest.

"I'll miss you too! Say hi to Logan for me," she replied, tangling her fingers in his hair.

"I will," he nodded, taking her nipple in his mouth.

She smiled down at him, guilty of trying to extend their goodbyes as much as possible, usually.

He continued down her stomach, leaving little wet marks on her skin that glistened noticeably.

And then he got to his favorite spot, and he didn't even hesitate to gently pull on her clit with his lips.

She gasped, laughing at him.

"Fitzgerald."

"Hm," he replied, flicking his tongue back and forth.

"You better not start something you can't finish, mister."

"Oh, I'm not starting. Just giving you a little something to tide you over until I'm back," he said, touching his lips lightly against her clit a few times. The softest little kisses she'd ever experienced, and they felt so nice.

"Rude," she whispered, smiling at him.

He smiled back, giving her one more kiss down there.

"I love you."

"I love you too," she replied.

He kissed his way back up and planted a few big ones on her lips, letting her taste herself briefly.

And after he put on a plaid shirt and brushed his teeth, he gave her a wink and was off, leaving her to herself for a good portion of the evening.

It was Saturday, so she had plenty of work she could do in preparation for Sunday.

Since her promotion, she'd had a bit more work to do, even on weekends. However, she'd been used to that with her position before that too, it was no surprise. Plus, she was still learning to manage better as time went on.

She was actually very glad she'd been promoted early on while they were trying. It was a lot of work and a lot of things at one time, but she was also learning how to do what she did, better.

In her mind, by the time this happened for them, she was confident that she'd have it all figured out and perfected.

So she had a nice night in with her favorite fluffy girl, and did some work.

Fitz had a nice night in too, only he spent his with Logan at his apartment.

Aliyah was out with some friends, so they thought it would be a good guys night.

He'd recently bought a portable bar for his apartment, so that was his new favorite thing, and it had to be put to good use, of course.

Aside from the portable bar, which was, indeed, a fantastic purchase, there was something else new going on in Logan's life at the moment.

He would be starting a new job in a couple days time. A client administrator position at KeyBank.

Naturally, that was a big topic of conversation, because he was super excited about it. But nervous as well.

"You got the job buddy, how come you're so worried?"

"Yeah I got the job and I'm proud of that. I've been looking and trying for a while now and I'm so glad it's happening for me. But I'm gonna be real with you Grant, I've never had a job like this. This the type of job I'm supposed to have. According to...I don't know, society. And now that I've finally got it, I'm just nervous I'm gonna mess it up."

"Yeah, well first of all. Fuck society," Fitz said.

Logan chuckled. "You got that damn right."

Fitz shook his head with a laugh. "But nervous? You? You won't mess it up, buddy. You're one of the hardest working people I know."

"Yeah, at...a damn front desk job."

"And? What's your point? Work ethic is important, and you've got a good one. Doesn't matter what job you apply it to. You'll do great at this job!"

"You really think that?"

"Yes. I've known you a long time. Don't doubt yourself."

"I don't mean to and I don't want to. I just can't help but think, you know...what if I wasn't cut out for this world. This business world. There's a reason it's taken me so long to go for it. I mean besides the fact that...I really am thinking about my future with Aliyah now. But I've got...a degree. Maybe not the fanciest of 'em but I've got one and that means something. I could have tried before now. But I'm...scared, man. Scared they won't like what they see. I'm not like you, Grant. I'm not...my personality is just...you know what I'm tryin' to say. People don't look at me and think, hey...now that's a sophisticated, professional man."

"So what. Not everyone looks at me that way, either. Maybe at one point, yes. But even then, I made sure to show my personality in little ways—even if they were subtle. I know exactly what you mean, and it's not a bad thing. And now, I use it even more to my advantage. I've found that students listen to me more and genuinely enjoy class more if I'm...myself. I make dumb jokes and I'm kind of goofy. Of course there's a time and place to be professional and dial down the other things— _of course_. Work is usually one of those places, and you have to maintain the image of the person or place you're working for. You can't stray from that. But at the same time, you won't get anywhere with people if you can't also be personable with them. That includes showing that personality."

He nodded, scratching his head. "And you don't think that takes away from...the image? There are so many people that just seem to be so...goddamn boring, and so...successful. Forgive me for not knowing shit about shit because I'll be real—I don't. Not about this world, not yet. But I don't understand...how to be, I guess."

Fitz shrugged. "Of course there are those people. Trust me, from my life in California, to...working at a University as prestigious as Yale, I've come across hundreds of boring, basic people. Crazy smart, and sometimes… _goddamn boring,"_ he admitted. "I know how to tell the difference. You're not boring—don't try to be something you're not. Be yourself. It's how you got the job, man! They liked you. Everyone likes you. You _know_ everyone liked you at Paxton Hills, you _know_ you were everyone's favorite. It's what drew me to you, too. You're a good worker, you're smart—way smarter than I think you give yourself credit for. You're a fun guy, and a good person. A mix of all of that is _great_. It's what drew me to all of my friends, as well as Olivia's, and I think it's why the whole group of you get along so well. Big personalities, all of you. So smart in all of your own ways, but not average and _never_ boring."

Logan nodded, giving Fitz a smile. "Alright. Thank you, brotha. Thank you. I mean that, for real."

Fitz patted his shoulder and nodded. "Of course. I'm so happy for you, man."

"Thanks, man. I'm nervous as all hell. But…I'm so excited. It's a big step for me. For me and Aliyah. It will definitely change my life, I can't be denyin' that."

Fitz nodded, knowing that he could relate to every single thing Logan had just said. _Every single_ thing.

"I know how you feel. Trust me, I really do," Fitz nodded.

"I know you do. With you gettin' married and movin' into a new house and all that," Logan agreed.

That wasn't specifically what Fitz had in mind at the moment, but Logan was still right. So he nodded, pointing at him in agreement.

"That's why I knew I could talk to you. _And_ …you crazy, wicked smart and all that," he added with a smile.

Fitz chuckled. "Emphasis on crazy, probably."

"Maybe a little bit," Logan joked. "Nah man. Smartest person I've ever known in my life. Ever since the day I met you, when you first moved into Pax."

Fitz smiled, remembering the day Logan was referring to.

"Ahhh. Right. You thought my name was Grant."

Logan laughed. "I did. God, what a terrible end to my first week of working there. Got a new resident's name completely mixed around."

Fitz laughed with him. "Hey, I was thoroughly amused. Do you know what I would give for my name to actually be Grant Fitzgerald?"

"Nahhh. For real?"

"Yeah, _for real,"_ Fitz chuckled.

"Your name ain't even that bad," Logan shrugged.

"Easy for you to say, you've got a nice, normal name!" Fitz said.

"Well then we would no longer have the beauty of 'FTG Three' now would we? It would be...'GTF Three.' Add an 'O' to that first acronym and it would stand for 'get the fuck out.'"

The two men looked at each other amused, before chuckling.

"Okay, I guess...that's _one_ downside," Fitz laughed.

"No, more than one. There would be no 'Grant's girl', it would be 'Fitzgerald's girl.' Doesn't have the same ring to it. Also, Olivia's name would be Olivia Fitzgerald. Weird as fuck."

Fitz nodded slowly. "Okay, that's true. That does sound weird."

"Uh-huh. And think about it. What do people be callin' you normally?" Logan asked.

Fitz's eyes widened. "Depends on who you're talking to. I get called a lot of things.

"Mhm, go on."

"Well, Fitz, first of all."

"Okay, yeah, that's because ain't nobody gonna be callin' you Fitzgerald. That's a given!"

Fitz shook his head. "Not true. My dad did. Olivia, usually when she scolds me, and Cyrus."

"Okay, okay. Well besides Fitz and besides FTG Three."

"Let's see...Olivia goes with sweetheart or sweetie a lot. Baby, babe—the usual-"

"Brotha, not...not pet names," Logan chuckled.

Fitz shrugged. "You asked what people called me, I started with my wife!"

"Okay, fair enough, you always gotta be startin' with your woman. Now, _aside_ from your lovely wife."

"Okay well the guys call me cap sometimes. Abby calls me...pretty boy. Harrison calls me prof. Students call me professor, obviously, and...a ton of people call me Grant."

"And _there_ we go. That's what I was looking for," Logan chuckled. "Everybody goes for the last name."

"Ah, so you think if my name was Grant Fitzgerald...people would just call me Fitz anyway!" he laughed.

"Yep. They wouldn't go for Fitzgerald, that's too damn long. So they'd just call you Fitz. Tell me I'm wrong."

"You're wrong."

"Ohhh hell."

"Okay, you're right."

" _Mmm_ hm. And what's with that pretty boy by the way? I don't think I ever heard that story," Logan questioned, taking a sip of his drink.

Fitz laughed. "Yeah, trust me, I never really heard the story either. Apparently, she had some other names for me too, but I don't remember those. All I remember is that I was kind of pretty boy to her from day one. Because...well, I don't know."

"Because you a good lookin' dude, buddy," Logan chuckled.

"Well thank you," Fitz laughed. "That's not what I would have said."

"Why not? You know it's true. Don't you have female students lookin' at you like they do. Male too, probably. You know...how they do when they like what they see," Logan inquired.

"Oh, I don't know," Fitz shrugged.

"Pffft. Brotha. You're a bad liar."

"I'm not lying!" he exclaimed.

"Pleeease. You know the look. I know you know the look, because your wife gave you that look at one point," Logan said, sipping his drink.

Fitz's cheeks grew pink and he shook his head with a laugh. "Alright. I know the look you're talking about. And yes, I do get the look. But...I never got it from Olivia. Her look was always different."

"Oh, and how might that be?" Logan chuckled.

Fitz shrugged, smiling. "I don't know. Just with her, it was always...different. Admiration, and...adoration. With her, it felt less like she wanted to get in my pants and more like she wanted my heart."

Logan stopped, putting his drink down. "Well god damn. You know, you gotta quit with all that deep talk. You damn near bring tears to my eyes whenever you talk about your woman! You shoulda seen me holdin' them tears back at your wedding. Damn you."

Fitz laughed. "It's okay. Aliyah already told me about it," he whispered.

"Well damn _her_ then!" Logan laughed. "Nah, I'm just playin'. I love that woman like you love yours. There's just somethin' bout the one you're supposed to be with, man. I never believed it until I met her. You just...you wanna do anything for 'em, man, it's crazy."

Fitz nodded. "Oh yeah. They've got a lot of power."

"Mmhm. Although I still haven't mastered my sweet words quite like you. I can be quite the romantic, don't get me wrong, but you got somethin' natural in there, I don't know. I'm workin' on it, though, don't worry," Logan teased.

Fitz smiled. "Hey, man. Doesn't matter how you show her. Words, actions. You can always write her little notes, like I do. Sweet ones, funny ones...dirty ones."

"Aw fuck, man. My penmanship needs some work, first," Logan chuckled.

"That's okay! Mine's god awful, and she still loves it. She thinks it's...'adorable.'"

Logan shook his head. "Man, women think the weirdest things are adorable! The other day, I was gettin' the mail, right. Well I came back with the mail, and started sortin' it into piles on the counter. Because you know, that's what I like to do! I like to be organized, I _gotta be_. So I sort them all good and nice, and she comes in and sees my little piles and she tells me she's always thought that it was so cute how I did that. Like, brotha, I'm not complaining, but what? Sortin' the mail is cute?!"

Fitz couldn't stop laughing. "That's funny. Don't stop sorting the mail then!"

"Yeah. I swear, they're so confusing sometimes. But you can't help but just...love the hell out of 'em."

"They _are_ confusing sometimes, although Olivia has confused me the least of all the women I've been with. She makes sense to me, and always has," Fitz said.

"Aliyah makes sense to me too. Most of the time."

 _"_ _Most of the time,"_ Fitz chuckled.

"Yeah, sometimes I don't know what she's thinking or what she wants. But you know what, I better start leaving her notes. That'll probably work," he teased.

"Hey, don't knock it till you try it," Fitz replied. "Leave them in funny places too. I do that. I did it before I left to come here."

"What?" Logan laughed. "Where'd you leave it?"

"Oh, I can't give away all my secrets," Fitz smirked.

"Well what if she don't find it then?"

Fitz smiled, thinking about his Olivia.

"Oh. She'll find it."

* * *

 **My dear Olivia,**

 **Maybe you can wear this tonight?**

 **I bought it for you just so you could take it off.**

 **Hope you had a nice shower.**

 **Can't wait to come home to you.**

 **Fitz**

 **P.S. I Love You**

She smiled, shaking her head at the little note he'd left in her drawer where she kept her pajamas. On top of one of his favorite pieces of lingerie, that he must have slipped in there. A white, lacy slip. A skimpy little thing, really.

She wondered when he had even done such a thing, but then remembered when she'd gone to use the bathroom and clean up earlier today. He'd been up and about, washing their sheets which were now fresh and clean on their bed again.

Oh, that man.

She supposed he'd be home pretty soon, so she grabbed the slip and walked over to her side of the bed, to grab the lotion from her nightstand.

She was just about ready for bed. Hair all wrapped, makeup off, and about to put her lotion on before her slip.

Arie had been dozing in and out long before now, as Olivia'd had her outside a lot today. She loved running, and when there was snow on the ground, it was even better for her. She was so strong and muscular, she needed to run her fair share every day. And they made sure she did.

Olivia had actually run a bit today as well, on their treadmill. Which, she didn't tend to do on weekends. Her routine normally was she switched off on weekdays, depending on how busy her morning was at work that day. She tried to about three or four times a week, otherwise she didn't feel like herself. She had only run tonight, because Fitz had been gone, and she was making a productive day out of it.

But now, it was almost 9:30, and she was actually sleepy! It had been a long week at work, and it was catching up to her. She knew he'd be home soon, though.

And just like she thought, she heard the garage door while she was lotioning up her legs, already so smooth from just having shaved them.

She smiled, hearing the familiar sound of him coming home.

The garage door closing again. The mudroom door closing, and his keys jingling as he hung them on the hook. Arie racing down the stairs to greet him, because no matter how tired, she always would.

Him talking to her, like he always did, and his yell out to Olivia to tell her he was home.

"Bedroom," she called out in response.

She heard the two of them coming up the stairs, and his cute goodnight to Arie once they reached the top of them.

"Goodnight, baby girl. Goodnight. You go on to your room, okay? Daddy's tired."

She heard her sneeze, which made Fitz laugh. And she heard her jingle down the hall again, probably happy to go get a little more rest before more fun tomorrow.

Fitz entered the bedroom, closing the door behind him and looking over at the bed.

She smiled at him, still completely naked. But, she had the slip still laying next to her, so he knew she'd planned to put it on for him.

She was rubbing the thick lotion into her thigh, having one of her legs propped up on the bed.

He was met with quite the sight of everything, she assumed.

It about had him weak in the knees.

She saw him take a deep breath, and start walking over to her contently.

"Hi baby," she greeted.

"Hi," he replied, kneeling down in front of her. "Goddamn."

"What?" she smiled.

He kissed her now perfectly smooth thighs all the way up until he reached where she craved him most.

He couldn't resist keeping his lips there for a while.

"I leave the house, and you're naked. I come home, and you're still naked. What am I going to do with you?" he murmured against her skin, playing with her clit.

"Well I got your note. I was just about to put this on," she said, running her fingers through his styled hair and nodding at the slip next to her on the bed.

"Oh fuck that," he said, shaking his head. "This is all I want now."

She laughed. "I thought daddy was tired?"

He looked up at her, and stood up slowly from his knees.

As soon as he stood up, she could see the print in his pants. The print of his hard erection, begging to come free.

"Not that tired," he said, looking down as he started unbuckling his belt.

She smirked and put the lotion aside, laying back on the bed.

She was laying the wrong way on the bed. Sideways, technically, since her head was not at the head of the bed.

But she didn't even care to move. She didn't even care to get under the covers. Nothing.

She just laid there, waiting for him to undress.

She teased him gently through the front of his briefs with her foot while he unbuttoned his shirt, looking down at her admirably.

"That's my favorite wrap," he said, nodding at her blue, silky head wrap.

"I know," she said with a smile.

He shrugged his shirt off and stripped the undershirt off too, leaving him in just his underwear.

"Like this?" she asked, as she lay on her back.

"Yes," he replied, pulling his underwear down. "I want to see your face."

She moved her legs a little bit, waiting for him. Waiting for him to be inside of her.

"Wider," he whispered.

So she went wider. Almost as wide as she could go.

He pulled her body to the edge of the bed in one swift motion, and guided his tip toward her entrance.

He started slow, but only because she physically couldn't adjust any faster.

But in no time, he was gripping her ankles and pounding into her while standing up. His thighs smacking the back of her ass with each thrust.

She was not quiet, that was for certain.

"Oh my god," she whimpered, holding the back of her legs.

"Rub your clit," he said gently.

She kept one hand on the back of her leg to at least stabilize that one. The other one was just going to have to be left for him to hold tight, because her other hand went quickly to her clit.

Their bed was at the perfect height for that position. High enough for him to stand there and thrust into her, even though he was tall.

"Harder," she said.

He smirked, giving her what she wanted without question.

He never slowed, and he never let up. Their bodies connected roughly over and over again, and she had a feeling she would have bruises from where she was holding her own leg, and from where he was holding her ankles.

His hands began to shake, holding her legs up that high. And when she came, he couldn't hold it in any longer.

Her walls clenching around him, seeing her fingers rubbing her clit so desperately and his name coming out of her mouth so uncontrollably.

It was enough to send any man over the edge.

He widened her legs himself and finished inside her, finally beginning to slow his hips.

He stayed deep inside, leaning over her and putting his head down on the mattress next to hers.

Their unsteady breathing filled the room.

"That was round three today," she whispered.

He chuckled lightly, kissing her shoulder.

"Uh-huh. I think my body's feeling the aftermath of that now."

"No more today...I need you tomorrow," she giggled.

"Ha _ha,"_ he chuckled. "You know I always can."

"I know," she nodded.

"Whenever you need it," he whispered, kissing her shoulder again. "I'll always give it to you."

"I think _you_ were the one that needed it just now, mister," she laughed. "You came home _ready."_

"Fair," he agreed. "But you _were_ sitting here naked, in my defense."

"Yeah, but your note told me if I would've been in the lingerie you wanted me in, you were gonna do what you just did anyway," she giggled.

He nodded. "Fair again. You got me."

"I know you," she smirked.

"You do know me," he whispered, running his finger gently over her nipple.

She turned her head toward his, kissing his forehead.

"How was Logan's, baby?"

"Good," he nodded. "Happy to be home to you now, though."

"I'm happy you're home too. You didn't kiss me, by the way," she whispered.

He peered over at her with a smile, and leaned in to kiss her. She granted his tongue access, turning it into a small makeout session.

He massaged her breasts too, since he didn't give them enough attention before.

"Okay, you stay," he murmured against her lips. "I don't wanna have to wash the comforter now."

"Good thinking," she laughed.

He slowly pulled out, and reached over to grab a tissue from her nightstand.

They did manage to keep the bed clean, which was good. Olivia however, went to rinse off again quickly with Fitz in the shower.

After that, she put on her lacy slip, which he was quite a fan of. And she put on lotion again. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to reapply it a third time!

They finally turned out the lights, and planned to sleep after a long day and another round of sex.

Ovulation was tiring!

He spooned her from behind, wrapping his arms around her as much as he could.

She felt comforted in his arms. She was just starting to drift off, when he spoke up.

"Do you wanna know if it's a boy or girl?" he whispered.

She opened her eyes and looked back at him, with a questioning smile.

"Do you?" he whispered again, smiling at her.

"I don't know yet," she whispered back. "Do you?"

He thought about it for a moment. "I don't think so."

"No?" she asked.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I think it would be fun not to know. But...only if you want that too."

She smiled. "We can be surprised."

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "It's going to be hard for me...I'm—"

"Impatient, I know," he chuckled quietly. "We don't have to wait if you don't want to. I was just thinking about it, and thought I'd ask."

"I want to," she said. "I can wait."

"Maybe you will have a guess, anyway. Maybe you will be able to...feel. My mom said that she always knew I was a boy, and I was obviously the only child she had. She didn't have anything to compare it to, she just...had a feeling."

"Mhm," Olivia nodded. "Either way...well never know for sure until that day."

"Yeah. I can't wait for that day."

"Me neither baby," she whispered, interlocking their fingers against her stomach.

They lay quietly, both of them thinking about everything they'd talked about. Everything that they wanted their future to be.

"It will happen, baby," he whispered.

She inhaled slowly and tightened her grip on his hand.

"It will happen," he whispered again. "I know it hasn't yet. But it will."

She turned around in his arms to face him. "I know it will, sweetie," she whispered back.

"I'm feeling confident about this month," he said.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I just am."

"Good. I like your optimism," she smiled, knowing she'd said it earlier that very day.

And it was true once again.

He smiled back.

"I like you."

She let out a little laugh, and he did too.

"Goodnight," he whispered.

"Goodnight. I love you."

"I love you."

She turned over again and let him pull her close once more.

And they fell asleep.

* * *

Their days passed quickly. They always seemed to these days.

They were both busy with work and that helped. Seeing their friends whenever they could. Running around with their favorite fluffy girl.

And of course, trying hard until her fertile window was over with. Doing it for fun even _when_ it was over with.

They got toward the days where she was cautious, wondering if she would start bleeding any day now, or if she wouldn't.

Her period was still irregular, and she knew her body was still adjusting to being off birth control after such a long time of being on it. That part would take time, and they both understood that.

So when her period was late, she tried not to get her hopes up. This had happened once before already, and she hadn't been pregnant. But she couldn't deny, that excitement still grew in her. And in Fitz. They couldn't help it.

He sat outside the bathroom door, leaning against the wood. Waiting. Just waiting.

He could hear her moving inside, and with each different move, his heart thumped louder in his chest.

"Everything okay, babe?" he called out.

"Yep. Just finishing up," she answered.

It only took a few minutes for the results to come back.

A few agonizing minutes.

And then he heard her.

"You can come in babe."

He stood up and opened the door, looking at her now sitting on top of the toilet cover.

She had the test indicator in her hand, and she shook her head at him sadly.

He nodded at her understandingly, but slowly sat down against the vanity across from her.

He brought his knees to his chest and looked down at the floor.

She glanced down at the test, which showed one single line, meaning not pregnant. _Two_ lines was what she had wanted to see. What he had wanted to see, too.

She looked over at him, and it was the first time he seemed truly down about it. He'd always been optimistic. Always.

Every other time so far, he'd gotten over it quickly, knowing it could take time. Perhaps now, the continual disappointment was starting to hit him.

"Hey," she said.

He looked up at her, forcing a small smile. "Hey."

"I don't like when your sweet face looks so sad," she said.

He nodded, resting his arms on his knees.

"Remember what we always talk about. What you've told me. To be positive. It _will_ happen, sweetheart. It will. Just like you said," she said encouragingly.

"I know," he nodded. "I do. It's dumb of me to be sad, when it hasn't been very long. I'm just...I'm so ready, Liv. And I'm so excited, and I always feel positive about it. I can't let it get to me. Not something like this. I need to be realistic, too."

"It's not dumb of you to be sad about it, baby. I'm sad too. But...we'll just keep trying," she nodded back with a smile.

"Yeah," he agreed with a nod.

She could almost see the wheels turning in his head as he sat there, thinking.

"What are you thinking about, baby," she whispered.

He sighed, looking up at her. "Something I don't want to be thinking about."

She nodded. "Talk to me."

He bit his lip and sat there for a moment before he responded.

"I don't...I don't _want_ to think about the possibility that...we can't. That we _can't_ do it," he said. "But how do I _not_ think about the fact that it's a possibility? I mean, what if there's a problem? What if...it's me?"

 _"_ _Baby,"_ she said, shaking her head. "It's _way_ too soon to be worried about something like that. _Way_ too soon."

"I know," he agreed. "I know that. But...here I am, thinking about it."

"I think the thought crosses everyone's mind. The...fear. It's crossed mine too," she admitted. "But that's all it is, fear. Don't let it take over. It's been four months. It can take a full _year_ for some couples, sweetheart. Sometimes longer. We've got _so_ much time."

"I know," he nodded. "You are right, and I _know_ you are. I know I'm being irrational. I'm just...so excited. That's all. I'll be fine in a few minutes," he chuckled.

"Well, it's understandable that you're sad," she said, setting the test into the trash. "You're allowed to be. But...I do prefer my optimistic, happy Fitz."

He smiled, watching her get up and kneel down to sit next to him on the floor.

"You'll have him back in a second," he said.

"Good," she nodded, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Because it will happen."

He smiled, reaching for her hand to hold.

And there they sat, on the bathroom floor. Sad, but trying to raise their spirits again.

Because Olivia was right.

"It will."

* * *

Yet another end to another chapter. Hope you're not too sad. They're trying really hard! :(

But we're nearing chapter 100, which is exciting!

Stay tuned and read on.

With Love,

~T


	99. The Greatest Gift

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," she nodded. "First thing in the morning, like always."

"Mmkay," he nodded. "Your period's been a whole week late again?"

"Yeah. My body just doesn't know what the hell to do these days. It was so late two months ago too, when we were so confident. And then last month it was spot on again. I'm ready for it to be...normal," she laughed.

"I'm ready too. I can't pretend to understand, but...it seems so shitty to me. All the uncertainty," he said.

"Mmhm," she nodded. "Shitty is kind of an understatement actually."

"Just know...you're amazing," he said, pecking her cheek.

She laughed. "Thank you, Fitz."

"The amazing future mother of my children," he said, pressing kisses down her arm. "So let me make you _feel_ amazing now."

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Let me," he whispered, lifting up the bottom of her shirt and kissing her stomach.

"Let you what?" she asked, running a hand through his soft curls.

"Let me make you come."

"How come?" she laughed.

"Because for the past six months, it's just been me coming inside you like some damn animal."

"Baby, you always come inside me," she replied with a laugh.

"Well I know, but...it's been for the sole purpose of...procreation. It's not as fun when it's all about me. Clearly, that's necessary these days, but...I don't make you come as often. That's not what I want. _What I want,_ is for you to come, and I want you to feel good," he said.

"Fitz, you make me come all the time," she said. "It's quite impressive, actually. Not every guy can do it as consistently as you do. Or...at all."

"No," he said immediately. "It hasn't been as often. Not enough."

"Really?" she asked, thinking back. She was thinking she'd been pretty consistently satisfied. Maybe less since they'd been trying, sure, but it was still certainly not infrequent. If this was his version of 'not enough'...

"Really. Are you actually arguing with a man who's trying to get you to be quiet and let him make you orgasm?" he asked.

"No!" she giggled. "Sorry, I wouldn't try to argue with a man with such wonderful powers. I'm just trying to _defend_ him!"

"Yes. But you know these past months have been different. Tomorrow we'll find out if we have to keep having sex all the time, which by the way, I do thoroughly enjoy. Or we'll find out it finally paid off and then we'll probably fuck anyway. Likely the former. But either way, right now, you're gonna let me do whatever I want to do to you. Because you're not going to sleep until I'm satisfied with my work."

She gave him a little smirk and laid back. "So bossy tonight, Fitzgerald."

He got up and kneeled above her, pulling her pajama shorts down. "Now you know how it feels, my little sass master."

She laughed, watching him undress her. She didn't bother to help. He clearly wanted to take all matters into his own hands tonight.

"And what are you gonna do to me?" she asked.

"A lot of things."

"Hmm..." she replied, watching him yank her underwear down now. "And will your clothes be coming off too?"

"Yeah. But only for you. Not for me."

She looked at him in wonder, but he didn't seem inclined to answer any of her questions. He was all business, pulling her shirt over her head now.

And that was her last article of clothing. She lay bare before him, and he looked at her with such desire in his eyes.

But then he laid down next to her.

"Come sit."

She looked over at him questioningly.

"Come on," he smirked, pulling his shirt over his head.

She sat up, swinging her leg over his waist.

"Scoot up."

"Your face?" she asked.

"Yes."

He laid his head back on the pillow as she neared his face.

"Now lay back," he whispered, pulling her thighs a little closer to his shoulders.

"Lay back...on my back?" she asked.

"Mhm. So you don't have to do any work," he said, gently pushing her abdomen back. "I'll do all of it."

She slowly laid back on top of his body, resting her head pretty much on his crotch. She was flexible, that was fine. But her head on his crotch didn't seem comfortable for him.

But he clearly didn't have a care in the world, because he held her legs open wider, one on each side of his head. And he immediately touched his tongue to her clit.

She gasped and arched her back instantly, which led to a certain part of him hardening beneath her head.

He didn't seem to pay it any attention, because he was focused solely on her. Focused solely on what was right in front of his face.

He'd never eaten her out this way. They'd done variations of this position, or of her riding his face, but never this specific one.

But she quickly found out that she really liked it. And she found that no matter what, she couldn't help but grind against him. She just couldn't help it. She was so eager for the contact in just minutes.

Her arms rested beside her on the bed, and her legs lay wide open on either side of his head. He had his head propped up with a single pillow, putting him at the perfect angle to lay there and go to town.

His hands switched off between hooking around her thighs to rub her clit, or reaching up further to massage her breasts. Both were good options in his mind, and he liked giving everything necessary attention.

She rubbed herself against his mouth, whimpering loudly. Telling him how good it felt. Telling him how much she liked it.

He _would_ smile, if his mouth wasn't so busy. Using both his tongue and his lips, just how he wanted to use them. Pulling on her clit gently. Nipping at it with his lips. Plunging his tongue inside her. Spreading her so that he could drag his tongue perfectly up and down and make her moan.

The combination of him opening his mouth against her again and again, and her rubbing against him, was almost too much to bear for Olivia.

She moved so desperately, wanting to feel what she was feeling over and over again. Her hands began to hold tight to his biceps, and she knew her nails would likely leave little marks. That was nothing new.

He was rock hard beneath her, and all she could hope for was that she wasn't hurting him. She tried to adjust her head just to be safe.

"Sorry," he murmured, holding tight to her stomach now. He couldn't help it though.

"S'okay," she whispered. "Oh Fitz...I'm—"

"Close?" he asked, bringing his finger around to rub her clit again too.

"Yes," she whimpered. "Please. Please, Fitz."

"Please what?" he whispered, moving his tongue back and forth against her clit.

"Please. Just like that—please. So close," she begged, opening her legs even wider. She was so desperate. The feeling was building up, and she wanted to feel it all. She wanted to reach it.

"Just like this," he nodded, not changing a thing he was doing.

He did what she wanted until her body began to shake even more, and her back arched higher.

Her legs couldn't be stilled, and her hips moved against him even more intensely while she moaned his name loudly.

She took a few quick breaths while she finally let go, and then she slowly relaxed her body. Her breaths became deeper, and her muscles became less tense.

And Fitz watched it all happen with such a wonderful view.

"There we go," he whispered, stroking her gently down there. He stayed clear of her clit now though, swollen and sensitive. "There we go."

She could have sworn she felt a heartbeat below her head, in a certain area of his body. Completely _throbbing_.

But she supposed she was the same down there at the moment.

She finally laid her arms out on the bed and took a big, deep breath. "Oh my god."

"That's what I wanted to hear," he said, smiling at her.

She lifted her head up a bit to look at him between her legs, such a proud smile on his face.

"Fuck," she whispered.

"Uh-huh," he nodded. "Tell me more."

"I have no other words," she laughed.

"Ohhh," he smiled. "Left speechless, huh? I think I need you in this position more often then."

"Please," she nodded. "Yes."

He just smiled at her, then looked in front of him again while he played around gently with his fingers.

"I can see everything like this," he noted. "I like that."

She nodded, licking her dry lips because all of her heavy breathing had dried them right out.

"You know," he began, pressing a soft kiss to her clit.

She gasped, clutching his arm.

"I know, baby, I know," he nodded. "It's sensitive, I'll be gentle."

She nodded and let her body down slowly again, relaxing her fingers.

"It's my favorite thing to do," he informed her. "Eating you out."

"Yeah?" she asked softly. Mostly because she seriously had trouble responding in more than one word at the moment. She felt so dead.

"Oh yeah," he nodded. "I love how you taste."

She gave him a weak smile and a little wink.

He smiled back. "And I like what it does to you."

"Mmm," she replied, barely above a whisper. But the smile never left her face.

He looked at her face with such an adoring smile, rubbing the pad of his thumb above her clit. "How do you feel?"

"So good," she murmured. "I can't move."

"Oh, well you're gonna have to, baby," he said. "I'm not done."

"Hmmm?" she replied tiredly.

"Mm mm," he said, shaking his head.

She tried to steady her breathing, reaching for his hand to hold.

He was happy to hold her hand, as he pressed little kisses on the inside of her thighs. But like he said, he wasn't done.

"Okay. Come on, you," he said, patting her tummy with his free hand.

She slowly sat up and got off of him, laying tiredly on her back next to him. Tired from the orgasm, yes, and also just because it was nearing 10:30.

He sat up and adjusted himself through his pants. And then he just paused, before starting to undo his belt.

She started laughing, looking up at him.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"Have some adjustments to make there, sweetheart?" she asked.

"Yeah," he nodded, cheeks flushed. "I didn't anticipate that I'd be about damn near ready to come just from that."

"Mm, and what did I do so right?" she asked.

"Just the way that you breathe when I'm doing something you like turns me on. And seeing you, of course. And then there's just the fact that you're sexy as hell in general."

"Oh!" she laughed quietly. "Well thank you."

"No, thank _you,_ " he chuckled, getting out of the pants he was in.

"Hmm," she smirked, reaching out to touch him immediately. His long, thick erection proved to be more than enough to wake her up a little.

"No, no," he said, moving her hand away. "Tonight's not about me."

"Well what if _I_ want to touch you?" she asked, giving him a smile.

"Maybe...after I'm finished with you," he reasoned.

"Such strict rules tonight," she said, giving him her best frown.

He just shrugged, moving to kneel in front of her. He opened her legs himself, and took his dick in his hand.

She watched him bring his tip to her clit, and rub it gently against it.

She opened her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut at the feeling. The skin on skin. The _sensitive_ skin making contact.

"Open your eyes," he whispered, steadying her already shaky legs with his free hand.

She opened them and looked down, watching him rub back and forth. In circles. Up and down. God, it felt so good.

"Must not be too sensitive still," he whispered with a smile.

"No," she whispered.

"I could make you orgasm with just the tip if I wanted to," he said, looking down at what he was doing. Rubbing his soft tip against her swollen clit. Teasing them both, in all reality. But keeping himself calm, despite the liquid slowly starting to seep out of his tip.

"Yessss," she nodded, arching her back.

"But I'm not going to."

She desperately watched him wipe his tip with his thumb, spreading around the liquid himself. And then pull back from her.

She let out a sigh, almost whimpering because she already missed the contact.

But he definitely wasn't aiming to make her suffer. He was focusing on her after all, and he quickly bent down further on all fours to give her some more attention.

He slowly tested the waters with his finger, rubbing it around her entrance a little bit. She was so wet by now from herself, and from his mouth before; he didn't need anything extra. But he did it just because she was watching him so intently.

He wet his index winger and brought it down again, sliding it in slowly.

"Oh," she moaned, immediately grabbing his arm.

She could see his erection, so stiff between his legs as he kneeled there. That was definitely going to need to be taken care of at some point. She didn't care how, but she wanted him to feel good too. Even if it was supposed to be a night about her. Whatever.

But then she couldn't see his breathtaking body anymore, because he laid down all the way on his stomach.

And he smiled up at her, plunging a single finger in and out.

Her face transitioned from a face of such pleasure, to a soft smile that she had to return to him.

He chuckled quietly, tilting his head at her while he continued his handiwork.

"You're so pretty when I'm making you come."

She laughed back, continuing to give him a very grateful smile. "I love you."

"I love you."

"It feels like it," she whispered, leaning her head back on the pillow.

"Yeah, there you go. Relax, baby," he nodded, looking down at his finger gliding in and out so effortlessly. Covered in her wetness now. "Let me make you feel good."

He watched her little chest move up and down steadily for a while. Fast, but steady. Until it became more irregular.

He didn't even add another finger for a while. He kept up his pace with one finger, and used his other index finger to play with her clit.

He pushed his finger gently against that spot. His favorite spot, and hers too.

He had the most perfect view, laying there right in front, just inches from her.

Her legs eventually rested on his back, keeping nice and wide for him.

And when she came, he watched it closely. Watching how she moaned, and lifted her back. How her hands clawed at the bedsheets. He knew what her every move would be, because he knew her body so well. But he loved watching it, nonetheless.

After that, it seemed she was done in.

He reached over and grabbed a tissue to wipe up his hand, as well as her. And she didn't move a muscle.

She just laid there, watching him. Looking down at his erection that he swore had only grown by the minute because of the things he was doing to her. Because of how she reacted. And because of how she looked.

She panted, but she didn't shy away from telling him what she wanted now.

"I want you to touch yourself now."

He kneeled above her, resting his hands on her knees, and gave her a smile.

"How come?"

"Because you're gonna have to take care of that at some point, or you'll never sleep. I'm assuming you still don't want me to do any work. So I want to lay here. And I want to watch you do it yourself. And I want you to come on me."

He raised his eyebrows at her bold statement in amusement.

" _Where_ on you?"

"Anywhere you'd like," she said, resting her hands behind her head. Giving him plenty of her body to choose from. "Go on."

He gave her a smile and brought his left hand to his shaft. And started to stroke himself.

He kept a firm grip on her knee with his right hand. Steadying himself more than anything. But it also kept her legs wide, and staring at his wife spread for him certainly helped with what he was doing.

She watched with the utmost pleasure.

Feeling good, feeling pleasured, and watching her husband pleasure himself. There wasn't much else she could ask for, really.

When he started to get close, she rested her hand on top of his on her knee, and rubbed her thumb over it.

"Almost there, sweetheart," she whispered. Because she knew he was.

He bit his lip and rubbed faster, looking down at her pretty face, looking so pleased.

He had to laugh. "You happy?" he asked breathlessly.

"Yes," she smiled.

"You wanna—finish for me?"

She shook her head simply. "No. I wanna watch you."

"Mmkay. Just—doublechecking," he whispered.

"How kind of you," she said, peering up at him.

"I just want you to have...what you want."

"Come," she said, opening her legs further.

The breath hitched in his throat and he tilted his head back, squeezing his eyes shut. "Okay—okay. I'm going to."

She watched his beautiful body, nearing its edge. His sculpted chest convulsing. The hair on his chest damp with sweat. His wrist, stroking near the tip so fast. She knew just by how he did it that he was about seconds away from exploding all over her.

And she was right.

"Oh—Olivia," he groaned.

He released all over her lower abdomen, and right between her legs.

She watched him contently, covering her in it. And then he let out a big breath and nodded.

"I made a mess of you," he chuckled.

"Yes. I planned for this," she laughed. "Shower?"

He nodded in agreement and they had much to clean up before they could crawl back under the covers and _actually_ go to bed.

It was late now, later than they tended to be up on a weeknight. But oh well. The weekend was nearing anyway, they'd have some time to catch up on sleep.

However, this weekend was also going to be a big one. Fitz's birthday was on Saturday, as was their official house warming party.

They'd had such a warm beginning to spring, they'd already prepared their pool for the summer in early April. It was now nearing mid to late April, and this weekend was set to be a _hot_ one.

But before the weekend came, they had to finish out the rest of their week.

It started with an early morning alarm on Thursday. Olivia's alarm, that Fitz ended up waking up to most days anyway.

He often laid in bed for just a little bit and watched her get ready. He had more time in the mornings than she did.

But not that particular morning. That morning was different, because she was going to take a pregnancy test. Unless she woke up bleeding, in which case, they had their answer. But she woke up to no blood.

"Come on, baby," she whispered, leaning over to peck his cheek.

"Kay," he whispered back, slowly turning over.

He rubbed his eyes and adjusted his boxers, following her into her side of the bathroom.

He just came right in at that point, not bothering to wait outside. She didn't care anymore and he took any chance to be by her.

She unwrapped another test from underneath the sink and he sat down in his spot across from her.

She did her thing, and washed up while they waited the few minutes for the test to produce the result.

"I'll take Arie out after," he said, yawning.

"Okay," she nodded, rubbing her eyes. She let out a yawn too, and looked up at the clock on the wall by the door. She saw that three minutes had passed, and looked down at the test in her hand.

Fitz sat there waiting, rubbing his eyes tiredly in the moment. Looking down at the floor. Not looking up at her.

And he might have wanted to, to see the look on her face.

"Fitz."

"Hmm, baby," he replied tiredly

"Fitz."

" _Yeah?_ " he asked, looking up at her.

Her wide eyes met his when he looked up, and then his started to widen.

"Liv..."

She started staring down at the test. Wondering if she was dreaming, if this was real.

"You need to look."

He immediately got up on his knees and rested his hands on her thighs, looking down at the result.

The two bold lines stared right back at them.

He put his hand up to his mouth slowly, looking up at her.

She was doing the same thing, her eyes starting to well up with tears immediately because of the pure shock.

Not that she hadn't planned for it to be a possibility, but at this point after multiple disappointments, it was hard not to prepare more for the negative just in case. It hurt less if they prepared that way when it was, indeed, negative.

And Fitz had prepared for the same. Plus, they were both just tired as all hell.

But now they both looked at the result, which meant pregnant. Not even sure what the hell to do.

"Oh my god," he said. "Liv, oh my _god."_

"Fitz, I don't even know what to do," she cried, wiping her happy face. "Do you see? Do you see? Am I seeing it wrong?"

"No," he said, keeping his hand over his mouth. "I see it. I see it, Liv."

"I...I have to take another one," she said frantically. "I want to test again."

"Okay," he nodded eagerly. "Okay. Yes."

"Oh my god," she said, getting up to grab another test. She handed him the positive test, and he just stared at it in awe. "Oh my god," she said again to herself.

 _"_ _Two lines,"_ he said, looking down at it. He'd never seen those two lines before, and he had always wondered what he'd feel like when he finally saw them. "I'm...I'm really still trying to figure out if this is real."

"So am I," she said, half-crying, half-laughing, digging through the cupboard.

She found one and went through the whole process of testing again. Good thing it was morning and she really did need to use the bathroom first thing.

They waited those long, agonizing minutes while Fitz stared at the already positive test.

And when the second one came back with the same two bold lines, she nodded with a smile on her face and showed it right to him.

He looked down at the second test now with that result.

"You're pregnant!" he whispered.

"I'm pregnant!" she whispered back.

He immediately leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers in a big, happy kiss.

And then he laid his head down in her lap, wrapping his arms around her little body as she sat there. He still clung to the first test in his hand, behind her back.

And he started to cry.

The tears started spilling out of his eyes so fast, probably from a lot of different things. Happiness. Shock. The fact that he was a bit overwhelmed. The fact that after half a year of trying, he was now seeing what he had wanted to see. Not to mention he'd been _ready_ for much longer than half a year.

"Oh, sweetheart," she said, looking down at his wet eyes and face in her lap. The tears flowing freely down her face too.

"Oh my god, Olivia," he sniffled.

"I know," she nodded. "We're going to have a baby."

"We're going to have a baby," he cried in agreement.

"What do we do?" she asked with a laugh, wiping her face.

"I don't know," he said shakily. "I wasn't expecting it—I wasn't prepared, I don't think. I'm so happy."

"I'm so happy too," she whispered, leaning down and pecking his cheek.

He immediately turned his head after her kiss and pressed his lips to hers again, both eagerly going in for more.

They laughed against each other's mouths, giving endless pecks.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," she whispered back.

He looked at her stomach, and lifted up her T-shirt to kiss her there. Of course, her tummy was flat and toned, like it always was. But he knew it was different now.

She laughed, watching him press a kiss to her stomach. And in that moment nothing else mattered. She'd already forgotten that it was just a normal workday, like every other one. That she had to get ready and go, and so did he.

Now, it felt like some sort of holiday. She didn't quite _know_ what it felt like. All she knew was that this was already one of the best days of her life, and his too.

So there they sat in the bathroom, Olivia on top of the toilet cover, and Fitz kneeling in front of her, with his arms wrapped around her. Both wearing just their underwear, and Olivia wearing his oversized shirt. Both their hair a mess. Both crying uncontrollably. And both clutching a positive pregnancy test in one of their hands.

"We have to go to work," she giggled, wiping her tears.

"I know," he cried. "That seems so pointless right now."

"I know," she agreed, sniffling.

He pulled back and she held his head in her hands, smiling down at his wet face. She wiped the tears away with her thumbs, and gave him all her love. All her affection, and kisses.

He smiled, accepting it all, of course. With even more gratitude than normal.

And then they just hugged for a while, not saying anything. Just listening to the sound of the other sniffling, and feeling each other's hands rubbing the other's back.

But the mood started to shift.

The loving hug slowly turned into a kiss, and then multiple. Until they were making out. In the bathroom.

"I love you," he murmured again, in between kisses.

"I love you, Fitz," she replied.

"I love you so much," he said, starting to stand up from his knees and taking her waist.

He pulled her to her feet and in for a hug again, because neither could stop. Neither could let go.

He put a hand to her stomach, pressing kisses against her neck.

She could feel his wet eyelashes against her skin while he kissed her. She could feel his warm hand on her belly, even through the fabric of the shirt she had on. And she could feel the happiness radiating off the both of them.

"Man," he sniffled. "I'm so happy."

"Me too," she sniffled back. "We did it."

"We did do it," he chuckled, a wave of tears almost starting to flow again. "Oh my god, we really did."

She smiled and held out her palm for him. "Good job, baby."

He looked down at the floor, laughing at her. But then he gratefully high-fived her hand. "Thanks, babe. You too."

"We make a great team, you know," she noted.

"We do. Always have," he agreed. "And we will make an even better one now. The three of us."

Her lip quivered a little bit and she rested her head against his chest, the two of them still standing in the bathroom.

Both clinging to a positive test still.

"The three of us," she sniffled, smiling.

"Four, including our fur baby," Fitz pointed out.

"Mmhm," Olivia laughed. "We could never forget her."

"Never. Speaking of...I'll go let her out," he said, wiping his face as he pulled away.

"Okay," she nodded, wiping her face too.

"So now we just...go have a normal day?" he asked.

"I guess?" she laughed. "I don't know how couples do this. How do we act..."

"Like this isn't one of the best days we've ever experienced?" he asked.

"Yes!" she nodded.

"I have no idea. But tonight after work, we're celebrating properly. I'll make dinner," he offered.

"Mmm," she replied. "Sounds fantastic."

"It sure does," he nodded.

"I suppose I should call and make an appointment in the coming weeks for a blood test. And just to...meet with my doctor before my first prenatal appointment. I would like to do that," she said.

"Right," he nodded. "You should. We should."

"Oh...are you gonna come with or something?" she teased, trying to keep a straight face.

His eyes widened and he smiled, pulling her in for a hug. "I am coming to _every_ _single_ appointment."

She giggled against his chest, looking up at him with a smile. "I know you are, baby."

He smiled and leaned down to give her a kiss. "Whew. Okay," he said, wiping his face once more. "I'm ready to act normal today."

"Yeah?" She asked.

He shook his head immediately. "Nope."

She laughed.

"My students are gonna think I'm more nuts than usual today. Sporting some huge, dumb smile all damn day."

She gasped. "Don't call your smile dumb. You'll hurt my feelings."

"Oh, I'll hurt _your_ feelings, okay, Liv," he laughed.

" _Yes_. Your smile is sweet and precious."

He nodded with a laugh. "Hmm, okay. Well I'll be sporting a huge, sweet and precious smile all day."

"Yes you will," she nodded happily. "Although...You tend to always have a smile on your face, so."

He shrugged and nodded. "Perhaps. But today will be different. You know it."

"Yeah," she replied. " _Everything_ will be different from now on."

His smile grew bigger.

"Yes. Yes it will."

* * *

They did get through that day, and the day after. It was painful, but in the best possible way. Painful just because they were so excited and so happy, and hiding something as amazing as that felt so strange. And hiding it that weekend would be even more strange, with all their friends and family over.

They'd manage. Probably.

Friday after work was spent getting the house ready for the party the next day, which would start in the early afternoon. Some people were even staying overnight, at least the ones that had quite a trek back home the next day. Brett and his family. Harrison, and with Harrison came Olivia's cousin, Macy. The two were just about as attached as Olivia and Fitz these days. Sandra and Stephen. Olivia's parents. And Olivia's grandparents.

Between the number of spare bedrooms they had and their two couches that included pullout beds, they had plenty of space. Not to mention they had a blowup bed in their storage room downstairs too.

They may as well fill up their huge house with friends and family for the time being. Soon enough, it would be a little more full!

Friday evening they were both outside and inside, doing the remaining cleaning and organizing they had to do.

And what made Olivia laugh a little bit was how cautious Fitz was of her now. Now that they'd been made aware of the life-changing news.

They were always pretty attached at the hip. Always close, always checking up on each other. And everyone knew how protective they could be of one another.

But now was a totally different story on Fitz's end.

Not only did he ask if she was okay or if she needed anything extremely often, but working too hard was cause for concern to him. Both mental work, and physical.

She was just about to pick up a big bag of mulch and bring it to the backyard to finish mulching one of the gardens, but he was quick to shut that operation down.

"Oh, here baby. I'll do it," he said, reaching for the bag with his other arm. He already had one in one arm.

"Fitz, I can seriously do it," she laughed.

"I know you can," he nodded, starting to haul them both to the backyard. "But you shouldn't have to."

She watched him from behind as he walked. Wearing gym shorts and no shirt, because he was hot. This April had already been just beautifully sunny and warm.

He had on a pair of Nike shoes and his Capitals hat on backward. His muscles flexed as he carried a huge bag of mulch on each shoulder. Just earlier, he'd been planting a few flowers with her. They couldn't plant everything just yet because it was a tad early. But there were a few things they could plant, huge thanks to the warm weather.

She smirked at him from behind, because he was so sexy and he didn't think a single thing about it. His skin already slightly tanned so far, in the spring.

"You still back there?" he asked, peering over his right shoulder.

"Yep, I'm here," she nodded. "You sure I can't help?"

"You can help mulch, I just didn't want you to have to carry them," he replied.

"How come? So I could walk behind you and watch every single muscle in your upper body work?" she teased.

He peered over his shoulder and smirked. "I'd flex my back right now, but I can't in this position," he chuckled.

"Probably good that you can't," she nodded. "Makes me want to climb you."

He laughed again. "Don't tempt me, woman."

"Sorry," she laughed.

He adjusted the bags and set them down when they reached the back garden that needed mulching. There was only one left to do today, because they'd done almost everything last weekend so that this weekend wasn't so busy before the party.

"The sun sure is bright," he said, wiping the sweat off his face.

"Well, you know, your hat would keep the sun out of your eyes if you wore it the right way," she suggested, with a smile.

He turned toward her and pointed at her. "Woman."

"Yes?" she giggled.

"I like it this way. I thought you did too?"

"I do," she nodded. "You look good in a ball cap. Frontward or backward."

"You do too. When you used to wear my hats, I was about ready to take you in whatever odd location we were in."

She burst into laughter.

He smiled at the sound of her laugh and grabbed her waist to pull her in for a hug.

"You're sweaty," she said, tightening her grip around him. It didn't bother her. Plus, she kind of was too. It was damn hot outside.

"Yes," he nodded, pulling the hat off his head. "How's my hair?"

She ran her fingers through the damp curls, even more frizzy and curly from the weather. Which is why he had them hidden with the hat.

"Yeah, kind of sweaty," she agreed.

"Mhm. Hence the hat. Anything to hide the mess, I don't care if it's on frontward or backward."

"It's not a mess," she gasped. "How dare you."

He laughed, putting the hat back on in its previous position. "Baby, I need to cut it. I know you love it, but—"

"Why?!"

"Because it's crazy!" he exclaimed. "Do you see it?"

"Yes!"

"And you like this?" he asked, pointing to his hair, curling up out from under all edges of his hat. It was definitely long, and she could understand that it would be annoying. But she had to deal with much worse, so.

"I love it. Good to grip, too."

"Okay, but—" he paused, thinking about what she said, and what she meant by it.

And then he nodded, starting to rip open one of the bags of mulch. "Okay. I'm never cutting it."

She laughed again. "Well if it bothers you, you should cut it. Your preference is more important than mine."

"No," he replied. "You are more important than anything. You, and what's growing inside of you."

She smiled, looking down at the beautiful, green grass. Freshly mowed earlier today. And she thought about what he said.

"Sorry. Did I get too deep?" he asked.

"No," she said. "I'm just trying not to cry again."

"Me too," he chuckled. "Just give me a second."

She took a big breath, looking over at him. He had a smile on his face, and he looked down briefly, rubbing at his eyes.

"Don't laugh, okay."

"I'm not laughing," she replied. "That would be extremely hypocritical of me."

He looked up at her with a smile and she leaned in for another hug.

He kissed her cheek, and wrapped his arms around her lower back. "I love you."

"I love you," she nodded back. "You can cry again if you want."

"No," he laughed. "I think I'm all cried out. You know, for like, a few days."

She giggled. "You deserve to be able to let it out. That was hard work."

"It was," he agreed.

"Okay. Should we finish this yard so we can go eat?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips and looking around.

"Yes we should," he nodded, as Arie came bolting around the other side of the house, making them both laugh.

She loved to be outside with them, running around.

And she stayed out with them all night while they made the house look pretty.

The pool was all ready, and they'd even gotten some new floaties and things for the kids. There would be a ton of them running around tomorrow, that was for sure.

Otherwise, they cleaned and made sure everything was all set for the food tomorrow. Some things needed to be prepared, or at least partially prepared the night before. There would be a _ton_ of good food. It was, after all, Fitz's birthday tomorrow, too.

They did include that in the invitations, but Fitz had made it clear he didn't want any gifts. Many of them would likely bring little house warming gifts anyway.

He was big on downplaying his birthday. Olivia thought it should be properly celebrated, along with their new house. She was the one who suggested they do it all on the 17th, so that they could get everyone together for such a special day. It was hard enough to round everyone up these days. She had a cake made, too. A nice, big pretty one. He was turning 40, that deserved lots of friends and family, and a big cake.

He didn't seem to think so. But she could tell he was still pretty excited to see all his buddies again, and all their family members. He could play pool with Eli again. Lots of fun things to look forward to.

Overall, it would be a great weekend.

* * *

"Ohhh, birthday boy."

"Yeah, baby."

Olivia looked around confusedly. "Where are you?"

"Bathroom."

"Oh. Whatcha doin'?"

"Uhhh," he replied, peeking his head around the door. He had shaving cream all over one side of his face, a razor in his left hand, and a cute, innocent look on his face.

She laughed. "Needed a little closer shave today?"

"Yeah," he nodded, disappearing from her sight again. "My electric one doesn't do as good a job as a handheld one—ow!"

"Oh dear," she said, coming to look.

"Motherfucker," he whispered. "Okay. There are downsides."

"You okay?" she asked, looking around the door at him in the mirror. Blood trickled down from a spot on his chin, mixing in with shaving cream. Nice.

"All good," he nodded, continuing to shave.

"You be careful!" she said, patting his bare back.

"I know, I know. Don't hurt my 'sweet face'," he said, knowing that was 100 percent something she would say.

She started to laugh. "That is _exactly_ right," she agreed.

"I listen," he nodded, shaving just above his lip.

"I know you do," she laughed. "So food and drinks are all set downstairs. And I think my parents should be here in about fifteen minutes. You're ready otherwise, right?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "All I need is...aftershave and a shirt."

"Good deal," she nodded. "I just need a kiss now, and that's it."

"Oh. Well that's super important. I better hurry," he said.

She laughed. "You better."

He finished up in the bathroom, and had barely put a shirt on before starting to kiss her, hugging her tightly with one hand. His other hand, holding a washcloth against his cut to stop the bleeding.

"Mmm," she moaned against his lips, rubbing his cheeks. "So soft. And you smell so good."

"Just for you," he said, kissing her again.

"Mm, thank you."

"Mhm. You look so pretty today, Olivia."

"Thank you!" she said. "You look handsome too, birthday boy."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm so happy it's your birthday."

"I think you're happier than I am about it every year," he chuckled.

She gasped. "Come on. Birthdays are so fun."

"Well, I will admit I usually wake up to a pretty nice gift every year."

"Ohhh, yeah. Of course. You'll always like birthday blowjobs, won't you."

"Yes," he nodded. "Do I...get one later too?" he whispered, kissing her cheek.

"Yes, you do," she replied. "But only if you can be quiet. Probably not the wisest to scar all our guests."

He smiled, looking off into the distance as he thought.

"Now, baby. If I can keep quiet in my office, while my student at the time, has my dick in her mouth...I think I can do it again no problem in my own home."

"Fair enough," she agreed. "Fun memories."

" _Fun_ memories," he nodded. "I was also turning 37 that year. I like that better than 40."

"I have always told you you'd be the sexiest 40-year-old I knew. And now you are. And if that doesn't make you feel better, just know that you could pass for 30."

"Thirty?!" he exclaimed.

"Easily," she said.

"I wish I was 30," he whispered. "For you. And for him or her," he added, tapping her stomach.

"I don't," she whispered, pecking his lips. "Everything about you is perfect. And I wouldn't dream of anything changing."

The pink stayed on his cheeks as he smiled at her, looking from her eyes to her lips, and back again. "You're biased."

"Yeah, I am. But I'm just thankful I'm the one lucky enough to be biased about you. You're mine," she said.

"I'm yours," he nodded.

She sighed, looking around. "Alright, you ready to do this big ass party?"

"I'm ready."

"You ready for our _closest_ friends and family to bring you birthday gifts, specifically _because_ you said no birthday gifts?"

He chuckled. "I suppose that's inevitable, yes. I'm ready."

"And are you ready for all the kids to immediately jump on you because every single child on this earth loves you?"

"Definitely ready for that," he nodded.

"Kay, we should be good then. Let's go," she said, grabbing his hand.

He nodded, smiling at her as she walked. "Let's go."

* * *

"And work's going alright? You're adjusting to the new position?"

Olivia nodded. "Oh yeah, it's going great. I love it. And actually I have a little more flexibility during the work week. It's more work in general, and some weekends I have to stay in touch, which I did before anyway. But overall it's more oversight now, which allows me to be more flexible. The transition has been smoother than I expected."

"Well good," Maya nodded. "I'm so happy for you, I knew you've wanted to apply for that position for quite some time now."

"I have," she agreed. "I didn't know that I would get it, just because I hadn't been at the company as long as some of the other applicants. It was a pleasant surprise!"

"Well I'm sure it's been quite an adjustment for you lately. New job. Still adapting to the new house and all, too. You and Fitz always amaze me, with everything you do. Nothing ever seems to phase you two."

Olivia wanted to laugh. Oh, if her mother only knew what else had been consuming their lives the past half year.

"Yeah, we're a good team," Olivia smiled, looking over at her husband by the pool.

He was currently dripping wet, walking to the diving board with Mia holding one hand and Anthony holding the other.

Jordan and Anthony were currently switching off jumping from the diving board, so Jordan was treading water in the shallow end, waiting to see what his twin brother had in store now.

Mia, on the other hand, usually followed Fitz every chance she got, so Olivia wasn't surprised to see her with him.

She happily watched the two little kids jump off the board one at a time, with Fitz helping them both up and making sure neither of them slipped.

And of course, then all the little kids were splashing around, yelling at Fitz to "do that trick again!"

Olivia knew exactly what trick they meant, even before she watched him do it.

"Alright, alright. Now stay on the shallow end, okay?" Fitz asked.

All the kids nodded and yelled back at him that they would.

Fitz stepped back to the back end of the diving board, before running and taking a big leap off the board.

He flipped his body backward, and landed, knees tucked, with a big splash that made all the kids squeal and scream. Most of them, yelling at him to do it again. Him and that reverse backflip always got quite the cheer.

Olivia smiled, watching him pop up right away and shake out his hair, and rub his eyes.

He had a smile on his face as he swam over to all the kids, getting yells from some of his buddies who were laying by the pool.

Then there was Michaela, sitting on the edge of the pool holding little Kiara in her lap. Kiara was looking pretty cute, with a little bonnet on to keep the sun out of her eyes, and floaties on her arms, just in case.

Fitz started chatting with some of the adults by the side of the pool, and Kiara reached her little hands out to him eagerly.

Fitz gasped and held his hands out for her, Michaela handing her over with a smile on her face.

And all Olivia could do was watch from the other end of the pool, sitting by her mother. All she could do was watch and smile, at her beautiful husband.

He was so happy. She was sure the smile hadn't left his face for the past three days.

He held a giggling Kiara high up in the air, before bringing her down and dipping her little toes in. He did it over and over again, because it made her laugh so hard with the water tickling her toes.

Michaela was laughing along with her, sitting on one edge of the pool with her feet in the water.

And soon all the kids were vying for his attention too. So Fitz held Kiara in one arm and she happily surveyed all the chaos in the shallow end.

Olivia often got lost, watching him. And this was one of those times.

Her hand slid down to rest on her belly, thinking about what they'd created inside and watching him smile and play with the little kids.

She got so lost, that she didn't even hear her mom the first couple times.

"Olivia...?"

She snapped out of it.

"Yeah? Sorry," she said, looking back at her mom.

"It's alright," she laughed. "Whatcha thinking about so hard over there?"

"Oh nothing," Olivia lied. "I just never get tired of looking his way."

"Well, it's a good thing he's easy on the eyes, then, isn't it," Maya laughed.

"He's pretty cute, I guess," Olivia teased.

Maya laughed again. "I'm so happy you're happy, Livvie. To see you here, with the man you love. In this beautiful house. And all the wonderful friends you have. I think I speak for the whole family when I say I'm just so glad for you."

"Thank you, mom," Olivia nodded gratefully. "I feel so blessed. For him. For our life together. I always think I'm the happiest I've ever been, and then the next day rolls around, or the next month, or year. It only goes up, as time passes."

"That's one of the best things I've ever heard from you," Maya said quietly. "Enjoy it, baby."

Olivia smiled. "We are. We really are."

"Well—speaking of the birthday boy," Maya said, watching Fitz approach them.

Olivia smiled immediately when she turned to look at him. No shirt and a gray pair of boardshorts. Wet, curly hair. His body just completely ripped. And not to forget, a big happy smile on his face.

"Hi baby," she greeted, reaching her arms out for him.

"Hi, you," he said, taking her hand. "Hi, Maya!"

"Well hello there. I see you escaped your devoted posse," Maya laughed.

"Yeah," Fitz chuckled. "Well, I told them we were all gonna have cake pretty soon so that got them out of the pool pretty fast. What have you ladies been up to?"

"Oh, just soaking up the sun. Talking about you," Olivia smiled.

"Oh yeah?" Fitz asked, leaning down and putting a hand on either side of her on the lounge chair.

"Yeah," she smiled. "About how you're so cute and stuff."

He smiled and pressed his lips to hers a few times.

"I love you, birthday boy," she whispered against his mouth.

"I love you back, pretty girl."

"Fitz! Can we have cake now?" Mia asked, coming up to them while she shivered in her towel.

"Well miss Mia, we sure can," he said, picking her up.

"Ahhh!" Mia giggled, twisting around in his grip.

"He is just the biggest tickler, isn't he?!" Olivia asked.

"Yes!" Mia giggled. "Olivia, help!"

Olivia laughed, reaching out to pat Fitz's leg. "Don't make me tickle _you_ , mister."

"Alright, alright, no more tickling. How about a blanket? You seem cold," he said.

Mia's eyes perked up. "Yes!"

"I thought so. Go on inside with the other kids and I'll be in in a second, okay? I'll pick the softest one."

"Okay!" she exclaimed, running to follow everyone else into the house. People were slowly making their way inside. Kids, adults, everyone.

"Hey, Mia! Don't run, remember? I don't want you to slip," Fitz called out.

She slowed down and gave him a thumbs up before reaching the patio.

"She's pretty cute," Maya said.

"She and Fitz go way back," Olivia nodded.

"That, we do," he agreed. "Since she was just a little one. Now she's eight...man, time flies."

"It sure does," Maya nodded.

"You ready for cake?" she asked.

"Mmhm," he nodded.

"Alright. Let's go. Is dad inside already, mom?"

"I think he is, yes. He was with your grandma Gina before, I believe."

"Okay. Ready?" She asked Fitz.

"Ready," he nodded.

They went inside and everyone slowly grouped in the basement to have some cake, and some other desserts as well. They had multiple options. The cake was more for Fitz's birthday. They made the best of both worlds and celebrated the house and him. Both very important!

Some people gradually started to leave, while those who were staying overnight began to group in the basement. Along with all of Olivia's friends. Not all of them would have to stay over. But most of them lived closer, so they could afford to leave a little bit later.

There was talk of opening up some wine, so Olivia went to grab a few bottles from their cellar. The cellar was still one of Olivia's favorite rooms in the house. Its beautiful oak shelving, displaying hundreds of bottles of red wine that they'd been collecting over the months they'd been at the house.

By now, they had a damn good collection going.

Abby went with to help carry a few, so they looked through and decided which bottles they'd bring out together. Olivia made an executive decision that they'd for sure open one of their bottles of Stag's Leap for the special occasion. That was one of Fitz's favorite red wines. A full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. It was wonderful, and Olivia knew it would be popular.

She planned to let it breathe, of course, but opened it up for Abby to try some. She opened it up at the center island in the wine cellar, where people could taste specific brands and types. Olivia had it all set up for taste testing. She didn't play around with her red wine.

Abby took a sip and nodded immediately. "Holy shit."

"Yeah," Olivia nodded. "Trust me, it'll be even better in about twenty minutes."

"You and pretty boy drink this on the regular? This stuff's like, what...$300 a bottle?!"

"Well, that depends on what bottle of Stag's. This is a Cask 23, so...yes. But you can get a much cheaper Stag's, like the SLV or FAY. But we do _not_ drink this on the regular," Olivia laughed. "I haven't had Cask 23 since we about moved in, probably, for the occasion."

"Oh! Well go on, you better have some then," Abby nodded, pouring her some too, before they got the rest situated to bring out to everyone.

Olivia bit her lip. She'd managed to escape suspicion the whole day, drinking virgin drinks on the down low while everyone else drank the real stuff.

Shit.

"Nah, that's alright," Olivia shrugged, grabbing a bottle and preparing to bring it out.

Abby gave her a weird look. "Seriously?"

Olivia laughed innocently. "What?"

"It's red wine..." Abby said.

"Mmhm," Olivia nodded.

"I just poured you _red wine_. Your most favorite thing ever. You could slam that in less than a second, and you're turning it down? Liv, are you okay?" Abby asked.

Olivia laughed again, trying to play it off. "Yes, Abby, I'm okay. I'm just not feeling like drinking tonight."

"Well...are you on some alcohol strike? I saw you sipping on some virgin piña coladas with all the kiddies today."

Okay, nevermind. Not _all_ suspicion.

"Yeah...there was some extra, after we mixed them," Olivia explained. "I figured I'd just finish it, since none of the kids wanted any more. Why waste it, right."

Okay, well that was pretty damn close to the truth. There _had_ been leftover, and she didn't want to waste it...but she had made enough specifically _because_ she knew that there would be leftover for her, and that she couldn't drink a real one.

"Ohh," Abby nodded. "Okay, good. I was gonna say...an alcohol strike. I don't know how you could—"

She cut herself off, looking at Olivia funny.

"What?" Olivia asked.

"Wait a second."

Olivia's heart raced in her chest, but she kept a fairly normal face on the outside, she thought. _"What?"_

"Holy shit. You're pregnant."

She felt the color rush to her face, as she opened her mouth and waited for the words to come out. She didn't even know what words she wanted to come out, but nothing came out anyway.

"Oh my god! _Liv!"_ Abby said excitedly, pulling her in for a huge hug. "You _are_. You _totally_ are, aren't you?"

Olivia hugged her back tightly, letting out a deep breath into her best friend's shoulder. She hadn't wanted to tell anyone. _They_ hadn't. It was far too early. But she had to admit, after half a year...it felt really good to talk about it out loud with someone else.

"Yeah," she nodded, pulling back to look at her with a smile. "I am."

"Holy...oh my...how long? When? How? _What_?!" Abby exclaimed.

Olivia laughed, already feeling the tears start up again. Jesus.

"Oh lord," she said, wiping her face with a laugh. "I'm sorry, I might cry. We've been...we've been trying, Abby. For...a while now. We just found out on Thursday," she said happily, sniffling.

At this point Abby had a hand up to her face, looking at Olivia in awe.

"Oh my god. Olivia. That is...that's amazing. I'm _so_ happy for you! And for Fitz, oh my god, what a week it's been for him, then!"

"Yeah. You are seriously the only person that knows. My parents don't even know," Olivia said. "It's obviously...too early to tell people."

"I would never say a word, of course. I can't believe this, this is...this is so amazing! I know you've both wanted it for a while."

"Yes," Olivia nodded, sniffling. "We had a little trouble, and...it was really hard. The times that it didn't happen. So Thursday when we saw the test, we both didn't even know what to do with ourselves. I think we both cried in the bathroom together for damn near half an hour."

Abby smiled, looking like she was going to cry now. "I'm so happy. Oh my god."

"Me too," Olivia nodded. "I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you, we both would have loved to. I know I tell you everything. This is just..."

"Liv, you don't owe me _any_ explanation," Abby laughed. "I totally get it. Man, this...this explains a lot."

"Like what?" Olivia asked.

"Well besides the drinking thing, it explains why you and pretty boy are even more...you know, _attached_ today. I mean...it's very noticeable today. I figured it was a party and it's his birthday, and that was why. Now it makes sense. You two look _super_ happy."

"We are. We _really_ are," Olivia nodded.

"I'm so glad, Liv. You two deserve it more than anyone else."

"Well thank you," Olivia smiled. "We've certainly come quite a long way, haven't we."

"Mhm. You used to come home from class, daydreaming about him. Now you're married and knocked up with his kid."

Olivia tried to keep a straight face but then they both burst into laughter. "Way to simplify it, Abby," she giggled.

"Hey, it's true!" she shrugged. "Well—and along with the fact that he's no longer in his thirties—"

"Ah! No, no, no, you're talking about me," Fitz said, plugging his ears as he entered the cellar. "I'm 39, I'm 39, I'm 39."

Olivia laughed and Abby shook her head. "You're not 39, dude. But you're still pretty."

Fitz took his hands away from his ears and sighed heavily. His makeshift earplugs didn't work. "I guess I'll take that."

"We've uh...been talking in here," Olivia said. "About how I'm not drinking."

Fitz looked to Abby and then back to his wife, his eyes widening. "Oh...oh yeah?"

"She didn't say a thing. I'm just very observant, and she's my best friend," Abby smiled.

Fitz looked between the two women yet again and a happy smile slowly formed on his face.

"You know," he whispered.

"I know," Abby nodded. "And may I say, congratulations!" she whispered excitedly.

Fitz looked down at the ground, smiling big. "Thank you."

"Your secret's safe with me. As are...the rest of the things I know about you two that many others don't," Abby laughed.

"And for that, we're very thankful," Olivia laughed, putting her arm around her.

"Yes we are," Fitz agreed. "Number one supporter from the start."

He went over and joined the group hug that was forming.

"You guys are going to be amazing parents. I'm so fucking happy for you, I can't even begin to describe how much," Abby whispered, rubbing both of their backs.

"Thank you," they both said.

"Oh god, no tears, no tears," Olivia said, fanning at her face.

"Don't cry, baby, or else I'll start," he chuckled quietly.

"You two are so cute," Abby laughed. "I love you guys. And I'm gonna love little baby Grant too. I'm ready to be the best aunt ever."

"You _will_ be," Olivia agreed. "And we love you too, Abby."

"We love you," Fitz nodded, patting her back.

"Jeez, what's going on in here?" Brett asked, resting his hand on the doorframe.

"Little group hug?" Logan asked, standing behind Brett.

"Oh you know. Just wishing pretty boy another happy birthday," Abby said.

"Oh yeah. He's an old man now," Brett said.

Fitz chuckled and put his hand up to his head. "Oh man. I am, aren't I."

"You are _not,"_ Olivia laughed. "You're youthful."

"Nah. He's an old ass man," Logan teased.

"He isn't old. He isn't gray yet. That will always baffle me, but until he's gray, he isn't old," Charlie said, coming up behind Logan.

"Well thank you, Charlie," Fitz said. "I...think."

"Ain't nobody gonna mention the stupid six-pack he has? At 40 years old?" Logan asked.

"I don't have a six-pack," Fitz chuckled.

Everyone shot him a look.

"Are you allowed to smack a man on his birthday?" Abby asked.

"Hey!" Fitz laughed.

"Dumbest shit I ever heard," Logan said. "Lift up your shirt and say that again."

Fitz grew quiet, and his face grew red.

"Yeahhh, that's right," Brett said.

"It's a good thing we have cake. He could use some more, I think," Charlie laughed.

"Yeah, bud, let's go. Time to celebrate you," Brett said. "You've got gifts, you know."

Fitz laughed. "Of course I do. "

"Who _doesn't_ bring a gift when you know it's their birthday?" Abby questioned, as they all started to head toward the living room in the basement.

Abby and Olivia had the wine in their arms, bringing it out to everyone.

"I was hoping you guys wouldn't," Fitz chuckled.

"Nah. Forty's a big one. Gifts are necessary," Brett nodded.

Everyone started getting situated in the living room, while Olivia and Abby set the wine down on the coffee table for when it was ready.

Amidst people setting down gifts, people having more cake, and people talking amongst each other, Fitz held tight to Olivia.

He leaned in close, wrapping his arm around her lower back.

"How you doing?" he whispered holding her hip.

"Good. Really good," she whispered back, turning her body toward his.

"You need anything?" he whispered.

"No. I'm all good," she smiled. "Thank you though, sweetheart."

"Just checking," he said, wrapping his other arm around her now too as they faced each other.

He leaned his head down against hers, pressing a soft kiss to the tip of her nose.

Olivia saw Abby watching them with a smile, and she smiled right back.

"Alright, Grant, remove yourself from your lady for one second, you got all these gifts. Pick one, any one!" Logan said.

Everybody laughed and watched in anticipation as Fitz tried to decide which gift he was going to open first.

He knew he'd love each and every gift, of course. Even though he had said no gifts!

But his birthday had already been completely made three days ago.

When he'd received news of the greatest gift he could ask for.

* * *

What a birthday for Fitz.

It's finally happened, friends. You knew it would.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	100. And Then There Were Two

Olivia winced down at the toilet after having emptied her stomach on and off for about five minutes now, watching the clean water wash around the bowl after she had flushed. She wondered how she still even had anything to throw up, but by now, she was somewhat used to it.

She felt the large, warm hand on her back, trying to comfort her during an unpleasant start to her morning.

"I'm here, baby," he whispered, continuing to rub her back as he sat next to her.

She groaned, gripping the sides of the toilet.

"You want me to try and put your hair up again?" he whispered.

"No," she moaned back. "That's okay. I think...I think I'm done. Thank you, though."

"You're welcome. I suck at it, so I never know if I'm really helping or not. I just figured I should ask," he said quietly.

"You don't suck at it," she said, giving him the best laugh she could, despite how shitty she currently felt. "Black hair is not easy."

"It's beautiful though," he whispered, kissing her cheek. "You're so beautiful."

"I don't feel like it," she said, laying her head on her hands tiredly. She was so tired, and so sick.

And man, she felt icky. Her morning sickness had been pretty bad the past month, but she was getting near the end of it, she was pretty confident. It wasn't nearly as intense every morning, and some mornings she barely even felt the nausea.

The _really bad_ mornings were becoming more infrequent, so that was promising. This morning, though, was definitely one of her bad ones.

Fitz was usually right there with her every morning, trying to make it as easy on her as he could. There wasn't much he could really do, but she knew he tried so hard to be helpful in any way he could when she had these bad mornings.

He had always tried to be helpful before, but _pregnant_ Olivia had brought it out even more.

He was most definitely the doting husband. Times...infinity. Which, was definitely sweet and very helpful to her too. She was still learning all about what it was like to be pregnant. It was a lot to think about. Not that she hadn't prepared, she definitely had. But it was still a whole different ball game when she was actually...pregnant.

And Fitz had to learn too. It wasn't as if he really had much personal experience in the area either. So they learned together.

One thing they had learned so far was that as she neared the end of her first trimester, there were things that made her sick to her stomach in mere _seconds._ Things she used to love before, but couldn't stand all of a sudden. The most prominent one was red meat.

She'd read that many women actually craved red meat during pregnancy, but not her. God, that one made her ill.

They'd figured it out one evening when Fitz was grilling them steaks on their patio. The second she walked outside and smelled it—oh lord.

She was pretty sure she'd always remember how that interaction went.

She had actually gagged, and covered her mouth with her hand at the smell, trying to make her way back inside. Fitz had turned at the sound of her coming outside, and had seen the whole thing.

His eyes had widened immediately, watching her get sick to her stomach and realizing the scent smokily wafting from the grill was the cause.

"Oh! Oh, oh. Sorry, okay. Sorry. That's bad? That's bad, okay. That's really, really bad. Okay. Uhh...wait! Liv, where are you—oh no, are you gonna—oh boy. Okay, steak is bad, steak is so very bad—"

That was pretty much how it had gone.

It was safe to say she did _not_ eat that steak.

Fortunately, white meat did not have the same effect.

So she ate plenty of chicken and turkey, and fish, too, especially considering she didn't get her iron intake from red meat.

Those were just some of the less desirable aspects of being pregnant. Otherwise, she rather enjoyed it.

She was starting to grow. She really was. She was actually bigger than she had anticipated she would be at 12 weeks, that was for sure. A decently-sized rounded bump. She could hide from the world in baggier clothes. Or, in Fitz's clothes, which she actually just preferred. They were comfier anyway.

But if she was at work, she tried to stick to flowy blouses and blazers and things, even in the hot summer months. They hid her belly from view. If she were to wear tighter-fitted dresses, or even a simple button-down dress shirt, it would probably be somewhat noticeable.

Pretty soon now, that would be fine. At 12 weeks, they were just about at the period of time where they could begin to tell people. But they'd prefer to tell those that mattered most, first, before the rest of the world found out.

First, though, she had her second prenatal appointment this Friday afternoon. And this weekend they were hosting her parents. For what, her parents didn't have a clue. Just a fun weekend here at the house, or so they thought. But in reality, Olivia and Fitz planned to finally spill the news.

They had a packed few days ahead of them.

And it all started with a Thursday morning full of...vomit. How fun.

Although she felt shitty, Fitz seemed to be pretty adamant that her appearance didn't match that.

"I'm telling you, I have never been so attracted to you," he nodded confidently.

She wasn't buying it.

"Fitz. Baby. I love you, but you don't have to flatter me right now."

"I'm not!"

"I'm sitting on the bathroom floor, wearing your shirt and no pants. I don't even think I'm wearing underwear. No—I'm not. Where did those go? Who knows. My hair is a mess and there's probably vomit in it. This isn't a pretty picture."

"This is the prettiest picture I could ever imagine," he said, smiling at her. He put his hand underneath her shirt and rested it on her slightly swelled belly.

She smiled, peering over at him.

He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her cheek, which made her smile more. But she still pulled away.

"Oh, ick. You don't want to kiss me, I'm gross right now," she said, covering her face.

He gasped dramatically, leaning back in and trying to grab her hand away from her face.

"No, I promise you don't want to," she laughed, trying to stand her ground.

It didn't work so well. He was way stronger and succeeded easily. He pulled her hand free away from her cheek and started pressing about a million kisses all over her face, which only made her laugh harder.

"Fitz!"

"Mmmhm," he murmured, pressing one big last kiss to her cheek.

"I literally just threw up."

"You certainly did," he agreed. "Very powerful throw up this morning."

She shook her head with a laugh. "Very powerful is right. If you really wanna kiss me after that, I applaud you."

He shrugged. "I'm just happy you haven't felt as faint lately. That scares the absolute shit out of me."

"Oh, yeah," she nodded, thinking back to the few fainting spells she often had, that come along with getting sick to her stomach. "That's always awful."

"It is. And it makes me fret. I don't like to fret, I'm not a person who normally frets. Except for—"

"When it comes to me," she nodded.

"Yes! Jesus. My life damn near flashes before my fucking eyes every time you get faint."

She was laughing now, at his expressiveness this morning. "Oh you. You're so protective."

He scoffed. "Of my _pregnant wife?_ Uh—yeah! Not to mention, look who's talking. You are your father's daughter, woman."

"Oh whatever!" she exclaimed. She knew he was right, but she was feeling playful now.

"What do you mean 'oh whatever'?! Harrison and I had a minor altercation like two years ago and he _still_ never hears the end of it!" he chuckled.

"Minor altercation?! He punched you in the face! Right in the middle of your sweet face! Not cool. Not okay," she said.

"It was really not that big of a deal," he said.

She shook her head at him. "You had a black eye for weeks."

"I did," he nodded. "But my sweet girlfriend took care of me."

"I did!" she agreed. "God, I was so mad. Somebody hurt you. My baby."

"Your baby was just fine," he assured her. "See—look. My face healed."

"Thank goodness," she nodded.

He smiled, reaching for her hand as they both still knelt on the bathroom floor. "You feeling better now?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "Better than when I first woke up."

"Good," he replied. "How about BG."

She giggled at the nickname they'd recently established. BG, for baby Grant.

"BG is doing well. Certainly growing. We'll find out more tomorrow," she smiled.

"Yes we will," he nodded. "You excited?"

"Yes," she said immediately. "I can't wait to listen for the little heartbeat."

He smiled instantly. "Me too. I've been thinking about it all week. I really hope we can hear it."

"Me too," she nodded. "Well, we've been thinking about it...for like, you know, twelve weeks now."

"True," he chuckled. "We've been kind of impatient, huh."

"Yeah, probably," she laughed. "I'm always impatient."

"Yes, baby. I'm well aware," he laughed.

"Don't you just love me?" she teased, smiling at him.

"Yes. Actually an insane amount that I didn't know was humanly possible until about four years ago," he said.

"Awww," she smiled, leaning into him. "Ditto, sweetie."

"I'm glad about that," he whispered, pecking her cheek. "Alright. Up we go."

He stood up and reached his hands down to her, pulling her up off the floor gently.

"Thanks, baby," she said.

"Mmhm," he nodded, resting his hand on her belly while he kissed her forehead. "Okay. You good? You need anything?"

"Nope, I'm all good. I'm just going to take a shower quick. I'm gross."

He laughed. "Okay. Well you keep the door open so I can hear you. Just yell if you need me."

"I will, babe."

She took a shower and he went to go let Arie out quick before returning upstairs while she got some early morning running in. He would have normally ran with her on this weekday morning but since Olivia wasn't having the best morning, he figured he'd run inside today.

He went up the stairs in their bedroom to their exercise room and kept the door open so that he could hear her if need be.

He was always cautious with her now. Not that he hadn't always been. But it felt like some switch had been flipped on in his body ever since they found out she was pregnant.

He probably took it a bit too far sometimes. She was independent and self-sufficient, she certainly didn't need him to do anything for her. But he couldn't help it. It was just natural for him. Being the doting husband to his pregnant wife was no problem at all.

It was all he thought about these days. Three months. And there hadn't been a single day that his mind wasn't consumed with thoughts about it.

The baby. _Their_ baby.

Olivia, and how she was doing.

Every day that she grew was a day he was happier than he thought he ever had been.

Ever since he'd been with Olivia, he was sure he couldn't be happier. But Olivia pregnant with their child. It was a whole new world entirely now.

And he absolutely loved it.

She got through her shower without his assistance, which he figured she would anyway. But he saw her immediately when she came out of the bathroom in just a towel, and she dropped it when she reached her dresser.

He was doing pull-ups on the pull-up bar hanging just above the doorframe of the door. So with every time he extended his arms down, he got a nice view.

Walking around in nothing. Her belly slightly swelled. That's all he saw with each trip down.

"You're looking pretty cute over there with that beautiful little bump," he said, smiling at her.

She looked up and saw him giving her the look over, arms flexing each time he pulled his body upward, and his ankles crossed.

"Thank you," she replied with a smile.

"Mhm," he breathed, continuing with his workout.

"You're looking pretty strong up there," she said back.

He smiled at her, all of his muscles flexing with each pull-up. That abdomen and those arms. Whew.

"Gotta be strong—to protect my Liv and—my baby."

She giggled, watching him continue to smile at her. "You're so cute."

"It's just—the truth."

"Well I appreciate it. _We_ do," she said, putting her hand on her belly.

His smile got bigger and he dropped down, grabbing a towel and running it briefly through his damp curls as he panted.

"How you feel?"

"Good, baby," she said with a little laugh.

"Okay. Sorry. I just like to make sure," he said.

"Don't ever apologize. You're very sweet," she replied.

He shrugged. "You're very _important."_

"So are you," she nodded, putting on a pair of underwear.

He shrugged, disappearing out of sight back into the exercise room. "Not really. I'm just the...old, dad-to-be. Who does...yoga—sometimes."

She started laughing. "Yogi?"

"Yeah," he replied, groaning as he stretched out to cool down on his mat.

"Well you're not old. But you _are_ going to be a dad. _And_ you like yoga. So that makes you...a youthful, dad-to-be, yogi," she reasoned, continuing to get dressed.

"If momma says so," he said, trying to slow down his breathing.

"Momma does say so. And she also says you are important. The most important thing to her, so don't ever suggest you're not," she added.

It was silent for a few moments while she got dressed and he continued to cool down after his workout. And then she heard, "hey."

"Hey," she called back.

"I'm so in love with you."

She looked up into the doorway, and didn't see him yet. But she had sure heard him, and she smiled.

And she couldn't even respond before he started talking again.

"I mean—Jesus. I just...you are...I love you. I just goddamn love you. Every day I fall more in love with you and I don't think that's ever going to stop."

She clasped her bra and just stood there, looking through the doorway. Wanting to cry or some god damn thing. Hormones? Who knew.

"I love you so much, Fitz. You're going to make me cry again," she said quietly with a laugh.

"Oh, shit! Sorry. Sorry," he said, poking his head up to where she could see just his eyes and his crazy, curly hair. "You haven't done your makeup already or whatever, right?"

"No, baby, it's okay," she laughed, wiping her eyes. This had happened before. Tears came easier. Makeup smeared easier. The fact that he even thought about it was comical and very adorable, she thought.

"Okay. Good," he said, returning to his earlier position where he couldn't be seen. "I didn't mean to make you cry. I just thought...well, I should tell you these things."

"You should always tell me these things," she laughed. "You usually do. I love it. I'm just super emotional, it's weird. Don't mind me."

"It's not weird," he replied. "It's normal."

"Well, yeah, I know. But lots of things are changing. I'm still getting used to that," she admitted, finishing getting dressed.

"Uh-huh," he agreed. "You're...glowing."

She laughed. "I don't know about that."

"Oh I do," he said.

"Hmm...well, I'll take that. And I will also admit that...my boobs look fantastic."

He started chuckling. "I was hoping you would say that."

"Oh, do you agree up there, mister?" she asked, amused.

It was quiet for a few seconds.

"Uh... _yes."_

She laughed.

"I mean, _damn_ , baby. Damn."

 _"_ _Right?!"_ she exclaimed, cupping her own boobs. "I am...I am just as pleased as you, really. They have never looked this good, that's for sure."

"No, they always look good," he said. "They just look very nice right now, I agree."

"Thank you," she said.

"Mhm," he nodded, appearing in the doorway, starting to jog down the stairs.

"You done?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, leaning in to press a kiss to her cheek.

"Ooh. Sweaty," she noted.

"I know, sorry. I'm gonna shower, okay, babe."

"Okay," she nodded.

He went into his side of the bathroom so that he could shower in there and not get the bathroom all steamed up while she did her makeup.

Also had been done before. Oops.

Benefits of having an unnecessarily large, and separated bathroom.

They got ready for their day and went into work like always. And their days at work were good.

Fitz always got home later than she did, but she left earlier, so it evened out.

Except for tomorrow, when they'd both leave work a little bit early for her appointment. But they'd scheduled it well. Fitz didn't have classes very late on Fridays, so he was just missing out on some office time. Olivia didn't have any late meetings that particular Friday, so she'd just do more of her day-to-day stuff earlier in the day, or save it for the weekend.

The weekend would be pretty busy, with her parents coming to visit. But she'd likely have time on Sunday night after they left if she needed it.

Either way, Thursday had been a long day. Good, but long. So they were eager to be home and relax before their last workday of the week.

Fitz came home in a happy mood, swinging the garage door shut and swinging his keys on his finger.

"Baby. I'm home," he called out.

"Living room," she answered.

He smiled, hanging his keys up on the hook and waiting about three seconds.

Three seconds because that was usually the amount of time it took for Arie to come racing toward him, if she wasn't already outside to greet him.

He heard the nails on the floor, trying to run faster than likely even possible, indoors. And he chuckled, watching her turn the corner.

"Well hello there, baby girl! How are you? How are you today? Did you have a good day?"

She sniffed him excitedly, letting him pet her. He gave her butt a couple pats, watching her turn in a circle in excitement.

"Oh so excited, aren't we. Okay, okay, don't—don't slobber on the dress pants though. We talked about this," he chuckled. "Did momma feed you?"

"Momma did," Olivia called out.

"Oh wonderful. Momma's good like that," he said, leaning down to kiss her snout. She accepted his kiss and then sneezed immediately, after feeling the tickle on her nose.

He smiled, starting to make his way to the living room. "You always sneeze when I kiss you. Are you allergic to my kisses? Is that it?" he asked, looking behind him at his dog, trotting happily after him.

She sneezed again, continuing to follow him.

"Come kiss me. I'm not allergic to them," Olivia said, watching him emerge into the living room as she took her eyes off the news on the TV. She was standing behind the couch, resting her hands on the back of it.

"Mmm, I hope not," he smirked, going to pull her in for a hug and kiss.

He pressed his lips to hers repeatedly, smiling at her in between. "Hi, you."

"Hi," she replied. "You smell nice."

"Mm, thank you," he replied, continuing to kiss her. "You smell nice too."

"Thank you," she said in between kisses. "I was just about to change. You wanna come?"

"Uh-huh," he nodded, giving her one last big kiss and taking her hand. "How you feeling?"

"Good," she nodded.

"Good, I'm glad," he said. "How was your day?"

"Long. But good, too. My meeting with Al went well," she said. "How was yours?"

"Oh good! Mine was good too. Also long. But I did learn something very important from Laken today."

"Laken?" she questioned.

"Yeah. Laken," he nodded. "He's in my International Politics class."

"Ohhh. This is...this is a _person_. Okay. I wasn't sure," she laughed.

"Uh-huh. Laken Riggs. He's...he's a character."

"And what did he teach you?" she asked.

"Well, he came to class with a...uhh scrunchie? Yes, that's right. Scrunchie. Do you know what that is?" he asked.

"Yes..." she laughed. "Like...for women's hair?"

"Yeah! That. Okay, well he was sitting in the front row, and I noticed he had one on his wrist. It was blue. I didn't know what the hell it was, but it was blue and kind of fun and I liked it. So I told him that. Because, you know, I'm the fun professor."

"Yes, right, of course," Olivia nodded, holding in her laughter.

"He thanked me, and said it was his girlfriend's scrunchie. Scrunchie. I'm saying that right, right?"

"Uh-huh," she laughed.

"Okay, Good. Anyway, I asked why he was wearing it if it was hers. And asked if she knew that he was wearing it. I mean, what if...I don't know, _Jill_ , needed her scrunchie?"

"You know his girlfriend's name?"

"Well—no. I made it up, that was just the most basic name I could think of."

"Oh, okay, got it," she giggled.

"Anyway. So what if Jill needs her scrunchie, I ask. And he tells me, 'professor, this is how people know you're taken! You wear your girl's scrunchie. And people know she's taken if she wears your hoodie.'"

Olivia burst into laughter.

"Right?!" he asked, as they climbed the stairs. "I laughed too. But then all these other students started showing up and joining in, as it got closer to class time. They all agreed with Laken. This is how people are showing they're... _taken_ these days. I swear, I learn a new thing every day. I try to stay caught up, you know. Be cool or whatever. But I will admit, I did not know this scrunchie thing was a rule."

"It was, maybe, two years ago—and for like...middle school kids or something," she laughed. This is seriously transitioning to college kids now?" she asked.

"Yes! I swear to god. And then I started actively looking for them for the rest of the day, and now it feels like I'm noticing them everywhere. Guys wearing their girl's scrunchies."

"Oh jeez," she laughed. "Well, to each their own I guess."

"Mhm. And then he said 'I don't see any scrunchie on _your_ wrist, Professor.' I showed him my left hand and told him I had this thing called my wedding ring."

Olivia started laughing again. "Oooh. How'd he take that?" she asked, as they entered their bedroom.

"Well. But apparently, we still don't make the cut. We've got rings. We've got tattoos. You wear more than just my hoodies half the time, and I've quite literally impregnated you. Which...they don't know that part, but still...we aren't official in the eyes of scrunchie-wearing young adults. You know what this means, right?"

"Um...that college boys, no matter what expensive, selective, Ivy League school they attend, are all dillweeds with no real logic?" she questioned.

He paused, pointing at her. "Yes. That too. Definitely that. But you know what else?"

"What?"

"I need to borrow your scrunchie on Tuesday."

She raised an eyebrow at him, both stopping by their fireplace. "Fitzgerald."

"Yes."

"Are you seriously asking to wear my scrunchie on your wrist."

"Yes."

"To work."

"Yes."

"To be the fun Professor."

"Yes."

She shook her head, putting her hand up to her face. "I married a dork."

"Yes. But you also married the _fun professor..."_

She tried not to laugh at that...but then she did.

"Okay. I literally did," she agreed, putting her hand up to her face.

"You _soooo_ did," he nodded.

She looked up at his serious, yet smiley face. "...What color?"

"Any color."

"Hot pink?"

"Absolutely."

She laughed. "I'm just kidding, I don't have a hot pink scrunchie. I don't have many, to begin with. I think...a black one. A white one. Maybe...a blue one."

"Perfect. I'm not picky."

She raised an eyebrow at him before entering the door to her side of the bathroom. "No," she said, starting to look through her cabinets and all her hair stuff. "You're just goofy."

She pulled out a navy blue scrunchie and handed it over to him.

He started laughing and took it from her, putting it on his right wrist. "Yes. _And_ taken," he said, showing it to her proudly.

She rolled her eyes, shutting the cabinet doors.

"I love you, you weirdo."

"Weirdo loves you back."

"He better..." she said, smiling at him.

He smiled and looked her over before closing the gap between them slowly and pressing his lips to hers.

She was caught by surprise, but she kissed him back, feeling his hand graze her stomach.

It lingered there, like it always tended to. But then it went further up, to cup her breasts ever so gently.

She hesitated, letting out a brief moan of pain. She tried to continue to kiss him anyway, but he immediately pulled his hands back. "Sorry, baby—I'm sorry. Too sensitive?"

"Just a little bit, yeah," she murmured against his lips.

"I'll be gentle," he whispered, reaching down to untuck her blouse from her dress pants.

The blouse was flowy, like much of the rest of her wardrobe these days.

He pulled her blouse from her pants and started to unbutton the buttons, all while continuing their makeout session.

There was a tie at the neck of the shirt, with tails hanging all the way down her front side, in front of the buttons. Those got in his way while he was trying to undress her.

"Jesus. Not very easy access here," he whispered, finally pulling away so he could look at what he was doing.

She laughed, watching him go at it. "You need help?"

"Shhh, don't embarrass me," he chuckled, still trying to undo this strange tie shirt of hers.

"Says the man with the scrunchie still on his wrist."

He stopped fiddling with her shirt and looked down at the scrunchie. "It's called fashion."

She leaned her head against his chest and laughed.

"You are the king of seduction. Do you know that?"

He laughed with her. "Yeah, I'm not doin' so hot right now, am I."

"On the contrary. I'm actually quite turned on by your wrist scrunchie that somehow represents our eternal love and your failed attempts at removing my shirt."

"Fuck," he chuckled. "I'm a mess, baby, I know. Just give me a second."

"How about..." she began, moving her hands to his stomach and already creeping lower. "You just leave the undressing to me."

He peered down, watching her fingers start to work on his belt.

"Mm," he smirked. "Yeah, I like this idea."

"Apparently," she nodded, grazing him through the front of his dress pants. It was already clear that he was hard.

He exhaled just at the brief contact her hand made with him through the fabric. It had been a little while since they'd last had sex. So she knew he was probably wanting it pretty badly by this point, even though he hadn't necessarily said so.

"Wow," she noted quietly, unzipping his pants for him.

"What?—what?" he whispered, closing his eyes, relaxed.

"You're _ready."_

He nodded, letting out a long breath and pressing himself against her hand.

She smiled to herself, seeing her man so turned on. Always a reason to smile.

He started kissing on her neck, and his fingers clenched at his sides while she pulled his pants and underwear down.

He stepped out of them and started unbuttoning his own shirt, while gently pushing her and leading her toward the bed.

She had to fumble with her own clothes now, as he moved her backward. He had his own shirt covered it seemed, but she was readily trying to match his naked state. She had to try and do it kind of fast, because even though he was being extremely gentle with her, she could tell he wanted it bad right now.

She shimmied off her dress pants and underwear with no problem, and felt the edge of the mattress with her fingers before sitting, and then laying down on her back, all while he refused to stop kissing her neck.

He did briefly have to pull away when she got on the bed, though. She laid back and started untying the tie on her shirt, and he gently climbed above her, shrugging his dress shirt off his shoulders. She lifted her body up a bit and stripped her blouse off, while he did the same with his undershirt.

He grasped the blouse from her hands and tossed it behind him as he'd done with his own clothes.

"Hey! That was an expensive shirt, it should be taken better care of than that!" she giggled, trying to remove her bra now.

"I'll buy you a new one," he murmured, dipping his head down to kiss her stomach.

"Hmmm," she smiled, dropping her bra off the side of the bed. "You can't buy me, you know."

He chuckled against her skin, looking up at her with a smile. "So sassy."

"You know it," she smirked.

He rested his chin on her thigh and looked at her with desire in his eyes.

"I'm gonna play with you a little bit," he whispered.

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Oh is that so?"

"Yep," he nodded, scooching down her body. "Your clit misses me, I know it does."

"Oh and how could you know something like that?" she smirked, eyeing his rigid erection between his legs.

He settled down between her legs, spreading them wide for himself before beginning to lightly touch her.

She gasped, watching him immediately smile as he started to move his index finger in a small circular motion against the sensitive area. "I know my girl."

She clutched at the sheets, biting her lip. Well, she had let her guard down pretty fast. Not that she hadn't believed him the second he said she'd missed him. She definitely had. But she liked to play.

And apparently so did he.

He looked so admirably at her body while he played around a bit. Enjoying how her body reacted to the different ways he touched her.

He hadn't even entered her yet, and she was already starting to breathe heavily.

Yeah...she had. missed it.

"How's that feel?" he whispered, leaning the side of his face down on her soft thigh. He just watched what he was doing. He could have laid there and done that for hours.

If...he took care of his raging erection at some point in between.

"Good—Good. I missed you," she breathed, closing her eyes.

"Wow. You gave up easy tonight, baby," he chuckled.

She scoffed half-assedly. She didn't care enough to give him her full attitude. She was enjoying herself far too much right now.

"I...tried," she said, giving him a little laugh. "It's been a little while."

"Mmhm," he nodded, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her clit. He started licking his way around too, and that definitely got a rise out of her. "I'll get you there first with my mouth, and then I'll give it to you slow after that. Real slow."

"Okay," she whimpered, squeezing onto his arm that was holding her legs apart.

"How's that sound?" he murmured, sucking on her clit.

She just moaned, squeezing his arm in response and hoping he understood.

God, it had been too long.

He ate her out like he was starving.

His eyes were closed, and all she saw were his long, thick eyelashes. His mouth, opening against her skin and his tongue dragging slowly across her clit and her wet entrance. His lips, kissing her so passionately in all the right places.

Getting her so wet.

From both his mouth and just from herself too. She felt soaked within just a few minutes. So by the time he made her orgasm she was _extremely_ wet.

He made good use of it, sliding his hard dick inside her slowly just like he said he would.

Enjoying both the feeling of him stretching her, and the sound of her wetness around him.

"Ohhh—Jesus Christ," he whispered, clutching the sheets.

"Here, let me—I wanna sit up."

"Oh god—yes," he moaned, sliding out slowly. She watched his glistening length pull out, and she wanted to feel it right back inside of her. So she got up quickly onto his lap, and rode the absolute fuck out of him.

Her boobs were sore and it hurt that way, to be bouncing, even though she was being extremely gentle still. But god, it was worth it. To feel him throbbing while she sunk down on him.

To watch his face contort in pleasure as she took over control.

And he let her. He loved it.

He sat there, legs stretched out wide while he gripped her ass and guided her again and again on his dick.

He groaned into her shoulder, proving to be even louder than she was being. Loud, and _pleased._

"Please—keep going. Feels so good, Liv. I can't—I'm sorry—I'm too close—" he panted.

"Me too. So come for me," she whispered into his ear. "I want to feel it before I come."

He about let out a whimper at that, gripping her ass even harder. "I'm going to—I'm...so close."

She ground her hips into him, tightening her arms around his neck as he kissed her chest desperately.

She could feel his wet lips and tongue against her skin, and then she could feel him pulling away because he was starting to jerk beneath her.

"Oh my god," she whispered, feeling him move his hips in rhythm with hers as the pressure built up in her abdomen.

He let out a deep breath and she felt him come, continuing to push her onto his dick while she kept going. Kept riding him, until she came too, and they started to slow down.

He panted into her shoulder as she stopped moving. And then she slowly pulled herself off of him and laid gently back on the bed.

"Oh wow," she breathed, running a hand through her hair.

"You okay? You...feel okay?" he whispered, reaching over to hold her hand.

"I feel great," she replied, looking at him with a laugh.

"Good. Good," he nodded, tightening his grip on her hand.

"You're so sweet, baby," she whispered, bringing his hand up to her mouth and pressing a kiss to the top of it.

"I just love you," he said, reaching over and putting a hand on her belly. "I love you both."

"We love you back," she said, stroking the top of his hand, already on her belly. He, then, of course, had to give her a few kisses there. Because he couldn't resist.

"I'm sorry I haven't been super... _active_...lately," she whispered, moving her hand to his curls.

He looked up at her with a strange look on his face and kind of laughed. "Liv, it's okay. You don't have to apologize."

"Well...I know. But I know I haven't always felt in the mood or I've been sore. My body's obviously been doing its fair share of changing. And regardless, I still know you need it. Everyone needs it."

"Babe."

"What?"

"I'm just fine," he chuckled.

"Well I'm just checking!" she shrugged with a laugh.

"I know you are, and it's oddly sweet. But I promise I'm alright," he laughed.

"I don't think it's an odd thing to ask! I'm your wife. I just want to make sure my husband isn't suffering down there."

He shook his head at her and smiled.

"I'm certainly not suffering down there," he chuckled.

"I know. It's just been a long time for us."

"And that's completely fine. If you're not in the mood, you're not in the mood. If your body's been feeling sore, I certainly don't want to hurt you. I would go the entire nine months if it meant that you were comfortable. It's really not a big deal. There are much more important things than...getting my dick wet."

She nodded at him. "You know, I don't know if there's another male human being on the planet that has ever said anything like what you just said."

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Well...then every other male human being on the planet is...an asshole?"

"Yes," she nodded in agreement. "Pretty much. I'm still not really sure how I managed to find the one truly good man in this world, but you know what, I'm just not gonna question it and hope he still continues to love me, despite the fact that I'm a little bit crazy."

He chuckled, shaking his head at her. "The crazy only makes me love you more."

"Oh good. We're in for a wonderful lifetime together, then," she giggled.

"I know we are," he whispered, kissing the top of her hand.

"Even if...you have to go a couple weeks without...getting your dick wet," she laughed.

"God forbid," he chuckled sarcastically.

"Maybe...I'll hit that stage where all I want to do is _have_ sex."

He raised his eyebrows and smirked a little bit. "I would not be opposed to that."

She laughed at him, and he started laughing too, his cheeks turning a little pink.

"Well, in the meantime I can continue to please you in a few different ways. I've got options. Or I can watch you do it. I always enjoy a good show," she said casually.

His eyes widened and he chuckled. "You tell me what to do, and I'll do it."

She smirked back at him. "Good to know."

She slowly started to get up so she could clean up.

"Where you goin'?" he asked, rubbing the back of her arm affectionately.

"Washcloth," she answered.

"Mmm, lay back down," he whispered, gently tugging on her arm. "I'll go get one."

"It's not that much work for me to get up, you know, sweetheart," she laughed, looking at him as he scooted next to her to get up.

"You just...shhh," he said, getting up. "Haven't you realized by now that all I ever want to do is take care of you?"

She shook her head with a smile, watching him make his way over to the bathroom. Naked and all.

"I _have_ actually realized this," she nodded. "You take such good care of me."

He walked out of the bathroom moments later all cleaned up, himself, and bringing a washcloth to her.

"It's 'cause I love you or whatever," he said kneeling in front of her.

"I love you too or whatever," she said, lifting her legs up while he pressed the washcloth between them.

He smirked down at her, reaching forward and rubbing his hand gently over her belly while he cleaned her up.

He could be doing just about anything and still have a hand on her stomach these days. If he was within reach, his hand was likely there.

That was her sweet Fitz.

He was always so sweet, and so attentive.

So when Friday afternoon came and it was time for her appointment, his sweetness and attentiveness were turned up a notch.

Not to mention he was excited as hell, as was she. They'd been waiting for what felt like forever for this appointment.

They sat in the exam room, after they'd already done a good portion of the visit.

A nurse took her weight and blood pressure, and collected a urine sample to test for high levels of sugars and proteins.

Her doctor, doctor Hill, discussed with them the results of the testing done at her first prenatal appointment.

She would do an NT scan and another blood test to test for any chromosome abnormalities. But first, she laid back so that the technician, Danielle, could use the Doppler to check for their baby's heartbeat.

Fitz sat by her side, holding her hand tightly as they waited patiently. Danielle gently moved the probe against her stomach, trying to find the heartbeat.

It took a little time, as it had last time. Last time, during the first appointment, they'd tried with the Doppler, but had failed to hear a heartbeat. Which, was completely normal.

This time was different, though.

Slowly, a faint thump started to be audible. Olivia's eyes went wide, and she looked over at Fitz who squeezed her hand even harder.

"There it is," Danielle said with a smile, starting to focus more on the specific spot of Olivia's belly that had proven to be successful.

"Oh my goodness," Olivia whispered, looking up at Fitz with a smile.

His mouth was open in awe, and butterflies were soaring through his stomach as he listened to the quick thumping.

"Oh wow," he whispered, looking at her with a smile.

"A nice, strong heartbeat," Danielle, nodded, showing them the Doppler screen that read 141 beats per minute.

"So fast," Fitz said with a smile.

"Yes. A perfectly normal and healthy heart rate. And very, _very_ strong," she nodded, starting to ease the probe along her belly.

"Strong. That sounds right," Fitz smiled, pressing a kiss to Olivia's hand.

She smiled back so happily at him, completely lost in the joy that she felt coursing through her right now. To hear that little heartbeat for the first time...oh man. She didn't know if she would ever feel what she just felt again. It was indescribable.

Danielle kept moving the probe around, and stopped again a little bit higher than before, and they heard the heartbeat again.

A quick, beautiful thumping sound.

She looked down at the screen again, reading the number.

Olivia and Fitz were just listening to the wonderful sound, smiling and holding hands intently. Never wanting the moment to end.

But Danielle interrupted their thoughts, after she'd been moving the probe around for a little bit.

"Well," Danielle began with a smile, focusing in on the heartbeat again. "I think we should do the ultrasound. I may have some news."

They both turned to look at her immediately.

"What? What is it?" Olivia asked, as she felt Fitz tighten his grip on her hand again.

"Do you hear this heartbeat?" Danielle asked them.

They both nodded eagerly, listening to the quick, repetitive sound.

"Well, this one is coming in about 146 beats per minute. Your baby's heartbeat could very well go up and down, it can change quickly. But I've honed in on two different spots where I'm able to hear clearly, and...the heart rates are very distinguishable and each very strong and consistent every time. I'm picking up two."

Fitz's eyes widened as Olivia looked over at him, and he slowly put his other hand up to his mouth in shock. She was sure she mirrored that shock on her own face too.

 _"Two?"_ Fitz asked her, as if he couldn't believe what they were hearing. "Two... _other_ than Olivia's?"

Danielle nodded right away, looking at the Doppler screen again.

"I'll be able to confirm with an ultrasound, which we can do today. Do twins happen to run in your family, Olivia?"

Olivia couldn't seem to close her mouth. Her jaw had remained _dropped_ since she heard the word "two." But she still had time to think. Think about her family, and the twins that heavily ran through it. Her mother's great grandmother, who had been a twin. Her cousins Macy and Dillon, and her second cousins, Jordan and Anthony.

She nodded, a small smile forming on her face. "Yes. They do."

"Fraternal?" Danielle asked.

"Yep," Olivia nodded.

"Yes, this ups your chances of being pregnant with multiples. Identical twins are not hereditary but fraternal twins tend to be."

Olivia nodded in agreement, because she'd known that long before now. She supposed she had thought about it, that she could have twins. But it still seemed less likely, and up until now, everyone had proceeded as though there was just one bun in the oven, of course!

Fitz let out a deep breath, still covering his mouth with his hand because he couldn't believe it. But he peered over at his wife with a smile, slowly forming on his face.

"Can we...can we do the ultrasound?" Fitz asked, looking over at Danielle.

"Of course. We will run some scans as well, afterward. I will tell you, it is unlikely we will be able to determine sex based on the ultrasound today, but some of the blood testing we will do, _can_. You two aren't wanting to know beforehand, correct?"

They both looked at each other right away, unaware of what to do now, since there was a large chance that things were different than they had originally planned for.

"Still...no?" he questioned.

She nodded at him. "I think we should wait."

He nodded and they both looked up at Danielle.

"Okay. Well, we can get an ultrasound in and some testing, so we know for sure. I'll be _right_ back, okay?"

"Okay," Olivia nodded.

She left the room briefly, giving them a second alone before she underwent some more testing.

The second Danielle shut the door, they looked at each other with wide, but happy eyes.

"Oh my god, Liv," he whispered, putting his free hand on the side of her belly. "I don't even...I don't even know what to say right now, baby."

"Me neither," she said, in awe.

"Do you think she's right? Do you think so?" he asked quickly.

She nodded right away. Not because she was a hundred percent certain. Of course, she couldn't be yet. But things were starting to click.

When her morning sickness was there, it was _there_. Excessively. And she recalled Michaela being _so_ , so sick during her first trimester of pregnancy with her twins. She hadn't been able to go to work many days because it was so bad. That was extremely memorable in her mind, now that the possibility had been presented to them. She hadn't really thought much about it before because she figured morning sickness was morning sickness. It was all not the most fun, no matter how many babies you were carrying.

And she _was_ a bit big. She hadn't been exactly sure how to gauge her size, because she hadn't been pregnant before. And nowhere else but her boobs and belly had really gained any weight yet. But she already felt big, and like she'd been growing faster than she had anticipated. Perhaps this was why.

"Wow," he whispered, looking at her happily. _"Wow."_

There was a knock on the door, and then her doctor and the technician came back in, both with a smile on their face.

"I hear we may have some news," Doctor Hill said.

They both nodded with a smile, and she nodded back. "Well let's get you two an answer, shall we?"

"Yes please!" Olivia replied, to which Fitz nodded.

Danielle did the ultrasound too, but her doctor remained in the room, still, and continued to ask her some questions about her pregnancy so far.

The ultrasound equipment next to her bedside was enough to make them both giddy.

Danielle applied the gel to her belly and moved the transducer slowly across her skin to capture the images.

Danielle studied the monitor while she did it. And soon, she turned it for them to see.

And what a sight it was.

The slightly blurry moving image of what was growing inside her. Olivia almost started crying.

There they were.

Two.

They were so little, and so beautiful.

"Twins," Olivia whispered, squeezing Fitz's hand.

"You're having twins," Doctor Hill nodded, smiling at them. "Surprise?"

"Yes," Olivia laughed, looking at Fitz.

"Oh baby," he whispered, kissing her hand. And smiling at her. _"Twins."_

It was one of the best moments of their lives, seeing that ultrasound. And they would get to relive the moment forever, because they, of course, got a couple pictures from the ultrasound to take with them.

They were also given a more exact and certain due date, which had changed a bit since the first appointment. December 13th. That was the day they would now have in the back of their mind in the coming months. Doctor Hill also explained that since the babies had their own placentas, they were likely fraternal twins, especially given her family history. There was still a chance they were identical, but it was a very slim chance.

She also underwent all testing that was recommended, in which the results would come back in about a week or so.

Doctor Hill made sure to tell them, though, that everything looked as exactly as it should. Mom and babies were perfectly healthy, and now was the time when they could start officially telling people.

That made for a great night, and would likely make for a great _weekend_.

Olivia called Abby right away and updated her with the news, simply because Abby had known essentially from the very beginning. It always seemed to be Abby who carried their secrets with them.

Fitz was dying to tell his friends, too. Tell his closest friends, how happy he was. What crazy, awesome thing had taken over his life the past few months, and even before that when they had simply been trying. His friends didn't know a thing. None of them. And they all knew how badly he wanted this, so he couldn't wait to share the great, great news.

Olivia wanted to tell the rest of her friends, and family too.

But they were going to wait at least one more night. There were two very important people whom they wanted to tell first. Two very important people, who were going to be grandparents. Two very important people who came over that Friday night to stay.

The night started off like any normal night.

They got there around eight, after quite the long drive as usual. But both were able to make the half-day work on Fridays in the summer.

Fitz made dinner, and they all chatted up a storm while they ate.

Olivia and Fitz hadn't really planned out when they were going to bring it up. They just wanted to tell them that night, and when the timing felt right.

So all throughout dinner when her parents asked if they were going up to Dennis' cabin this summer, or when Eli talked about his fishing trip with his buddies, and Maya talked about the new car she wanted to get, it didn't seem like it was going to exactly fit in.

But later that night, when they were hanging around in the basement together, things started to change.

Olivia had changed from her baggy, flowy blouse she'd worn, into a pair of pajamas.

A pair of pajama pants and a T-shirt, with a cardigan over it because it was a little chillier in the basement than upstairs was.

The cardigan hid her belly fairly well when it was closed, but the T-shirt itself underneath wasn't as baggy. She got nervous when she put it on, knowing that she was _definitely_ showing now. Her bigger boobs were visible through her shirt and so was her belly. Both things that were noticeably larger, at least she thought so. Her face hadn't really started to change, though, so time would tell if her parents noticed, or even paid that close attention to her outfit.

Fitz and Eli played pool, while she and her mother watched from the bar and chatted. Arie laid at the foot of Olivia's barstool, watching over her momma, of course.

Olivia gradually uncrossed her arms from her stomach, and smiled at Fitz who kept looking over at her from their pool table. Their _wine-colored_ pool table, which was beautiful. And not as mainstream as a green one, like Olivia had wanted.

Fitz eventually beat Eli in their first game of pool, which was no surprise to Eli. He just chuckled.

"I tell you. I'll get you one of these times, I know I will."

"Oh I have full confidence you will. I'm nervous every time I play you," Fitz laughed.

"I mean what's it gotta take?! Jeez. I really did used to fancy myself a decent pool player. You are quite impressive, Fitz," Eli nodded, gathering the balls from all the pockets.

"Well thank you! You're a hell of a lot more than a _decent_ pool player, so that's quite a compliment coming from you!" he replied, heading over to Olivia with his pool cue still in his hand.

"Taking a break?" Olivia asked, reaching for his hand.

"Mhm," he nodded, clasping their fingers together. "How are you?"

"I'm good, how are you?" she giggled, rubbing her thumb over his hand.

"Fantastic."

Maya smiled over at the two of them, and Olivia saw it out of the corner of her eye. Her mom, looking so sweetly at them. Her dad, racking up the balls for another game of pool with her husband. Oh, how he loved his pool.

And she realized she just didn't want to wait any longer. Her sweet parents deserved to know, and she didn't really know if the "perfect time" would ever present itself. She didn't have anything cutesy planned, she didn't have any clever gift to give them. Well, at least not _yet!_

She just wanted to tell them. She just wanted to tell them the big news, that would change all of their lives forever. And as she looked up at Fitz, she knew he was just as anxious to spill as she was.

He raised his eyebrows at her discreetly and gave her a small nod.

So she went for it.

"Hey dad, can you come over here for a minute?"

Eli stopped what he was doing and came over to them, joining Maya's side.

"Fitz and I…actually had something to tell you two this weekend. Something important."

"Ohhh, so this _wasn't_ just a fun weekend at Liv and Fitz's house, huh?" her mother teased. "What did you _do_ , you two?"

They all laughed, and Olivia shook her head. "Well, we can promise this time that it wasn't anything impulsive."

"Ah, did you buy the trampoline, Fitz?" Eli teased, elbowing his arm.

Fitz chuckled. "No, unfortunately not. It's actually something a little more important than that."

"It's a _lot_ more important," Olivia agreed, looking back and forth between her parents. _"They_ are a lot more important than that," she said, resting a hand on her stomach.

And now as she sat there, it was pretty visible. Her cardigan staying open a little bit, and her hand there. Fitz's hand slowly joined hers, and they watched the understanding slowly begin to creep across her parents' faces.

"No…" Maya said, putting her hand up to her mouth.

Olivia and Fitz nodded, smiles on their faces.

Maya looked up at Eli in shock, whose face slowly turned into a smile.

"You're right. The trampoline doesn't seem so important right now," Eli said, letting out a little chuckle.

Fitz laughed and shook his head. "Nope."

"You two are _serious_ right now?" Maya asked eagerly, reaching across to put a hand on her daughter's belly.

Her eyes widened even before Olivia could nod that they were, indeed, quite serious. She could definitely tell that Olivia was larger now, now that she was physically feeling it.

"Oh, baby. _Oh baby!_ There's…oh my lord," Maya said, putting her hand up to her mouth again. "You're pregnant. You're…wait a minute, now, did you say _'they'?"_ she asked immediately.

"I did," Olivia nodded with a laugh, seeing how happy, confused, and in shock her mother was right now.

Maya couldn't seem to fathom the amazing things she was hearing. The smile on her face only grew as she looked back and forth between them and Eli, who also had a smile on his face. He hadn't said much, but Olivia could tell he was trying to process everything in his own Eli way. It was no secret though, that he was happy. He was pretty smiley.

"How far along?" Maya asked eagerly.

"Twelve weeks," Olivia nodded.

"We just found out today that it's twins," Fitz added, smiling.

 _"Today?"_ Maya asked.

"Mhm. We heard the adorable little heartbeat today. Only…to then be told there were _two_ adorable little heartbeats," Olivia nodded. "They confirmed with an ultrasound."

 _"Wow,"_ Eli nodded, sitting down next to Maya.

"I wasn't sure when we'd be having this conversation. I can't say I expected to hear it today, but I can say that that is just... _fantastic_ news!" Maya exclaimed.

"A wonderful blessing," Eli nodded in agreement.

"We've wanted it for a long time," Olivia replied. "We're just... _so_ happy."

Maya smiled, and immediately got up to wrap her arms around her daughter. Olivia smiled and hugged her mother back as she sat on the stool.

"I'm so happy _for_ you, baby," Maya whispered, rubbing Olivia's back.

"Thank you, mom," Olivia whispered back happily. "You're going to be a grandma."

"Oh my goodness," Maya sniffled, holding on even tighter.

Fitz just watched with a smile at the beautiful sight. Until he eyed Eli, who started to get up too.

There was some sort of mutual understanding as he got up, and they locked eyes. Because before Fitz knew it the two men were embracing too.

"Congratulations, Fitz," Eli nodded, patting his back.

"Thank you. Thank you so much," Fitz nodded.

"You will make the best father," he nodded. "I've known that for a long time."

Fitz let out a deep breath and nodded thankfully in response. He just tried not to fricken cry or something, because he could hear the sniffled coming from his wife and mother-in-law.

Even Eli's eyes looked a little red.

Eli hugged Olivia too, when Maya finally pulled away. She just went right to Fitz then, and gave him a hug too.

Hugs all around for the happy family.

And a lot of questioning afterward, too. About the type of twins, if they knew the gender or not, how the pregnancy had been, all of that. There was a lot to catch her parents up on.

But they'd have all weekend to talk babies.

They also showed them the ultrasound pictures they'd had taken earlier that day, which caused even more crying. So much crying.

Eli actually refused to put the picture down for a while, he couldn't stop smiling as he looked at his beautiful grandchildren.

It was safe to say the weekend had started off pretty amazing.

And it was also safe to say they'd have a lot to think about in the coming months.

They'd already had a lot to think about when they had been planning for _one_ little baby Grant.

And then, a prenatal appointment and an ultrasound later,

there were two.

* * *

Well there you go! This is the _100th_ chapter of Forbidden... _wow_ , does time fly! Many thanks to all of you for sticking with me.

I apologize for how long you all had to wait for this chapter. I know it's been taking longer than normal for me to update, but summer is a very busy time for me. I appreciate your understanding and support!

Did some of you think they'd be having twins? I tried to foreshadow a tiny bit with that throughout the story, but didn't want to just completely give it away either. The twins have always run in her family. :)

Either way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Thanks for reading, and read on!

With love,

~T

P.S. For Jen:)


	101. 24 Weeks

"Baby?"

Olivia smiled, finishing the lap she was doing. "Yep, back here."

She watched him come into view as he jogged down the little stone steps and made his way over the beautifully-landscaped pool area to come and see her.

"Look at _you,"_ he smiled, putting his hands casually in his pockets as he admired her, now wading in their pool.

"Thought I'd get a swim in tonight. It's so beautiful out and I feel really great," she said smoothing her hair back.

"Oh that's fantastic, baby," he said, as he knelt down by the edge and rested his palms on the ground. "Why don't you swim over here to me. I need some Livvie right now."

She made her way over there, smiling up at him the whole way. "Don't you always need me?"

"Forever and always," he nodded, leaning down and giving her a big kiss.

"Mm," she moaned, smiling against his mouth as she gave him a couple more pecks. "How was dinner?"

"Good," he nodded, starting to sit down by the edge of the pool. He leaned one of his palms back on the stone and rested all his weight on it. "It's always fun to see everyone again before we start fall semester. Some of those professors don't teach in the summer so it's nice to catch up with them. But I'll see everyone next week anyway. And—the entire rest of the school year. It was time to come home to my wife."

"It was _definitely_ time," she nodded in agreement. "I'm glad you had fun. You really deserve a night out or two, babe."

"Well that's what this weekend is for! Up at the cabin with all the guys again. That will be fun."

"Yes, it will! I think they like coming up there. You never used to let them until I came into the picture," she teased.

He laughed. "That's true. That was a place for me to get _away_ before you came into the picture, that's why. I always thought I'd never bring anyone else up there besides you, but now...I don't really give a shit, you just have to be there, too. As long as you're with me, then everything is perfect."

"You can still go there to get away, you know! I certainly won't stop you," she replied.

"You know there isn't a single day that I don't want to be with you."

"I know," she nodded. Because she really did know. "Which is good, because you're pretty much stuck with me now. Considering I sometimes need assistance just...getting up."

He cracked up, doubling over in laughter.

She nodded, laughing with him. "I know, I know. I'm pathetic."

"You are not pathetic," he chuckled, shaking his head. "You are just..."

"Large?"

"Large is not the word I would have used," he laughed.

"Why not! Large is just...down right true. I am _so_ large."

"You're fucking beautiful, is what you are," he said. "And you are carrying our children inside you, that's what I was _going_ to say. That's hard work. I'll help you get up any day."

"Well thank you, sweetheart," she giggled. "I'll help you get up any day too."

He paused and raised his eyebrows at her. "Hmm..."

"Alright. We better have sex, I'm starting to say sexual things without realizing again," she said, heading over to the stairs of the pool.

He chuckled, getting up so he could help her get out. "I love when you say sexual things without realizing."

"I don't!" she exclaimed, as she waded through the pool. "Makes me sound like I fit the crazy, horny pregnant woman stereotype."

He met her by the edge of the pool and held out his hand for her to take. She started to climb the stairs slowly as he helped her.

"And...you're _not_ a crazy, horny pregnant woman?" he smirked, side-eyeing her.

She smirked back and grabbed her towel folded on a lounge chair.

"Okay...maybe."

He chuckled as they made their way to the patio door that led into the kitchen. She toweled herself off while they walked.

He smiled, watching her do it. She was in her cute, flowery one-piece swimsuit. Her belly was pretty big. And he loved it.

She was so beautiful.

She loved to swim even more so than she had before, now that she was pregnant. He had found this book online for her that explained all of the safe exercises she could do in the pool, and she really took to it. She had been a little down because she couldn't work out the same as she used to be able to, and she still wanted to be able to safely get some exercise. It was very important.

So they learned it was actually quite a good way for a pregnant woman to get in some exercise if she desired. The water helped support the extra weight she gained, and it was a cooler alternative to doing anything in the hot summer heat, or even getting all sweaty doing simple workouts inside.

Olivia did still like to do some basic yoga poses. But it was getting harder for her. She had definitely gained a good amount of weight already, and she was only getting bigger as time went on.

Swimming, though. She felt lighter in the pool, and it was really relaxing. She kept it to about 30 minutes in the water each time, and it always was perfect for her.

He loved to go in the water with her when he was home, or lay out and watch her. Tell her she looked cute. She liked it too. It never failed to make her blush.

 _Or_ he would wait for her to tell him they needed to go upstairs and take care of some things, because she was in the mood.

She was in the mood _all_ the time these days. She really did fit that stereotype.

The first trimester, not so much. The second semester so far, _yes._ She was 24 weeks along now and her desire didn't seem as though it would slow down any time soon _._

She had joked about it happening a while ago, that all she'd wanna do was have sex, and now it really had happened.

It was totally fine with him. He could keep up with her. Even during the not so convenient times.

One of which, had been when they'd had Cyrus and James over for dinner one night a couple weeks ago. Fitz cooked a nice, big meal for them all, and Cyrus and James _ooed_ and _ahhed_ over Olivia and her cute, swollen belly.

But while he was cooking, she gave him that look of hers. That "come get me" look. To which he returned an "are you fricken serious? Right now?" kind of look.

She just smiled and nodded, like she couldn't help it.

So they played it off like they were going to lead Arie upstairs to her room, which they _did_ do, so she wouldn't be begging when they sat down to eat. But then they snuck into their room for a quickie, all while their dinner was in the process of being cooked in the kitchen.

Cyrus and James had no idea, dinner was fantastic, and Olivia was content.

All perfect in Fitz's world.

That woman. She was something else.

He couldn't wait to go up to the cabin with Olivia and his friends, too.

It would just be an adults weekend. Arie was staying with Abby and David, and there wouldn't be any kids up there, either. Mia was with her mom, and Riley was with his grandparents. The town baseball team was playing about two hours away this weekend, so Fitz didn't plan to go play with them. It would just be the big group of friends at the cabin _all_ weekend. So it would be a crazy weekend, he had no doubt.

And the fact that none of his buddies had seen his pregnant wife yet made him all the more excited. Excited to show her off. Excited to talk about it a ton. And just excited to all be together.

Olivia's friends sure as hell could barely stay away from her these days, so now his friends would get a turn to spend some time with them.

He knew it would be a blast.

* * *

The first night at the cabin was certainly a blast. After the initial greetings and fawning over Olivia, the talk about how far along she was and how she'd been doing, they finally got to sitting by the fire and catching up.

Out of that, came a pretty funny story from Olivia and Fitz.

"Wait a second, wait a second. You were a _Cowboy_ for Halloween? In _college?"_ Matt asked.

"Hell yes I was," Fitz nodded. "My friends made me. But I think the idea spawned from...too much alcohol."

"I am in no way surprised by that, Grant," Brett chuckled. "But I _am_ surprised you still have the damn outfit."

"Oh, not only does he still have it, but he put it on for me," Olivia said.

Everyone burst into laughter.

"What?!" Jason exclaimed.

Fitz's cheeks turned bright red. "Okay, look. We'd had a disagreement that evening. She had an overall bad day at work. She was just _sad_. What the fuck do you do when your pregnant wife is _sad,_ kind of mad at you _,_ and you happen to find a stupid Halloween costume in your storage room? You put it on, and make her laugh. That's what you do. Be a goddamn man, and put on the cowboy costume."

Everyone was laughing hysterically at him, as they sat around the fire outside. The sun was beginning to set out on the water, and it was the perfect temperature. They couldn't have asked for a better first night at the cabin so far, even with...cowboy talk.

"And did it work? Did she laugh?" Brett asked.

Fitz pulled the sunglasses down the bridge of his nose. "Oh, she laughed. And before you know it she was unzipping this cowboy's Wranglers. You're goddamn right it worked."

"Oh my god!" Emma laughed.

"Holy shit," Brett chuckled.

Olivia nodded, feeling the color rush to her cheeks as well.

"And the girls say...save a horse, ride a cowboy," Olivia smirked.

Everyone's jaw dropped at Olivia, and Fitz smirked at her. "Mmm. Now I'm thinking about it again."

"Wow. Nobody should ever underestimate you two. Never," Matt chuckled.

"Hell no they shouldn't," Fitz replied. "Sexy how she knows that song, isn't it?" he asked his friends.

"Yes, great work darling," Brett nodding, bowing his head to Olivia.

"Fantastic," Matt Agreed, nodding at her as well.

"One of the best songs on the planet," Emma added.

"Aren't there like thousands of country songs about cowboys? What's the deal with that one?" Jason asked with a laugh.

"You're kidding right?" Matt asked. "That's one of the most well-known country songs ever."

Jason peered at everyone as if they were crazy.

"Big & Rich? You don't know them?" Brett asked.

"Nope," Jason shrugged.

"Saddle up my horse and ride into the city?" Matt asked.

"Nope."

"I make a lotta noise, 'cause the girls, they are so pretty?" Fitz asked.

"Still no. Stating these ridiculous lyrics is not going to make it ring a bell," Jason chuckled.

Even Olivia had to laugh. She was certainly no expert in country but she definitely knew that song.

"Sweet god. Someone fix Jason," Matt said.

"Not my fault I don't listen to fiddles and banjos for enjoyment," he said.

"Says the man who listens to heavy metal... _screaming_ for enjoyment," Matt said.

"Screaming can be good," Jason pointed out with a smile.

Janelle smacked his bicep. "Gross."

Matt started laughing. "Okay, that was good, he's been redeemed. Even though not all country songs involve a fiddle or a banjo or a Cowboy."

"Yes they do. I'm 100 percent sure that they do," Jason said.

"Wrong," Brett said.

"I beg to differ. They all sound the same, and I bet if you look up cowboy country songs on google, at least a hundred come up."

"I don't know...all I can think of is 'Like a Cowboy' by Randy Houser, and...'Cowboy Casanova' by Carrie Underwood," Emma said with a laugh.

"Ooh, 'Cowboy Casanova', now that one is catchy," Brett said.

"What the hell does that mean?" Jason chuckled.

"Who knows. Probably...some dude like Grant and wears chaps," Matt said.

"Hey!" Fitz exclaimed.

"What? I meant it as a compliment!" Matt exclaimed.

"Can they be ass-less chaps?" Olivia asked.

"No!" Fitz chuckled, as all the women cracked up. "That is _not_ a compliment."

"Yes it is. Some pretty lookin' cowboy or whatever. Carrie Underwood certainly isn't gonna sing songs about ugly cowboys. She's _Carrie Underwood_."

"Aww, Matt thinks you're a pretty cowboy," Brett said, patting Fitz's shoulder while everyone laughed.

"No, I'm with Fitz on this one. He doesn't fit that song. Have you ever listened to the lyrics?" she laughed.

"Exactly!" Fitz said, pointing at Emma.

"Well, jeez, now I'm curious," Olivia said.

"I don't care about lyrics. If it's catchy, I like it," Brett said.

"Oh, you just like Carrie Underwood," Lauren said.

"No, it's not even that. Play the song, someone. Everyone will agree with me that it's catchy," Brett said.

"Eh...she _is_ extremely attractive but that's still debatable for me," Jason said.

"Okay everyone shush, here it is," Emma said, tapping the play button on her phone. "The Lyrics are...bold."

The song started to play and everyone listened intently, to the beat and to the lyrics when she started to sing.

 ** _"_** ** _You better take it from me,_**

 ** _that boy is like a disease."_**

Fitz opened his mouth in awe, not remembering it to open _that_ harshly. "Hey!"

Everyone was cracking up, listening to the song continue to play.

 ** _"_** ** _He's like a curse, he's like a drug,_**

 ** _you get addicted to his love."_**

Olivia giggled. "Well that's kind of true! In...a good way. The _best_ way," she said encouragingly, rubbing his arm.

He frowned, shaking his head. "No! I don't accept this. Nobody gave me a chance to refuse this nickname."

"You're Fitz, you never have a say in your nicknames," Matt chuckled.

"I know! This doesn't seem fair," Fitz said.

"It gets worse," Emma winced, pointing to her phone as the chorus started.

 ** _"_** ** _He's a—good time Cowboy Casanova_**

 ** _leanin' up against the record machine."_**

"See—there you go. Not so bad," Brett said.

 ** _"_** ** _He looks like—a cool drink of water,_**

 ** _but he's candy-coated misery."_**

"Well, shit. I take it back," Brett nodded, which made everyone laugh harder.

Except Fitz who was shaking his head and putting his palm up to his face.

 _ **"**_ _ **He's the devil in disguise,**_

 _ **a snake with blue eyes, and,**_

 _ **he only comes out at night."**_

"Okay, this couldn't get worse," Brett stated.

"He does have blue eyes," Janelle shrugged.

 ** _"_** ** _Gives you feelings that you don't wanna fight, you better run for your life."_**

"Ah, there we go, that takes the cake," Brett winced.

"Ohhh, baby," Olivia laughed, leaning her head on Fitz's shoulder and rubbing his arm. "You're not a Cowboy Casanova."

Everyone was still laughing as Fitz rolled his eyes. "At least my wife doesn't think so. You guys suck, you don't matter. Except Emma, she's on my team too."

"Hey, Matt's the one who said it, not me," Brett said.

"Yeah and I don't give a shit about country music so I don't feel responsible in any way," Jason said.

"All I try to do is compliment my buddy and I get ragged on!" Matt exclaimed. "I don't just call _anybody_ a pretty-looking cowboy, you know."

"See. Country music only brings negativity," Jason said.

"Who was it saying Carrie Underwood was extremely attractive?" Janelle asked.

"Ooooh. Busted," Matt said.

"Well, of course, she doesn't even come close to you, my love," Jason said, smiling innocently at Janelle. "The only reason I even know of her is because she sings that one song."

"Uh-huh...funny how you know 'that one song' of hers, but not 'Save a Horse', a _super_ popular song, by a _male_ country band..." Matt said.

"Ohhhh shit," Fitz nodded. "You're sleeping on the couch tonight, buddy."

"Tsk Tsk," Janelle said, shaking her head.

"Oh come on! Stop, everyone knows what I'm talking about. You know! That one song!"

"Yes, congratulations. She does sing that one song," Fitz said.

"Oh shut the fuck up. You know...that song where she...dug her key into the side of his car."

"'Before he cheats'," Olivia said. She knew that one too! She felt so accomplished.

"Yeah, and it's his pretty, little souped-up four-wheel drive, actually," Fitz added. "Not his car."

"Oh damn!"

"She also carved her name into his leather seats," Brett said.

"And took a Louisville slugger to both headlights," Emma added.

"And then slashed a hole in all four tires," Fitz said.

"Well good god are you all gonna tag team this whole song?" Jason asked.

"Maybe next time he'll think before he cheats," Janelle nodded.

"That was extremely impressive," Olivia noted.

"I didn't know the lyrics that well. That dude is in for a treat, wherever he is while she's doing all this," Jason chuckled.

"He's slow dancing. With a bleached blonde tramp who's probably getting frisky," Emma said casually.

Everyone burst into laughter while Jason just sat there with his mouth wide open.

"And probably buying her some fruity little drink 'cause she can't shoot whiskey," Fitz nodded.

"Such a shame. Can't even shoot whiskey," Olivia said, shaking her head.

"I know, right?" Emma said, shaking her head too. "He picked a boring bleached blonde tramp to cheat with."

"Who would even cheat on Carrie Underwood?" Matt asked. "I _do_ agree with Jay that she's attractive."

"Eh. Really? I don't know," Fitz said.

"Yeah, I'm with Cowboy Casanova over here. Overrated," Brett agreed.

Fitz shot him a look. "Watch yourself, Parker."

"Hey, I'm agreeing with you!" Brett chuckled.

"Um, by the way, a _man_ is the answer to your question. A _man_ would cheat on Carrie Underwood," Emma said, pointing to her husband.

"Agreed," Janelle nodded.

"Hey!" Matt exclaimed.

"What? It's true," Emma shrugged.

"Men ain't shit. That's what they say, you know," Olivia nodded.

Now it was Fitz's turn to scoff. "Hey!"

She turned to him and waved her hand casually. "Oh, baby, you know none of this applies to you."

"Well, I have a penis. Therefore it applies to me!" he exclaimed.

"You have a penis?" Matt asked. "Ew. TMI, dude."

Fitz glared at him while everyone cracked up.

"You are on my list tonight, Matthew."

"Ah yes. Always on someone's list, where I belong," Matt nodded. "Preferably on the naughty list."

Fitz shook his head and smiled at his friend before turning back to his wife.

"You _do_ have a penis," Olivia laughed. "But you're an angel and you're perfect. We've discussed this."

His cheeks turned slightly pink and all his buddies "awww'd" at him dramatically.

"Yeah, Cap. You're a perfect angel," Matt smirked.

"I will not hesitate to kick your ass," Fitz said.

"Oh you're a big old softie and you know it," Jason said.

"Maybe. But big old softies can kick ass too," he said.

"Big old softies can do a lotttt of things," Olivia smirked.

"That's right," Fitz nodded, smiling at her.

"Clearly," Jason said, nodding at Olivia's swollen belly.

"Mmhm," Brett chuckled.

"That's right. I did that," Fitz said, putting his hand on his wife's belly. "I put two babies in there," he said proudly.

" _Yeah_ you did," she smirked. She just loved to watch him brag. This was something she would listen to him brag about for the rest of her life if he wanted.

"Okay...but I know she is doing all the work," he admitted with a chuckle. "She's...goddamn amazing."

"They are," Brett nodded in agreement. "They really are."

"You are amazing too," Olivia said, reaching over and holding his hand. "You take such good care of us."

He smiled, bringing her hand up to kiss it. He kind of just sat there, looking adoringly at her like he tended to do. Holding onto her hand tightly.

"Hey buddy, do you ever...I don't know, detach yourself from your woman?" Matt asked.

He thought about it, looking around casually.

"Well no. Why would I do that."

Olivia laughed and squeezed his hand as they all laughed with her. Fitz just shrugged. Not like he was sorry for anything.

"It's okay. I love it," Olivia said.

"Has he been extra attached now that you're pregnant?" Emma asked with a smile.

"Yes," Olivia nodded immediately.

"You two are extremely attached _all_ the time," Brett noted. "I'm sure you get that a lot."

"Well...they have plenty of reasons. One being that they _are_ having a baby now. Or— _babies_. As in multiple. Double the love," Janelle shrugged.

"And the trouble," Jason chuckled.

"Yeah. We'll have a handful that's for sure," Olivia nodded.

"I always said right from the start that you two would make beautiful fucking babies," Matt said. "But my question is who are the twins gonna look like?"

"Well like I always say...I hope they look like her," Fitz chuckled.

"Yeah. You're a lot easier on the eyes than Grant," Matt said, looking at Olivia.

Fitz rolled his eyes and nodded, turning to Olivia. "I mean, he's got a point."

"I think you're extremely handsome. I hope to god they look like their daddy because you're really fun to look at," Olivia said.

"Especially when he takes his shirt off. Right bud? Show off the guns?" Matt teased.

"Yeah and maybe use them on one of my friends who might be named Matt. Who knows," Fitz said,

"I would continue to antagonize you because it's amusing, however, I have faith that you could actually kick my ass, so I'll stop now," Matt chuckled. "I do it out of brotherly love."

"I know you do, buddy," Fitz chuckled.

"You're so _annoying!_ " Emma said to her husband.

" _You_ married me!" Matt exclaimed.

Olivia laughed along with everyone else. "This totally sounds like a conversation Fitz and I would have."

"Sounds like one we had two days ago actually," Fitz agreed.

"No...really? I can't imagine that," Jason said.

"Well, I'm crazy. So he's crazy for marrying me. I make sure to let him know I'm thankful he loves me because I don't know how he deals with me," Olivia shrugged.

"I love her crazy, and I'm weird, so...she's gotta deal with that every day," Fitz added.

"He did wear my scrunchie on his wrist to work one day," Olivia nodded.

"I did do that," he agreed proudly.

"Do I even want to know what that sentence meant?" Brett asked.

Fitz shook his head. "No, probably not."

"He's the fun Professor," Olivia stated with a shrug.

"Don't any of you ever forget it," Fitz said, pointing at everyone.

"I actually forget it a lot. You don't look like a professor, you know," Matt said.

"Yes I do," Fitz replied.

"No...you don't," Jason agreed.

"Yeah, all of my professors were old and wrinkly and not...shall we say, easy on the eyes," Janelle said.

"Agreed," they all said, except for Olivia.

"I don't know what you guys are talking about but I had a super hot Professor," Olivia began. "His name was Professor Harding."

They all laughed and Fitz shook his head at her. "The hell, woman!"

She shrugged. "What can I say. The long, gray beard just really...spoke to me."

They couldn't stop laughing, including Fitz now.

"You want me to grow a beard? I'll grow a beard," he said.

"Can you even grow a beard?" Brett asked.

"Yes. If I don't shave every day Olivia says I have...'scratchy face.'"

"He does," she agreed.

"Okay, stubble is different than actually being able to grow a beard though. You've always had this...soft lookin'...baby face goin' on. Ever since high school," Jason said.

"I'm taking that as a compliment," Fitz stated.

"It wasn't one."

"Well I made it one."

"I like your soft face. It's so sweet," Olivia said.

"Yeah. Don't insult the sweet face or my pregnant wife will kick your ass instead of me."

"The sweet face, huh?" Matt chuckled.

"Yes, you heard correct," Fitz nodded.

"Sweet, _baby_ face," Matt said again.

"Matt, you don't have any chest hair, so I would not be talking shit about body or facial hair right now," Jason said.

"Oh shit," Matt said, touching his chest.

"You deserved that, man, I'm going to be honest," Brett said.

"You really did," Emma said.

Everyone laughed, grimacing at Matt now.

"That one went right to the heart," Matt said.

"Everyone is beautiful in their _own_ way," Lauren said. "Hair, no hair, whatever! Who cares."

"There we go, that's my wonderful wife right there," Brett said, leaning over to kiss her cheek. "Well said, sweetheart."

"Thank you!"

"Agreed," Olivia nodded, while everyone nodded too.

"Well, I think we can all agree that _Olivia_ looks the best this weekend," Emma said. "There's just no question."

"Absolutely. Glowing, my dear," Janelle Agreed.

Olivia blushed as everyone agreed without hesitation.

"Well thank you," Olivia laughed. "I have to admit I don't do much but throw on one of my really comfortable, stretchy maternity dresses and slip on some sandals. That's about the extent of my fashion outside of work these days."

"And you rock it!" Lauren exclaimed.

"You really do. You seriously look fantastic, Olivia," Janelle said.

"Yeah, _you're_ glowing, and your weird husband has somehow _always_ maintained that annoyingly fit build," Brett said. "I think you should be that fit couple that takes mirror pictures with their baby. Or...bab _ies_. I see them all the time on Lauren's pinstagram, or whatever."

"It isn't magically maintained!" Fitz chuckled.

"Oh bullshit. You can eat a box of fucking donuts and be even more ripped than you were the day before," Brett said.

Everyone got a kick out of that.

"No _way._ I'm old, brother. I'm not in high school anymore, I have to work out hard," Fitz laughed.

"He really does work out hard," Olivia nodded. "He runs so much."

"Well, that's because he's weird and actually _likes_ to run. I mean what _sane_ person enjoys running?" Brett asked.

"I never said anything about being sane," Fitz shrugged, which made everyone laugh again.

"Honey, you have no right to say anything about Fitz's sanity when you just said 'pinstagram' about 30 seconds ago," Lauren pointed out.

"I hate social media. Whatever it is. You knew what I meant," Brett chuckled.

"Well, Brett, I don't know about your mirror picture suggestion...I don't think I'll be super fit for a while," Olivia laughed.

"Oh, honey, you've got nothing to worry about. You're young and you were fit before. You'll bounce back amazingly," Emma said.

"I hope so. I'm so big. And this body won't be done having babies either," Olivia replied, resting her hand on her belly.

Fitz smirked and wrapped his arm around her proudly. "She's right. I'm putting another one in there eventually. Maybe two again, who knows."

"If you all can't tell, he's pretty proud he knocked me up with two babies," Olivia said.

"Yeah, we can tell," Jason chuckled.

Fitz nodded and smiled with pride.

But nobody could blame him. If there was any group of people that knew how badly Fitz had wanted this, and how much he deserved this, it was his group of buddies.

They'd known that long before Olivia had come into the picture. And very quickly they were able to see how badly she wanted it too. So seeing them so happy, with twins on the way, was a wonderful sight.

Eventually the women talked about going inside and having some wine. Some of them were getting bit up by mosquitoes, anyway. Olivia figured she'd go with them, not for the wine, of course, but to give Fitz and his friends some time. They didn't all get together enough.

"You sure, baby?" Fitz asked, looking up at her as she got up from her chair.

"Mhm. Have some guy time," she said, leaning in to kiss him. "I'm gonna go and sit with the girls."

He accepted her kiss and then kissed her again a few times, reaching out to touch her belly. "Okay. You gonna sleep soon?"

"I'm not super tired yet. I'll see how the rest of the night goes. But if I'm in bed by the time you come in, I love you," she whispered.

"I love you," he whispered back, pulling her hand back down so he could kiss her again.

She laughed quietly against his mouth. "Have a little fun, okay? Drink something for me."

"I will most definitely do that," he said, letting his hand linger on her stomach as long as he could before she started to walk away.

"Goodnight, boys," she said, giving them all a wave. "Fitz, don't kill Matt."

"I'll try hard," Fitz said.

"I'll stop teasing him now," Matt chuckled. "Just my Matt way of showing him I missed him."

Fitz rolled his eyes but laughed. "I missed you too. Somehow."

They all laughed and bid Olivia goodnight back, and Brett told her to keep all the other women in line inside.

"I will," Olivia laughed.

Fitz watched her walk away and head inside. And he watched it all with a smile on his face, which his buddies noticed, of course.

"You are so gone, dude," Jason chuckled.

"What?" Fitz asked confusedly. "This is only my third beer!"

"No," Jason laughed. "I meant for _her."_

Matt and Brett laughed too, nodding in agreement.

"Oh," Fitz blushed. "I mean, yeah. She's my wife and she's carrying my children. I think...that's all the explanation you need."

"He's right," Brett said.

"Definitely," Matt added. "And something about the woman you love when she's pregnant..."

Fitz nodded too. "God—she's fucking adorable."

"She's pretty cute. Don't kick my ass, please, because I mean it in the best way," Matt said. "Seeing her pregnant...it makes me happy because I know you're out of this _world_ happy right now."

Fitz smiled at his friend. "Thank you, man. I'm...so goddamn happy. All the time. It doesn't stop."

"Buddy!" Brett exclaimed. "That's fantastic."

"It is," Fitz nodded, smiling down at the ground.

"Get this man some scotch!" Jason exclaimed, nodding at his almost empty beer. "I think he deserves to celebrate right now. And...probably all the time."

"I've got some up on the table on the patio. You want some, man?" Brett asked.

"If you're having some I'll have some, sure," Fitz nodded.

"Yeah, count me in, actually. My beer is...warm," Matt said distastefully.

They all looked at Jason.

"Well it was my suggestion, I guess I'm in too."

"Ahh there we go. Alright, I'll be back," Brett said.

He came back with four glasses and the bottle of scotch under his arm.

And that bottle of scotch proved to be a big hit.

The bottle slowly emptied as they talked more about all that had been going on since they'd all been together last.

Jason and Janelle, still debating on whether or not they wanted kids. It had been a long debate and despite everyone telling them they should, it was still their decision, and they had been going back and forth for a while. Janelle was 34, and Jason was 39, so they were getting older to have children. But they certainly had some time yet. It wasn't too late.

There was also the fun topic of Jason's hair, which was now up in a man bun. He'd always had long hair that went past his ears for sure, but this summer it was much longer as he'd been growing it out. He'd never been one to actually put it up, until this year. Normally if it got to be shoulder length, he'd just keep it down. He had the kind of hair that just looked good that way on him. But all the guys told him it looked good this way too. He really rocked the bun.

Then there was Brett and Lauren, who had some fun things going on too. Lauren had just started a new job in Pittsburgh, one that she had been really excited about. Brett was pretty proud of that. Mia, who had recently redesigned her bedroom and was still all excited about that. Brett chuckled about that too.

Fitz smiled, thinking about how happy that had probably made little Mia. The small things like that, he couldn't wait to talk about, too.

And then there was Matt and Emma, whose lives had recently been taken over by Riley's lacrosse schedule. Emma's parents had stayed with him and taken him to a tournament this weekend.

It was a conversation filled with talk of children. So it was no surprise that they also talked about Fitz and Olivia's past year or so.

About deciding to finally go for it, and how hard it was when it didn't happen right away, or having to keep quiet for so many agonizing months.

And the more happy things, too. Like how they were in the process of developing the office right next to their bedroom, into a nursery. Or how well all of Olivia's prenatal appointments had gone, and how healthy their twins were. Or even the day they found out they were _having_ twins. The day she first felt them move around, about a month ago. And one of the most important days of all, the day they found out she was _pregnant._ By the time that conversation hit, they were all way more than buzzed _._

"How was that day? Chaotic?" Matt chuckled.

"Kind of. It had gotten to the point where—I tried not to get my hopes up as best as I could, and so did she. The disappointment hurt, and it sounds awful to say, but...I just expected it to be negative. I really did. We were both, like, half-asleep. I sat—across from her on the floor while she tested and...I was not ready. I was _not_ ready. I was tired as fuck and...and she said my name. She said I needed to see. And then...I saw. She tested another time and when it came back positive again...I didn't know what to do. She didn't—either."

"Did you cry?" Brett asked.

"Cry?" Fitz chuckled, shaking his head. "I was a fucking _mess_. She was still sitting on the toilet and I had my head in her lap like a kid. I didn't cry. I—fucking sobbed."

"Yeah," Matt nodded. "My experience with Em was very similar."

"Shit," Jason said to himself, rubbing his thumb against his lips thoughtfully. "That's it. I'm gonna have a fucking kid."

They laughed. "Buddy. You can't make...any life-altering decisions right now. We're—trashed," Brett said.

"Yeah," Matt laughed. "You know it's bad when you _know_ you're trashed."

"I haven't been—this drunk since way before Olivia and I...even started—trying," Fitz chuckled to himself, taking a big sip of his scotch.

"Nope. I'm doing it," Jason said adamantly. "So what—I got a little liquid courage in me right now. The true feelings...always come out when you're drinking! Right? Yeah. Janelle and I are gonna do it."

"Ah, yes, right, and have you discussed this with your wife tonight?" Brett asked, finishing his glass off.

Jason pointed at him and bit his lip. "Uh...no. But...you know...baby steps. Ha—baby steps! Get it?"

"Yes. Very good one, Jay," Fitz laughed, pouring himself and Brett some more. "In my case, it would be...babies steps—multiple baby steps—whatever, you all get it."

"How many of these have you had?" Matt asked, examining Fitz's now full glass of scotch again.

Fitz yanked his glass from Matt's view and glared at him. "Two for...Liv. One for each baby. And...now one for me."

Matt paused, trying to do the very simple math in his head. "Okay, yeah, I'm...I'm struggling here. Drunk Matt can't add."

"Four, genius," Brett said. "He's on his fifth."

Fitz nodded, taking a sip of his scotch.

"Okay. You fuckers need to stop talking about babies! I'm—having one. I want one," Jason said confidently.

"Or two," Fitz smiled.

"Grant, shut up. Jay, since when do you have...baby fever?" Brett chuckled.

"Since always. But...I hide it. Now...I'm not hiding it," Jason said.

"You are starting to sound like me and...Olivia. We make...very fast decisions. Well...not with kids. But...like with Arie and moving to—"

"Grant. Your drunk ass is not helping!" Brett exclaimed.

"What?! I'm just—saying!" Fitz exclaimed. "And what the hell—you're drunk too!"

"No, see, this has _not_ been a fast decision. This has been—a decision of...like—three years! Four...five? _Too many_ goddamn years!" Jason exclaimed. "We're waiting for some stupid...sign or something, to tell us what to do. Well, you know what—I'm deciding. I'm deciding right now, by this campfire. And...then I will talk to the boss about it. And—get her opinion...you know. But...but I am making _my_ decision right now!" Jason said, pointing at the ground and putting his foot down. Literally.

All the guys looked at him with wide eyes.

"Stop pestering the man. He wants to join the dad club—he's gonna! You do it, buddy. You go in there and have unprotected sex with your wife and you impregnate her, dammit!" Matt exclaimed. "But...you know...make sure she wants to first. That's—important."

" _Consent_ ," Fitz nodded importantly.

"Right. Listen to the drunk man," Matt said, pointing to Fitz.

Fitz pointed back and nodded.

"Yeah, I _know!"_ Jason exclaimed, getting up from his chair. "Boys. I need to go have a conversation with my wife. Unless...unless she's sleeping. Then...I'll talk to her tomorrow. Anyway—I gotta go!"

They all chuckled and Brett rolled his eyes as he watched Jason start to walk away.

"Sleep well, buddy."

Jason pumped his fist in the air as he walked to the cabin patio.

"What do you think, Matt? Cowboy Casanova? Is he serious? Does he mean it?" Brett asked.

"Oh yeah," Matt nodded. "I've known that man since elementary school. The scrawny, shy little thing with even longer hair than he has now. Jason Domagalski wants this."

"He and Janelle are having a baby, Brett," Fitz nodded, downing the rest of his drink. "I did not appreciate Cowboy Casanova by the way."

"I did," Matt chuckled. "That shit's funny."

"Alright. He's gonna join the dad club. Or...whatever you said, Matt," Brett said.

"Yeah!" Matt nodded. "The best feeling ever. They're gonna love it."

Fitz smiled and nodded in agreement. He couldn't fully relate yet, but he already knew Matt was right.

He also knew when he needed to slow down a bit.

"Alright, guys. I—I gotta stop drinking. I went...a little too hard. I should go to bed," Fitz said, getting up.

"Yeah. I should too. Emma's probably waiting," Matt agreed.

" _And_ we've got a long day of sun and booze tomorrow," Brett added.

The guys nodded in agreement and all got ready to go inside.

They put out the fire and gathered all their stuff, before going inside and locking up.

The kitchen and living room were empty, so the women were clearly all in bed.

They made their way up the stairs, very stumbly and slow. Fitz stopped at the first door on the left where he and Olivia always slept, and bid goodnight to Matt and Brett.

He turned the knob slowly and tried to be quiet, but he ended up almost tripping on the dresser directly to the right just inside, and smacked his head on the doorframe when he tried to catch himself.

"Son of a—" he murmured, rubbing the side of his head while he shut the door.

"Fitz?" a tired voice whispered.

He internally cursed at himself.

"Fuck. I'm sorry, baby," he whispered, trying to make out the path he should take to get to the bed in the pitch-black bedroom. "I'm—so sorry. I tried to be...quiet. I was not successful."

"It's okay," she laughed.

He walked slowly, trying not to trip over anything that could possibly be in his way.

"Where are you?" she whispered.

"I have—no fucking idea," he chuckled, reaching out around him to see if there was anything to grab. There wasn't.

The bedside lamp turned on all of a sudden and he realized he was almost at the bathroom by this point. He'd passed the bed a while ago.

Olivia just sat there in bed, looking at him.

"Oh," he said, surprised. "Shit. Whoops."

"Are you drunk?" she asked with a little laugh.

"Uhh..." he replied, making his way to the bed. "I, uh...yeah."

He collapsed in bed next to her and rested his hand on her belly, covered by one of his T-shirts.

His shirts actually fit her normally now, because of her stomach, which was kind of funny.

"I'm sorry. Go back to sleep—okay? I didn't mean...to wake you," he murmured, face down into the comforter.

She just laughed. "I wasn't fully asleep anyway."

She raked her fingers through his soft curls, running her other hand over his forearm which currently laid across her lap.

"Mmm," he groaned, feeling her fingers in his hair. It felt so good.

She smiled, continuing to run her fingers through his hair.

"I love you," he murmured.

"Is it just because I'm playing with your hair?" she asked.

"No. It's just because...you're my Liv and...I love you."

"I love you too, Fitz," she laughed.

"Sorry about this. Time got—away from me. And...I was just...having fun with the guys. Talking about...kids. And Jason's gonna have a kid. Yeah. He's gonna."

She raised her eyebrow at his drunken muddle of words. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "But—I'm sorry."

"That Jason's gonna have a kid?" Olivia asked.

"No—no. Just 'cause...I had a little too much and...that was stupid. I really didn't try to—"

"Baby, you don't need to apologize," Olivia said. "You deserved a night with your friends. You deserved this weekend. I told you to have fun and drink some for me. See—my fault."

He chuckled into the sheets. "No—mine. But...I didn't even think I had all that much. And then...all of a sudden I'm—blasted. I'm... _really_ blasted right now, I don't...get it."

"You haven't had much to drink for a while. I think _someone_ can't handle what he used to be able to," she laughed. "And as much as your looks deceive everyone on earth...you _are_ 40 years old, babe."

He frowned. "No."

She started to laugh. "No? You're just...not 40 anymore?"

"No," he said, shaking his head.

"Hmmm. How old are you then?" she asked.

"Twenty-four. Like you. Want to...be like you," he said, snuggling up to her lap more.

Her smile started to fade a bit. "Why, baby?"

"So that...I'm younger. For them," he whispered, rubbing her belly.

She frowned a bit, looking down at him. "We've talked about this, sweetheart. You don't need to be any younger. You are perfect the way that you are."

He smiled and nodded. "I hope so. I try...so hard for you. I just want—you to have everything you want. You just deserve...everything. You and...our kids."

She looked thoughtfully at him, rubbing her thumb across his face gently. "You _are_ my everything. And you will be their everything too. And you know that."

"I want to be. I want to be...everything that you all deserve," he whispered. "The best...husband and father that—I can be."

"You will be. You _are,_ " she said, rubbing his arm.

"You think so?" he asked with a little smile.

"I know so," she nodded, smiling back. "And you know it too."

His smile got bigger and he nodded. "Yeah. You're—damn right."

"You're _damn_ right," she giggled, nudging his arm.

His smile couldn't be contained as he snuggled impossibly closer to her. "I can't wait to be...a parent with you."

She laughed, playing with his hair. "You are just a bundle of softness when you're... _inebriated_...aren't you?"

"Yes," he nodded. "Thank you for remembering my word."

"You're absolutely welcome, baby."

"I wasn't always a bundle of—softness, or whatever you said. Inebriated—or not. You made me that way. You...make everything better."

She let out a quiet sigh, thinking about a time he hadn't been so soft when drunk. "I remember my twenty-first birthday. That definitely wasn't a good...inebriated night."

He thought about it too, and shook his head. "No. I remember too."

"Sometimes I wish we could forget."

He looked at her thoughtfully and shook his head. "But...it doesn't matter now. None of it matters—anymore. It ended up just how it was supposed to."

"Yes," she agreed. "But it didn't seem so likely back then."

He bit his lip, getting a little quiet.

"It was never over. It was never going to be over."

She shrugged lightly, swallowing hard. "I didn't know that back then. I didn't know. I was so scared that it was."

"Never," he repeated adamantly. "I was scared too. But deep down—I knew it couldn't ever be done. We could never...be done. We met and...and that was it, baby. From the moment we met, we didn't even have—a choice."

A small smile formed on her face again. "We didn't have a choice, huh?"

"No," he said. "It was you—or nothing. I saw you that day...and that's all I wanted from then on. I needed to...know you. I needed to know what you liked and—what you didn't like. I needed...to hold you. I needed to touch you. I _really_ needed to kiss you."

"Oh is that right?" she asked.

"Mhm," he nodded, reaching up to smooth back a few rebellious curls from her face. "I just...needed to be yours."

"You are mine," she said protectively.

He nodded happily at her.

"You wanna know what I needed when I saw you?" she asked.

He nodded eagerly again.

"I needed to know how your hair felt. It looked soft, and there was one curl that seemed like it didn't follow the rest. Pretty unruly."

He chuckled. "That sounds right."

"And I needed to know how your hand felt in mine. We shook hands but...that wasn't enough, it wasn't quite what I wanted. I wanted more."

He nodded, propping his elbow on the bed and looking up at her contently, as if he was getting ready to listen to her for hours. The soft smile on his face made her happy.

"What else?" he whispered curiously.

She smiled down back at him.

"I needed to see those pretty eyes closer. They were so bright, they intrigued me."

He closed his eyes after she said that and she scoffed, which made him chuckle and open them back up again.

"And it all...came true," he murmured, tilting his head at her with a smile.

"Thank god. I don't think I could have seen you and then...not had you. Just like you said before. I was gonna have to have you, it was just a matter of time," she said.

"You tried to make us wait," he said, poking her arm.

"Well, I was trying to do what was right!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah—fuck that," he replied.

"Yeah. You've got a point."

"I wanted to kiss you... _long_ before...I finally kissed you," he said.

"When did you want to?" she asked with a smile.

"Every day that I saw you."

"Just right there in the lecture hall?" she giggled.

"Yep," he nodded. "God—I wanted to so bad."

"Well, we almost did once. Not in the lecture room but at Oak Haven."

A smile washed over his face as he thought back. "I remember. That would have been...so bad. In so many ways."

"Yeah. But we didn't care at the time. If Cyrus hadn't come back from the bathroom..."

"God—I would have devoured you. Right there in the booth—I didn't give a damn."

She burst into laughter. "Oh, baby."

"Do you remember when I bought us dinner in my office? Ivy wok. And...and you were there for so long with me. Before I walked you home."

"Oh I remember," she nodded. "I could never forget that."

"I wanted to kiss you then too."

"I think I wanted to take off your clothes then, if I'm being honest with you," she laughed. "I just wasn't honest with myself at that point. Still trying to push away all the hints that were there."

"Oh I would have let you take off my clothes," he replied quickly. "I would have let you do anything you wanted."

She laughed. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," he whispered, looking at her lips.

"I'm glad we waited," she said. "It was...more special at your apartment that later became _our_ apartment."

"You mean when—we finally kissed and then...just didn't stop?" he teased.

"Mhm," she laughed. "It had been four damn months. We'd had enough. There was no way that was not going to happen that night."

He nodded in agreement. "Yes. We were driving ourselves—fucking crazy."

"Oh god yeah," she replied.

He smiled, laying his head down in her lap. "And all this time later...we are here. Now...we are here."

"Now we are here," she nodded in agreement.

"Your last name is Grant. And you're carrying our children," he said. "This is everything I wanted, all those years ago. Everything...I could have envisioned. We are right where we're—supposed to be."

His mouth opened in a little yawn, as she stroked a hand through his curly hair. "You're damn right, sweetie."

He closed his eyes slowly, still keeping a hand gently on her belly. It hadn't moved since he first put it there.

And she couldn't help but just admire him. Admire him while he laid there, keeping close to both her and the little ones inside her.

"I think I probably should kiss you right now," he said matter of factly, eyes still closed.

She giggled. "That was the clearest sentence you've spoken since you walked in the room."

He smiled. "Go me."

"Go you," she laughed.

He opened his eyes and smiled, lifting his head up slowly.

She closed her eyes and accepted his eager kiss. He got up on his knees and rested his weight on them, and his hands, so he could _really_ kiss her.

"You taste like scotch," she murmured, as he pecked her lips a couple times.

"Sorry," he murmured back.

"S'okay."

He pulled back and touched his nose to hers, looking down at her lips and then back up at her eyes.

And then he was kissing her again. More desperately, but not as if he wanted it to go any further. He just wanted to kiss her. And he wanted her to kiss him back.

She did. She brought her hand up to his cheek, and let his tongue slide into her mouth and tangle with hers.

A moan escaped his mouth, and she smiled against his lips at his reaction. He never stopped what he was doing. He pulled her top lip into his mouth and then her bottom, letting his tongue brush hers every opportunity he got.

She really tasted the scotch now. And although it wasn't her favorite in its actual form, tasting it on him wasn't so bad. She certainly didn't plan on pulling away from him any time soon, even when their breathing started to pick up, and they panted between each new stroke of their lips and tongue.

But he eventually did in time, ducking his head and going right for her neck. He panted and so did she, while he kissed the delicate, soft skin on her neck. And she lifted her chin, allowing him to do as he pleased with better access.

He used one hand to pin down her free hand against the sheets, while the other held gently to the back of her neck.

He was raging between his legs. She couldn't feel it because he was sort of kneeling above her. But she could sure see it, even through the thick fabric of his joggers.

"Come here, baby," she whispered.

"Huh?" he asked, latching onto the same spot on her neck again. She felt his tongue briefly, and then just his lips, leaving their mark.

"Come here," she said again, reaching for his thigh.

"Why?—why? What's wrong?" he asked, pulling away from her neck finally.

"Nothing, baby, nothing," she laughed. "I'm just gonna make you feel better."

She leaned forward and rubbed her hand over the bulge in his pants, and he looked like he could instantly crumble. And then she eased his shirt off, and he let her.

He closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath. "Oh—you don't...have to."

"How are you gonna sleep if I don't?" she asked.

He winced. "I wouldn't."

"Exactly," she said with a smile.

"Well...that's my problem. Not—not yours," he shrugged.

"That's not how that works," she said, shaking her head. "If I said that about myself all the nights I've been horny lately...you would _not_ have it. So let me do the same for you now."

He licked his lips, watching her tug his joggers down. "I'm not...I'm not horny."

She looked at his rigid, stiff erection as it bobbed free of his pants. "Fitz, you are _so_ horny right now."

He nodded. "I am _so_ horny right now," he admitted.

She pecked his lips, looking at his closed eyes and relaxed face, and the way he moved into her hand without even knowing.

"What do you think? Should I make you feel better?" she asked softly, kissing his cheek.

Now he definitely crumbled.

He nodded eagerly, thrusting his hips lightly into her hand as she stroked him.

"Relax," she whispered, cupping his face lightly. "Relax. Scoot up and let me do everything. Okay?"

"Okay," he nodded, scooting up immediately. He looked tired, yet turned on and eager at the same time. She knew he was going to crash right after he finished. It was late, and he was hammered. And that mixed in with the fact that his body would be worn out by then, thanks to her, would do him in.

He scooted up and rested his head on her shoulder, kneeling on either side of her hips while she stroked him quickly. She used his own dampness to make sure she went fast enough, and smoothly.

He was panting and groaning into her shoulder like nobody's business, so she knew she was doing just fine. His tip was dripping now, and she made sure to focus on it for a while.

That always made him shake.

"Kiss me. Kiss me," he whispered, starting to kiss his way to her lips.

So she turned her head and their lips met.

They made out while she stroked him and by then she knew he wasn't going to last long. It didn't take much longer for him to be kissing her _so_ desperately that she knew he was just about there. His kisses were wet and quick, and his body stiffened by the second. "Liv—Liv," he moaned, his hand shaking in her grip against the sheets.

Then he just physically couldn't kiss her anymore, as he reached the edge. Couldn't concentrate enough to be able to kiss her and feel what he was feeling at the same time, in his current state. But she still smiled and kissed him anyway, wanting to feel his moan and his shudder up close.

"Oh—" he groaned, spilling into her hand all at once.

She had cupped her hand around him, as not to get anything messy. He lightly thrust his hips until he finished, and then he just knelt there, propped up above her with his pants shoved down his thighs and his T-shirt long gone.

"Oh my god," he moaned.

"Lay back. Just lay back," she whispered.

He slowly got on his side and rolled onto his back next to her, allowing her to get up now.

She washed her hands and brought back a washcloth to wash him up too. He looked down at her sleepily and held onto her forearm while she did it.

"I am being...an awful husband right now," he whispered.

She raised her eyebrows. "Why?"

"You're...doing everything—for me."

"Because I jerked you off and am now wiping up the remnants of that?" she asked.

"Well—let me do it. You're pregnant!" he exclaimed.

"Shhh," she laughed. "Babe. I'm pregnant. I'm not useless."

His eyes widened. "Useless? No! What? No...oh man. I said the—wrong thing. The very wrong thing. Didn't I."

"No," she said, still laughing quietly. "You are just very protective of me. Which I love. But I can still take care of you too, you know."

He nodded slowly. "Right—but...I don't like that."

"And why not?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Because! My Liv. My babies," he said, looking up at her.

She rolled her eyes, reaching for his hand. "I love you, Fitz."

He smiled brightly. "I love you back."

"Now get some sleep. I need sober Fitz tomorrow. To take care of his Liv and his babies," she said, acting very serious.

He chuckled, but nodded eagerly. "Yes ma'am."

She crawled into bed with him and they snuggled up together as close as they could.

He gave her some room to be comfortable. But he still remained as close as he could be.

"Goodnight, baby."

He smiled into the darkness.

"Goodnight, Livvie."

* * *

Olivia awoke with a jolt, immediately putting her hand on her stomach.

Her breathing started to quicken as she felt something she hadn't felt before.

And there it was again. Another big _thump_.

And then her heart started to beat faster, and the biggest smile started to spread across her face.

She'd felt movement a long time ago. With twins, it was pretty hard not to feel the movement, and it made her heart flutter every time she did. But she'd been waiting to feel a good solid kick. She really had.

Her doctor assured her it would be any day now, and that it just depended on the person and the pregnancy how it would go. It could be anywhere between 19 and 25 weeks before she felt anything distinct. Her doctor had also told her that sometimes with twins, it was hard to distinguish what you were feeling, because there were two babies, and more movement going on in general. Not to mention, it was her first time being pregnant, and it often took first-timers longer to feel things, and then know what they meant.

Olivia wondered if she had maybe already felt a kick and just not _known_ it was one, because she was so used to a lot of movement these days. And that very well may have been the case.

But this kick was _much_ different. So strong and distinct, that she knew what it was the second she felt it.

And then she felt it again.

She immediately turned to her passed out husband next to her. He had a hand resting on her arm with his fingers wrapped slightly around her wrist, as if he was trying to keep a watch on her in his _sleep_. Oh, that man.

She rubbed his hand and started to shake him gently.

"Oh my god. Oh my god. Fitz. Fitz—Fitz," she whispered in a hushed voice.

It took a few moments for him to stir, and then he looked up sleepily at her, confused as hell, before he heard the desperation in her whisper.

He blinked his eyes a couple of times and immediately sat up. "What? What—what's wrong? Is everything okay?"

"Yes. Yes, everything is fantastic. You need to feel," she said, taking his hand, which was holding onto her wrist for dear _life_ at the moment, and bringing it to her belly.

He looked at her in wonder while they waited.

"Just wait," she whispered.

 _Thump._

His eyes widened and he looked from her belly to her eyes.

"Holy—oh my—Jesus!" he exclaimed.

"I know!" she agreed.

His jaw was dropped in awe and he immediately pushed her shirt up to feel her bare belly. And then there were two little kicks right in a row.

A smile formed on his face and he looked up at her with joy. _"Wow."_

"Yeah. _That's_ a new feeling," she laughed.

" _Yeah_ it is," he nodded, rubbing her belly. "Wow. Baby. Can...can you tell if it was just one of them, or...or both?"

"I don't know. They started on my right side but now I think I feel it in the middle too," she said.

"Baby Grant one or baby Grant two. Which one of you is kicking in there?" he asked, poking her belly gently.

She smiled. "I think they're teaming up."

"Oh they'll be doing that the rest of their lives, I bet," he chuckled. "Starting early. Preparing to team up against their old mom and dad."

"Well they certainly are taking after you already. So _strong,"_ she said, rubbing his arm and smiling at him.

He smiled back and laid his head by her lap. "Taking after _you_ , you mean."

"Well...I _am_ strong and black, like your coffee," she teased.

"You certainly are," he chuckled in agreement.

They both laid there, gently running their fingers over her bare, swollen belly and occasionally still feeling those strong little kicks.

"I love them so much and we haven't even met them yet," he whispered.

"Me too," she nodded, feeling as though she wanted to cry.

The movement had always been such an incredible feeling. To feel something physically moving inside of her. There was no way to describe it, and all she wanted was to keep feeling it.

He leaned in and kissed her stomach. "I love you. Daddy loves you both so much."

Olivia smiled. "They can hear you."

He smiled back and nodded. "Their little ears are developing fast right now."

"Yes they are," she nodded. "I hope they have your ears."

"Are you kidding? I hope they have _your_ ears," he replied. "They're so small and cute."

"We could probably argue back and forth all day about this," she giggled.

"Yes. Yes we could," he laughed. "But...the difference is, I'm right."

"Oh...so _that's_ how you're gonna play it huh, Cowboy Casanova?" she asked.

He scoffed dramatically. "Babies. Don't listen to mom. Wait, no, I mean—listen to her. Just not right _now."_

She laughed and shook her head. "Okay, okay. Babies. Your daddy is no Cowboy Casanova. Just a cowboy sometimes, when mom's annoyed with him. And the rest of the time he's just your sweet dad."

"Mom gets annoyed with dad a lot," Fitz nodded.

"No she does not!" she exclaimed. "Mom is very level-headed. And if mom is annoyed with dad, he probably deserves it."

"That is _not_ true, however, mom is always right. So dad's not gonna argue his case. He's just gonna let it rest," Fitz chuckled.

" _They're_ gonna be annoyed with _us_ in about three minutes," she giggled.

"Yeah. They'll start kicking again, wishing we'd just shut up," he chuckled.

"I hope nobody else is wanting us to shut up right now. I don't even know what time it is. All I know was one of our children wanted me awake and they got what they wanted," she said.

"Let's see," he said, reaching over to look at his smartwatch on the nightstand. "It's eight."

"Oh. That's way better than I expected, actually," she said, starting to sit up.

It took her some effort, that was for sure. She was _big._

She slowly pulled herself up and in a sitting position, hanging her feet off the side of the bed.

"How you feel today? Besides...kicked?" he chuckled.

"Really good," she nodded, stretching her arms. "Hungry, actually."

"Well, let me find some pants and I'll make you breakfast."

He got out of bed and scratched his back, looking for anything at all to put on besides his outfit from yesterday that lay by the bed, and probably smelled like a bonfire.

She smiled, watching her husband walk around the room naked, looking for clothing. His hair was a curly mess and he had extremely prominent tan lines as he did every summer.

He scratched his head as he located his duffel bag and went to grab clothes. "Drunk me didn't cause too much trouble last night...right?"

"No," she said with a laugh. "You just got a little lovey and a _lot_ of attention."

"Well I do remember the attention part," he said, smiling at her. "I love your attention."

"I _bet_ you do," she smirked.

He winked at her and pulled on some gym shorts over his boxers, not bothering with a shirt.

"You feel okay today? Headache?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No, actually. Not too bad at all. My stomach's a little off, but that'll go away. I honestly just need to eat something too. So come on, you. Breakfast."

"Yes sir," she nodded.

They went downstairs, seeing that they were the first ones up. But not for too long.

Gradually, as Fitz made breakfast, his friends started to make their way into the kitchen.

Everyone got a big greeting, of course, because they were all happy to see each other doing well after a big night one at the cabin.

Fitz ended up just making some breakfast for everyone, and Olivia helped him.

Nothing too fancy, just some scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. They'd packed way too many groceries for the weekend, but they never knew what they'd want to have so they just came prepared for anything.

Fitz was just about done frying some bacon while Olivia took a bite of her toast.

She was looking around, chewing thoughtfully as she scanned the counter.

"Hey, baby. Have you seen my—"

He reached into one of the bags they'd packed on the counters and handed her her prenatal vitamins, all while never taking his eyes off the bacon he was currently frying.

"Oh, there they are, thanks, babe," Olivia answered.

"Mhm," he nodded.

She handed him the tongs from the counter so he could serve up the bacon.

"Thanks, baby."

"So...do you two read each other's minds every day? Or is this just somehow happening today?" Jason asked, taking a bite of an apple.

"Huh?" they both answered.

Jason laughed. "You two just...how in the hell?"

"That was impressive, I saw it too," Lauren agreed.

Olivia took her prenatal vitamin and raised an eyebrow while Fitz took a bite of his bacon and looked back and forth between Jason and Lauren.

They laughed again, and by now they had everyone's attention.

"They really are meant to be," Jason said.

"Yes. Yes we are," Fitz nodded, serving up everyone's bacon.

Olivia wrapped an arm around him after he was done serving, and smiled up at him.

He smiled back and leaning his head down to give her a couple kisses. Of course then they were in their own little world for a while then.

"No kissing in front of my scrambled eggs," Matt said.

"I scrambled those eggs so mind your business," Fitz murmured against Olivia's lips.

That made everyone laugh.

"Matt, you know better than to think you have a say in that. Grant has had no problem with PDA for about...how many years have you been together, darling?" Brett asked Olivia.

"Four," Olivia said.

"Right. For four years, he's had no problem with it," Brett chuckled, which made everyone laugh.

Fitz shook his head. "Not true. I couldn't publicly kiss her for two years. When you don't get to kiss your girl in front of people for that long, you kind of stop giving a damn what people think when you finally _can._ "

"That was extremely well said," Jason noted.

"It really was, wasn't it?" Olivia nodded.

"Thank you," Fitz smiled, tightening his grip around Olivia's waist. "I kiss her where and when I want to."

"You're right, you're right, my apologies. Four years...that's awesome," Brett said.

"Married for over a year," Olivia said proudly.

"Damn right," Fitz nodded.

"Oh yeah. Your one year anniversary wasn't too long ago!" Emma said.

"July 27th," Fitz said with a smile. "That was a great weekend."

"You guys went away for a long weekend right?" Lauren asked.

"Mhm. Rhode Island, over in Westerly. We stayed at Ocean House," Fitz said.

"You did not!" Janelle exclaimed.

They both nodded with big smiles.

"Oh my gosh. Was it amazing?"

"Amazing," Fitz nodded. The whole trip was just fantastic. Went to a couple beaches, a museum, an aquarium. And Ocean House was still the best part, I think. We would definitely recommend it. We're gonna go again at some point for sure."

"It's just so beautiful. Looking out at the ocean every morning. The marina. All the amazing boats. It was an experience," Olivia said.

"A good anniversary, it sounds like," Matt said.

They nodded. It really had been.

They'd had a couple of things to celebrate lately, with their one year anniversary in July and then Olivia's birthday earlier in August. She had turned 24.

What a year it had been for them.

And now here they were, in the midst of a weekend with their friends. Olivia, newly 24 and _very_ noticeably pregnant. And married for over a year.

It was no wonder they were just so happy all the time. So happy and so thankful.

The rest of the day was spent outside, and a lot of time was spent on the big speed boat that they all had come to love the last time they'd been up at the cabin together.

Fitz drove, as usual.

"Oh captain, my captain," was said many times. Also not very surprising.

They anchored on their favorite end of the lake, where people tended to stay if they wanted to jump off, or just turn the boat off and hang out for a while.

They all enjoyed sunbathing and jumping in when they got hot. Olivia didn't jump, however, as that would have been worrisome and also likely _impossible_ in her current state. She didn't want to be jumping _anywhere_ at the moment. Too much work.

But she did hang her feet off the swim platform on the back of the boat and take a quick dip to cool off.

They played some music and talked, a lot of which included baby talk.

Nobody got anywhere with the baby names conversation, because Olivia and Fitz kept their mouths shut about that. Only _they_ knew what they had in mind and _only_ they would know until the day that their babies were born. They had it all planned. If the babies were both girls, both boys, or one of each. It was _all_ planned.

Their friends _did,_ however, get somewhere with the nursery discussion. They were quite open to talking about that.

They'd thought about turning the exercise room into the nursery, considering it was just a short flight of stairs above their bedroom and they rarely kept the door closed, so it almost felt like a part of their room. But they had heavy equipment in there that would be downright impossible to move now.

Plus, they didn't have a great backup exercise room candidate, so they decided against it and went with the office next door to their room instead. They had a library downstairs that could easily be used as an office, not to mention they did have a small desk in their bedroom if necessary.

So they'd started the transition and had a lot of the furniture already. Things they hadn't wanted to wait to put on their baby registry. Two cribs being one of the most important things.

They were pretty prepared already. The house was in the progress of being fully baby-proofed. There was just a lot of house to cover, so that was a gradual project.

The nursery was on its way.

And Olivia only continued to grow every day.

They just hoped that time would keep going as fast as it had been going, so they could soon meet baby Grant one and baby Grant two.

* * *

Yay!

Time is sure moving. It's only going to continue to move. I will say, the end is coming, friends. There's still time, but I did want to give a heads up.

Don't worry, though. I still have some story left to tell.

I hope you enjoyed.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	102. You're My Boo

"Livvie?"

"Bedroom," Olivia called out loudly, over the sound of Arie going crazy now that her dad was home.

She heard the clicking of his dress shoes across the hardwood floor, all the way over to the front staircase. As well as Arie's nails sounding like they just couldn't get her to where dad was going fast enough.

"Yes, hi baby girl. Hi. I do see you, in case you didn't know," he chuckled.

Arie still sniffed around excitedly as they made their way up the stairs.

"I know! I know, so exciting. Let's go find momma. Yes, let's go find her. You've been with her all day, dad hasn't!" he exclaimed.

Olivia smiled, running the iron across one of the legs of Fitz's dress pants, spread across the ironing board.

She turned as he entered the bedroom, an excited Arie jumping up and down next to him as they walked.

He instantly smiled bigger, just at the sight of her.

She didn't think seeing that happy smile would ever get old. It always seemed to make her heart flutter, no matter if she was sad, mad, happy, or anything else. It didn't matter, that smile made things better.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," he said, coming to immediately wrap his arms around her in a big hug and give her a kiss.

He went for the makeout right away.

"Someone's happy tonight," she murmured, clutching the front of his shirt.

"Just missed you, is all," he murmured back.

"I missed you too," she replied.

He gave her a few more kisses and pulled away, looking down at his dress pants on the ironing board.

"Baby, why are you ironing?"

She shrugged. "Well, these are your pants that needed to be ironed."

He raised an eyebrow. "The dry cleaning service would have picked them up in two days, babe...you don't have to."

"I know. But I was bored."

He chuckled at her. "You were?"

" _So_ damn bored," she nodded. "Thank god you're home now."

"Well, that is a reason to celebrate, yes," he nodded with a smile. "How come you're bored?"

"Because I just sit at home all day," she sighed.

"You weren't sitting. You were ironing," he replied. "Which you _shouldn't_ be doing! You should be _resting."_

"I do rest. All day. Hence my boredom. And ironing."

"It's what's best, don't you think? You're almost 35 weeks along. I don't think it makes any sense to be at work right now. You don't even need to work _period_ , let alone right up until your water breaks."

She sighed. "I really don't like when you say that, Fitz."

"What?" he asked.

"When you say I don't need to work," she said. "I know that. You know I know that. But I like to. And you know that, too."

"I know that," he nodded.

"You don't need to work either. But you love what you do, so you do. Same as me."

"I know, I'm sorry. I was just trying to make a point, is all, Olivia," he said.

"I know," she nodded. "I know. I _do_ think this is best. But that doesn't stop me from being annoyed that it _is_ best. And I _would_ like to point out that many women work until their due date," she said importantly.

"Yes. But you are not many women," he said, rubbing her back.

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm trying to figure out what you mean by that."

He shook his head and laughed. "I mean you are the most important woman to me. And I don't want you to be stressing yourself out at work or...having to be in meetings all day when you could just be comfortable at home, resting."

"I know. I just enjoy my work, I really do," she replied. "And it's hard not working when you are very capable of it and still feel great."

"I know. But you remember what the doctor said. You could go into labor next _week_ even _._ We're just being careful right? With all our plans in place and being...prepared?"

"Yes. I know," she nodded.

"I'm so happy you feel great. I'm _so_ happy about that. But just relax for once, okay? Sleep. Lay around, be comfortable. Wear...my sweatpants or something."

"I have been!" she exclaimed.

"Relaxing or wearing my sweatpants?" he asked.

She smiled. "Both. Especially the sweatpants part. You might not get the black Adidas ones back."

He chuckled. "Keep them, baby."

"I might have to. I probably stretched them out to their full capacity anyway."

He smiled, putting his hand in front of him on her belly. Her swollen belly.

"How are they today?" he whispered.

"Good. I felt some pressure this morning, like they were trying to move around again and forgot that they didn't have room to," she laughed.

He chuckled, rubbing his hand along her shirt. "They're just trying to talk to you in any way they can."

She nodded, looking down at her round belly. "I just want to meet them."

"We will soon," he whispered, leaning in and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

He reached by her and turned the iron off.

"Hey. I only did half of your pants."

"That's okay," he chuckled. "That's what the dry cleaners are for. Not my eight months pregnant wife."

" _Almost_ eight months," she said. "And I'm a great ironer."

He sighed, looking at her. "Alright. Come here."

She raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

He pulled on her hand, loosening the top buttons of his dress shirt.

"No more talking."

She scoffed. "Why not?"

"Because."

"That doesn't seem like a very good reason," she said, allowing him to lead her to what she guessed would be the bed.

"I don't need a reason. You're just gonna lay down and you're gonna relax."

"And what else?" she asked, turning to sit on the bed.

He shifted her legs so she was laying normally on the bed, and climbed on with her.

"And nothing else," he said, shrugging his dress shirt off his shoulders.

She eyed him suspiciously. "So please tell me why you're currently undressing."

"I'm not?" he questioned innocently, undoing his belt.

She gave him a "really?" look.

"We're relaxing," he said, reaching for the waistband of her pants.

She watched him pull them down eagerly, and toss them to the side.

"Are we relaxing _naked?_ " she asked.

He pulled her underwear down and got on all fours, lifting her legs up as he settled between them.

Apparently, that was her answer.

She gasped, immediately reaching for his hair. "This is...the opposite of relaxing."

"Just lay there...and watch me," he whispered, dragging his tongue up her clit. "I'll make it relaxing."

"You're just trying—to shut me up," she breathed.

He chuckled, pressing a soft kiss on the inside of each thigh. "Should I _stop_ trying to shut you up?"

She shook her head, and laid back on the bed. "No. No—no."

"Good," he said, smiling up at her between her legs. He reached up and lightly pressed down on her shoulders, so that she would lay completely back. "Now relax."

She listened. She wanted to at this point. She needed it.

And he gave it to her. Thoroughly.

By the end of it, she was panting and feeling extremely satisfied, while she slowly closed her legs and laid them back down on the bed.

Fitz smiled proudly, running his finger along her thigh.

"You're still so flexible."

"You bet I am," she nodded. "I'm still the same Liv under the...32 pounds I've gained."

"I know you are," he chuckled. "And you're impressive."

"I am?" she asked.

He nodded as if he couldn't nod any harder. " _Yes_. You amaze me every single day."

"Is it because I can use my baby bump as a table?" she asked.

He smiled, and then burst into laughter, leaning his head down on the sheets. "Yep. That's...that's why, babe."

"Knew it!" she smirked. "It's Arie's favorite spot to lay her head too."

"I know, it's adorable. She knows things are changing," Fitz said.

"Yes she does. But I don't think she knows she's gonna have to give up a lot of the attention she currently gets..." Olivia replied.

"That's gonna be a heartbreaker," he chuckled. "But she's still my baby girl. There's just going to be...another one. Or two. Or...none. You know, sometimes it's really hard not knowing what we're having!"

"It is," she admitted. "Do you have any guesses today?"

He laughed. "Hmm... let's see. Today I'm thinking...one of each."

"Ahh, you went with a different guess today. Yesterday it was two boys."

"Yeah, and the day before that it was two girls," he added.

"Can't make up your mind, mister," she teased.

"Well, my guesses aren't accurate! You're the more important guesser," he said. "So come on. What's momma feelin' today."

She smiled. "I know I've never had a super confident guess. But for some reason...I just feel like...there's a boy in there. Maybe even two. Or they could both be girls, and I could be wrong. But I just feel like we're going to have at least one boy. A little mini...you."

He closed his eyes and smiled. "My little man."

"He would be so handsome," she said, running his fingers through his hair. "Or _they_ would be."

He looked up at her and his smile brightened. "Let's face it. Either way...one of each, two boys, two girls...they're going to be beautiful."

"Yes. They will be," she agreed with a smile.

"I mean... _if_ they look like you," he said.

She scoffed. "Take that back!"

"No!" he chuckled.

"Fitzgerald Thomas Grant, take that back."

"Olivia Pope Grant...fine. I retract said statement."

"Thank you," she nodded. "We're not having this conversation again!"

"But it's such a fun conversation," he chuckled. "Babies need to look like mom, end of story, no exceptions."

She shook her head. "Noooo."

"See? It gets you all cute and riled up," he laughed.

She rolled her eyes. "You are a _troublemaker."_

"So are you."

"Well, yes, of course, _I_ am. It's no fun if you're not."

"Uh-huh. See, like…an Olly Murs…Troublemaker."

She raised her eyebrows. "I'm sorry. What?"

"You know. Olly Murs. Troublemaker," he said.

She looked at him oddly, slowly shaking her head.

"Oh come on. Don't make me sing it."

She smirked.

He sighed.

 _"_ _Why does it feel so good but hurt so bad,"_ he said.

She just laid there with a confused look on her face. She completely knew the song by this point, but wanted him to keep singing because it was funny.

 _"_ _My mind keeps saying run as fast as you can_ …" he continued.

She nodded, finally feeling like she should save him. " _I say I'm done but then you pull me back."_

 _"_ _I swear you're giving me a heart attack,"_ they said together.

"See, you know!" he exclaimed.

"I do know," she giggled. "Although that song was popular a _very_ long time ago. It took me a minute. I think...I was in high school."

"I think...I was in the governor's mansion."

"Nice," she laughed. "And look where we are now."

"Half naked in our bed?" he questioned.

"Well, that too," she giggled. "I meant in a more general sense."

"Ohh. You mean...eight months pregnant with twins," he said with a smile.

" _Almost_ eight months," she corrected again.

"I know, I know. I'm just so excited. We're so close," he replied.

"Me too. But our pictures tomorrow will tide us over!" she exclaimed. "And...the Halloween party will be fun, too. Everyone can see the baby-proofed house and the nursery. Plus, baby shower's in November. See, lots of baby-related things coming up."

"Very true," he agreed. "I am excited to have Teagan take some updated pictures. Besides the ones she took when you were still barely showing through your shirt, we've only got...the ones I've so skillfully taken myself."

"And those are beautiful too!" she exclaimed. "You're very good with a camera."

"When I'm taking pictures of you, yes."

She smiled. "Well, you will be in these pictures just as much as I will be."

He grimaced. "Why? You're cute. I'm not."

She gasped.

He started to laugh and shook his head. "Sorry. I just wanted to rile you up again."

"Don't say such things. You'll—"

"Hurt your feelings, I know, I know. Sorry. I'm very cute."

She nodded, satisfied. "Yes. You are."

"But not as cute as you're gonna be tomorrow night in your costume," he pointed out.

She laughed. "It is a pretty cute costume, I'll admit. I wonder if anyone will see it coming."

"Maybe. But I'm happy everyone's keeping their costumes a secret. I just hope...we don't have any duplicates," he chuckled.

"I bet we won't. Everyone that's coming is all creative in their own weird way. And no matter what, it will be a fun party."

"Oh yes. With _our_ friends and family...always."

* * *

"Perfect. Okay...Fitz, can you stand directly behind her now?"

Fitz listened to Teagan and shifted his body a little bit, wrapping his arms around her front out of habit.

"Just like that!" Teagan nodded, snapping a couple of pictures.

Olivia switched off between smiling brightly at the camera, and looking up at her husband.

Her hands were resting on his, or on her belly. And he never looked away from her face, whether she was looking at him or not. He just smiled down at her, looking so pretty in her long-sleeved, dark red maternity dress, with his hands on her stomach.

"Perfect," Teagan nodded, switching the orientation of the camera.

The location was fitting for them. A beautiful park with a few trees and lots of room to take pictures. The leaves that scattered the ground were red, orange and yellow, making the background extremely pretty.

It was _their_ park. The park that had become so dear to their hearts. The park that has been through many late-night conversations, the first "I love you"s, a proposal, and now a maternity photoshoot. The location meant just as much as the pictures did.

She wore that beautiful maternity dress which outlined every curve of her body. Her hair was natural, and her makeup was light, but perfect.

Fitz wore a gray and white flannel shirt, a dark pair of jeans, and casual boots. _And_ a happy smile because he liked taking pictures.

Well, he liked taking pictures when _Teagan_ was taking them.

He was more relaxed, and comfortable with her as she'd taken their pictures on multiple occasions now. Sometimes the three friends did start to laugh and get distracted. But that often proved to lead to the best pictures with them.

Teagan was their favorite photographer. And the only photographer they'd _ever_ have take their pictures in the future.

They took many that day, many that Teagan couldn't wait to sort through and edit, and that Fitz and Olivia couldn't wait to have developed.

Pictures of Olivia on her own, and the beauty that she was with her bump and her pretty dress.

And of course, of the two of them together. Fitz standing behind her. Standard pictures of them side by side. Facing each other. Fitz kneeling in front of her, placing a kiss on the front of her belly. Teagan had _all_ the ideas, and they happily obliged.

And because their family was not currently just a family of two, they included their favorite fluffy girl in a few pictures when they returned home. Their yard was beautiful and big too, and very fall-like. They couldn't really watch Arie at the park when they went to take photos of just the two of them, so they just waited to take some pictures with her when they got home in a similar, pretty location.

They had a lot of fun with Arie in that photoshoot. She had no idea what was going on, but her mom and dad were playing with her and petting her lots throughout the whole experience, so she was a _happy_ dog. Not to mention, she really loved Teagan and always had since she was a puppy.

Teagan could get her to sit still and look at the camera just as well as Fitz and Olivia could. And so, they managed to capture the cutest photo of all of them.

Fitz and Olivia with their arms around each other, kissing, in the background, and the camera focused on Arie directly in the front.

Around her neck, she wore a light chalkboard sign, with the words "big sister" written on it.

In Teagan's left hand was a peanut butter treat, so Arie was looking so contently at the camera, waiting for that treat.

It was perfect. They all agreed that would be the first to be framed.

That kick-started their weekend, and the Halloween party would follow later that night, when everyone would join them at their house.

Teagan went home early that afternoon all excited to start editing their photos, and of course, they sent her on her way with _generous_ pay, which she attempted to decline, but they wouldn't hear of that. She deserved every penny.

They'd see her again later for the party. But until then, they had some things to get ready.

They were having food catered from a service that delivered, so the food was easy and convenient, and there wasn't much that needed to be done in that regard. However, Olivia had made tons of little Halloween desserts and arranged fun snacks for the occasion, that needed to be prepared and set up.

Among them were a couple of veggie Skeletons, which they figured people would get a kick out of. Plus, they were healthy.

Some "witch's finger" cheesy breadsticks, white chocolate ghosts, trail mix, "mummy" jalapeño poppers, and popcorn. _Always_ popcorn.

They also had some fun decorations around the house for Halloween. They had their bowl of candy already set out for people to have if the wanted. They could always refill it for tomorrow night, when trick or treaters would actually be walking around for candy as it would truly be Halloween night.

Her mother had always been big into decorating their house for each and every holiday, so she tried to do the same. Fake spiderwebs, black cutout mice and bats, bowls of candy corn, plastic spiders, fake pumpkins and real ones, two of which they'd already carved into Jack-O'-Lanterns for the party. If nothing else, she knew all the little kids that would be here would like the house.

So when the time came to put on their costumes and everyone started arriving, they were excited.

The first to show up were her parents and grandma Michelle. Her parents were a pair of "nerds" which was extremely amusing to her. Her dad in suspenders with pants as high waisted as her own favorite pair of high waisted jeans. As well as a plaid shirt and big glasses. Her mother's outfit was similar, but she wore a knee-length skirt and a different pair of glasses. They were applauded for their outfits.

Her grandma Michelle was a pumpkin, which Olivia found very cute. She had a bright orange shirt on and green pants, and a green winter hat for the stem. She'd painted a Jack-O'-Lantern's face on the front of her shirt. Very DIY and very cute, they thought.

Then there was Stephen and Sandra, who showed up as the little mermaid and prince Eric. Stephen made a fantastic prince Eric and Sandra's big red wig was awesome.

More of her family members started showing up too; her grandma Gina and grandpa Will as a King and a Queen. When asked what they were King and Queen of, they said "everything."

That gave everyone a good chuckle.

Her uncle Theo and aunt Talia, who came as vampires.

Her aunt Faye and Uncle Jack as sailors. Her cousin Claire with a skeleton shirt and leggings, and her daughter Gabrielle as a zombie. Claire's husband Marty and their song Tre couldn't make it, due to Tre's basketball tournament.

Michaela and Donovan as a witch and wizard, their twins Jordan and Anthony as hockey players, and little Kiara as a cheerleader. She was very fond of cheering for her brothers, the star hockey players.

Fitz took pride in himself knowing he was part of the reason the twins were now playing hockey, and therefore being hockey players for Halloween. They'd never forgotten their ice skating lesson with him over Christmas a couple years ago.

Then there was Dillon, who came as a referee, and Macy who came as a biker with Harrison. They both wore all black leather and red bandanas, and looked damn good.

Same with Logan and Aliyah, who looked sharp, too. Aliyah was in a party dress and heels with her hair and makeup all done up beautifully. Logan was in a black suit, with black sunglasses on and he made sure to be "escorting" Aliyah everywhere she went. She was a celebrity and he was her bodyguard.

Huck and Teagan came as Sheldon and Amy, from the Big Bang Theory. That definitely got some thumbs up from the group.

"See, watch this," Huck said, getting in what looked like a "ready" stance. And then his face got serious.

"Bazinga."

Teagan doubled over in laughter with everyone else, and then he walked over to the pantry door and started knocking.

Three knocks.

"Penny."

Three knocks.

"Penny."

Three last knocks, amongst the laughter.

"Penny."

"I'm really glad I caught onto that joke otherwise I would have felt like an idiot. You're a damn good Sheldon, man," Harrison chuckled.

"I know!" Huck nodded.

Charlie came as a prisoner in an orange jumpsuit, and Quinn was his prison guard. Very fitting for the rebellious couple.

Jason and Janelle came as Clark Kent and Lois Lane, which was pretty clever. Both in dress clothes, but Janelle had a press pass hanging around her neck and Jason had his dress shirt unbuttoned with a Superman T-shirt underneath, and black eyeglasses on.

Matt And Emma came as one of the most clever costume duos everyone had seen. Matt wore khakis and a red polo, and Emma wore all white everything, with "Progressive" written on her apron and a blue headband in her very teased, dark hair.

Jake from State Farm and Flo from Progressive.

Their son Riley hadn't wanted to participate in their costume theme. He'd chosen to be the Joker, and he very much looked the part with his green died hair, purple vest, and brilliant face paint that his mom had done.

Brett, Lauren, and Mia had the longest way to travel, so they hadn't made it to the party. But Brett assured them that they'd book a trip after the twins were born so they could meet them. Olivia and Fitz were happy with that.

Cyrus and James came wearing tuxes, with their faces painted like skeletons, but each a bit different style skeleton. So people were quick to make conversation about that.

"Nightmare Before Christmas!" Stephen guessed, pointing at the two of them.

"Hey, someone got it right away! I didn't expect that!" James exclaimed.

"Oh I know what Jack Skellington looks like," Stephen replied.

"It's normally Jack Skellington and Sally, right. Well...we made it Jack Skellington and...what did we agree on? Sal?" Cyrus chuckled, nodding to James.

"Yes. See, here's Sally's rose," James said, pointing to the rose pinned on his lapel.

"I gotta say...that is damn creative," Logan nodded.

"Yeah. Major points," Emma agreed.

"Agreed," Fitz said. "Who did that makeup?"

"Yeah, seriously. It's flawless," Abby added.

"That would be my artistic husband. I have no such skills," Cyrus said with a shake of his head.

"Damn, bro!" Charlie exclaimed.

"Yeah, that is talent. Can you do my makeup, James?" Quinn asked.

"Sure, any day," James chuckled. "I see David's got some makeup on too."

"I do. Courtesy of my girl," he nodded, pointing to his thick black eyeliner.

"Damn right," Abby nodded.

Abby and David came as a pair of pirates, hence the eyeliner. They both rocked the hell out of their costumes, too. David's white shirt had tears in it and he had a fake earring and everything, while Abby's long red hair looked good with her white, red, and black costume.

Everyone dressed their best and they had no duplicates, which was awesome.

And no matter how amazingly done everyone else's costumes were, Fitz and Olivia still seemed to get the most attention with _their_ costumes. Olivia being pregnant had a big part to play in that.

Olivia wore a mustard yellow fairly fitted dress, with a perfectly cropped red t-shirt on top. She wore cute little yellow converse for shoes and a headband with ears over her curly hair.

Fitz wore blue shorts, a yellow T-shirt with a white collar, and black shoes. In his hand, he carried a red balloon. Well, he tried to. The kids had already taken quite an interest to it and he figured by the end of the night it would be in one of their possession.

It was still safe to say, Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin were stealing the show.

Except for with those who didn't get it at first...

"Wait...okay, she's clearly Pooh bear. But you're...hmm. Yellow shirt. Is that the man with the yellow hat or whatever?" Harrison asked.

Macy shook her head and did a facepalm. "Harry, the man with the yellow hat goes with Curious George, not Winnie the Pooh."

"Oh, shit," Harrison chuckled.

"Am I wearing a yellow hat?" Fitz asked with a tilt of his head.

Harrison laughed even more. "No! I don't know! Who are you?"

"Come on! You don't know? Have you never seen any Winnie the Pooh?" David asked.

Harrison stood in thought. "Mmm. I don't know, man, I don't remember."

"He's Christopher motherfucking Robin!" Matt exclaimed.

"Matthew," Emma scolded, smacking his arm and looking around. "There are children here."

"Sorry. It's fine though, they're all eating Olivia's fantastic Halloween snacks far away from here," he chuckled.

"Thank you!" Olivia smoked.

"Mhm. But seriously, I had to get my Christopher Robin point across. Riley loved Winnie the Pooh when he was little, I have personal experience."

Fitz winked at his friend. "I am indeed Christopher... _motherfucking_...Robin."

"Gotcha. Your balloon's cute, bro," Harrison teased.

"Thanks," Fitz said with a smile.

"Isn't it? He's so cute," Olivia said, leaning her head against his arm.

"She totally made you carry around the balloon, didn't she, Grant," Charlie laughed.

"Yes she did," Fitz nodded.

"Well, he's not Christopher Robin without his balloon!" Olivia shrugged.

"Well then where's your jar of honey, Liv?!" David asked.

"Okay, my big belly is supposed to hint that all my honey is _gone_. I _ate_ it all," she said, rubbing her belly.

"She did eat it all, I'm a witness," Fitz nodded.

"So she's _not_ pregnant then, right? She's just been loading up on the honey this whole time?" Stephen chuckled.

"Yep. You got me," Olivia laughed. "We also have a little Tigger too...but she can't stand the costume for more than half an hour so we'll have to pull it out later."

"Awww Arie's Tigger?" Abby asked.

"Mhm. She looks damn cute in it," Fitz replied.

"Yeah, I think _everyone_ did a good job tonight. Nobody has any lazy costumes, either!" Harrison said.

"Yeah, not even our grandma and grandpa who are somehow just King and Queen of everything?" Claire questioned with a laugh.

"Hey, if grandma and grandpa say so, that's what they are. Period," Olivia giggled.

"Real talk though, I like your grandpa Will's purple cloak thing he's got going on. I think I could rock that," Dillon said.

"I bet you could!" Olivia exclaimed.

"You could, brother, you could," Macy nodded.

"Okay, what I wanna know is how long it took you to put that all that makeup and hair dye on Riley," Jason asked Matt and Emma.

"Oh, a solid two hours. The hair spray needed to be sprayed in his hair in multiple coats because his hair is so dark. And putting the makeup on him was hilarious. He was very intrigued. He kept touching his face when it was dry. But he loves it, so we're glad he's happy," Emma laughed.

"Yeah, all the kids have pretty good costumes," Matt nodded.

"Jordan and Anthony have some awesome ones..." Fitz smirked, looking at Michaela and Donovan.

"Yep. They've been talking about that for months. I think they've had the costumes planned since summer," Michaela said with a laugh.

"Maybe spring..." Donovan chuckled.

"Well hey, they have good taste!" Fitz exclaimed.

"You, on the other hand..." Logan began.

Fitz turned to Logan, already shaking his head. "Don't you dare say it."

Logan started to laugh and Aliyah shook her head at him, too. "Be nice to Fitz!"

"Baby, that's not Fitz, that's Christopher motherfucking Robin," Logan said.

Fitz nodded. "That's true, actually. Now Aliyah...can I ask you which celebrity you are?"

"That's the beauty of it...I can be any celebrity you want," Aliyah said.

"Ohhh fuck. This boy wants you to be Beyoncé then," Matt said.

Everyone laughed and Fitz's face turned red while he shrugged. "I do like Beyoncé."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Beyoncé's hot and all but hands off _my_ Beyoncé okay!" Logan exclaimed, putting a hand on Aliyah's waist.

"Hey, hey. I'm in love with Winnie the Pooh over here, relax, Mr. Bodyguard," Fitz chuckled, kissing Olivia's cheek.

"You better be, Mr. Robin," Olivia smiled, holding onto his arms.

"Even though the real Christopher Robin was not in love with Winnie the Pooh. Or at least...I hope not," Matt chuckled.

"Eh, they make their own rules," Janelle said with a wave of her hand. "They're Fitz and Liv, they do what they want."

"A statement has never been more true. Literally," Abby said under her breath.

Olivia and Fitz heard it and laughed quietly, both eyeing Abby.

"Coming back to Aliyah's costume, I agree she should be Beyoncé. For _at least_ five minutes," Matt said.

"Okay, on second thought, I don't think I can pull off Beyoncé. So maybe I _can't_ be any celebrity," Aliyah said.

"Nah, baby, you be whoever you wanna be. You're beautiful," Logan said, looking her up and down.

"Goals," Charlie said.

"Maybe you can be Carrie Underwood for a little bit. Jay would appreciate it," Fitz said casually, clearing his throat.

All his friends, except Jason, cracked up. Even Janelle.

"Yeah. You're never gonna escape that now," Janelle said, laughing.

"Jeez, Cowboy Casanova. Is that right? Yeah, that's the name. Way to throw me under the bus," Jason chuckled.

"Oooh, Cowboy Casanova's back!" Matt exclaimed.

"Aw, dammit," Fitz said, shaking his head.

"I'm lost. The hell does that mean?" Harrison asked.

"Oh dear god," Fitz said.

"I'm also quite curious," Michaela said.

"I got this, guys, I got this," Matt nodded.

"Oh, here we go," Olivia giggled.

So, everyone listened to the story of the nickname, and gave some context to the Carrie Underwood inside joke between the friends who had been there at the cabin.

It got a good laugh, even though by the end of it, they still all agreed Fitz was no Cowboy Casanova in reality. The nickname had just been funny at the time.

"Speaking of, how come you didn't pull out that costume for tonight, Grant?" Matt asked.

"Ehh. Because Liv and I wanted to do a couple costume," Fitz said.

"And I can't fit into jeans, so the cowboy and cowgirl thing wasn't an option," Olivia finished.

Fitz nodded. "Remember. She ate a little too much honey," he said, rubbing her belly with a smile.

"I did," Olivia nodded seriously.

"You guys are adorable, stop," Sandra said, giving them an "aww" look.

"I think the pregnancy makes them even more adorable," Quinn noted.

Fitz smiled, looking down at Olivia as he moved closer to her. She was smiling brightly too.

"Aww look, Christopher Robin's blushing over there," Logan said.

"Awww. The sweet face is blushing!" Matt teased.

"Nuh-uh. Not today, Matthew. Or I'll have Carrie Underwood's bodyguard catch you outside," Fitz said.

"Actually, I've decided I'm Fergie now. For like...at least a couple more minutes," Aliyah said.

Fitz's and all his buddies' jaws dropped.

"Oh...what? Should I not be Fergie?" Aliyah laughed.

"Oh god, no, I just wish Brett were here right now. The man's got the _biggest_ crush on Fergie," Jason said.

"Yes he does," Fitz nodded.

"Some of you guys weren't there...you should have seen Grant and Brett dancing to 'London Bridge' by Fergie on the party bus for their wedding," Matt said.

"Well, it sounds like we missed out!" Michaela exclaimed.

"Oh no. Definitely not," Fitz said, shaking his head with flushed cheeks.

"Ohhh _yes_ they did. I did not know my husband could dance with such sass until our wedding night. Honest to god," Olivia laughed.

"Yes, I agree with that. The man was dancing with sass and swag at the same time. Quite impressive," James nodded. "As was Brett."

"Miss that man," Matt chuckled.

"Me too," Fitz and Jason agreed.

They all agreed, but were thankful for such a fun get together with _almost_ everyone there. Friends, and family too.

There were lots of people, but they had the perfect home to accommodate, and plenty of room for people who were spending the night.

People gradually dispersed, chatting with new people and looking at different parts of the spookily decorated house, courtesy of Olivia.

Olivia split up from her beloved Christopher Robin many times, of course, as they both had many different people to talk to and entertain.

She couldn't help but notice that at one point, Fitz was with a fairly big group of people, but talking directly to Eli in the corner of the family room.

They were looking at something on Eli's phone, gesturing with their hands and nodding at each other like it was something very specific they were discussing.

Olivia hadn't the slightest clue what they were discussing, although it could have just been an everyday conversation, and Eli was showing something to Fitz on his phone. She had no idea, but figured she'd ask Fitz later if she remembered.

The group also took turns visiting the beautiful nursery that was now almost finished, just outside the master bedroom. Prior to that, it had been an office. But it made a perfect nursery too.

A good-sized room, with no bathroom attached as most of the bedrooms had. Just one room, with a little storage closet, which was also very beneficial. There was also a decent-sized window with thick blinds, and the natural light made the room look a little bigger.

They had most of it complete, despite some things they knew they'd get from their baby shower. They had two cribs ready, side by side with a cute little mobile hung up above them that had stars, trees, moons, and clouds.

Everything was gender neutral since they didn't know yet, so they stuck to grays and whites for the color scheme, with pops of color here and there.

They had painted pictures of animals up on the wall where the cribs were, and a big, gray patterned area rug on the floor. Along with a comfortable chair near the cribs for Olivia or Fitz to sit in.

The dresser with a changing table on top was to the right of the door, and they also had a grayish brown, wooden rocking chair in the far corner that had belonged to Fitz's mother. It had been in his nursery as a child, and now it was in his children's' nursery too. That made him happy, so it made Olivia happy too. And she had a painting of the alphabet that was passed on from her side as well, on the opposite wall.

Everyone loved the nursery, and her mother cried at the sight of the nearly finished room.

She'd seen it before, when it hadn't been close to done yet. But the sight of it now was emotional. To her, and to Olivia's friends and close family too, who stayed a little bit longer with Olivia and Fitz in the room.

By that point, some people had left the party, and some had gradually taken bits and pieces of costumes off, or just taken them off entirely and changed into something more comfortable if they were spending the night. It was getting late, so it was acceptable. They'd all shown their spirit for long enough.

Abby looked around and sniffled, wiping her nose. "Goddamn, I can't wait to be an aunt."

"Are you crying?" Harrison asked.

Abby glared at him, and then looked down at the floor, wiping her very clearly damp eyes. "No..."

David chuckled and wrapped an arm around his girlfriend in a hug. "Oh, Abbs."

"Awww, Abby! You know they can't wait to meet you," Olivia said, putting a hand on her stomach.

She smiled and nodded. "Me too. Okay—I'm not...I'm not crying anymore."

"You can cry. I cry sometimes when I think about it," Olivia laughed.

"Pregnancy hormones?" Quinn asked.

"No. Well, maybe. But I think mostly just...happiness. Excitement," Olivia replied. "Sometimes I make him cry along with me."

Fitz chuckled. "It's true. I'll admit it."

"Awww. Pretty boy. You're so sweet," Abby said.

"Yes he is. And he comes in here a lot. Don't you," Olivia said, nudging Fitz's arm.

He nodded. "I love this room. I'm never going to want to turn it back into an office."

"Then don't! Just convert it to your next child's nursery," Sandra shrugged.

Fitz nodded, looking at Olivia. "She's got a point," he chuckled.

"Okay, you guys, let's slow down now. We've already got two on the way. Let's get used to two before we think about another," Olivia said with a laugh.

"I wouldn't worry. You've been dealing with all of us for years, you guys will be fine," Abby said, waving her hand casually.

"Honestly true," Quinn agreed.

"We do have quite the crew. I think we're missing some though," Harrison said, looking around.

"Yeah. Charlie, Huck, Teagan, Stephen. I think they're downstairs. They were up here before," Abby said.

"I'm gonna go check on my boyfriend. Make sure he's not causing trouble," Quinn laughed, starting to head out of the room.

Most of them followed slowly, but her cousins and Harrison were still in the back of the nursery looking at the alphabet painting on the wall.

"Liv, this is from Grandma Michelle right?" Macy asked.

"It is. It was probably in your guys' nursery at some point. I know it was in mine," Olivia said.

"I think it was. Your mom must have given it to ours when you outgrew your nursery and we were born," Macy said.

"And your mom gave it back to me this summer," Olivia said with a smile. "I'll have to give it to one of you next. Whoever has kids first!"

"Ohhh, pressure," Fitz chuckled.

"Probably won't be me," Dillon said. "Macy's the one with the super serious boyfriend."

"Okay, okay, one thing at a time now," Harrison chuckled.

Macy shrugged. "You never know, D."

"Yeah, any significant other we should know about Dillon?" Olivia asked with a smile. "A pretty basketball player for you you to... _referee?"_

He chuckled, looking over his referee costume. And then he looked up at his sister, seeming to think hard about something.

Macy smiled at him.

"Well, uh...actually. Yeah. It's not serious or anything. At all. Only...Mace knows. I'm ready to tell people, I just...don't know how," Dillon said.

"Oh, well hey, you don't have to if you don't want to. Your business, your say so," Olivia said understandingly.

She certainly had experience with that.

Dillon nodded, looking around at the people still in the room. His sister and her boyfriend. His cousin, and her husband. All cool people, but he seemed nervous nonetheless.

"Let's see. Um...the _basketball player_ you were talking about, Liv. There is one, kind of. I mean they're not really a basketball player. They're just...whatever, yeah, you get the point. But...their name is...Lucas."

Macy smiled and leaned her head on her brother's arm, wrapping her arm around his back in support.

Olivia was definitely surprised, but her face instantly turned into a happy smile. "Aww, Dillon! That's awesome!"

"Thatta boy," Macy nodded. "Proud of you."

Dillon let out a sigh of relief and leaned against the wall with a smile. "Wow, that felt good."

"That was awesome, dude," Fitz nodded, extending his hand to Dillon. Dillon reached out and shook it, patting Fitz on the back. "I'm honored to have been in this room just now. Thank you."

"Brotha. Come here," Harrison said, pulling him in for a bro hug. "Thanks for the trust."

Dillon smiled and nodded back, and gave Olivia who was awaiting a hug, a hug too. And then he leaned back against the wall in relief again.

"You are the only four people in the world that know right now, other than Lucas and my best friend at school. I feel so much better to have said it out loud to you guys."

"I'm so glad! I'm sure Lucas is a great guy," Olivia said.

"I think so too. I...really like him, and he's really nice. It's not serious or anything, it's really new. But regardless, thanks for being kind about it. I know...the road ahead is not going to be so kind to me. So it's really nice to just be...accepted right now," he said.

Olivia about wanted to cry on the spot. Everything he said, so unfortunately true, and unfair. The world was unfair. But she was just happy that she was able to help him feel accepted.

"You're so welcome," Olivia said. "Thank you again for feeling you could trust us."

"Yeah, man. Thank you," Fitz added, to which Harrison nodded too.

Dillon nodded and looked at his sister with a smile. "Whew. Okay. Let's go back downstairs before anyone comes searching and finds out I just came out to you guys in your kids' nursery," he chuckled.

They all let out a little laugh and patted him on the back as they started to head back downstairs.

Everyone was still having a great time downstairs. All of the kids looked to be nearly sleeping in the family room, all together on the couch with board games scattered everywhere on the coffee table. Kiara currently had Fitz's balloon tied to her wrist, while she was passed out on the chair. That was adorable.

The adults were still dispersed everywhere having their own conversations. And Olivia saw Dillon look like a weight had physically been lifted off his shoulders. Just happy. He had taken a good step for himself, and it showed.

"That made me really happy," Fitz whispered, grabbing Olivia's hand as they headed to the kitchen.

"Me too," she nodded. "That was amazing."

Fitz nodded in agreement as they turned the corner.

"Grant! Where the hell are your blue shorts?!" Matt exclaimed, leaning against the island in the kitchen.

"I changed, man. They were not comfortable. Joggers? Comfortable," he said, pulling on the dri-fit fabric of his pants.

"What are those? Lola lemon or whatever?" Matt asked.

"Honey. _Lulu_ lemon," Emma giggled.

"Oh! Right, yes. Sorry. I knew it was something like that," Matt said.

"Yes, actually, they are _Lola_ Lemon," Fitz chuckled.

"You are the type to wear that shit. Preppy," Logan stated, before starting to laugh because he couldn't keep it together.

"They're comfortable!" Fitz exclaimed.

"And they make his ass look good," Olivia added, reaching down to squeeze his ass.

"Ooh," Fitz chuckled, jumping a little bit at her touch.

"You know what would probably make his ass look good to you, Liv? Wranglers. Come on, cap, go put on the famous cowboy costume," Matt said.

"No!" Fitz chuckled. "That's not comfortable at all."

"Talk about not comfortable—Janelle and I have been wearing _work_ clothes all night," Jason chuckled.

"Bud, we've got some clothes you two can change into if you want!" Fitz laughed. "I'm completely with you on that, I hate dress clothes."

"He does," Olivia agreed.

"Nah, that's okay. I think we're gonna head out soon anyway. Clark Kent and Lois Lane are about done in," Jason said with a laugh.

"You know, I never remember Clark Kent having a dirty blonde man bun..." Matt said, tilting his head in thought.

"Yeah, ain't he supposed to have hair like Grant? Dark and...that random ass curl in the front?" Logan asked.

"Actually...yes," Emma nodded.

"Well, I never remember Jake from State Farm talking so damn much either, but here we are," Jason said, gesturing to Matt.

Matt shrugged. "Fine, I'll only say what Jake from State Farm says then. Okay, babe, go."

"What are you wearing, _Jake from State Farm?_ " Emma asked, disgusted.

Matt put on a dull face. "Uhh...khakis."

Everyone burst into laughter.

"Okay, that was pretty good," Jason chuckled.

"That was _really_ good," Fitz agreed with a laugh.

"Okay, see, Matt just proved that you can still conform to your costume, even if you don't technically look or sound the part," Jason said, looking at his wife.

Janelle nodded, starting to smile at him brightly.

"To give you all another example..." Jason began, looking around at the group of friends.

"Oh boy. What's this man got up his sleeve now," Matt chuckled.

He looked at Janelle and bit his lip. She just smirked.

"Superman and Lois eventually...were parents, in the comics, right."

They all got quiet, looking around at each other.

"You know, we may not be... _yet_. But...we're trying. Trying for...a little superboy or supergirl."

Everyone's jaws dropped.

They'd talked about it over the summer. It was not really a surprise to hear. But at the same time, they'd talked about it _drunk,_ and they'd never really heard whether or not Jason had talked to Janelle after his bold bonfire proclamation, let alone if they had made a different decision.

It appeared they had.

"You guys serious?" Matt asked, looking between the couple.

They nodded.

"It's gonna happen," Janelle said.

"That's fantastic you guys!" Fitz exclaimed.

"Dang, bro, okay, okay!" Logan nodded.

"Aww!" Aliyah said.

"Yes! Join the club!" Olivia exclaimed too, patting her belly.

"I'm working on it, Liv, just you wait," Jason chuckled.

"I hope to look just as fantastic as you do, honey," Janelle nodded at Olivia.

"You'll look great! I'm so happy you guys are going for it!" Emma smiled.

"We are too. Longest and most important decision we've ever made. But...I know we're making the right one. I know now. _We_ know," Jason said, to which Janelle agreed.

"Well, to you guys then. To your future superboy or supergirl," Fitz said, raising the nearest glass he could find. It wasn't even his glass, but oh well.

"To you guys," Matt said, raising his glass too.

And they all toasted to Jason and Janelle, currently going through what Olivia and Fitz, and many others in the room had gone through already.

Their Halloween party had not only been extremely fun, but had provided some big, important moments too.

Olivia made sure to bring up one of the particular moments she remembered from that evening, later, when she and Fitz had finally made it to their bedroom for the night.

They'd just made sure everyone got to where they were sleeping okay, and that everyone had everything they needed. Which was _after_ they had Arie running around in her Tigger costume for a while. That gave everyone a good laugh.

They took her out to the bathroom, and let her run around outside since she'd been in her room for a good portion of the night, because all the people at the party would have been a bit overwhelming for her.

And now, she lay by the side of their bed, costumeless, as Fitz and Olivia lay there talking. She was on Olivia's side, resting half of her head on Olivia's belly, which was an adorable habit she had gotten into.

Olivia smiled, petting her head as she talked to Fitz.

"Hey, what were you and my dad chatting up a storm about in the family room earlier tonight? It looked important," she said, turning to look at him.

Fitz thought back and then nodded. "Ohh. Well, I kind of have this plan to redesign some of our gardens in the back. I asked him for his opinion, being the big architect and all. He's good at visualizing."

Olivia tilted her head. "Really? How do you want to redesign them?"

"Make them...bigger," he said with a smile.

She laughed. "Of course you do."

He shrugged. "What can I say. I love gardens."

"I know you do," she giggled. "I'd say show me some of these plans on paper, but...you have a good eye. I trust you."

He smiled, nodding happily. "Good. I was hoping to surprise you," he smirked.

"I can't wait, baby," she nodded, letting out a yawn.

"Tired?" he asked, rubbing her belly.

"Mmhm," she nodded sleepily, still petting Arie who was sitting so nicely.

"Kiss," he whispered, leaning in.

She turned her head and kissed his lips a few good times. "I love you."

"I love you," he whispered back.

He leaned down and pressed two kisses on either side of her belly.

"And I love you, and you."

And then he leaned over as far as he could and kissed Arie. "And you, baby girl."

She sneezed.

He chuckled. "Never fails. Wanna go to your room? Go night night?"

She stood up, wagging her tail slightly and looking at him as if for confirmation that she should truly go to her kennel in her room.

"Yep. Go night night. Go on," he nodded.

She trotted out of their bedroom and down the hall to her room.

Fitz reached over and turned off his bedside lamp, the only light that remained on in their room.

"Today was a good day."

"It really was," Olivia agreed.

It was silent for a few minutes, until Fitz started giggling to himself in the darkness. Actually _giggling._

"What on earth are you laughing about over there?" she giggled back

"I have some Halloween jokes...for you," he chuckled.

"Oh dear. Okay. I'm ready," she laughed.

"Sure you're ready?" he asked.

"Yes. I'm ready," she nodded.

"Okay, okay. You're my...boo."

It was completely silent in the room for about five seconds before they both burst into laughter as quietly as they could.

"Baby, what the hell."

"Isn't it good?!" he asked.

"Yes. It's very good."

"Listen to this one too. Ready? I love you so much...it's spooky."

She put her hand up to her face as he laughed to himself.

"I really got lucky with you, Christopher Robin," she giggled.

"Christopher _motherfucking_ Robin," he corrected.

"Ohhh, right, right," she laughed. "I hope I'm not Winnie _the fucking_ Pooh, then, or something."

They laughed again, but he just shook his head. "No. You're just my boo."

She smiled, snuggling up to him as best she could. "You're my boo, too."

* * *

Aww. Happy Halloween! (In August, lol!)

They're getting So. Close.

Soon...

I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	103. The Grant Twins

Olivia rubbed her abdomen, which felt slightly crampy since she'd first been awoken by it at five in the morning.

It was now just after seven, and thankfully she'd at least slept some more since first waking.

Ever since she started her maternity leave, she'd had a pretty nice sleep schedule. She'd go to bed at a decent time, since Fitz still worked and liked to get a good amount of sleep. And then she'd usually stir when Fitz got up to get ready, but was able to sleep in a while longer.

And since getting a lot of sleep in her current state was a good thing, she felt good. She _genuinely_ felt very good. Perhaps extremely large, and on occasion, a bit sore sometimes at the end of the day, but she really had felt good.

More recently, though, she'd felt a bit more tired, and within the past night now, crampier.

Fitz knew nothing of it, since he hadn't been awake since it had started. But any minute now his alarm would go off.

She laid on her back, rubbing her belly contently. She knew that soon, she wouldn't be pregnant anymore. Soon, it would all be over.

She was just about 39 weeks along, and she should be having the babies any day now.

She wasn't late yet, but she was later than many moms who were pregnant with multiples tended to be. Some of which, had their babies at 35 or 36 weeks.

Not Olivia though. Here she was, going strong at just about 39 weeks. Probably explained why she felt even larger than just regular large. _Extra_ large.

At least she could still walk okay. Sometimes it felt more like a waddle, and it made Fitz chuckle bit, which then made her laugh too. But only because she knew she probably did look funny, and because he loved absolutely everything about her being pregnant.

Well, maybe not her occasional, and most of the time, completely random, moodiness. But he still dealt with it just the same.

She heard his alarm on his phone going off on his nightstand, and waited for him to wake up. It took a few seconds for him to start moving.

Oddly enough, he was turned away from her this morning. Still pressed up against her side, but his head was turned.

So she watched him without him knowing.

He inched closer to the edge of the bed, and reached to tap his phone. He must have done it all with his eyes closed because it took him a few tries to actually tap the "off" button on his iPhone screen.

He groaned quietly, slowly turned his head to face her.

She smiled, still watching him. He rubbed his eyes, which were still sleepily closed, and then moved closer to her again immediately.

He started to lean in, and then opened his eyes above her. He was clearly met with surprise.

"You're awake," he said, his voice extremely raspy.

"I'm awake," she nodded with a smile.

"Usually I kiss you and you're still sleeping, so you don't even flinch," he chuckled.

She gasped. "I miss a whole kiss every morning?"

He nodded seriously. "Yes, Liv. A whole kiss."

"You have some making up to do," she said, tapping her lips.

He smirked, looking from her eyes to her lips. "You want me to start now?"

"You better," she nodded.

He smiled and leaned back in, pressing his lips to hers.

His bare skin was warm against hers, as he wasn't wearing a shirt. Even with the cold weather outside, he was hot at night when he slept. He'd also recently gotten over a cold, one that _she'd_ given to him.

It had been a pretty icky one. Sometimes too cold, sometimes too hot. Slight body aches, and that was on _top_ of the ones she already had just because she was...huge.

Stuffy nose, sore throat, cough, raspy voice, the usual. She felt bad that she'd given it to him, but it was inevitable.

The man never shied away from her no matter what. Usually _nothing_ could stop him from kissing her, or hugging her. Certainly not a little cold. He didn't care at all, especially with how pregnant she was.

She was the center of his attention, as always. Everything revolved around her in his mind.

She supposed it was the same way on her end. He was her life. And soon, he and two little ones would be her life. She understood.

"How are you?" he murmured against her lips.

She kissed him again and laid her head all the way back down, rubbing her belly.

"I feel a little worse than usual today. Kind of crampy, but they've been inconsistent."

He looked down at her concernedly. "What? How bad are they? Should I stay home with you?"

She giggled at his worried outburst. "No, baby, I'm okay. It's mild. I think I'm just used to feeling really great so I noticed right away."

He looked down at her swollen belly and rubbed it gently too. "I'll stay home."

She reached up and cupped his face, rubbing her thumb across his cheek. "You don't have to stay home, Fitz. I'll be okay, and you know I would call you right away if I thought it was necessary. Like we've always planned."

He thought for a second and then reached for his phone.

"What are you doing?" she asked suspiciously.

"I'm sending a canvas announcement to my students."

"Saying what..." she asked.

"That classes are canceled because I'm staying home today."

"Fitzgerald Grant!" she exclaimed.

"Yes Olivia Grant?" he asked, busily typing away on his phone.

"You really don't have to. I know how busy you are at this point in the semester."

"You and our children are far more important than work, no matter how busy I may be," he said, continuing to type away. "I'm staying, baby. Sorry. You're stuck with me."

She sighed, smiling at him. "I love you."

He turned to look at her and shrugged casually. "I know."

She gasped. "You gonna say it back or what?"

"Maybe," he shrugged, getting out of bed. "Gotta go let our out dog first, though."

She shook her head at him. "Mean."

"Nooo. You love me. You wouldn't love me if I was mean," he said, heading out of the room.

"I take my love back."

He had just exited their room, and then she heard an audible, dramatic gasp escape from his mouth.

And then there was a whole lot of man running back into the bedroom and toward her.

"Ahh!" she giggled, as he jumped into bed, next to her and swinging his legs over her thighs to kneel above her. He was always extremely careful, of course. She didn't even have time to get up from her so comfortable spot laying on the bed, anyway.

"I love you, woman!"

"What?" she asked, pretending as though she didn't hear.

He pointed down at her seriously. "I love you."

"Oh do you now?" she asked.

He nodded immediately. "Mhm."

"Hmmm," she replied, putting a finger up to her chin in thought.

"Don't you 'hmmm' me. You know how much I love you. I only tell you _all the time."_

Smiled and let out a laugh. "Yeah. You're right. You do."

He nodded. "See. Now can I have my love back?"

She laughed again, and then looked up at him adoringly. "I love you, Fitz."

He smiled, pumping his fist in the air subtly. "Okay. Now I feel better. Now no take backs!"

"What if I take it back?" she asked.

"Then…then—I don't know! Just don't take it back."

She couldn't stop giggling at him. "I won't take it back, baby."

"Thank god," he breathed, putting a hand to his chest.

"You gonna go let Arie out now that you're feeling better?" she laughed.

"Yep," he nodded, getting off her. "I'll be back."

"Okay, baby."

She slowly got up after he left the room so she could go to the bathroom, too.

The slight cramps were still there. But everything else seemed perfectly okay. She knew it had to be just about time, but she certainly didn't want to get ahead of herself if it was a false alarm.

She wanted to be comfortable at home for as long as she could before she _had_ to be in a hospital bed in an unfamiliar place.

And now she had a whole weekend to be comfortable at home, and Fitz would be there the entire time with her. That was just how she wanted it.

The morning was pretty uneventful, since it felt best to lay around and relax. Something Fitz was very happy she was doing.

Although, she wasn't _just_ laying around. She accepted some interesting help from her husband.

She'd been lounging on the couch, trying to reach her toenails with the nail polish brush. She knew from the beginning that it would be tough, considering she could barely shave her legs in her current large state. She'd accepted help from him in that regard too...

But now Fitz watched her, as he looked back and forth between the TV and his struggling, pregnant wife.

"Uh...babe."

"Yeah?" she asked, biting her lip as she stretched as far as she could.

"How's that going for you?"

She nodded confidently. "Fantastic."

As she said that, she smeared the light blue polish across the corner of her toe. "Whoops."

His eyes widened and he started to chuckle. "Baby. Give it to me."

He reached over and held out his hand.

" _You're_ gonna paint my toenails?" she asked with a laugh.

He shrugged and nodded. "Why not? How hard can it be."

She winced but then nodded with a laugh. "Okay..."

She handed him the bottle of nail polish and then slid the few other things that sat on the coffee table over to him.

The bottle of nail polish remover and a few Q-tips, just in case she messed up. Given that she could barely reach, she figured she wouldn't do it perfectly, so she had planned ahead.

Now she was about to see how he'd do.

He lifted her feet up and set them on his lap, inspecting her little feet.

"This is a nice color," he nodded, pulling the brush out of the bottle.

"Thank you! I think so too. I haven't had them painted for a while so I thought maybe I should do it considering...soon, I may not have the time, or want to."

He smiled. "Yeah. We may have our hands full for a while. Like, 18 years or so."

"Yes we will," she giggled.

"Okay...so...how many coats do you put on?" he asked curiously.

"Depends. But I would do two for this color," she replied.

He nodded. "Okay. So only one more on the foot you started and then two on the other?"

"You got it," she said.

He nodded and started painting the first coat on her left big toe.

His hand was steady with the brush, and his other hand held her foot still for himself, and it was probably the cutest thing she'd seen all week. Her husband looking so focused, painting her toenails for her.

As soon as he made one streak across her nail, his eyes widened.

"What?" she laughed.

"Nothing, just give me a second. I gotta...spread it around a little more. Okay, there we go."

She smiled, leaning her head against the couch cushion to watch him.

"There. That looks better," he said, tilting his head and examining the first nail he'd done.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Uh-huh. Oh—fuck—no, wait, I got it on your toe!"

"That's okay. That's what the remover and Q-tips are for," she giggled.

He looked at the things on the coffee table and nodded. "Oh. Right. Okay. Good."

"I believe in you, sweetie," she said.

He nodded, moving to the next toe. "I'm doing this one better. Just you watch."

"Okay, I'm watching."

He started painting that one, leaning in closer to her foot to see better. His face was probably about a foot away from her toes, and that made her laugh all over again at him.

"I'm not going to lie. This does not smell pleasant," he stated.

"My feet?!" she exclaimed. "I just took a shower!"

"No! Not your—" he chuckled. "I meant the _nail polish._ Your feet smell like...lavender."

She smiled. "Well lean back a little bit. You don't have to huff the nail polish," she giggled.

He leaned in further and took a big whiff, which made her laugh. "If you get high from that, it's not my fault."

He chuckled, leaning back and continuing to paint on the polish. "I might need to get high when...when it's time. What if I go nuts and the doctor has to...fucking sedate me."

"Why would you go nuts?" she asked with a laugh.

"Because! Because...I'm so scared. And...excited. And anxious. And protective already. I don't know. What if I cry too much, or something."

She burst into laughter and rubbed his arm. "You're thinking everything through aren't you."

"Yes," he nodded seriously. "Oh dammit. I just fucked up this toe real bad."

"It's okay," she laughed. "And I think they're plenty used to new parents crying. It's...pretty normal, sweetheart."

"Aww," he said, putting his hand to his heart. "Are you calling me normal?"

She sat in thought. "No. You're not normal. But you're abnormal in a good way. The best way."

He thought for a second and then shrugged with a nod. "Yeah, okay. I'll take that."

"Now, just so we're clear. You can go a little nuts, but you can't go more nuts than _me_ when I'm in labor. Okay?"

He started to laugh again. "Yeah, I think that's more than fair. I'll be right by your side, baby. The whole way."

"I know you will be," she smiled. "I'm a little worried about what you're gonna have to deal with. I apologize in advance."

"Oh don't worry about that. You get to do or say whatever you want. I am not the one doing all the work, you are. And I know you'll be amazing."

She smiled. "I get to do whatever I want, huh?"

He nodded. "Yep. Well...except divorce me. Please—please don't do that."

"Really? Damn. That was there first thing I was going to do," she said, as seriously as she could.

He turned to look at her with unimpressed eyes. "Woman! Come on, I'm _painting your toenails_ right now!"

"I'm c _arrying your children_ right now."

He stopped dead in his tracks. "Shit."

"Yeah, I got you on that one, huh," she said.

He nodded. "Yeah I'm just gonna go back to minding my business and painting your toenails."

She giggled, grabbing his hand and holding onto it as she leaned against the side of the couch.

He allowed her to intertwine her fingers with his as he looked down and focused on painting with his other hand.

She looked at his face, in deep concentration. His tongue showing just a bit through his lips as he focused. The couple curls falling in front of his forehead. His long eyelashes.

"I love you, baby," she whispered, squeezing his hand.

He looked up at her and his face softened. "Well I love you back, baby. Where did that come from?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just...so ready. To be a parent. With you. I'm terrified as hell, but...I'm still just so ready. I don't even know if that makes sense. But...I just can't wait."

"It makes sense," he said quietly. "Me too, Livvie. Me too."

The remainder of that day was just as uneventful as the morning had been. The nail painting session, which ended fantastically, was about the most notable thing they did all day. Fitz cleaned up his mistakes as best he could, and her toenails looked pretty damn good when he was done.

She told him he did well, and she was pretty sure he was proud for the rest of the day.

He made her good meals throughout the day, too, which was also nice. But by the time 8:00 hit, she was already feeling drained as they laid in bed. She had done absolutely nothing all day and yet she was so incredibly tired.

Fitz asked if she was doing okay, which she said that she was. The cramps hadn't left all day, they were still subtly giving her a dull ache in her abdomen. And she was tired.

"Do you want me to…" he began, tugging on the waistband of his boxers.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"Do you want me to…take off our clothes?" he chuckled. "Orgasms can help relieve cramps…"

She laughed. "That is true. I don't know, though, baby. I'm just _so_ tired."

"Okay," he nodded gently, wrapping an arm around her. "Do you just want to sleep?"

She nodded, laying her head on the pillow and looking over at him.

"Okay. We'll sleep then," he replied, kissing her forehead. "You're sure we don't need to call the doctor yet?"

"Positive," she nodded.

"Okay," he nodded. "Goodnight, baby."

"Goodnight, Fitz."

So, they both went to bed extremely early. She just had to, there was no debate. And Fitz didn't want to do anything but be by her. He'd taken the day to be with her for a reason. He wanted to make sure she was all good. So naturally, he forced himself to drift off, too.

And they both slept great.

Until about one in the morning.

Olivia woke up to the cramps much worse than they'd been before. Not unbearable, just very noticeably bad.

"Ohh," she moaned quietly, immediately sitting up.

She gently removed Fitz's arm from her body and slowly swung her legs off the bed.

She didn't exactly have a plan, she just knew that right now she did not want to lay there and have nothing to do but feel the pain. Plus, she really had to pee.

Fitz didn't stir as she got up and made her way to the bathroom.

So, she took care of business, thinking about how she was now pretty damn positive it was almost time. That these cramps were a sign. They were _contractions_. She didn't know, she didn't know _how_ to know for sure. She'd read so much, as much as she possibly could, and everyone was different. Which, was part of the problem. There was no universal formula. It depended on the woman, and the pregnancy.

How long to wait before calling the doctor? How long to wait before leaving the comfort of your home? How to know when the contractions got bad enough? How to know if they were even real contractions, or Braxton Hicks contractions, which were described as "false" and "practice" contractions. She wasn't sure she'd ever really felt those before, unless these were those?

But something in her was telling her this was it. She was 39 weeks with _twins_ , and she was in _pain_. It was starting. And had likely been progressing the entire day prior to that, when she'd felt crampy.

So, she washed up her hands and opened the door, planning on going to wake Fitz up. And as she reached for the light switch to turn it off, she felt something.

A small little trickle, running down her upper thigh.

It was as if the universe was confirming her thoughts. Telling her that she was right. And she felt both happy that she at least knew, but at the same time, completely terrified.

She just stood there in the doorway of the bathroom and felt her legs start to shake because the anxiety was starting to hit her. And it took her that full minute to find her shaky, quiet voice.

"Fitz," she called out nervously.

Nothing.

"Fitz," she said again, but this time much louder.

He began to stir, and then felt around for her. When he felt nothing, he immediately sat up and looked around.

"Baby?" he asked, looking around the dark room. His eyes landed on her, her body lit up by the bathroom light. "Baby what's wrong? Are you okay? Is everything okay?"

He was already in the process of getting up, asking question on top of question.

"Umm..." she began, holding onto the doorframe. "Yeah. Everything is good. Everything is...is fine. Except, you know, I think...I think my water just broke."

He about tripped over the chest they had at the end of their bed because he still couldn't see shit over there, and then looked up at her with wide eyes. "What? Are you sure? Wait—wait, just stay there, I'm coming. Ow—fuck. Sorry. Just hold on."

She held herself steady in the doorframe while her body shook nervously.

He walked over to her, and as he met her there, he followed her gaze to the floor, where clear liquid was now running down her calf. And she felt it continually run down her thighs in streaks very slowly. It was not gushing by any means, but it was enough to know very clearly what was going on.

He looked down at the ground, and then up at her in awe. "Livvie. Oh my god."

"Uh-huh," she nodded quickly, looking around. "I need...I need a pad, or something because this isn't going to stop."

"Okay. Okay—um. Where is that? Where do you keep that? I'll get it," he said frantically, sneaking past her.

"Under my sink. I bought a small package specifically for this. The package is...is green—oh god."

"What? What?" he asked, rummaging through the cupboard as fast as he could.

"Oh god. Okay. Yep. That hurts. Wow, that hurts," she noted, clutching her belly.

"Fuck. Fuck. Do I have to start timing? Just...just give me a second, I'm sorry," he said worriedly, rubbing his eyes as he pulled out the package.

"It's okay. You're okay," she assured him. It was one in the morning after all, and it was safe to say that both of them were a little discombobulated. The time was finally here, and that in itself was hard to process.

He ripped it open and pulled out a pad, flipping it over in his hands confusedly. "I don't know how this works, teach me."

She had to let out a little laugh at that, despite how quickly the cramps had worsened in a matter of about ten minutes since she'd woken up.

"Well, first I need to go get some clean underwear."

"I'll get them. Let's go lay down, first, okay?" he asked, grabbing her arm.

"Okay," she nodded, allowing him to lead her over to the bed.

He lifted her gently up onto the mattress, and steadied her as she sat down.

"You're shaking, Olivia. Why are you shaking?" he asked, rubbing her arm.

"I'm nervous. I'm just—I'm nervous," she said in a hushed whisper.

"Baby—it's gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay. Just breathe," he said, continuing to rub her arm.

"I know. I know. Can you get the—"

"Right, right. Okay. Which...which ones?" he asked, heading to her dresser.

"A pair that looks...comfortable," she said, taking deep breaths and holding onto the sheets.

He dug through her drawer and pulled out a soft, silk pair, and brought them over. He started to try and help, but she stopped him.

"I'll do this part," she nodded, taking both the underwear and the pad from him. "Thank you, baby. Thank you."

"Uh-huh," he said, steadying her as she began to slide the now wet ones off her legs. Thankfully all she had on right now was a pair of underwear and one of Fitz's T-shirts, so it was an easy outfit to change in and out of. And at some point, she probably would want his help getting into something to wear to the hospital.

Fitz was reading her mind. "I'm going to call the doctor, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded, laying her head back slowly on the pillow.

"Just sit tight, okay. Do you want to talk to them?"

"Yes," she nodded. "They'll need to ask me questions."

He nodded and quickly grabbed his phone from his nightstand off the charger.

It was a fairly brief phone conversation, that ended how she figured it would end. It was time to come to the hospital. Her water had broke, and she was already beginning to have contractions. They were still far apart yet, but they were quickening and strengthening already.

Thankfully they already had the hospital bag mostly packed, and had had it ready for about three weeks now. Better safe than sorry.

It had all her hospital paperwork, multiple comfortable outfits for Olivia, nursing bras, maternity pads, slippers, her robe, toiletries, multiple baby blankets, onesies, bodysuits, socks, hats, burp clothes, diapers, and wipes.

Fitz had a couple outfits and toiletries packed in there too. It was a pretty big bag, and it was all ready to go in the nursery already.

So, Fitz quickly went to let Arie out and pack the bag in the car while making sure Olivia stayed in bed. Olivia assured him she would. He grabbed her favorite pillow on his way out of the bedroom too, which made her smile. T

Thankfully they'd already discussed the Arie situation for when the time came. Olivia's parents planned to come up to Connecticut for the birth as soon as they called them, and would spend however many nights they needed at their house with Arie. So, Arie would be plenty covered when the time came for her little human siblings entered the world.

They'd also already installed the car seats in the backseat of Fitz's car, just in case they'd had to leave quickly in this situation. That had also turned out to be a good decision.

It wasn't imperative that they get to the hospital _right_ then and there since her contractions weren't all that close, but since her water had broken, infection was all the more possible.

So after about twenty minutes, they were in the car and on their way.

And despite how awfully early it was, she had some phone calls to make.

Fitz held onto her hand as he drove, quickly, but carefully, down the highway. She was taking deep breaths, holding her phone up to her ear and hoping to god for an answer.

"Livvie?" her mother answered sleepily.

"Mom. Hi, I'm so sorry to wake you. But—"

"Oh goodness!" her mother interrupted.

Olivia smiled and started to laugh. Considering she was almost 39 weeks along and was calling her mother at 1:30 in the morning, it wasn't hard for Maya to figure out why.

"Yeah. My water broke, mom. We're on our way to the hospital."

"Oh goodness. Oh goodness. Okay, okay. We will be there. We will _be_ there, baby. Okay?"

"Okay, mom," Olivia nodded, taking another deep breath.

"Eli. Eli!" Maya exclaimed, which made Olivia smile to herself. "How do you feel? How are you doing?"

"I'm okay. It's not super painful yet, and the contractions are still really short. I'm...I'm just a little nervous. But my doctor is amazing, and I know everything's going to be perfect. I know that."

"Of course it will, baby, of course it will—"

Her mother was interrupted by what sounded like groans from her father.

"Did you hear me?" Maya asked her father. "We need to go."

Olivia couldn't see what was going on, but she felt as though she could almost see it click in her father's brain, too, when he was silent for a couple seconds on the other end.

"Olivia? Is it—" he asked.

"Yes!" Maya said.

"Oh! Oh—shhhit!" he exclaimed.

All Olivia heard was scrambling on the other end of the phone while her parents seemed to be frantically getting ready.

She and Fitz could relate.

Olivia was still laughing at her father's profanity, as that wasn't too common for him, and Fitz was chuckling too because she had now put it on speaker for him to hear.

Her parents had a long way to drive, so she understood that they felt the need to scramble. These were their grandchildren they were talking about here.

"Olivia, we're coming okay? You just get to the hospital safely and let us know when you do. Can I talk to Fitz?" her mom asked.

"Yeah, you're on speaker, he's right here," Olivia said.

"You keep us updated, Fitzgerald. Text, call, FaceTime, any of them," Maya said.

"Absolutely, Maya, absolutely," Fitz assured them.

"Good man," Maya said. "Good luck, baby. We'll see you both as soon as we can."

"Okay. Bye mom, bye dad," Olivia replied.

"Bye, honey, good luck," Eli said.

"Bye. Bye, Fitz," Maya added.

"Bye!" Fitz exclaimed.

Olivia hung up and put her phone down, taking another deep breath.

"I've never been full-named by your mother before. I'm already nervous as hell as it is!" he exclaimed, looking over his shoulder to switch lanes.

Olivia started to laugh, but then lurched forward, holding the bottom of her bump. It was the first contraction she'd had in the car, and it was a big one.

"Woah, woah, woah. Baby, baby. Breathe, okay? Breathe," he said gently, squeezing her hand.

She exhaled deeply over and over, squeezing his hand so hard she was sure it actually hurt him. But he talked her through it, all while continuing to drive. She would have complimented him on his multitasking skills if she wasn't in so much damn pain at the moment.

But the pain subsided, and she was able to calm her body a little bit, and release her death grip on her husband's hand.

"Okay?" he asked.

"Okay," she nodded, continuing her deep breathing.

"I'm here," he replied, bringing her hand up to kiss it. "I'm here."

She nodded, just readjusting before she slowly grabbed her phone again. She had a friend to call. A best friend.

So she dialed, and waited for her to pick up.

Just like her mother, Abby was quick to pick up on the reason for the call. Except she was her crazy Abby self.

"Holy fucking shit—it's happening, isn't it," Abby said, as soon as she picked up. She sounded tired as hell, but excited at the same time.

"It's happening," Olivia nodded with a laugh.

"It's _really_ happening. Things are _happening_ in this car," Fitz added nervously.

"Oh my god!" Abby exclaimed. "Sorry, sorry. I won't be crazy. You don't need crazy right now. But oh my _god!_ I might not be able to help it! We're getting up, we're getting up. David, I swear to god, if you don't get your pale ass up right this second—"

"It's okay, it's okay," Olivia laughed. "It could be a while still, you don't have to come to the hospital quite yet. But I just...I had to call you, Abby. I _had_ to, because…you're Abby. You can try and go back to sleep—"

"Liv, what the hell! You are the world's craziest pregnant woman if you think I'm going back to sleep right now. My ass is up. My ass is _up_. We're coming. David, are we coming?"

"We're—we're coming, Liv. Don't worry. We're gonna...we're gonna come. Right...now. Ow! Shit, where are my glasses?" David groaned sleepily.

"I love you guys," Olivia said, squeezing Fitz's hand.

"We love you, and we already love the adorable babies we're gonna meet soon. Or…not soon, you know, whatever...they decide. Either way, we're coming!" Abby exclaimed. "Do you want me to call the rest of the weirdos so you don't have to?"

"Yeah, just...just text them, if you can. I don't want everyone to have to come in the middle of the night. Like I said, I don't know how long this is going to be, I just wanted to…at least let you know," Olivia said.

"Okay. No worries, Liv. I _got_ you."

"Okay, thank you, Abby. I'll see you soon. We can text you where we're at when we get there," Olivia said.

"I'll text you, Abby. I've got a lot of people to keep in the loop too," he chuckled.

"Okay, perfect. We'll see you soon, Liv. I love you. Oh my god, I'm gonna be an aunt," Abby said, already starting to cry. "Okay, shit, sorry. Bye, I love you."

"You got this…Liv. Kick labor's—ass," David exclaimed tiredly.

"I will, David. Bye guys," Olivia laughed.

"You have the world's greatest friends," Fitz noted.

"I know," Olivia nodded, holding her bump tightly. "I'm so lucky."

"You are. How are you? How's the pain?" he asked.

"Decent now. Just...I'm preparing for the next one," she said, leaning her head back against the seat. It would probably be a little bit until the next one, but she couldn't prepare enough. They seemed to hit her like a _wall._

It was an okay ride to the hospital. She knew what it was like in movies, seeing frantic couples driving to the hospital, and the woman screaming her head off in pain in the passenger seat.

It was nothing like that. Which, she was glad about.

So far, it wasn't _anything_ like what was on TV. She was relatively calm in between each contraction. Whether that would be the case or not later, she didn't know. But for the first little while at the hospital, she did okay.

She had to go right to the Labor and Delivery wing of the hospital, since her water had broken already. They were in the Yale-New Haven Hospital, which was easily the number one ranked hospital in Connecticut.

She felt very well taken care of during her stay.

And she found that there was a _lot_ of waiting around once she was safely in her hospital room.

Which worked out fine as the nurses had to do their routine check-ups with her, and Fitz had a lot of people to update through text.

He stayed by her side through it all and held her hand, texting with his other. Quite the multitasker yet again.

She felt a twinge of sadness, knowing that there was absolutely nobody in his family he could notify.

The only people he had were his friends.

But she tried not to think about it as she saw the smile on his face. Texting his buddies in a group chat, according to him. He said he'd call them at a more normal time. But from what she could see, he was typing very excitedly to them currently.

It made her smile.

He had more people than just his high school friends to notify, as well, but he did it very gradually, making _Olivia_ his top priority.

And she needed him. Because her contractions only worsened as time went on. Lasting longer, and getting closer together.

When she's first gotten to the hospital, she'd been able to walk about freely in her room to ease the pain, or so they told her. It had helped a bit.

But now, _hours_ into the labor, she didn't even want to think about getting up and walking around.

Which was good because it felt like she was hooked up to about a bazillion monitors, and people weren't leaving her _alone_.

There were so many people in and out of the delivery room, it was a bit overwhelming on top of the fact that she was in a large amount of pain.

The only person she liked having in and out of the room besides Fitz, were her friends.

When Abby and David got there, they'd both come in immediately to check up on her. At that point, she'd been able to actually visit with them more.

But as time went on, they wanted to let her be as she was in a lot more pain, and nurses had to be more involved with her anyway.

So Abby and David had been waiting there the entire time in the waiting room now, bless their hearts.

Olivia had heard stories of 20 plus hours of twin labor, and stories of _two_ hours of twin labor. She was going strong at five, at the moment, and she knew she was getting pretty close. She was thankful for that, because she'd rather _not_ do this for twenty hours.

Because she was also a bit annoyed, and she tried her hardest not to take it out on anyone.

She did fail once.

Fitz was trying to adjust one of her monitors and kept asking if it hurt. If she was okay. If she needed anything.

"Fitz, I'm fine. I'm fine. Just—just stop asking questions for a second. Okay?" she asked, closing her eyes and continuing to breathe the best she could.

"Okay. Okay. I'm sorry," he said immediately, backing off.

She internally groaned. Nothing was his fault. All he was doing was helping her, and keeping every person he possibly could updated through text. He was the sweetest thing on the planet, but man, everything was so goddamn _annoying_ right now!

"Oh, come back here," she said, reaching her hand out to him again. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm just—agh!" she exclaimed, clutching the side of her bed in pain.

"I'm here. I'm here," he said, letting her grip the hell out of his hand.

"Jesus," she said through gritted teeth.

"Where in the holy hell is Doctor Hill? I've seen the woman _once_ so far. These babies are ready to _come out!"_ she exclaimed.

Probably a bit dramatic.

"Baby, she's here. She's here. She drove in just for us," Fitz assured her, rubbing her arm. "You're not there yet, but you're getting close. We're almost there."

She, of course, already knew everything that he was saying to her. The nurses were very good on updates and told her how everything was progressing. And Doctor Hill had made more than _one_ appearance.

Olivia was just ready to get the show on the road. It was really just not pleasant. And it took her a while for that most recent contraction to subside.

"Okay. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Olivia nodded, continuing to squeeze the hell out of his hand as the pain died down.

"Don't apologize," he said, brushing the hair out of her face. "You're doing amazing. _You're_ amazing."

She smiled, accepting the kiss he placed on her forehead. "I didn't mean...to snap before. I really didn't, I'm sorry."

"I know that, baby," he chuckled, smiling at her. "Remember? You're allowed to do and say what you want."

"Except divorce you," she said with a smile.

"Yes. _Except_ that," he nodded.

She smiled and took another deep breath, laying her head back on the pillow. It was her pillow, that Fitz had brought for her.

"Your parents are almost here. They'll be here soon," he said, giving her an encouraging smile.

"Oh good," she said, nodding at him. "They can...keep Abby and David company."

"Mhm," he nodded, continuing to smooth back her hair. "Abby is ecstatic out there."

"I bet she is," Olivia giggled. "Any news from anyone else?"

"Well, I think Abby has gotten a hold of or at least sent a text to all your friends. And Cyrus and James got back to me. They're extremely excited and told me to let them know when the best time to visit was."

Olivia smiled. "They're up early on a Saturday."

"Mhm. Probably early morning walks, I think James likes doing those. All my buddies on the other hand, probably won't be up for at least two hours. Maybe Brett and Matt soon, depending on when their children decide to wake up the houses," he chuckled.

"Right, right. We're going to be able to relate to that soon," she said, smiling.

" _Really_ soon," he said, leaning in close to her with a smile.

And he was right.

Because two hours after that, it was just about time.

Those two hours were a _whirlwind_ of activity.

Her parents had shown up, able to peek in and say hello. But not able to stay long because it was becoming more chaotic by the minute.

They wanted to give her and Fitz their time, too. This was their day. The day they became parents.

She was eventually given an epidural for pain relief, because it was highly recommended for women having multiples.

She actually had wished to do it all naturally, but they had recommended that this was best with twins.

So she held off for as long as they told her it was okay to do so, before she was given the epidural. It was a lower dose epidural, at least, so she still felt as though she had control over her body. But it did give her a significant amount of relief, too, and she had to admit, it was nice.

What she still felt a lot of, was pressure. And that was still not the best feeling in the world.

But it was beneficial, because she still knew when it was time. When the contractions got bad, even though she couldn't feel them to the extent that she'd been able to before. When she was fully dilated.

And when it was time to push.

Doctor Hill was right there, telling her everything she needed to do. Fitz was right there too, holding onto her hand and supporting her as best he could. And it felt like nurses were _everywhere._

Both baby A and baby B, as the delivery team referred to them as, were head down, which was the best scenario she could ask for when wanting to give birth vaginally.

Everything was set. Everything was in place.

And just after sunrise on December 4th, she was told to start pushing.

In the moment, she couldn't concentrate on anything but the pressure she felt, and tried to relieve, by pushing.

Loud voices in the room, encouraging her. Her husband's hand in hers. Both of them _shaking._

The pain she still felt, but the motivation she felt, too, to keep going.

The things she started to feel. The progress she knew she was making.

The look on Doctor Hill's face when she was just about on her last push. Her lips forming the words "one more, Olivia. One more."

She couldn't even hear the words. All she heard was Fitz, talking to her as he knelt beside her. And all she wanted, was to meet little baby A.

So with all her might, she pushed once more, and she made it a damn good one.

And that's when the world around her seemed to turn back on.

Because she heard the first cry.

And as soon as she heard her child cry for the first time, _she_ wanted to cry.

Fitz's eyes widened as he saw his child in the Doctor's arms.

He looked the baby over, and tears immediately welled in his eyes.

He now had a son.

"It's a boy. Baby, it's a boy," he said, looking to Olivia immediately with teary eyes.

Olivia smiled and nodded back at him, accepting the kiss he planted on her lips. She had known. She had known she was going to have a little Fitz.

The doctor asked if he wanted to cut the cord, which immediately had him nodding in response. He reluctantly let go of his wife's hand to do it.

Tears streamed down his face as he cut the cord, and their little boy cried and _cried._

"Is he okay? Is he okay?" Olivia asked, wiping the tears from her cheeks as she watched nurses take him to the other side of the room to do their assessments of him and clean him off.

"He's perfect," Fitz nodded, taking her hand again.

"Just some routine assessments before it's time to push again," Doctor Hill said with a smile.

Olivia nodded, just wanting to see more than just a _glimpse_ of her son, which was all she'd seen so far. But she could already feel that the other baby was close.

Fitz was holding her hand next to her, and brushing the hair out of her face again. "You're almost there, baby. You're almost there," he whispered.

"Almost there," she whispered back with a sniffle. "We have a son. Our baby boy."

"Our baby boy," he nodded in agreement, a tear rolling down his cheek.

They both looked back and forth between each other and the other end of the room, where their son was being cleaned up and checked.

And they only had a few minutes to cherish the feeling of having a newborn, because seven minutes later, she was going through it all over again.

The pressure, the pain, the chaos and words of encouragement in the room. But it was easier the second time around.

It went quicker, and she was so ready for her second child to enter the world. So ready to meet both of them _officially._

That last big push was one of the hardest things she thought she'd ever done. Her body was so tired, and so were her eyes. She didn't have a full night's sleep under her belt, and this was hands down the most demanding thing she'd ever gone through.

And after that last big push, another life had entered the world, and another cry was audible.

Fitz squeezed her hand, and despite how tired she was, she lifted herself up as much as she could to see her baby. Baby B.

Doctor Hill lifted the baby up with a smile, and Olivia saw.

And so did Fitz. They saw their baby girl.

And then her tears started right back up again.

"A girl," Olivia whispered, clutching his hand.

"Baby girl," Fitz said, his lip quivering.

He cut the cord again, and underwent the same process that her twin brother had gone through. She was taken to the other side of the room.

Olivia wasn't quite done with labor, as she had the afterbirth to deal with. But as soon as humanly possible, as soon as she was done and _free,_ her baby boy was placed in her outstretched arms.

She'd barely been given a chance to just breathe after the hours she'd been through, but she didn't care. All she wanted was to hold her babies.

Their little girl was still getting checked out, and was _also_ crying her little heart out.

They encouraged skin-to-skin contact as soon as possible, so their little boy was eagerly given to her.

"Oh my god," she sniffled, holding him tightly to her chest. He had calmed down a bit in the minutes that had passed as his twin sister was born, after his initial loud fussing. But now, as he snuggled up to his mother, he calmed completely.

"Baby," Olivia said, looking at Fitz with tears streaming down her cheeks.

He kneeled by her and leaned his head against her arm, looking over their beautiful son.

And as soon as possible, their daughter, all swaddled in her blanket, was placed on the other side of Olivia's chest and under the neck of her gown.

Both babies, as healthy as could be. Scoring a 9 on the Apgar test, done as soon as they were born.

The crying had stopped. Well, the _babies'_ crying had stopped.

Olivia and Fitz on the other hand—bawling.

"They're so beautiful," Fitz said, wiping his face and sniffling. The tears flowed from his eyes freely, and his lip quivered.

Olivia nodded, adjusting their baby boy's little knitted-hat a bit. She couldn't stop her tears either. "They're perfect."

They were gorgeous. Light brown skin, with a pinkish tone. Both with tufts of dark, curly hair and a _lot_ of it it, underneath their little hats.

Their little nose and lips, so perfect, and their little eyes still closed.

Both of them really small. Healthy, but very small.

From that day on, their lives were forever changed. And as they looked at each other, tears in Olivia's eyes, and Fitz leaning against her arm and sniffling, they both knew it.

They hadn't even said their twins' names out loud yet. But they'd had a plan since the early stages of her pregnancy. They'd had a plan no matter what genders they were.

And finally, on December 4th, 2021, the world met the Grant twins.

Born at 8:06 am, 6 lbs and 2 oz;

Thomas Elijah Grant.

And born at 8:13 am, 5 lbs and 12 oz;

Eleanor Maya Grant.

* * *

The couple hours after the birth allowed Olivia some time to recover after all of that, and after she got some stitches. It was in that time, that Fitz held his children for the first time.

He took his shirt off and everything, placing them comfortably on his chest while momma got some attending to. The nurses helped him, and showed him the effectiveness of skin-to-skin contact, whether with mom or with dad. So he learned some things, and soon after, Olivia did too.

How to correctly swaddle their babies, how to help them latch when she wanted to feed, how to properly position them, _everything._

She was able to get both of them to eat a little bit. It was only a little bit, but she was just glad they were able to latch right away, because that was certainly not always the case.

And then they got their first baths, and slept more.

The footprints had been done well before now, and Olivia and Fitz looked at them with a smile. The adorable little prints on the paper in front of them.

And finally, _finally,_ they were able to have some visitors. Olivia was very tired. But at the same time, she couldn't sleep right now. The joy she felt was overwhelming, and she had a feeling every mother she knew, knew what she felt right now. And she was excited for her friends and family to meet the two beautiful babies that were giving her this joy.

Fitz reluctantly laid his daughter back down on Olivia's chest, put on a shirt, and went to find those of their family and friends in the waiting room so they could come in.

Olivia just laid comfortably, both babies on her chest, until her husband came back.

"Are they coming?" Olivia asked, noticing that he was still alone.

He nodded. "Yep. They'll be in in a minute. They have to check into this wing first. Put on hand sanitizer, all that."

Olivia nodded, and he reached down to grab his daughter again. She was much more accessible since their little boy was completely snuggled up under his mom's shirt.

Fitz chuckled quietly. "You know what Thomas is."

"What?" Olivia asked with a smile.

"A little momma's boy. I already know it."

"Mmmhm," Olivia nodded proudly, gently patting his little head. "Just like his daddy was."

He nodded back, looking to his daughter now. "And you're daddy's girl, aren't you. Aren't you, pretty baby."

Olivia smiled, looking at the sweet baby girl snuggled up to her husband's chest.

"She is. I already know it," Olivia said, mimicking what he'd said.

He smiled and leaned his head ever so gently against hers, before closing his eyes and pressing a kiss to her little forehead.

"Okay. Let me kiss her now. She's so kissable," Olivia said.

Fitz chuckled and leaned in gently so Olivia could kiss her temple.

Fitz took the opportunity to then walk around to the other side and give his little boy a kiss too. So many kisses to be had.

Their little moment was interrupted by a knock at the door, followed by red hair peeking through.

"Come on in," Olivia said with a smile.

"Holy...oh my god," Abby said, just about shutting the door again to regain her bearings after what she saw. "Holy crap those are adorable."

Olivia and Fitz heard shushed laughter outside the door and then looked at each other. Olivia was confused, but Fitz smiled.

"How many people are out there?" Olivia asked with a laugh.

"Well..." Fitz said, wincing a little bit. "Abby."

The door finally opened again, but this time, fully. Abby was bawling.

But behind Abby, was a group of about _15_ people.

All their friends, and close family from the looks of it.

Olivia's jaw dropped as she saw everyone.

Her parents. Her grandma Michelle. Abby and David. Teagan and Huck. Charlie and Quinn. Harrison and Macy. Dillon. And Logan and Aliyah.

"Oh my goodness!" Olivia exclaimed quietly. "You're…you're all here?!"

She was so surprised, and so smiley because of it.

"We don't mean to be overwhelming, even though with our group I think it's impossible not to be. But…we just...wanted to show you guys we were here for you. Ready to meet the two new members of the squad," Harrison said, smiling at them.

"Yeah. We can...we can take turns. We don't all...have to be in here...at once. Just tell us...what to do...your rules. Oh my god—they're so adorable," Abby cried quietly, looking at the two little babies from the doorway.

Olivia and Fitz laughed quietly, and Olivia shook her head.

"No way. We're so grateful you're all here for us. Please...stay, everyone. Come and meet them," Olivia said, looking down at her son on her chest and her daughter one Fitz's, and feeling the urge to cry again as everyone slowly and quietly flooded into the room.

Damn, this motherhood thing was emotional.

Her mom and grandma were standing closest to her side of the bed now, looking at their grandchildren. For her grandma Michelle, her _great_ -grandchildren!

They were both crying, looking at them like they were the most beautiful things they'd ever seen. Olivia and Fitz certainly thought that.

And then there was Eli.

He was looking, almost in awe, at the two babies he saw. The smile that went with that look of awe, was priceless.

"Everyone...meet Thomas, and Eleanor," Olivia said, shifting Thomas a little bit so that his face could be seen.

"Thomas and Eleanor. Perfect names," Teagan said with a smile, to which everyone nodded in agreement.

"We're going to call her Elle," Fitz said proudly, rocking his daughter slightly in his arms.

"Like your mama," Logan said quietly with a smile.

Fitz nodded and smiled, looking back down at Elle. "Yeah. Just like her."

"My goodness. They're so beautiful, you two," Maya said, sniffling. She wiped her eyes with the tissue she had in her hand.

"Mom, dad. Do you want to hold them?" Olivia asked.

They both stepped forward without hesitation and nodded. Fitz immediately handed Elle over to Maya, since she was closest to him at the moment.

They made eye contact as he handed her over.

"Her name...is Eleanor _Maya,"_ he said, smiling at his mother-in-law.

Maya looked at him in awe, taking her granddaughter in her arms and looking between Fitz and Olivia as if for confirmation.

Olivia smiled and nodded too.

Maya's lip started to quiver as she looked over her granddaughter. "Eleanor...Maya," she whispered, holding her tightly to her chest. "My lord. I'm so...I'm so honored. Thank you. Thank you."

They nodded, and as Olivia got Thomas situated, she thought she'd spill the news to her dad now.

"And this...is Thomas _Elijah_ ," she said.

The tears had already been prominent in her dad's eyes before. But now, with that knowledge, the tears came out.

It had been a long time since she'd seen her dad cry. The way he looked at his grandson was enough to make them all cry. If—they weren't already.

"Thomas Elijah. He's such a…such a handsome fella, isn't he," Eli said, sniffling and smiling at them.

"So handsome," Michelle agreed, smiling down at the baby boy.

"Well okay. Someone cutting onions up in here or what?" Logan asked quietly, sniffling and wiping his face.

"For real..." Charlie said, wiping his face on his shoulder and trying to be discreet.

He wasn't.

"Babe, are you crying?" Quinn asked in a whisper, as _she_ was crying too.

"No!" he exclaimed in a whisper. "You're…you're crying too!"

"Well—I've been crying for like seven hours now, so," Abby shrugged, wiping her eyes with her palms. David smiled, hugging his girlfriend tightly.

Olivia smiled and opened her arms for Abby.

Abby smiled back, and paused, before running to her bedside and hugging her best friend, still laying in bed.

"I'm so fucking happy for you guys," Abby whispered.

"Thank you. Thank you for coming. For staying, and being here this long. Thank you, Abby," Olivia murmured into her shoulder.

"Nowhere I'd rather be," Abby sniffled.

"And David," Olivia added, waving him over.

David chuckled and came to give her a hug too.

"So happy for you guys," David said.

"Thank you!"

Olivia looked around at everyone else in the room, and they looked at her. Olivia smiled and waved them over, and they all came to her bedside.

Group hug style.

Fitz stood at the foot of the bed, chuckling at their dysfunctional group hug. Maya, Eli, and Michelle laughed at the side of the room too, Maya and Eli holding their grandbabies tightly.

Then everyone pulled back, and looked at Fitz.

He smiled. "Yeah, I mean I'm only, like, a dad now, or whatever. No big deal, don't mind me."

That resulted in quiet laughter, and the group hug shifting to him.

He laughed, accepting all the love. Olivia giggled from her bed. He deserved it. The man with the red, puffy eyes from crying so much _deserved_ it.

He was already the best father of her children she could ask for.

Eli and Maya switched babies, and then grandma Michelle got her fair share of baby love before everyone else started to, too.

Those little ones had a lot of their parents' friends, wanting to hold them...

And they even had more visitors on the way, or scheduled to come at a different time. Fitz's friends, Sandra and Stephen, Olivia's grandma Gina and grandpa Will, and more. It was safe to say these babies had a lot of people that were eager to see them, and that already loved them.

Everyone in the room that morning didn't stay too long, not wanting to overcrowd the room or be too loud. So gradually people dispersed, and let the family have some well-deserved privacy.

Huck and Teagan were some of the last friends left in the room. They had been up next, after Abby had had her fair share of baby love. The woman still hadn't stopped crying.

"I don't want to be the girl with the camera in your face. But _if_ you want, I could take a few pictures for you guys," Teagan whispered, smiling at the sweet baby boy she held in her arms.

Fitz and Olivia's eyes lit up, and they nodded.

"Oh, Teagan, that would be great, if you wouldn't mind," Olivia said. "We've only been able to take a few, it's been so busy and we've kind of…had our hands full."

"Literally," Fitz chuckled.

"Yes, of course! I figured I should at least ask," she nodded, handing Thomas back to his dad.

"Hi little man. Hi buddy," Fitz whispered, kissing his cheek and cradling him in his arms again.

"She's beautiful," Huck noted, looking down at Elle, gracefully sleeping in his arms.

"Isn't she?" Olivia asked, smiling at them.

He smiled and nodded, and gave her back to Olivia so that Teagan could get some pictures.

Teagan, as usual, had all the ideas. Even for an informal, last-minute little photoshoot. She was a natural.

So they got a good amount of pictures, thanks to her. She just took them on her iPhone. But the camera quality was great, and she was a great photographer in general, so there were no complaints.

She assured them she could do a real photoshoot too, with her nice camera at another time.

They happily agreed to the idea.

It was a big day, and by the end of it, they were all tired. Mom, dad, and babies.

But what a day it had been.

Their family had grown from a family of three, including their fluffy girl, to _five._

Because on that day, December 4th, the world gained two beautiful lives.

The Grant twins.

* * *

Awww.

I can't believe we finally made it here.

I hope you enjoyed. It was probably one of my favorite chapters I've ever written.

All the love from mom and dad, and of course, from all their sweet friends and family.

Thank you all for your continued support.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	104. The New Normal

Fitz gently fastened the diaper straps underneath his daughter's belly button, making sure to keep her umbilical cord stump uncovered.

She was wiggling underneath his soft grip, because she hated being changed and getting dressed, or undressed. As did her brother. Not big fans of that. He was surprised she'd made it this long without a peep.

But then her mouth began to tremble, and he could see the cry was about to come out.

"It's okay, it's okay, baby. Don't cry. I know you don't like it. I know, I know, I'm sorry," he said, moving as quickly and as gently as he could.

She cried while he grabbed the jar of baby balm that they rubbed into their babies' skin every night. Their newborn skin was extremely sensitive, and the balm helped moisturize it. And oddly enough, they both didn't mind that part of the bedtime routine as much. It still wasn't their favorite, but they both calmed a little. He supposed it was more relaxing than having your diaper and clothes changed. Who knew.

She only fussed a little bit as he rubbed the thick moisturizer into her soft skin. "Ohhh that feel good, baby?" he asked, smiling down at her.

Her calmness went away, however, as soon as he stopped, and had to put on her warm footie pajamas. The pair from Eli and Maya, which were white with little silver stars all over. He put on the matching hat too, at least for a little while since she and Thomas were about to be fed.

Winter was chilly, and she didn't exactly have much to keep her warm.

She was still tiny. A little bit lighter than she even was when she was born, which normally always happened to babies after their birth. But she'd been slowly regaining the weight she lost in her first few days of life.

The twins were almost a week old now, and had been home from their three-day stay at the hospital since Tuesday.

And even in that short amount of time, they'd had many visitors, some of which had visited at the hospital already, too.

The most important visits, where when Cyrus and James came, and when Abby and David came a second time. Because at those visits, Cyrus and Abby were both asked a very important question. And they both answered with the same, happy answer.

They were now the godparents of little Thomas Elijah.

Elle, on the other hand, already had godparents. They just didn't know, that they were the godparents yet.

Michaela, Olivia's cousin who had only grown closer to her over the years, was one. She would be asked of the honor over Christmas. And Brett, who would be asked as soon as he and his family flew to visit from Pennsylvania.

The twins wouldn't likely be baptized for over a month, but they did plan to have a chat with pastor Joel over Christmas. It only seemed fitting, that he be the one to baptize their children. He'd baptized Olivia as a baby too, and married the couple over a year ago.

Olivia and Fitz were happy with the great godparents the twins both had, who would stand with them during their baptism.

He tried to hurry up as he buttoned Elle's tiny little pajamas.

She was still wearing preemie clothes, and likely would be for a little while longer. She wasn't necessarily a preemie in regards to being a twin. She and Thomas had been born at exactly 39 weeks, and that was _later_ for a twin birth. But that didn't change the fact that she was absolutely tiny.

Thomas wore regular newborn clothes, but he was still quite small as well.

And despite their slight difference in size, they were _extremely_ similar. They were twins, so that could have been predicted, but they did wonder if the similarities would show this early on in life. And they really did.

They virtually liked, and _disliked_ , all of the same things. They had extremely similar physical features, which was not necessarily the case for every set of fraternal twins, whether the same sex or not. And they stuck to the same exact schedule, which was very helpful for their parents.

But most importantly, babies and mom were doing _very_ well.

There was a lot more going on in the Grant household than normal. Although, this _was_ the new normal now.

The three-hour schedule that they'd been on in the hospital, had continued at home too.

Babies were ready to eat every three hours or so, and it was _essential_ for them, especially given that they were so little.

Olivia was either breastfeeding, or pumping many times during the day. She'd only started to pump a couple days ago, simply because the doctor gave her the okay to do so. It was new to her and definitely something that took a little practice. But it was nice, because it gave her the opportunity to sleep at least a little more at night, since Fitz could bottle feed them.

Even though every time she'd gotten up to breastfeed them so far, Fitz was usually up in some form with her anyway. He tended to wake up when she got up to do it, just because the twins slept in their room at this point.

Their beautiful nursery wouldn't be _fully_ used for at least six months. The changing table was in there and so were a lot of the twins' things, but they had a twin bassinet sleeper in their bedroom on Olivia's side of the bed, so that's where the little ones slept as of now.

The twin bassinet sleeper had been given to them by her parents at her baby shower, and they made sure to get a lot of use out of it.

He quickly fastened the _last_ button on the side of his daughter's pajama leg, and picked her up, all while Thomas laid in his crib during it all. At least the cribs were getting some temporary use!

Fitz was on double baby duty at the moment and he only had two hands, so he had to do a little switcheroo.

"Okay, okay. See, we're done. Changing's all done," he said, pressing a kiss to the side of Elle's head.

It didn't take long for her to calm again. She and her brother were normally pretty laid back and they didn't cry _all_ that much. When they were really hungry, and when they were being changed. So far, that was about the extent of their crying. Well, _and_ bath time, but they'd only had two bath times so far. Maybe they'd get better with it.

Fitz laid Elle down in her crib and went over to Thomas's crib, seeing him look all around him. He was wiggling his little arms and feet as he laid there.

"Well you're just a bundle of energy tonight aren't you," Fitz chuckled, leaning down to pick him up. "Your turn. Let's get you a fresh diaper and some warm jammies, huh?"

He laid Thomas down and undid his onesie and diaper.

One thing that had also been taking over their lives aside from feedings was...poop color. So many different colors and meanings, and _very_ important!

Fitz was pleased with both babies and the color of their diapers after that changing.

And like his sister, Thomas didn't even start crying until Fitz was done changing his diaper, and rubbing the baby balm into his skin. _Then_ the waterworks started.

"Oh, you were doing so good! I know, I know. We're almost there, buddy," he said, putting a pair of footie pajamas on him as well. Also from his grandparents, a navy blue fuzzy pair with a hat to go with.

He disposed of the wrapped-up diapers and wipes in the diaper genie, rubbed hand sanitizer on his hands, and then gently picked up Thomas, followed by Elle from her crib.

They both looked around as he walked the short distance to his and Olivia's bedroom. He smiled down at them, holding them gently on each side of his body.

"Livvie," he called out, as he entered their room.

"I'm almost done," she answered from the bathroom.

Arie perked up from her current spot, laying on the floor by the bed.

Fitz smiled down at their dog. "Oh I know. You know the babies are here, don't you."

She wagged her tail, looking at the cute little bundles of warmth in his arms as he laid them gently on the bed.

Arie got up and sniffed, sitting right by their bassinet and looking at them on the bed.

Fitz climbed in bed, chuckling at Arie.

They had never seen her like this before. The _protectiveness_.

They often joked about how Arie wouldn't like the babies stealing all the attention she normally got, but it was _nothing_ like that.

She still loved her attention, that was for sure, but she was so curious about the babies. She undoubtedly loved the baby smell because her nose was always working when she was around them. And she just watched them sometimes, which was hilariously adorable. She was normally all over the place, so to see her sit still and just look at the little humans was definitely new.

And she rarely wanted to go to her room at night. Often times before the babies had been born, if she hadn't gone on her own when she got tired, they'd tell her to go "night night" or to go to her room, and she'd go right away.

But since they'd been home from the hospital she'd slept on the floor by the bassinet in the same spot _every_ night. Like she was watching over them, _protecting_ them.

And they let her.

German Shepherds could be friendly, family-oriented dogs who loved kids. This, they knew, and it was a reason they got a shepherd. But they could also be very protective dogs. And it was clear that Arie was showing both of those things.

So Fitz chuckled at Arie, resting her chin on the mattress a few feet away from where her human baby siblings were laying and wiggling around. She sighed contently, just watching them.

"You are so funny, baby girl."

"Talking to me?" Olivia asked, shutting off the bathroom light and walking to the bed. "Or one of your two other baby girls?"

He smiled. "I was talking to my fluffy baby girl, actually, but you're funny too."

She laughed and eyed Arie, watching over the babies. "She _is_ funny. I still can't believe how she's taken to them. I've never seen anything like it."

"Me neither," Fitz agreed. "We're all ready for bed, momma."

"Oh, are we now?" Olivia asked, smiling down at her babies as she gently climbed in bed.

"We are. Poop colors all good, too, that's cause for celebration," Fitz nodded.

Olivia gasped, wiggling Thomas's little hand. "Woohoo! That's what we like, yes it is!"

" _And_ we still hate getting changed and dressed, but we'll get there," Fitz added, adjusting Elle's hat.

"Oh yes, we do hate that," Olivia nodded. "But we love to eat, don't we. Oh yes, that's something we like, isn't it. Let's do that."

Fitz smiled, leaning down to kiss them both on their foreheads. "I'll be back, I'm going to let Arie out one last time and get ready for bed quick."

"Okay, baby," Olivia nodded, grabbing her nursing pillow from her nightstand.

"Come on, Arie. Let's go. You can come protect your little humans after you go potty."

Her ears perked up at "go potty" and she looked at Fitz questioningly.

"Yep, come on. Let's go outside, go potty," he nodded, patting his leg.

She excitedly turned around and trotted after him.

Olivia got her pillow situated around her stomach as she sat cross-legged on the bed, and eased both babies up on each side so their heads were supported.

After pulling down the big neck of her sleep shirt, and a little encouragement, they both latched on without a problem.

Fitz and Arie came back not too long after, and she and the babies were swarmed with attention again.

Arie laid on the floor right by the bassinet, her normal spot these days, and Fitz laid down right next to Olivia after he'd gotten ready for bed.

He was tired, she could tell. He'd been up almost as often as she'd been, and he'd been having to take care of things at work all while developing this new routine with newborn twins at home.

Olivia at least had the luxury of no work at the moment. Fitz had taken the spring semester off, so that he could be at home with Olivia and the babies. He certainly didn't need to be working, and Olivia wasn't going back to work for quite a while either, so it made sense for them. They'd tag-team it for a while, and they were both happy with that.

But right now, Olivia was on her own when Fitz had to go into work. He couldn't help it right now, as it was the end of the semester and that was one of the busiest times for him with finals, and grading.

Next week was the last week of the semester, so after that, Fitz would be home, and things would be easier. And at least it was the weekend now _,_ so hopefully, they'd both tag team it and be a little less tired. _Hopefully._

 _She_ was certainly tired right now, that was for sure. But she had to feed them now, and then pump before she went to sleep, and Fitz would bottle feed them late that night.

He laid there beside her as she fed them, holding out his hand to Thomas, who was closest to him. Thomas' little fingers were currently gripping Fitz's index finger. He had a habit of doing it, which was pretty adorable. His eyes were closed, but he made sure to let his son grip his finger.

"Go to sleep, baby," Olivia whispered, moving her hand from Thomas' hat to her husband's curly head.

" _Me_ baby or...one of _our_ babies?" Fitz murmured, not moving an inch.

" _You_ baby," she said with a laugh. "The bottles are in the fridge for you like normal."

"Okay," he whispered, still looking dead to the world. "My phone alarm's already set."

"I know it is," Olivia nodded. "I think you set your alarms every _morning."_

"I like to be...prepared," he shrugged, his words muddled against the comforter.

"I know," she said, smiling down at him. "You sleep. I've got bedtime shift."

He nodded against his pillow, getting comfortable, but refusing to take his hand away from Thomas.

And that's how he fell asleep.

Olivia waited until the twins' eyes started to get heavy, and their soft little swallows became less and less frequent, to gently pull them away so she could burp them.

After laying them gently on the bed in front of her and putting her pillow away, she grabbed a clean burp cloth from the basket of essentials they'd developed on each of their nightstands, and sat Elle up on her lap.

She burped Elle, then swaddled her and laid her down in her side of the bassinet.

She had to finally pull Thomas' hand away from Fitz's, which was almost heartbreaking. He had a strong grip, that much they'd already noticed. How he could hold on through moving around and shifting positions, she didn't know, but he was able to.

After going through the same process with her baby boy, she laid him down in the other side of the bassinet.

And now, she had about an hour to kill before she needed to pump, so she settled in bed and grabbed her phone so she could check it.

She saw that Teagan had sent her an email with attached photos she wanted to look at. Teagan had taken a few pictures the day before, for the birth announcements they were going to send out to friends and family. She'd seen the original versions already, just not the edited ones that she assumed Teagan had just sent.

Olivia was about to open the email, but she saw a text from David that caught her eye.

 **David: Hey, Liv. I need your help with something. Something BIG. I know you're crazy busy these days (LOL!) but you're the only person who I trust with this, so I hope I'm asking far enough in advance for you to squeeze an hour out of your schedule sometime before February.**

She instantly smiled. _Something big?_ That sounded like _fantastic_ news.

She happily texted David back.

 **Olivia: Of course! May I ask what this "something big" entails? :)**

Not even a minute later, the floating dots appeared, letting her know he was responding.

 **David: Well, it's probably the biggest thing I'll ever do in my life. I'm scared as hell. And it involves your best friend.**

Her smile got bigger, because she knew. She knew, and she couldn't contain her happiness.

 **Olivia: Yes...Go on...**

He started typing again.

 **David: I'm gonna ask Abby to marry me.**

Olivia opened her mouth wide happily and started pumping her fist in the air excitedly. All while everyone else slept around her.

 **Olivia: YAY! I am so excited right now and I would probably scream in Abby's honor, but my husband and babies are sleeping right next to me, lol! That's amazing, David. Of course I will help you out! You need ring opinions?**

 **David: Lol. Well you can tell Fitz when he wakes up, I won't make you keep it from him. And yes, ring opinions would be awesome. I already know I want to do it outside the Sterling Law Building, where we first met. I'm going to talk to her parents about it over Christmas.**

 **Olivia: Aww, that's perfect! She will love that. Is anyone else going to know?**

 **David: Well, I was going to ask you about that. I really want Teagan to be able to take pictures when I do it. She'd have to hide or something. It would be hard, but she's just such a good photographer and you know Abby likes that kind of thing. But if Teagan knows, Huck will know. You and Fitz will already know. I'd feel bad keeping it from the rest of them when you 4 get to know.**

 **Olivia: It's up to you. They'll obviously understand if you choose not to tell them, this is pretty important to you. But if you do choose to let them in on it, you know everyone will keep their mouths shut about it. Our friend group's had to keep its fair share of secrets before...lol.**

 **David: Haha! That's true. you and the sleepy professor next to you.**

Olivia smiled, looking down at her sleeping husband.

 **Olivia: Yep. And either way, you know she wants to spend the rest of her life with you. She's only told me a bazillion times:) I'm so happy for you!**

 **David: Thanks Liv! I'll keep you posted, and we can figure out a time that works best for you since...oh yeah, you're a MOM and shit.**

 **Olivia: I'm totally a mom and shit. It's awesome.**

 **David: I bet. I'll let you get back to your mom duties. Thanks for helping me! Have a good night, Liv.**

 **Olivia: No problem, David, you too!**

Well, _now_ she was more awake. The excitement helped with that. She knew Abby had done the same thing for her, helped Fitz out before he proposed. She couldn't wait to return the favor.

Abby had wanted to marry David since about the first month they started dating, so she could already envision her best friend's excitement.

Thoughts of another wedding with all their crazy friends kept her company before she had to pump one last time, go refrigerate the expressed bottles and wash out some of the pump parts.

And after yet another long, but now very exciting day, she passed out in minutes, with her family on either side of her.

* * *

Fitz woke up immediately to the sound of his alarm, and quickly reached over to tap his phone screen in hopes he would turn it off fast enough.

The sound stopped and he peeked over at Olivia, to see her absolutely passed out next to him. Her mouth was slightly open, she was taking up way more space than her tiny frame actually needed, and her hand was death gripping his wrist at the moment. He chuckled internally. Good. She needed the rest.

He gently pried her hand off of his wrist, leaning over to give her cheek a light kiss.

Rubbing his eyes sleepily, he sat up and swung his legs off the edge of the bed. And he smiled. Time for his little ones to eat.

Thomas was already stirring a bit in the bassinet, he could see him. He probably wasn't fully awake, but they were both normally pretty ready to eat at every three-hour interval.

Although at the moment, Elle still appeared sound asleep.

Fitz got up and grabbed his little swaddled, bundles of warmth and left the bedroom so he wouldn't wake up Olivia while he fed them.

His favorite spot to feed them was in the nursery, on their newborn lounger pillows.

They loved those pillows, and Fitz had to admit, they looked damn comfortable. He unwrapped their blankets a little bit and let them wake up a bit while he grabbed the bottles out of the mini-fridge they kept in the nursery specifically for milk.

They really had it all set up in that nursery. The mini-fridge, the bottle warmer, the lounger pillows. It was really just more convenient for mom and dad, but, hey, it was a newborn's dream room, too.

The bottle warmer only took about three minutes to warm up the milk to about a lukewarm temperature. At this point in life, they were only having about two ounces at most per feeding, so it wasn't that much. To them it was, because their little stomachs were so small.

During that time, he sat in front of them on their pillows, talking to them as they woke up. Elle started to stir a little bit, but Thomas was wide awake now. His big eyes, that _so_ resembled his momma's, were looking all over the place. He was a curious little one, as was his sister. She was just a little sleepier at the moment.

He grabbed Elle's little hand out of the bundle of blanket and rubbed her soft fingers, pressing kisses to her forehead.

"Come on, Elle. You gotta eat," he whispered. "You gotta gain some more weight, pretty baby. You can't be my tiny baby girl forever."

He shook his head, chuckling. "Nevermind. _Of course_ you can. Take your time growing up, but you _do_ need to eat."

She stirred more and more at the sound of his voice, and the sound of him grabbing the perfectly warmed bottles for them.

He sat on the ground with his knees bent, and prodded both of their mouths with the nipples of the bottles.

Thomas eagerly took it right away, and Elle took a little longer. But the encouragement with the bottle helped her realize it was time to eat, and she took it.

This feeding around eleven was always a longer one for the both of them. They were sleepier and it took them longer to eat.

But they both did finish their bottles after almost forty minutes, and Elle was about falling asleep with the bottle in her mouth by the end.

Thankfully, that made her quick diaper change a lot easier and less painful for Fitz.

Thomas, on the other hand, still fussed a bit.

But by almost midnight, they were all in bed again, after lots more goodnight kisses from Fitz.

Babies, on their backs in their bassinet, and Fitz, almost unbearably close to Olivia, who had not moved a single muscle in the span of time he and the babies had been gone.

Yet another win for dad.

* * *

Olivia had a couple wins herself, getting up to feed them too.

Her last one of the sleepier hour feedings was at five, which Fitz partially woke up for as well.

As soon as they were both conscious, she made sure to tell him right away the exciting news that David had shared with her via text the night before. He was almost as excited as she had been.

 _Almost_. And also, a bit sleepier than she had been when she received the news, so that was fair.

All of them were still in and out of sleep until after eight, when the twins had been fed again.

Then, they were all up for good. Well, the twins would be asleep again at some point in the near future, but at that point, they were fairly awake.

Olivia got them all changed and dressed, and ready for the day while Fitz took Arie out and then made him and Olivia breakfast.

He made her favorite. Scrambled eggs, pancakes, and bacon too.

She felt like all she did these days was drink _gallons and gallons_ of water and eat all the time, because she was breastfeeding. So she could put a big breakfast away with zero issues.

She swore she almost ate more than Fitz did somedays, which was saying a lot, because the man could eat more than anyone she knew.

But he was glad to make her big meals whenever he had the chance.

"That's right. Big breakfast for momma. Thomas and Elle already had their big breakfasts. Going strong today. Aren't we?" Fitz asked, leaning down by the twins in their floor chairs that they kept in the kitchen.

The size was able to range from newborns to toddlers, so when the babies got older, they could actually utilize some of the other functions the chairs had. Anywhere from light bouncing, to rocking, to vibrating, and they had toys dangling from the top bar, too. Right now, they were best used as a way for them to be comfortable in somewhere like the kitchen, when mom and dad were busy cooking or eating.

Fitz smiled at them, giving them both multiple kisses as they sat there looking up at them.

Olivia smiled at their interaction. They both closed their eyes every time their dad gave them a kiss on their face. Olivia was sure she could watch that all day. Even though they started dozing off for most of their kitchen time.

Arie laid close by, of course, still making sure she could keep a protective eye on them.

But, they had other things of importance going on that day.

They all went up to the exercise room. Babies and Arie included.

Fitz was all changed in his running clothes, since it was absolutely freezing outside currently. He got to work out inside. Olivia was just jealous he got to work out at all.

She couldn't wait to get back into a nice rhythm, and hopefully get her pre-baby body back.

She had lost a ton of weight since she'd had the twins, but her postpartum body was a lot different than her body both _before_ , and _during_ pregnancy.

At least now, the heavy bleeding she'd been experiencing after birth had lightened significantly, which was good. She still had some pain, but her stitches were healing, which was also good.

There were a lot of things she was still going through, and even _learning_ at this point about her postpartum body. This was still all new to her as a first-time mom. But she'd never felt as happy as she did now.

Sleep-deprived, fatigued, and a little achy. There was no denying any of those aspects of recently having newborns. But for the most part, she couldn't explain how happy she was.

Except for the no working out yet part. That still was unfortunate. Some doctors recommended waiting six weeks before getting into a workout routine again. Her doctor had told her that while six weeks was a safe bet, since she had no complications with delivery, that she may be able to start sooner than that. She should just wait until she felt _fully_ able to do it, and even at that point, to start out extremely light.

And she could admit, she was nowhere near ready. Not yet. But she was confident she could start before the six-week mark.

But for now, she, her Arie girl, and the twins, were going to spend some quality time with dad while he did his workout.

Fitz carried Elle up the stairs to the workout room, with Olivia and Thomas right behind and Arie trailing them because she was curious.

"You gonna come hang out with dad, baby girl? Yeah?" he asked, holding onto Elle's hand with his free one as he carried her.

"Not just hang out...they've got some exercise to do too," Olivia nodded, smiling down at her son in her arms.

"Ohhh yes. We know what time it is. It's tummy time!" Fitz exclaimed, moving back and forth in a little dance in the exercise room.

"Tummy time!" Olivia added, bring Thomas gently down to the floor.

She laid a soft blanket down on the ground, and eased him into it while Fitz laid Elle down on her stomach gently, too.

"Let's build those neck muscles. Let's build 'em up!" Fitz exclaimed, kneeling down by them.

At this point in life, they had virtually no muscle to lift their heads up, so it was more of an awkward sort of face plant that was somewhat comical.

But they still absolutely _loved_ tummy time, and that was not always the case for newborns.

Arie sniffed around and laid right on the blanket with them, gently prodding Thomas' feet with her snout.

"Arie girl be gentle, okay. I know you just wanna love them but they're _realllly_ fragile," Olivia said, leaning her face down by Arie, who licked her nose.

Olivia scrunched her nose and laughed. "Thank you, baby. Why don't we back up, okay? I know, I know, I'm sorry. You're just a big, fluffy girl!"

"Hey, And very muscular," Fitz added.

"That too. So strong," Olivia agreed, patting Arie's back.

She eased Arie back a little bit, who seemed to get the message. She scooted to the far edge of the blanket and sighed, laying her head on the ground.

"Oh baby girl, don't be sad," Fitz said, looking at Arie. "It's tummy time. I know you love them, but we can't get in the way of tummy time!"

"That's right. One of your favorite times of the day, huh? Isn't that right, you two?" Olivia giggled, smoothing out Thomas' curls as he laid there.

"They take after their momma," Fitz said, doing some warm-up stretches on his yoga matt on the other side of the room.

"Or do they take after their daddy?" Olivia asked, looking at him. "You stomach sleeper, you."

"That's not true. My sleep habits have changed because of you," he replied.

"Like how?" she challenged.

"Like...I used to sleep like shit—I mean, _crap_ , sorry babies. Like _crap_ , every night. Until I started dating you. Now I sleep almost through the night!" he exclaimed. "Well—wait. Okay, not...not anymore. Because we have...newborn twins. But you get what I mean. And I do prefer my stomach, but I sleep in whatever weird position I need to, to be close to you."

She was giggling, watching him stretch while rubbing each baby's back, keeping a close eye on them during their conversation.

"That's true, that's true. Your sleep habits have...conformed."

"Mhm. All thanks to you. I do appreciate your magical power, whatever it is, that helps me sleep better. However, sometimes it _is_ hard to sleep close to you. Like last night—when you were taking up over half the _king-sized_ bed."

She scoffed. "I was not!"

"Baby. You _were_ ," he chuckled. "You were also death gripping my wrist when I woke up at eleven last night. Which I'm not complaining about. But I think our children _also_ get that from you."

She raised an eyebrow. "I don't know, it sure _sounds_ like you're complaining over there, mister...workout man."

"Mister workout man?" he chuckled.

She laughed. "I wanted to say something sexier because you look _really_ good right now. But, like you, I saved the babies from my inappropriate mouth."

"You did better than me. I slipped up. It's really tough when you corrupted my language a while ago, too," he said, looking at her with a smirk.

Now she really scoffed. "Are you gonna quit complaining about me yet?!"

He couldn't help it, and he started laughing as he stopped stretching. He came over to her, coming to the side of the blanket so that he stayed clear of the twins.

He knelt down, leaning close to his wife and smiling at her as he put all his weight on his palms on the floor.

"I love when you take up as much room as you want in bed," he said quietly, leaning in to kiss the tip of her nose. "It makes me have to sleep even closer to you than I normally do."

She smiled, raising an eyebrow at him.

"And I love when you hold onto me," he continued. "And you have to hold on tight. Just in case."

Her smile brightened at what she had said many times to him. Yes, he was right.

"And," he added, leaning even closer. "I _love_ your dirty mouth. You wouldn't be my Olivia without it."

"Mmmhm," she smirked.

"I'm serious. You don't believe me?" he whispered, looking to the side at both the babies, currently wiggling around on their tummies.

"Oh I believe you," she nodded. "You like the dirty mouth and you like the things it does. See...that's part of the magical power that started helping you sleep better."

He smirked at her. "Just that pretty mouth of yours? I think...it's _much_ more than that."

"You're right, it is," she nodded, eyeing the babies. "I just can't say much more in front of our children."

"Mmm," he nodded, leaning in to kiss her. His lips lingered on hers a little bit. "I'm thinking about it now."

"Good. Keep thinking about it," she said, kissing him once more, before turning away from him, knowing full well what she was doing to him.

But she just happily rubbed her babies' backs, as they enjoyed their tummy time.

Fitz sighed, standing up and starting to walk back over to the treadmill.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" she asked with a smile, watching his ass walk away in those short, tight, running shorts.

"Oh nothing," he replied. "I just need a second before I start running."

"Why's that?" she asked.

"Don't even," he chuckled, adjusting his shorts as he stood turned away from her.

"For real?" she giggled.

He sighed, clearing his throat. "Yeah."

"Let me see," she said, eyeing him.

"No!" he chuckled. "I don't need our kids seeing my hard dick—or...dammit. Oh...I mean, _dang it_. Man part. Hard _man part_. I am still getting the hang of this, babies, I'm sorry!"

"As hard as we try to have clean mouths, we both still know our babies do _not_ understand a _word_ we are saying yet, let alone know what your hard... _man part_ means," she giggled. "Look at them. They're laying there happily looking at the _floor_ right now."

He laughed, turning to look at them.

"They're so fricken adorable," he said, shaking his head.

"Nice use of 'fricken'!" she exclaimed. "And nice hard man part!"

"Thanks! Your fault," he said, adjusting himself again, and stepping onto the treadmill.

"I'll accept that blame," she shrugged, adjusting the back of Elle's long-sleeved onesie. "And you two _are_ adorable, yes you are. My little Tommy boy and Ellie girl."

Fitz smiled over at them, starting his run. He waved at the little ones, laying on their stomachs on the floor. They occasionally would look over at him, when their big eyes wandered all around the room.

But eventually, tummy time ended because they went from looking curiously all around the room, to barely being able to keep their eyes open. Which was fair, because they'd been almost awake for almost forty-five minutes straight.

So, Olivia went and changed them, and put them to sleep in their bassinet. Such a busy morning already for the little ones.

Fitz finished up his workout so he could shower, and Olivia went to pump some more while the twins slept peacefully next to her.

And after they ate at eleven, Olivia was going to need a big lunch and a big nap.

Luckily, that was just what Fitz had in mind for her.

A big lunch, and a feeding from dad in the afternoon so mom could get some much-needed sleep.

"Thank you, baby," Olivia murmured, feeling like she could barely even get the sentence out.

"Mhm. Get some rest, Livvie," he said, kissing her forehead.

"You and me...this bed...later," she whispered.

He raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?"

"My hand. Your man part," she murmured.

He held it in as long as he could before he burst into laughter.

"You are so smooth, do you know that?" he chuckled.

"Mmm," she groaned with a laugh. "I'm too tired to be smooth right now."

"Well I appreciate the effort, baby," he said, smoothing the hair out of her face. "So romantic."

"I'm trying my best here," she said quietly with a laugh. "There's only so much a breastfeeding, overtired woman who's...still bleeding, with stitches...can do."

He nodded, looking at her adoringly. "And I admire you for everything that you do. Please do not concern yourself with... _that_ , okay?"

"Okay," she sighed quietly, snuggling up to her pillow. "I'll try. But you and I are still on for that handy later."

"It's a date," he chuckled. "Get some sleep, baby."

"Mhm," she nodded tiredly.

He was pretty sure it took her about a minute to conk out.

The woman amazed him. She amazed him every single day _before_ they'd been parents. And every day that they'd _been_ parents, she amazed him even more.

She was superwoman. She really was. And he was not sure how she did it, between breastfeeding and pumping for two newborns, and taking care of her _own_ body that was still on the mend. On top of all of that, the woman was still concerning herself with things like his sexual activity. Oh, Liv.

So he tried his best to do all he could for her and for the babies. He really, really tried.

He went to let Arie out and run around in the snow for a while while he had free hands to do so.

And then he fed the babies while Olivia peacefully slept—going to the nursery as he normally did so they wouldn't wake her up. The adorable little sounds they made while they ate were enough to wake _him_ up when she was feeding them in the middle of the night, just because they were so cute. And with all the bottle warming and such, he felt better feeding them in the nursery when she slept. Plus, they needed to be changed by the time each feeding came anyway.

Arie would have normally come with probably, but she took a nap of her own on the landing of the stairs. So she could still see everything if need be, obviously. She needed a little nap after her running around.

Olivia woke up around four, after a nice four-hour nap which she needed desperately. And after she woke up, she was extremely thirsty and she grabbed a healthy snack as well, to tide her over before dinner.

Eating and drinking. _Constantly_.

And since Fitz had been awake, and the twins were _somewhat_ awake after another little nap, he had them laying next to each other on their backs, in bed.

He'd made a pillow bumper _all_ the way around one half of the large bed, taking all precautions he could. So when Olivia woke up to that, she rolled slightly into his makeshift bumper and laughed.

She lifted up her head and looked over at her husband, sitting cross-legged and smiling down at the babies, laying right next to each other and wigging their little arms and legs the way they always did.

"Good morning," Fitz teased.

"Good morning," she laughed. "That felt awesome."

"I bet it did," he agreed. "We've been talking about how much we love and appreciate momma and all she does. Right, babies?"

They continued to move around slightly on their backs, looking all over the room.

"Mhm, see," Fitz nodded, gesturing toward them.

She laughed. "Aww, well that's so sweet of you all. Can I...remove this half of the pillow divider?"

"Yes," he chuckled.

They removed the pillows in the center of the bed, but kept the ones on the very edge of Fitz's side.

She scooted close to him, and laid her head in his lap to look at their little ones with him.

They were quite awake now, as if they'd sensed that momma had woken up.

"Where's Arie?" Olivia asked. "I'm surprised she's not right there at the side of the bed, watching over them!"

He chuckled. "She's taking a little siesta on the stairs. I let her out to run for a while so she's tired. I'm sure now that they're awake, she'll come in here when she wakes up."

"Ahh. She's so adorable," Olivia smiled, rubbing Fitz's back. "How long have they been awake?"

"Ten minutes or so. We've got some precious time before they pass out again," he whispered back.

She couldn't contain her smile when she looked at them. The amount of love she could feel for someone...man. Having a child— _two_ children—was indescribable. She could not even put into words how much she loved them. And looking up at Fitz, seeing how adoringly he looked down at them, she knew he felt just the same. And frankly, she'd known that since the day they were born.

Those little bundles of warmth had been the best thing to ever happen to them.

"They have...your eyes," Fitz whispered, looking back and forth between them. "The size...the shape, the color. It's so amazing, looking down at them and seeing _your_ eyes. The beautiful eyes I love so much."

She smiled and nodded, because she could easily see it. The same color she got from her parents, and the shape, particularly from her father.

"Yes. Those are Pope eyes," she said with a smile.

"Mmhm," he nodded. "Same with their noses—also yours. Thank _goodness!"_

She gasped. "I love your nose."

"No way," he said, shaking his head. "They were blessed with yours."

"Well you know what's _all_ daddy?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Hmm?"

She smiled, lightly touching Thomas', and then Elle's little ears.

He chuckled. "You think so?"

"Oh my god, identical," she giggled. "Those are Fitzgerald Grant ears. _Four_ of them, right there."

He chuckled, nodding down at them. And he agreed too. "Yes. I guess...they do look like mine."

"Yes. And look at these lips," she said, smiling at them. Their pale, pink lips _were_ quite adorable. "They've both got daddy's lips too."

He smiled. "Maybe."

"You _know_ they do," she said, patting his back.

He shrugged, leaning forward to adjust Thomas' hat.

"And look at those little curls, coming out from under his hat. _Look_ at those. Reminds me of someone I know," she added, nodding at Thomas.

His black, soft curls were curling out from his hat, just like his dad's tended to do when he wore hats, too.

He had a bit more hair than Elle did. Hers wasn't always visible underneath when she wore hats.

Fitz held Thomas' hand in his own, waving it slightly back and forth. "My little man. My sweet little buddy."

"They have such beautiful skin, and hair," she noted, rubbing her fingers gently across Elle's light, caramel skin. "I knew they would. But I just...can't get over how beautiful they are."

Fitz nodded, and smirked over at her. "We made these."

She laughed. "We _did_ make these. Aren't you proud? I'm proud."

"I'm _so_ proud," he nodded.

The twins looked up at them both briefly, perfectly content to lay there and be admired by mom and dad.

Olivia heard her phone vibrate on the nightstand, so she reached over and saw a group chat message.

She opened it and laughed, showing Fitz:

 **Huck: Hey yo—can we FaceTime the babies.**

They started laughing, and then another notification showed itself.

 **Quinn: OMG yes please.**

Olivia shook her head. "They are crazy."

"Well you better let them," he chuckled. "Before they fall asleep."

Olivia FaceTimed Huck, who answered right away with a big smile on his face. And from then on, they added, or their other friends slowly began to join the Group FaceTime session. Each of them, giving a big "awww" when they saw Olivia, Fitz and the two babies looking comfy in bed. And of course, Abby almost cried. Again.

"There's my little godson and my Ellie bean! My sweet niece and nephew. Hi babies!" she exclaimed, waving at the camera.

"How are they doing today?" Teagan asked.

"Pretty good. Eating lots. Sleeping lots. You know, the life," Fitz nodded. "Except tonight is sponge bath night. They don't like those much."

"Oh I bet not," Teagan laughed.

"How are _you_ _guys_ doing?" Harrison asked.

"Well, I just took a four-hour nap, so right now I'm doing fantastic," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Ahhh, Grant was on baby duty alone for a while!" Charlie said.

"Mmhm," Fitz nodded. "We all have fun together when mom's sleeping."

"Oh yeah, what do you do?" David chuckled.

"Oh you know, talk about mom. Sing. Sometimes...I rap to them, and they look at me like I'm nuts. Sometimes we dance," Fitz said, listing these things off on his fingers. They were all laughing hysterically by the end of it.

"Wait, wait, wait. Did you just say you _rap_ to them?" Huck asked.

"Yeah, I've tried to get him to rap whatever he raps to them, to _me_ , and he refuses!" Olivia exclaimed, rubbing Thomas' tummy.

"Okay, now prof, you know you're gonna have to rap for us now," Harrison said.

"No, I don't think those are the rules," Fitz chuckled.

"They are now, _dad!_ We won't rest 'till we hear some," David said.

"I agree, actually," Olivia nodded. "We need some proof, _dad."_

Fitz shook his head, feeling himself blush. "Well, see, now I'm embarrassed, so this isn't going to end well."

"Nooo come on, do it. Do it!" Huck said.

Fitz sighed, amongst all the encouraging cheers from their friends.

So he took the phone from Olivia and made sure he and the babies were visible in the front camera-view.

And then he pointed at Elle.

"This is my daughter and her name is Eleanor,

we call her 'Elle' for short—she'll know it when she develops more."

Everyone had stopped at the first rhyme he made, staying absolutely silent with wide eyes and jaws dropped, as he continued.

"She's only five pounds, yeah, she's small we know,

but you just wait till she's grown—she'll be your CEO."

He was quick to turn slightly toward Thomas now.

"This is her brother, and his name is Thomas,

not like Jefferson or Edison—he'll be greater, I promise."

"Oh my—" Harrison began. But he was cut off, because Fitz had more.

"He was born first, he's like seven minutes older,

and when he's grown up, you better watch out—cause it's over,

no matter what, we'll be the proudest parents in the land,

'cause they're always gonna be our baby girl and little man."

"OH MY GOD."

"What the!"

"Did that just—?"

"Baby!" Olivia exclaimed, looking at him with her hand over her mouth.

"Okay, did Grant just spit bars, or?" Charlie asked.

"He really just did that," Harrison nodded.

"You guys told me to!" Fitz shrugged.

"I wasn't expecting that! I was expecting more along the lines of...I don't know, Wheels on the Bus remix," Huck said, laughing his ass off.

"No way. Go big or go home," Fitz laughed.

"Wow. You, sir, are full of talent," David said.

"I mean, I'm not that surprised considering the man knows more song lyrics than anyone I know. But...that was awesome," Olivia giggled.

"It was. I want to know how long it took you to create that one," Quinn laughed.

He shrugged. "I don't know, like...two days."

"This man," Harrison chuckled.

"I'm telling you, I could not ask for a better father of my children," Olivia said, pointing at all of them.

"You know, I really don't think you could," Teagan said with a laugh.

"Y'all are awesome," Charlie noted.

"My faves. _And_ my fave little babes," Abby added, looking at the sleepy twins on the camera.

"True. They're so cute," Huck said.

"They're the best," Olivia said, looking at Fitz with a smile.

And he nodded, looking down at his sweet baby boy and baby girl. And he smiled at his wife, and at the camera.

"Yeah. They really are."

* * *

Well, the Grants have vastly different lives now! Alllll about babies.

I hope you enjoyed this little peek in on their routine with the newborns.

I know I've gradually done time jumps as I warned about long ago, and they haven't always been super big ones. The next two chapters won't be much of jumps at all, you're going to get babies' first Christmas and a chapter in February. However, then there's going to be some more significant jumps.

Forbidden's end is very close in sight, and now that I've figured out exactly how many chapters are left, I wanted to let you guys know. The last chapter of Forbidden is going to be chapter 110, which will be an epilogue chapter—a jump in time to show life for the Grant family a little way down the road.

So, there's still a good amount of chapters left, and lots of baby development that you guys will read about. But as I've always said, it can't go on forever and I don't want to drag it out too long!

Thank you again, for staying with me this long. It continues to baffle me how important this story has become to me, and how dear it now is to my heart. And, how there are so many supportive readers out there. So thank you, and know there's still plenty of excitement to come!

As always, read on!

With Love,

~T


	105. The Grant Twins' First Christmas

"I need a drink."

"I need five."

"Can you have five for me?" Olivia asked. "My current situation only really allows me to drink in low moderation, and time it very strategically with when I breastfeed my children."

Fitz chuckled. "I'd have five for you, but fair warning, I don't drink as often anymore and I'm fairly positive that after five drinks I'd be absolutely tanked."

"You know, that may be true," she giggled. "The last time you drank that much you were _so_ gone. And that was a little while ago."

"The last trip to Dennis' cabin?" he asked with a laugh.

 _"_ _Yep,"_ she nodded.

"Yeah. I _was_ gone," he chuckled. "I had a couple beers and too many glasses of scotch. But even still, I could handle _way_ more than that back in the day. Dad's getting old, babies," he announced, looking over at the sleeping twins in the bassinet.

They'd just now gotten them to actually sleep peacefully after a couple hours of being in and out of it. They'd both been fussing a bit, which wasn't like them. And to make matters worse, they'd planned to leave for Virginia after they fed them in about an hour. They hoped it wouldn't mess up their schedule too much with time in the car.

Two unhappy babies in a car for five hours...that was not ideal. Then they'd _really_ need those drinks.

"I'm happy they finally seem to be content," he chuckled, looking at them. "Too bad they need to get up and eat in an hour."

Olivia sighed, nodding in agreement. "Yes. They haven't been the best little ones today, have they."

"Not particularly, no."

"They haven't had a ton of bad days yet so I probably shouldn't be complaining. The constant lack of sleep just makes me slightly cranky," Olivia said, snuggling up to Fitz's arm.

"What will make you _not_ cranky?" Fitz asked, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

She sighed, and gave him a shrug while she laid there with her eyes lazily closed. "You."

He smiled, wrapping an arm around her body. "Well, there's always lots of me to go around."

She giggled quietly, moving impossibly closer to him.

"You want to know something?" he asked.

"Mhm," she nodded.

"I love you."

"I love you, too," she whispered back, putting her hand on his thigh.

She rubbed his thigh lightly, but then stopped when she only just now realized she was rubbing his bare skin, and he only had boxers on. "Fitzgerald."

"Yes, baby," he answered, grabbing his phone from his nightstand.

"Where are your pants?" she asked with a laugh.

"Our son spit up on them," he answered casually, scrolling through his emails.

She laughed and shook her head, laying her head down in his lap and briefly moving her hand between his legs. There was nothing subtle about it.

He jumped slightly and looked down at her wide wide eyes, which made her laugh as she brought her hand back to his thigh.

"Don't get me all riled up now."

"Why not? That sounds like fun," she said.

"Yeah, apparently I think so too," he replied quietly, adjusting his briefs.

She lifted up his T-shirt and eyed his erection, the outline of it not at all hidden.

"Hmm."

"Yeah, yeah," he nodded, not meeting her eyes. "Don't judge me."

"Why would I judge you?" she questioned with a laugh.

He gave her a "really" look, and looked down at himself. "You touched me for, like, a second and now I'm hard."

"Well...we haven't had sex in what feels like forever so it's understandable," she shrugged.

"It kind of makes me feel like a horny teenage boy, but...I'm glad you understand," he chuckled.

"Well you tend to be...on the hornier side," she pointed out with a laugh.

"Shhh...babies don't need to know that," he said, eyeing them.

She laughed. "Oh, sweetheart, our babies sleep through your orgasms, so I think they're for sure unaware of this conversation."

His eyes widened in shock and he started to laugh. "Well jeez! No mercy."

"What? You can be loud, I'm just saying."

"Well _I'm_ just saying that this _conversation_ is doing nothing but emphasizing my horniness, which is slightly embarrassing," he admitted.

"Oh it is _not,_ " she replied.

"A little bit. We obviously can't have sex, but you've... _helped me out_ many times _,_ as you...you know, so kindly mentioned before. And...this still happens."

"Now wait a minute...you're telling me...your wife touched your dick, and it got hard. You're right, that is just...unbelievable," she said, shaking her head. "I truly can't believe your body had the audacity to let that happen."

He chuckled, bringing her closer to him. "Woman!"

"Yes?"

"You know what I meant. And I don't need your sass!"

"No, apparently you need something else right now," she said, raising her eyebrow and looking down at a certain region of his body.

"It's okay, you don't need to," he chuckled.

"Well I don't _need_ to. But why wouldn't I?" she asked. "Just 'cause I'm still physically unable to have sex doesn't mean _you_ can't get off."

"Yes. You've made me very aware of that. I'm spoiled," he chuckled.

"Hey. I try," she smirked, reaching between his legs again slowly. "You deserve to be spoiled."

He tensed up immediately when he touched her, looking down right away at her hand.

"Yeah?" she asked, looking up at him sweetly for confirmation.

He nodded quickly, clicking the off button on his phone. "Yeah."

"Take off your shirt," she whispered, nodding to his chest.

He obeyed, pulling it over his head and tossing it to the floor on his side of the bed.

She massaged him slowly through the fabric of his briefs, watching him start to relax.

"Do you try?" she asked with a smile.

"Hmm?—what?" he asked, watching her hand move slowly.

"Do you try. Do you... _help_ y _ourself out_ when I'm not there?" she whispered, looking up at him.

His eyes were closed now, and he held his phone lazily in his hand.

"When I'm sleeping or...feeding them. Or...when you're in the shower?" she whispered, reaching for the waistband of those Calvins that needed to be pulled down.

He leaned his head back against the headboard, putting his phone down next to him and letting out a big breath.

He just sat there, breathing a little harder now that she was touching him bare. But not answering her.

"Do you?" she whispered again.

He nodded against the headboard reluctantly. "Yeah."

That made her smile.

"Sometimes you just need to, don't you," she whispered, rubbing her thumb over his tip slowly, spreading around the liquid that was starting to seep from it.

"Yes," he whimpered quietly, reaching for her arm.

She could tell the man needed it. She had always tried as best she could, when they had time and both weren't absolutely _exhausted_. So overall, that hadn't been that frequent. And if he really was taking care of things himself, it couldn't have been too often, based on how fast she had him in the palm of her hand just now.

Her body needed time to even _think_ about having sex again. But his body didn't need any sort of time. He just had to wait for her, plain and simple. And he could absolutely wait, she knew that.

But he never once asked, he never once complained; he was always just his sweet self. So she thought she should try and make the waiting worth it whenever she could. They had some time before they had to leave. Why not.

"Sit up, sweetheart," she whispered, pulling on his boxers. "I want you naked."

He obeyed, lifting himself up slightly so she could pull them all the way off.

She readjusted herself between his legs, making him widen them a little. She gripped the base of his shaft and took him in her mouth, which caught him completely by surprise.

His mouth opened and then his eyes, looking down at her as she rubbed him with one hand and bobbed on him with her mouth.

She pulled up and smiled at him as they made eye contact, dragging her tongue lightly across his tip to make sure he saw her.

He watched her do it slowly, the corners of his mouth curving up in a smile and a look of content crossing his face.

She reached her free hand forward, opening her palm for him.

Reaching back, he interlocked his fingers with hers, leaning lazily back against the headboard as he watched. His sculpted, flexed, abdomen rising and falling with each breath.

The shine of his wedding ring caught her eye as their hands connected, and then her name written on his other wrist did the same, as he rested it lazily on his thigh. Both made her smile.

She never took her eyes off of him. _All_ of him. She wanted him to see her. To see the things she was doing. To see how her hand was touching him, and making him feel good.

"Jesus," he whispered, watching her take him as deeply as she could. Up and down, her tongue helping with every stroke.

She pulled off again, and just took his tip into her mouth, bobbing up and down on it and making that her focus for a little bit while her hand covered more ground.

That's when he about crumbled. He forced his eyes to stay open so he could watch, because it was such a pretty sight.

He gently held her head, guiding her along a little bit. She certainly didn't need any help. Her blowjobs were heaven, and he cherished every single one.

He felt himself throbbing in her mouth. Every heartbeat was pulsing through him as she did what she did. Using her tongue in ways that still amazed him to this day.

He was starting to moan. He'd tried to be quiet. He really had. But after long he couldn't keep it in as much.

He began to thrust his hips upward a little bit, into her mouth.

It felt like he couldn't stop. He just wanted to plunge deeper, and deeper. And she took him eagerly, she _encouraged_ him, actually.

And he focused on her wet mouth, fitting so perfectly around him. Her delicate hand, making it even better. Her breasts, rubbing against the inside of his thighs, even through her shirt. He could still feel them against him.

The pleasure she had on her face, like all she'd ever wanted was to have his dick in her mouth.

"Oh...my god," he moaned, moving her head down faster.

She knew he was almost there. She could feel him shaking beneath her. She could see him desperately watching her mouth, and what it was doing.

He felt himself shaking harder by the second, and was amazed by how intense it got as he grew closer.

So intense that he couldn't even warn her. It happened so fast, and he could barely process it. He thrust eagerly up into her mouth, beginning to pant, and then it hit him hard.

She licked the sides of his tip, as he came, watching it in pleasure up close. It got everywhere; on his stomach, on her hand, on her arm, on her lips.

All he could do was try to calm himself. He panted, laying there feeling even more exhausted than he already had been before.

Watching her lick her lips and wipe her mouth with the back of her hand, looking down at him in pleasure. "Well that was fantastic."

He chuckled tiredly, shaking his head slightly at her and biting his lip.

"You are...my god, Olivia. Just...I love you."

"Oh is that right?" she laughed, reaching to the nightstand to grab a baby wipe.

They were kind of handy...

Cleaning up with them was much easier and more convenient than going to get a washcloth.

He looked at her lips after she'd finished and yanked her forward by her hand, pulling her up to his face.

"Oh!" she giggled quietly, meeting his eye level.

Without hesitation, he leaned right in and captured her lips in his, cupping her face gently with both hands.

But his kisses weren't gentle. They were eager, and wet. She wasn't expecting it whatsoever, but here they were making out after she'd just blown him.

He rolled her over, still completely naked on top of her. His tongue was plunging in and out of her mouth, connecting with hers every chance he got.

She gripped his ass with one hand, and in no time he was hard yet again. The man was _impressive_ , she had to give him that.

"Sorry," he murmured, trailing kisses down her chin, and to her neck.

"For what?" she whispered, clutching his hair.

"My dick."

"I love your dick," she replied.

He chuckled against her skin, kissing his way back up to her mouth now. "It loves you too."

"Yeah, you know, I think I can tell," she giggled, looking between their bodies.

He sighed, resting his head on her shoulder while she laughed quietly. She stroked his hair, enjoying how it felt for him to be this close to her. To feel him up against her, even if that's all she could physically do right now.

She had to admit, the thought of having sex again was somewhat daunting, yet extremely exciting at the same time. Having babies was...a bit traumatic, to say the least, hence why it was a bit daunting to think of _anything_ up there again.

But she still missed him. The feeling of him, the feeling of how close they were physically and emotionally when they made love. She had some mixed feelings about it. But him laying naked on top of her was making her lean a little more toward _excited._

His long, thick member pressed against her core? Yeah, that might do it.

"I swear, I'm not...I'm not that pathetic. You just do this to me," he murmured, keeping his head buried in her shoulder.

"Hey, that's my goal," she laughed.

He pulled back to look at her, closing his eyes and giving her a soft kiss. "How would you feel if...I touched you."

She looked at him curiously. "You mean..."

He nodded, looking down at her body. "Just your clit. Really gentle."

Her heart started to beat a little faster. "I don't know, Fitz. I'm just not sure if...I just don't know."

"Okay, baby," he nodded, rubbing her arm gently.

"I'm just...nervous," she admitted.

"That's okay," he whispered, brushing the curls off her forehead.

She sighed, thinking more about it. There was really no harm in his particular proposition at all. After giving birth, she hadn't exactly been in a _sexual_ mood right off the bat.

But she had to admit, after a little playtime, today had proved to be the first time she could honestly say that she _was_.

So, she decided she shouldn't deny herself a _safe_ orgasm that was so nicely presented to her and didn't go against doctor's orders. Especially, when she felt up to it.

"Okay," she nodded, reaching for her comfy joggers. "Okay."

He put a hand on top of hers, stopping her. "What...are you doing?"

"Touch me," she said, starting to try and pull her joggers down again, despite the fact that his hand was still stopping hers.

"Baby, let's not do something you're not comfortable with," he said, shaking his head.

"I'm fine, sweetie. I wouldn't do anything I wasn't comfortable with. I'm too valuable down there to be taking risks like that."

He chuckled, laying his head down on her shoulder. "That is...extremely true. You are very valuable down there."

"Thank you!" she nodded. "So...show me. I want you to, really."

He bit his lip, looking down at her hands as she pushed her pants down.

"You're sure?"

She nodded.

So he started to help her, getting rid of her pants and her underwear.

He looked down at her, all exposed for him now. And he leaned in to press a kiss to her clit.

"I'll be gentle," he whispered, lightly dragging his tongue across it.

She sucked in a breath of air, and let it out slowly as she felt his mouth explore her clit.

He was going to use his fingers too. He just wanted her to be wet before he did, and his mouth was gentler than his fingers, anyway.

She looked down at him, watching him intently while he lightly sucked on her clit. Yeah. This had been a fantastic decision.

"Did you miss this?" he murmured, locking eyes with her while he continued.

All she could do was nod, not taking her eyes off his lips and his tongue, doing such fantastic work.

"Yeah?" he asked quietly, rubbing her thigh gently.

"I did," she whimpered, reaching forward to hold the side of his face.

He smiled, turning to press a couple kisses to her hand. And then he directed his attention back to her clit, dipping his head down once more.

His arms were hooked underneath her thighs, keeping her nice and wide for himself. Such a beautiful position for her husband to be in.

She could also see his naked body on perfect display, as he laid on his stomach between her legs.

"I missed this, too," he stated, before opening his mouth against her clit again. "I missed the way you taste."

A gasp escaped her mouth and her hand went straight to grip his hair.

He winced at her pull, but then smiled, looking up at her.

"Sorry. Sorry," she said, massaging his scalp with her fingers. That seemed to be a habit of hers.

"Pull hard. I don't care," he murmured.

"You might...regret that," she breathed. "My grip is...surprisingly strong."

He smiled against her skin, eyes flickering up to hers. "I know all about your grip."

She leaned back against the headboard, letting out a laugh. "Oh, baby."

Then he pulled away, peppering the inside of her thighs with kisses. He moved one hand to her clit, using two fingers to rub in gentle circles.

Her hands clutched his bicep, and the top of the headboard as she sat there, spread for him.

And she started to thrust against him unknowingly, eyes squeezed shut.

So he rubbed a little faster, because he knew she wanted it bad now. The nerves she had to start with were nowhere to be found anymore.

"There you go," he encouraged, watching his fingers rub her clit, almost dripping wet from his mouth before.

She started to shake at the sound of his voice, and he knew she was almost there now. It hadn't taken long.

So he leaned forward and resumed with his mouth. It made her back arch, and that in itself made him throb against the sheets.

A quiet moan escaped his mouth, which was desperately trying to make her feel good.

She was really thrusting now, and the sounds were freely coming from her mouth. Still fairly quietly, because she was trying to be. But they were still very audible.

He ran his hands slowly down her smooth hips, slipping under her ass to pull her as close to his face possible to finish her with his tongue.

"Fitz—Fitz," she whimpered, clutching his bicep hard.

She shook and panted as she rode out her orgasm, and Fitz didn't take his mouth away for a single second.

Until she gently pulled him away, too sensitive for his touch.

She just laid there panting, and he smiled, crawling up to meet her eye level.

" _That_ was fantastic," he said. His turn.

She nodded breathlessly, still holding onto his arm.

"I think you missed playtime," he whispered, turning and kissing the hand that refused to let go of him.

"Yeah that was...I don't...even think I need...a drink anymore," she breathed.

He chuckled, leaning down to touch his nose to hers.

She smiled, pecking his lips lightly.

He was comfortably pressed against her, both of them bare below the waist. His arms were flexed, as he propped himself above her on his palms. Smiling down at her sweetly.

And he looked over at the bassinet, their sleeping twins not having moved a single muscle that entire time. They never did. They slept soundly through...most things at this stage.

"And babies are still fast asleep," he whispered, holding up his open palm.

She laughed and high-fived it.

"Mom and dad for the win."

"That's right," he chuckled. "I think...dad needs a shower."

"Yeah. Me too. You go first," she said. "I need to lay here and...recuperate."

He laughed. "You're really boosting my ego here."

"You deserve it," she said with a laugh. "Wow."

He pecked her lips, and then her cheek. "Any time you want it...you tell me. Any time. You want it, I'll give it to you."

She smirked, raising an eyebrow at him as he got out of bed. "Is that so?"

"Mhm," he nodded, scratching his head as he headed to the bathroom.

She eyed his body. His back, flexing with every step. His ass, looking fantastic.

"What a devoted husband," she smirked.

He turned around and in the doorframe of the bathroom and bit his lip, eyeing her half-naked in bed. His dick reflected how he felt.

"You gonna take care of that again?" she asked, her eyes lowering down his body.

He looked down at himself, nodding at her as he met her eyes again.

"Maybe."

She internally groaned, and he smiled because of it.

"Maybe?" she asked, looking at how hard he was. "There's no way you'll function if you don't."

He ran his hand over his length, nodding. "Yeah. You're right. I'm gonna need to."

She groaned again. Only this time, it was not internally.

"What's that?" he asked, smiling at her.

"Nothing," she sighed, waving him away. "Have fun. Think of me."

He chuckled, turning around and shutting the door a little more. "Always."

He took his shower, and she turned on her side to watch her babies sleep. They were so peaceful, breathing softly in the bassinet next to her. On their backs with their arms out, both facing each other.

She could look at them all day.

A smile spread across her face, seeing the look on her baby boy's face. The same peaceful expression that she always saw on Fitz's face when he slept.

She remembered when they'd first started dating. How tense the man could be during the day, how stressed and busy he was. And it would always make her feel better to see his face when he slept. No concern, no stressing, just peace.

And although Elle was facing her brother, she knew Elle's peaceful, beautiful little face held the same expression. She'd seen it so many times before already.

She just admired them until she heard the water turn off, and Fitz moving around in the bathroom. He peeked his wet, curly head out of the slightly opened door.

"Babies still sleeping?" he whispered.

"Yeah," she whispered back. "Why?"

"I just wanted to make sure I didn't flash them," he chuckled quietly, making his way into the bedroom.

"Ahhh," she laughed.

He casually rubbed his wet hair with the towel, walking freely to his dresser in absolutely nothing.

Olivia just watched him. His lightly-freckled back, speckled with water droplets. The curls in full force because they were wet.

He put on a pair of briefs and then jeans, before making his way to their closet.

He came out dressed with a blue plaid dress shirt and a gray sweater over it. A pair of patterned dress socks in one hand and a nice watch from his collection in the other.

"Well look at you," she said.

"Oh, okay. Why are we looking at me?" he asked, fastening his watch on his wrist.

"Because you know what you look like right now? A dilf."

His eyes widened. "A dilf?! Like...a milf, but...a dad."

"Yes," she giggled.

"Dad I'd Like to Fuck," he said, spelling out the acronym. He stood there, fixing his watch and appearing to be in deep thought.

"I like it."

"Yeah?" she asked, laughing.

"Mhm," he nodded. "I will appreciate that while I can, before I get old and wrinkly."

She scoffed. "Please."

"What?" he asked.

"You're 40 years old and you look 30."

"I do not," he chuckled.

"Why don't you believe me?" she asked. "You never believe me when I compliment you."

"Because ten years is a stretch I think," he said.

"No, it isn't. Look in the mirror. How old do you think you look?" she asked.

He turned toward the opposite wall, taking a few steps closer to the full-body mirror they had by his side of the bathroom.

"I don't know," he shrugged, fixing his collar.

"C'mon. I'm curious," she said.

He tilted his head in the mirror, eyeing himself. "Thirty..."

She smiled, liking where this was going.

"Nine," he finished. "Thirty-nine."

She scoffed. "Thirty-nine?! You were just thirty-nine last year. No."

"No?" He chuckled. "What do you mean no? You can't say no, it's my opinion."

"No," she said again.

"...Yes."

"No."

He laughed, shaking his head. "Are we arguing about this?"

"Yes. I'm ready, let's go," she nodded, sitting up and crossing her arms.

"Fine. Thirty-eight."

She glared at him. "I hate you."

He smirked at her, heading into the bathroom. "Not what you were saying about twenty minutes ago when my face was between your legs."

She scoffed, looking over at her sleeping children. "That's not fair. Can you believe your dad?"

He gasped. " _That's_ not fair. You can't bring the babies into this."

"Why is that?" she laughed.

"Because I've already been teaching them that momma's always right!"

"Ah, see. Perfect. Then we're all in agreement," she giggled.

"Fine," he muttered, coming to the bathroom door, about to shut it. "I guess...Thomas and Elle's dad looks 30."

"Dang right he does."

He winked at her before shutting the door, so he could quickly blow-dry and style his hair.

After he was done, Olivia took her turn in the shower so she could get ready too.

That proved to be good timing, because by the time she was done getting ready, the twins had started to stir and were ready to eat.

So Olivia fed them and then cleaned up the clothes she and Fitz had thrown around before, while Fitz loaded up the rest of the things in the car, including Arie's kennel and Arie herself, in the way back of the car.

She had to stay in her kennel in the back, because there wasn't room for both her and her kennel. But she'd made the drive to Virginia many times before. She knew the drill.

Fitz gave her two peanut butter treats for the road, and a big kiss on the snout.

She was happy with that.

All of their belongings, and Christmas presents they were bringing had to go on the floor of the backseat, or next to Arie's kennel. Olivia and Fitz's things took up next to zero room compared to all the twins' things. Their travel crib, their pillows, the giant diaper bag that partially overflowed into a separate smaller bag. And then their duffel bag of clothes. Not to mention everything Olivia needed for feeding. Her pump. Bottles. The bottle warmer, her nursing pillow.

Traveling with newborn twins was certainly an event.

But finally, after triple-checking that they had _everything_ , they all loaded into that packed car.

They each carried a baby carrier out to the car, both covered with a fuzzy blanket for the brief time they had to be outside.

Fitz already had the car running and nice and warm for them, he'd just had to back it out so he had room to load it.

Once they were safe and secure on either side of the backseat, they were officially off to Virginia for the Grant twins' first Christmas.

They had fallen asleep shortly after they'd fussed a bit from being transferred to their carriers and then put in the car.

Olivia and Fitz only hoped they would sleep for the next few hours, before they had to be fed again.

It was a pretty drive during that time of year. The white snow on the ground, the Christmas lights up around towns and in neighborhoods, the sound of Christmas music on the radio.

And the hot beverages that Fitz stopped to get them for the drive there. Coffee for him and tea for her.

He held her hand as he drove, resting it on her thigh comfortably. They talked about the last-minute presents they were going to get in D.C., and about seeing the family again. How odd it would be having Harrison at her family Christmas now that he and Macy had been dating long enough to get the family approval to come to gatherings. He hadn't been at Thanksgiving, because Macy had gone with him to his family's gathering. Now, they'd switch.

Olivia liked it. Not only was Harrison a good friend of hers, but she had seen that man develop more than anyone else.

All of her friends had been in good relationships for a while. Abby and David were perfect. Quinn and Charlie had had their issues in the past, but everyone knew they were it for each other.

Huck had been single for a while, until he met Teagan their junior year of college. They were as strong as ever now, everyone knew that, too.

But Harrison had always been different from the rest of them. When he had girlfriends at the beginning of their college days, there were a _lot_ of them, and they never lasted very long.

Then he had his period of time where he swore off girlfriends, and absolutely loved the single life.

Until he saw Macy for the first time at Olivia and Fitz's wedding.

And ever since, Harrison had grown. A lot.

She had already considered Harrison family. All of her friends were family to her.

But she was fairly sure that at some point in the future, he really _would_ be apart of the family. And that made her happy.

The twins were good while they were making the trip up, until about two and a half hours into the drive. They woke, and started to fuss a little bit. So Fitz got off at the next exit so that Olivia could climb back and give them some attention.

They had to get gas, and had a couple diapers to change, and a couple bottles to prepare. So they made a stop for all of those things.

Changing a diaper while straddling the center console, with a crying baby laying on the middle seat? Yeah, not exactly an easy task.

But Fitz got the bottles ready while Olivia changed diapers. Teamwork.

The bottles were just at room temperature already, since they could sit for more than a few hours without being refrigerated. But he had to use the new portable bottle warmers he bought specifically for car trips.

They seemed to work okay. They just looked like little battery packs that powered a sleeve of sorts that wrapped around the bottle.

It took a little longer than their nice one that plugged into the wall, but that gave Olivia plenty of time to finish up the diapers and dispose of them in the garbage outside.

Fitz tested the temperature of the milk on his forearm and decided it was good.

"Alright, baby, how do you wanna do this?" he asked, looking at her in the backseat.

"Can you feed them to start?" she asked. "I just have to use the bathroom quick and grab some water. Potentially...a snack, too."

He chuckled. "Of course. Get some good snacks."

"Will do. You want anything?"

"Yeah, I'll take a water, too," he nodded, heading around to the backseat.

"Kay."

She went into the convenience store and grabbed some healthy snacks, and three waters. She, in particular, was in desperate need.

And then they were on their way again. Fitz driving, and Olivia bottle-feeding them in the back. She sat in the middle, holding each bottle up to their mouths. They swallowed softly, making the cute little sounds they always made when they ate.

When they were finally done in, Olivia talked quietly to them until they finally fell asleep again. Both holding onto a finger of hers tightly.

She giggled, slowly trying to pull her finger away so that she could pump a little bit before they got to her house.

"They do not wanna let go today," she laughed, looking back and forth between them.

Fitz looked in his rearview mirror with a smile. "Ah, yes. The crazy strong grip."

"Correct," she nodded.

"Passed on by their lovely, beautiful mother."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she laughed, slipping her finger slowly out of Thomas' grip. Elle, not so much.

"Elle, baby, I need my finger," Olivia giggled quietly, which had Fitz smiling in the driver seat.

She wiggled it out of her grip, and plugged in her pump car adapter. Another wonderful purchase for road trips.

She was also grateful that she was hidden from everyone else's view on the highway, smushed between two baby carriers.

It was a tight squeeze, that was for sure, but she made it work.

Fitz chuckled, looking back at her as she used her double-pump, with her low-cut blouse opened to the middle of her shirt so she _could_ pump _._ She was strapped in, smushed between two baby carriers, and looking a bit uncomfortable. But she was going what she had to do.

"All good back there, baby?" he asked, looking briefly.

"Yep," she nodded, messing around with the pump cord. "We're...we're making it work."

He laughed. "You look beautiful doing it."

"Aw. Thank you," she smiled. "This is the first time I've put on makeup in...forever."

"The makeup has nothing to do with it. I mean, I love...I _love_ your makeup," he stumbled. "You just look beautiful doing what you do. Being their mom."

"Thank you, Fitz," she laughed. "Ditto."

"I look beautiful being their mom?" he asked. _"Thank you!"_

She cracked up, leaning forward a little bit as he laughed too.

"As their _dad_. You knew what I meant," she laughed.

"I did," he chuckled. "Thank you."

"Mhm," she nodded.

"Two more hours," he said, reaching his hand back for her.

"Two more hours," she nodded, reaching for his hand back.

The rest of the trip was a breeze. The two hours went quickly, and before they knew it they were pulling into the driveway of the Pope household.

Olivia was always happy coming home. Seeing the Christmas lights and the decorations outside, and the ones she couldn't wait to see inside. Her mom always had that more than covered.

There was always just a feeling of comfort coming home.

And now, it was the first time the twins got to come to their grandma and grandpa's house. Hopefully, it would be a somewhat comfortable experience for them, despite it being a new place.

Olivia and Fitz had barely made it through the door before they were bombarded with love from Eli and Maya.

"Ohhh there you all are!" Maya exclaimed, coming to meet them.

"Hey mom, hey dad," Olivia said, gently maneuvering Elle's carrier through the door.

"Hey," Fitz greeted them with a smile.

"Well hello, you two. Or—four!" Maya said happily.

"Good to see you all. How was the drive?" Eli asked.

"Long, but good," Olivia nodded.

"Are they sleeping?" Maya whispered.

"They were just waking up in the car," Olivia said.

"Well here, bring them in the living room. They can wake up a little bit and say hi to their grandparents," Maya said.

They brought the carriers into the living room and lifted their fuzzy blankets off, now that they were in the warmth of the house.

They were wiggling slightly underneath the straps of their seats, both in their fuzziest, warmest pair of footie pajamas. It had been a pajama day for them. Having to be in the car for five hours, nobody wanted to actually get dressed. And the adorable little twins could get away with it.

Everyone exchanged hugs, happy to be reunited again after a couple weeks, since the twins had been born. And the little ones in the baby carriers were greeted just as happily.

"Ohhh!" Maya exclaimed, kneeling down between both of the carriers. "Hi, my loves. Oh my goodness. They look just wonderful. So healthy."

"That they are," Fitz nodded happily. "Doctor Hill says so."

"They've both regained all the weight they lost since birth, and Elle's actually two ounces _past_ that now," Olivia said proudly. "Two more ounces and she'll be six pounds."

Eli gasped, kneeling down by his granddaughter. "Is that right? She's been eating well, then? And Thomas too?"

"Mhm. Both of them eat really well," Olivia nodded.

"They really do," Fitz agreed.

"And where's our granddog?" Maya laughed.

"She's out in the car, still. I'm going to go take her for a walk, let her stretch her legs and go to the bathroom," Fitz said, heading into the entryway.

"Alright. We'll hold down the fort here," Maya said.

"Perfect," Fitz chuckled. "I'll be back, baby."

"Okay," Olivia nodded, rubbing her finger across Thomas' smooth hand. Thomas was awake now, watching the movement around him.

Olivia gasped, smiling at her son. "You say bye to daddy? Say bye," she said, waving his little hand at Fitz.

Fitz turned around, looking at Thomas with an open-mouthed smile. "Bye, buddy! I'll be back, okay? Watch over your sleepy sister!"

Eli chuckled as Fitz headed outside. "Yes, she is looking quite content over there."

He was right. Elle was still pretty tired. Her sleepy eyes were closed, even though she was moving her little arms slightly.

"Oh they are both just darling," Maya said, shaking her head. "Their eyes, my goodness. Have I told you they have your eyes?"

Olivia smiled. "They do. Just like dad's, too."

"Exactly like your dad's," Maya nodded, looking at Eli, who was smiling.

"Well, may I take partial credit for how cute they are, then?" Eli asked.

"Of course you can, dad," Olivia laughed.

"It's hard to tell when they're so young. But so far I see a very good mix of both you and Fitz," Maya noted. "Although, my goodness, Thomas may look a little more like him than Elle."

"Yeah, he's pretty much Fitz's mini-me on all fronts, so far. His little personality. So calm, and quiet. And his looks, too. You should see him when he sleeps. I don't know what it is specifically, but it's crazy. Both he and Elle, actually. Such peaceful looks on their faces, just like Fitz."

"Well he certainly seems happy right now," Eli said, looking over at him. Thomas was contently looking around at all the new surroundings.

"He's a pretty happy boy. Elle's happy too. She's a little sassier, I think. We're very aware when she doesn't like something," Olivia laughed. "But overall she's our happy girl."

"I think she's waking up," Eli smiled.

Elle started to stir, her tiny fingers grasping around. Olivia stuck her index finger by Elle's hand, and she instinctively grabbed it immediately despite being half asleep.

"You trying to wake up, baby?" Olivia asked softly, bringing her hand up to her mouth to kiss it a few times. "I think so. I think so!"

"Do you have things you need to grab from the car, Livvie? We can watch them, if you need," Maya offered.

Olivia nodded. "Yeah, I should probably start unloading our things, we have...a lot."

"I figured. Two newborns and a dog will do that to you," Maya nodded. "Go ahead. Grandma and grandpa'll be on baby duty."

"Alright. Thank you both!" Olivia said, giving her daughter a last kiss on her tiny hand, and slipping her finger out of her grip.

"Oh of course," Maya nodded. "Your father and I have been waiting for you all to come for days, you know."

"Indeed, it's true," Eli admitted.

Olivia smiled. "We couldn't wait to come."

It was an adorable sight, looking back at the scene in the living room.

Two sleepy babies being ogled by their grandparents, sitting on the floor in front of them.

Olivia had a feeling they'd get lots of attention during this trip.

She started making trips back and forth from the car to the house.

"Hey, is it alright if we take the guest bedroom downstairs? I just don't want the twins to wake you guys up in the middle of the night if we stayed in my room. Or, anyone else on Christmas when more people come here to stay, for that matter," Olivia said, hands full of things by the basement stairs.

"Sure, dear, that's fine. We wouldn't mind, but I'd think you'd feel more comfortable down there anyway. More space and you won't have to worry about it," Maya nodded.

"Yeah. Anyone can have my room when they come, anyway. It's a good size. They'll just have to deal with...you know, my high school self's decoration ideas," she laughed, heading down the stairs.

"You know, you forbid us from interfering with your decorations as a teenager so we're never going to change it," Maya announced.

"I know, I know. My younger self will forever haunt me," Olivia laughed.

She got the crib set up, and put all their bags in the closet.

And after about fifteen minutes, she had everything all set, including Arie's kennel in the corner and her dishes on the floor in the kitchen.

Just enough time for Fitz to come back with a very excited fluffy girl.

"Hey, hey, hey. No. Come here, let me wipe your paws. You know the drill," Fitz said, tugging on her leash a little bit.

She could barely contain herself as she forced herself to sit, her tail wagging excitedly against the entryway floor.

Olivia went to the laundry room to grab a rag for him to wipe her paws with.

"Oh, I hear miss Arie," Maya said.

"Yeah, she's hard to miss," Fitz chuckled, catching the tag Olivia tossed him. "Thanks, baby."

"Mhm," Olivia nodded, heading into the living room again.

Soon they were all in the living room, gathered around the babies.

"Should we get out? I think we should," Olivia said, reaching to unbuckle Thomas. "You're both being so good for grandma and grandpa, I'm so impressed."

Fitz started to unbuckle Elle, and they both lifted them gently out of their seats.

Arie sniffed around, laying down directly between Olivia and Fitz, looking protectively up at the babies.

"Well—!" Maya exclaimed, laughing at Arie. "Look at her!"

"Oh yes, this is an everyday occurrence," Fitz chuckled.

"Veeeeryy protective of the babies," Olivia nodded, petting Arie's back.

"Wow," Eli noted, petting Arie as well. "That really is something."

"Do you want to hold him, mom?" Olivia asked with a smile.

"Oh there is nothing I want more," Maya chuckled, reaching for him.

"Eli?" Fitz asked, gesturing to his daughter.

"You don't even have to ask," Eli smiled, accepting Elle happily.

Eli and Maya were very happy that the babies were there. And Olivia and Fitz, of course. But they were pretty quick to remind them that if they had anything to go out for, they were more than welcome to go, and leave the twins under Eli and Maya's care.

And Olivia and Fitz were grateful. They did have some last-minute shopping to do in the days leading up to Christmas Eve, before they exchanged presents.

They were sure it would be quite an adventure this week, with all of them together for the first time at Eli and Maya's.

And on Christmas Day, it would be a full family get together, for the Grant Twins' first Christmas.

* * *

Eli and Maya both had off of work the entire week leading up to Christmas, to maximize their time with Olivia and Fitz and the twins.

And they did exactly that. It was a week spent together, for the most part.

There wasn't a ton they could go out and do with newborn twins, but they did go out to lunch once all together, which turned out to be extremely successful.

Otherwise, they spent a lot of time inside, so the twins could be warm and comfortable.

The day before Christmas Eve, was the day Olivia and Fitz planned to go last-minute Christmas shopping.

They went right after Olivia fed them, and made sure there were bottles in the fridge ready, in case they didn't make it back within three hours.

And they went in excruciating detail, describing every little thing about the babies. How they liked to lay when being fed. How warm they liked their bottles. What outfits to change them into if they seemed to be too warm, or cold. It was all very specific and a bit comical to Eli and Maya. But they understood. This was the first time they were leaving the twins for any period of time at all, with someone else.

"We've got it, you two. Go shop, stop and have some lunch, have a spontaneous _date_ , I don't know, have some _fun!_ We've got it," Maya nodded.

"We've got everything we could possibly need. Plus, Arie's here to keep an extra eye on them," Eli stated, pointing to Arie.

She was currently laying a comfortable distance away from the twins on their lounge pillows, being her normal protective self.

"That's right. And we'll take good care of _her_ too," Maya nodded.

"Okay. Thank you. Thank you so much," Olivia said.

 _"_ _Thank you,"_ Fitz nodded.

"Of course. Go on now. Go buy us some fun presents," Maya smirked.

Olivia laughed. "Bye, mom."

"Bye," Fitz chuckled, giving them a wave.

They waved back, and Olivia and Fitz looked back lovingly at their sleepy little bundles in the living room.

After they got in the car, they looked at each other and sighed.

"This is weird," Fitz said.

"This is really weird," Olivia agreed, putting on her seatbelt. "I feel like we're forgetting something."

"We are," Fitz nodded, backing out of the driveway. "We're forgetting our babies. I don't like this. It's—I don't like it."

Olivia laughed, reaching for his hand. "Me neither. But we probably could use...you know, some time out. We've been cooped up in a house for almost three weeks straight."

"Yeah. I know. Probably time to rejoin the real world, without thinking about...you know, feedings, poop color or burping."

She cracked up again. "But...you know we're still gonna be thinking about all of those things while we're rejoining the real world...right?"

"One hundred percent, yes," he nodded. "But they're in fantastic hands."

"Yes, they are. I'm proof of that. I turned out okay," Olivia shrugged.

"Yeah. I guess you're...alright, or whatever," Fitz shrugged casually, looking over at her at the stoplight.

She started to laugh, smacking his bicep.

"Ow!" he exclaimed.

"I set myself up for that. But you love me and you know it."

"Oh you're absolutely right, I'm extremely in love with you. And that just keeps growing every day—it's freaking annoying."

"Yes, that _is_ quite unfortunate," she nodded, pointing at him.

He chuckled, grabbing her hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it. "It's the only way I want it."

"To be constantly bombarded with love and affection for me?" she asked, smiling sweetly at him.

"Yes. Exactly," he chuckled, which made her laugh.

"I love you," she said, holding tightly to his arm. He was not getting it back for the rest of the drive.

He smiled, looking straight ahead as he drove. The pink visible on his cheeks. The look on his face every time she told him she loved him, priceless.

"I love you," he said.

She squeezed his arm, smiling at his sweet face. "You know what we all need to get today?"

"Yes," he nodded confidently. "I have a list on my phone."

"Look at _you_ ," she said, impressed.

He nodded, giving her a wink. "I listen."

"I know you do. You're a great listener."

He smiled.

"Except for..." she began.

"Nuh-uh, you already said I was a great listener there's no 'except for's!" he exclaimed.

"Except for!—" she laughed, pointing at him. "When I compliment you!"

"Oh baloney, I love your compliments."

She burst into laughter, putting her head in her hands. "Did you just say 'oh baloney'?!"

He paused. "I didn't. Or wait...did I? I don't know, trying to have a clean mouth all the time is messing with my head."

She couldn't stop laughing. "That was hilarious, I loved it. You know you could have said 'bullshit' it's just me and you, sweetheart."

"I know. I forgot," he chuckled. "Not only am I on don't swear in front of the newborns mode, but we're at your parents' house and your mother does not tolerate that kind of language. Double whammy."

"Oh, she just doesn't tolerate it from me. Despite the fact that I'm 24 years old and a mother, myself. I'll be 60 years old and still never swearing in front of the woman."

"By then your mouth might be cleaner, anyway. By then we could be...grandparents. Every grandparent I've ever known has had a pretty clean mouth."

She started laughing. "Or...I'll have the filthiest mouth you've ever heard on a grandma."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, you know, that sounds like my wife."

"Not around my mom or the kids or the grandkids. Just around you," she giggled.

"I look forward to that," he said, smiling over at her.

"As do I," she smiled back.

He looked over her curly hair, and her cute, dark jeans, and her white winter coat. She had mittens in her lap, and a happy smile on her face.

"You're so cute."

She looked at him. "Me?"

"No. _Bob_ in the backseat. _Yes, you!"_

She was laughing hard again. "Dang. Now _I_ forgot the babies weren't with us."

"And you just said 'dang'," he chuckled.

She pushed against his arm as they both laughed. "We're ridiculous, aren't we."

"Yes," he nodded. "But we're parents. We're allowed to be a little ridiculous from time to time."

"Amen to that," she nodded. "Someday we'll catch up on sleep, too."

They looked at each other and then started laughing, because _that_ would be something.

"We're doing pretty good so far, don't you think? For our first time leaving them?" Olivia asked.

He chuckled, pulling into the parking lot of the mall. "Well, we've made it here, at least. Now let's see how the rest of the day goes."

"We can do it," she said, letting go of his hand and holding out her palm.

He high-fived it and nodded. "Let's do this."

They made their rounds through the mall, crossing off everything on their list that they still needed for the family.

They ate lunch at a nice sit-down restaurant, and even shared dessert.

But by the time they'd been gone about three and a half hours, they were done in.

"Alright. Ready to go? My arms can't hold any more bags," he chuckled.

"Yes, very ready," she agreed, adjusting the bags she was holding.

"I'm just kidding. I could hold a lot more than this. I just miss the babies."

"Me _too_ ," she laughed, leaning her head against his shoulder. "We need to go."

"You need to pump?" he asked, as they walked.

" _Yes,_ " she nodded immediately. "And...I need to kiss them both. Lots of kisses are needed right now."

"Okay, okay, we're hurrying!" he chuckled, picking up his pace.

They made it home very quickly to sleepy, but awake babies. Very content, and full from the last feeding from their grandparents. They were each laying comfortably in Eli and Maya's arms on the couch when they got home.

They quickly brought all their bags to do the basement, so they could wrap the gifts later.

And then they headed upstairs, happy to see Thomas and Elle again and give them all the affection they wanted.

Being away from them was difficult. The little break had been nice, of course. But now that the break was over, they weren't too sad about it.

And of course, Arie joined in on all the love, too.

After all, it was Christmas time. And they all wanted to spend as much time together as they could.

* * *

"Fitzgerald, hurry up!" Olivia exclaimed with a laugh, from upstairs.

"Coming—I'm coming!" he shouted, biting his lip as he carefully finished wrapping the little jewelry box.

It was hard to find time to actually buy and hide presents, let alone wrap them! And considering that it was Christmas Eve, and his whole family was waiting for him upstairs while he wrapped the last and probably most important gift, it was safe to say he was cutting it a little bit close. Just a _little_ bit.

He put it in his mixed pile of gifts and headed upstairs with a smile on his face.

"Sorry, sorry. I had one stubborn little box to wrap, and no gift bag to use as an excuse," he chuckled, setting down their gifts.

"That's okay. We were just getting some wine, anyway. Livvie, baby, do you want some?" Maya asked from the kitchen.

Olivia was busy giving Elle little kisses on her cheeks, before she looked up at her mom. "Uhhh, yeah, actually. This is probably the best time since I just fed them. Just a small one, please."

"Okay. Fitz? Want some red?" Maya asked.

"I'd love some, thank you," he nodded, distributing some of their gifts around the room.

He set the poorly wrapped box in front of Olivia and gave her a sweet smile, before grabbing Thomas from his pillow.

Both he and his sister were wearing cute little outfits that Eli and Maya had gotten for them. They'd all just come back from church, so they'd changed them into the adorable matching outfits for gift opening.

They both had white onesies on, with "My First Christmas" written on them, in varying fonts with varying cute Christmas designs. They both wore red pants with white snowflakes all over them, with matching headwear to go with.

Thomas had on a little hat, and Elle had on a bow, that was absolutely adorable.

Olivia took the box Fitz handed her. "Awww. It was one of _my_ gifts that was giving you trouble?" she asked, looking down at it.

"Mhm. How am I supposed to wrap something that small? My hands are too big. I don't understand."

She giggled, reaching behind her and handing him a small box, similar in size.

"For me?" he asked, taking it in one hand.

"Yes, for you," she nodded.

He examined the perfectly wrapped box.

"Now, how in the world," he muttered, glaring at her, which made her laugh.

"Little hands," she shrugged.

He smiled. "Well thank you in advance, babe."

"Mhm," she smiled back.

Maya came back with wine for all of them, and asked who was going first.

"Well, I think Olivia should go first," Eli piped up. "She's very deserving."

"Oh well thank you, dad," Olivia said. "Which one?"

"Why don't you open that one," Maya said, pointing to an oddly shaped one. It looked light a basket, underneath the glistening red and green wrapping paper.

She had to lay Elle down next to her, on her pillow so she could open it up.

And she'd been right about the basket.

"A much-needed mom basket, I bet," Maya said with a smile.

And it really was.

A loose outfit, that included what Maya called a pair of "fat pants." She'd had a similar pair after having Olivia, and said they were the best to lounge in. Her dad laughed and agreed. It also included things for nursing, bath bombs, tea bags, and a bottle of expensive red wine.

"Wow," Olivia nodded, looking it all over. "I'm tempted to go and use all of this right now, thank you!"

"You're welcome. I know all about what you're going through now. As does your father," Maya replied.

"Indeed. I picked out the comfy pants, myself," he said proudly, which made them all laugh.

"Well thank you! Why don't you guys open one from all of us now," Olivia suggested.

So they opened two mugs that they immediately loved. Pretty cheesy, but Olivia hadn't been able to resist when she saw them online.

They were "grandma" and "grandpa" mugs, with "est ~2021~" on them.

"Oh, I can't wait to have coffee in it tomorrow, thank you guys," Maya said, smiling at it.

"Yes, thank you," El nodded.

"Of course," Fitz said.

And then it was Fitz's turn to open one, and he chose one from Eli and Maya.

He opened an Eddie Bauer diaper backpack, that was really cool looking. It was gray, with leather brown straps. He would have never even thought to get something like it for himself, but he liked it right from the start.

"It seemed very you," Maya said. "So you don't have to carry around what feels like a purse," she laughed.

"Thank you! I love this," he said, looking over the straps. "See, babies, we'll be set when you go out with dad!"

"And we loaded it," Eli said, nodding at the backpack.

Fitz opened it to see diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream, a few new burp cloths and a set of two new pacifiers. "Well look at this! We really are set, that's awesome! Thank you so much."

"We figured practical gifts would be pretty beneficial for you these days," Maya said with a laugh. " _But_ , we got more than that. Why don't you open some up for the twins."

The twins had quite the pile from grandma and grandpa too. All very wonderful gifts.

Lots more clothes; a few outfits for each of them. Another set of pacifiers, which they hadn't started the twins on yet but planned to soon.

Customized wooden initials, that Eli's coworker had made for above their cribs. They were beautiful. They had the first letter of their first names, a big "G" in the middle, and their middle initials last.

Two play gyms, designed for newborns all the way to two years of life. So versatile!

And the last gift, that made Olivia tear up.

It was a book, one that she immediately recognized. One that her parents had read to her all the time as a little kid. And one she knew she'd had since birth.

'Goodnight Moon.'

"As much as I love keepsakes...I think you should have it, for Thomas and Elle. It was always your favorite, after all. From the time you were just a baby, until you could read it to your dad and I, yourself," Maya said, smiling.

Olivia looked through the thin book, sniffling a little bit at all the memories it brought back to her.

"Thank you, guys. Thank you," Olivia said.

"Of course," Eli nodded.

After all the gifts that Olivia and Fitz, and Eli and Maya had gotten the twins, they certainly would be set. They didn't know it, but they got some pretty cool gifts.

As did the rest of them.

Olivia and Fitz got a little "date night" box from her parents, with a jar of uncooked noodles, a jar of her mom's homemade spaghetti sauce, cute wooden silverware and two little bottles of wine. That would certainly be put to good use. An easy dinner one night, they'd take that.

Fitz got a bottle of his favorite scotch from Eli and Maya, because they gave him the biggest bottle the store sold every year. They knew him too well.

Eli and Maya also received a couple nice bottles of wine from Olivia and Fitz, because that was always a fun gift to receive.

They got some little wallet pictures of the twins, pictures that had been taken by Teagan in their little photoshoot about a week after they were born.

And they also got a framed picture of them, each holding a baby, on the day they were born. That picture had been taken by Fitz. And although it was already the lock screen of their home computer, they couldn't wait to hang it on the wall. It was one of the best days of their lives. The day they became grandparents.

As for Olivia, she got a baby scrapbook that she could fill out for the twins, something that she and her mom had talked about. She couldn't wait to get started on that when the holidays were over.

She got a nice bottle of perfume from Fitz, Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Zeus De Parfum. It was a pretty bottle, and it smelled amazing.

A gift card for a massage, at the nice massage parlor by their house. Her favorite bottle of moisturizing, strengthening conditioner. And she saved the stubborn little box for last, because she knew it was some sort of jewelry.

Because the man could never go a single gift-giving occasion without getting her jewelry. Not that she was complaining, she'd always loved it even though he spoiled her rotten. But she did have a little something for him this year, as well.

She opened the box to see a little necklace, that instantly took her breath away.

Two platinum hearts connected, each one with the initials of one of their babies engraved into it.

She gasped, pulling it out gently. "Oh, baby."

"Here," he whispered, holding his hand out.

She gave it to him so he could put it on her, and she had to go show her parents, who were wondering what it was.

"Oh my, that is just darling," Maya noted, looking closer at the combined hearts. "He always outdoes himself!"

"He really does," Olivia laughed, smiling down at the necklace. "Thank you, sweetheart. I am really never taking this off."

She sat down next to him and kissed him a few times, rubbing his back.

"You're welcome," he smiled.

"Okay, you better open those two now..."

He grabbed the two she was pointing to, and started to open one of them.

They were cuff links. One, with an E on it, and one with a T. He didn't like dressing up very much, but he immediately grew excited for the next time that he needed to wear cuff links. Cuff links with the letters of his kids' names on them.

The second box, was the one that looked similar to Olivia's necklace box. He opened it curiously, only to also be stopped breathless at the first sight of it.

There were two rustic, metal tags in the box, each one very intricately engraved.

One said:

 **Thomas Elijah**

 **12/4/21**

 **8:06**

The other said:

 **Eleanor Maya**

 **12/4/21**

 **8:13**

The little tags hung from a black leather cord, that he pulled out of the box and immediately unclasped. "Oh my god, Liv."

"You didn't think you were the only one who could get away with jewelry this year, did you?!" she laughed.

"Oh wow. Liv, I love it. I love it so much," he said, smiling down at the necklace in his hand. A much more masculine necklace than the one he'd gotten Olivia, but a very similar concept. And just like her, he wasn't sure he'd ever want to take it off.

Eli and Maya had to look at that one up close too, to see what it said. They were very impressed with Olivia's gift giving so far.

Along with those two very heartfelt gifts, she had to continue on their very practical gift tradition with his favorite Armani aftershave. He loved that too, of course.

He loved every gift he received, as did all of them. And many of those gifts revolved around the little ones, currently asleep on their pillows next to Olivia and Fitz. Being watched over by Arie, who was eating a peanut butter treat from the Christmas treat bag she'd received from Eli and Maya.

Olivia and Fitz let the twins sleep there on their pillows, so that they could be there with everyone, and so they could keep a better eye on them than if they were in the crib downstairs. Plus, they always seemed to like those pillows, and they could certainly sleep through all the conversation going on.

One of those conversations was going on between Eli and Fitz on the couch much later on, while they looked at something on Eli's phone yet again. Talking pretty quietly, and very focused.

Those damn gardens they were so invested in again? Really?

Olivia was pretty curious at this point.

"Are you two over there talking about my gardens again?" Olivia asked.

Fitz shrugged. "Guess you'll never know."

She laughed. "You know, you're gonna love when my dad retires, baby. Then he'll have all that free time and absolutely no idea what to do with it. He'll design anything you want him to."

Fitz laughed. "What do you think, Eli? Can I take you up on that?"

"Of course you can. My daughter knows me well, I probably _will_ be bored. Good thing I've got five more years in me. Until then, little side projects are still very fun. Or… _big_ side projects."

"Oh, what side project are we talking about now?" Maya asked, coming in with a refill of wine for herself.

"Oh...the gardens he's helping me design and restructure," Fitz said.

Maya's eyes got wide. "Oh! Yes, right. Livvie will love those."

"You've been in on this too?!" Olivia asked her mother.

"Of course I have been. You know me and my gardens. I had to be involved," Maya replied. "Plus, your dad has a hard time keeping quiet about projects that he's really excited about."

"This is true," Eli nodded.

"Well alright, continue your discussion, I won't get in your way," Olivia laughed, scooting closer to the twins, still sleeping peacefully. "The kids and I will just hang out."

"Hey, don't forget grandma," Maya said, coming down to sit on the floor next to them, while Eli and Fitz resumed their discussion. "They look adorable in those outfits. I think grandma and grandpa chose well."

"I think so too," Olivia said with a smile, rubbing Thomas' little foot gently, wearing those adorable little socks.

Everyone was just so content, all together in the living room.

It wasn't even Christmas Day yet. They hadn't even had the extended family over. And still, this Christmas so far had been the best Christmas any of them had ever had.

And while the babies wouldn't, everyone else in the room would _always_ remember the Grant twins' first Christmas.

* * *

Merry Christmas (in October!)

I hope you enjoyed the little peek in on the Christmas holiday with the twins and some nice family bonding.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	106. Living In The Moment

Fitz examined the tiny pair of pants laid out next to his daughter, who was currently laying comfortably on the changing table.

She looked around, eyes lazily landing on her dad, as if to say "you gonna decide already?"

He looked back and forth between the little black pair of pants with pink hearts on them, and the pink onesie he'd just put on her.

She'd recently spit up all over the other outfit she'd been wearing. Onesie, pants, all of it. Save for her socks, she was in need of some new clothes.

It was early evening, so he could have put her in pajamas, but he felt it was a tad early. Plus, he thought he had it down no problem. He could match just fine! Except...could he?

"You know, Elle, the problem is, I don't think these two pinks are the same," he stated, looking down at her adorable little face.

She just stared up at him contently.

"What do you think?" he asked, holding up the pants above her.

She looked at the pants, unimpressed. If a baby could be unimpressed, she certainly was.

"You don't like them?" he asked. "Yes you do! I picked these out!"

She just continued to suck on her pacifier, clasping her little hands together.

"Okay. I see. You wore these on Valentine's Day, and you don't want to repeat outfits. I get it. You know, that's a little bit high maintenance, but I get it," he nodded, pulling out the drawer and putting the pants back.

She just stared at him, waiting for her dad to make a decision because it had already been five minutes of him going back and forth.

"Okay, I have an idea. Yes I do. A great idea," he said, pulling out a black pair of pants and his favorite onesie that his daughter owned.

He began to change her out of the pink onesie he had just put on her. About two months ago, she would have been pretty upset about that.

But now, she and her brother didn't mind being changed as much. They just laid there and let it happen, but usually Fitz and Olivia made it worth their while with lots of chatting and smiles.

It was only recently that they'd truly smiled for the first time. On purpose, not out of reflex. Thomas, about five days ago, and Elle, just two days ago. Oh how similar the little ones were.

Elle blinked slowly, still sucking on her pacifier as Fitz put her other onesie away. Her long eyelashes were beautiful; a gift from both mom _and_ dad.

She laid there in just her little diaper, and Fitz smiled down at her.

"Can I have a smile, please, pretty baby? Huh?" he asked.

"Come on. Show me that little smile," he said, leaning down close to her face. He tickled her belly gently, leaning his forehead ever so softly against hers.

"Come on. Let daddy see. Let him see," he chuckled, continuing to tickle her.

The edges of her mouth started to curve up, and her beautiful little smile was visible, even with the pacifier in her mouth.

"Ahh! There it is," he chuckled. "I saw it, yes I did. You can't take it back!"

She smiled up at him, reaching up to touch his face.

He grabbed her little hand and pretended to nibble on her fingers.

"Om nom nom. Oh no, daddy's getting Elle. He's getting her!" he exclaimed.

The smile only grew larger as he engaged with her.

It was so important at this stage of their lives. To really develop a relationship to the ones they were closest to.

Fitz kissed her soft belly and then her cheek, going back and forth between her right and left one because it made her smile harder.

"Mwah. There's my baby girl. There she is," he whispered, smoothing her curls back. "I love you, baby."

She sucked on her pacifier contently, looking up at him and moving her arms up and down slightly.

"You love me too? Yes?" he smiled, leaning down on his elbow to admire her. "I love you. I love you soooo much, yes I do. My little E."

His thoughts were interrupted with laughter from downstairs, from Brett and Lauren.

They were here visiting for the second time since the babies had been born. The first time has been as soon as they'd been able to make it work, so that Brett could see the twins. Elle was his goddaughter, after all.

But this time, they'd been here for a little bit longer, and they'd brought Mia with, too. Tonight was their last night, before they headed back to Pennsylvania early tomorrow morning.

Fitz got the new onesie situated on her, and put on a pair of black pants over it. She was decked out in all black. Except for the logo on the front of her onesie, which was detailed in white.

LA Kings Hockey.

"That's my girl," he nodded proudly, picking her up. "Go Kings!" he whispered.

She leaned her head against his chest as he carried her, still sucking away on her pacifier.

He shut off the lights and held tight to her, pressing a kiss to the top of her curly head. Her sweet, baby scent made him smile, as he headed down into the well-lit entryway, hearing more laughter from the living room.

"Ahh they have returned," Brett said, watching Fitz walk in with Elle.

"Were you having some trouble up there?" Olivia asked with a laugh.

"Nope. Everything went perfectly. See," he replied, turning Elle around in his arms.

"Hey! Look at that!" Brett exclaimed, pointing back and forth from Elle to the hockey game that was currently on TV. The Kings and the Sharks, a California rivalry!

"I know! We're living in the moment," Fitz nodded, looking proudly at his daughter and then the hockey game on TV. "She's a big fan."

"Dad's so silly. Isn't he?" Olivia laughed, looking down at Thomas, who was laying comfortably on his stomach on the blanket laid out.

Mia was there too, admiring the baby boy. Mia was a big fan of the babies. She sat there, petting Arie, who was also laying on the other end of the blanket. And she watched the babies.

Fitz laid Elle down on the blanket for some tummy time too.

"Hi, Elle!" Mia exclaimed, leaning over her slightly as Fitz laid her down. "I like her new outfit."

"She says thank you!" Fitz chuckled.

"They are so cute," Mia noted. "It is very easy for me to tell they are brother and sister."

"Yeah? How come?" Olivia asked with a smile.

"Because...they look the same, only Elle is a little bit smaller. And they seem happier when they are together," Mia shrugged. "Thomas seemed sad when Elle wasn't here."

"Well, you're absolutely right. They like to be with each other," Fitz agreed. "Who do you think they look more like?"

"Ohhh, big question!" Lauren said with a laugh.

"Give it up, Mia bear," Brett said, putting his arm behind Lauren.

Mia smiled, looking back and forth between the twins, and Olivia and Fitz. "Umm. I...I don't know!"

"That's okay. It's hard to tell when they're so young," Olivia said.

"Yeah. But...it doesn't matter who they look like because they are so cute anyway!" Mia shrugged.

"She's got a point. You two did well. Nice work," Brett said, taking a sip of his beer.

"Thanks. We tried," Fitz replied.

"Oh I bet you did," Brett winked.

"Shhh," Lauren laughed, smacking his arm.

"Hey. He started it. She didn't hear anyway, she's emotionally invested in his children," Brett said, pointing to Mia.

She was, indeed, completely unaware of any outside conversation at the moment, laying on her tummy like the babies and smiling at them.

Olivia was laying on her side next to the blanket as well, watching over everything, and Fitz was sitting on the other end.

The entire family, as well as Mia, hanging out on the floor of the living room.

Fitz smiled over at Olivia, who met his eyes.

"Hi," she mouthed.

"Hi," he mouthed back with a smile.

"Will they have to go to bed soon?" Mia asked sadly.

"In a little bit, yes. They'll eat, and then go to sleep for a while," Fitz nodded. "But they'll be up again before you go to bed."

"Oh okay. Good," Mia smiled. "They sleep a lot!"

"That, they do. It's important that they sleep a lot. But it's also important that they meet new people while they are awake. You are helping them a _lot_ right now," Olivia said importantly.

"Really?" Mia asked happily, holding onto Thomas' hand.

"Really," Olivia nodded. "It's good for them to engage with lots of people. They love new faces."

"Especially such cute ones," Brett said.

Mia giggled, smiling up at her dad. There were about three teeth missing in that adorable little smile of hers.

 _"_ _Especially_ cute ones," Fitz agreed, reaching over to grab Mia.

He lifted her effortlessly, bringing her into his lap and tickling her.

"Fitz! Fitz!" Mia giggled, wiggling in his grip.

"Mia! Mia!" he chuckled back, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"You are no fair!" she exclaimed.

"I'm no fair huh?" he laughed, wrapping his arms around her.

"Yes," she nodded confidently.

"I agree, Mia," Olivia noted. "He's such a tickler."

"It's my specialty, what can I say," Fitz shrugged.

"I heard another one of your specialties was rapping. Specifically about your kids," Brett said, giving him a smile. "Do we get to hear?"

Fitz's cheeks instantly turned red. "Okay, now how in the world did you hear about that?!"

"From my beautiful wife," Brett said, kissing Lauren's cheek.

Fitz turned to Lauren. "Lauren..."

She was laughing hysterically. "Perhaps in my group chat with all the wives of you Californian weirdos."

Fitz turned to Olivia now. "Baby!"

"What?!" Olivia laughed with a shrug. "It was newsworthy information!"

"Oh...baloney!" Fitz exclaimed.

That sent Olivia into a fit of laughter, as well as Mia on his lap.

"Baloney," Mia giggled.

"Yes. Baloney!" Fitz exclaimed. "I'd like to know what else is shared in this particular group chat."

"Hmm. Well, we all collectively freaked out when Janelle said she was pregnant," Olivia said, thinking back.

"Oh, yeah, we did," Lauren nodded. "When I got my new job, too."

"Right, right," Olivia agreed. "I think also when Riley's lacrosse team won the state tournament."

"And of course when your twins were born," Lauren added.

 _"_ _Of course,"_ Olivia smiled, looking down at her babies.

"Yeah, I _really_ see how me rapping fits into the same category as all of those _major_ events," Fitz exclaimed sarcastically.

 _"_ _Major_ event," Lauren chuckled.

"See? Come onnnn. Let's hear it," Brett said.

"Nope," Fitz said, shaking his head. "I did it once over FaceTime with, like, eight people listening, and that was embarrassing enough."

"Well, going from eight people to four people should be much easier then!" Brett exclaimed. "Plus, Liv's heard it before, so there's really only three _new_ people."

"Nope. Only for the ears of Thomas and Elle now," Fitz said, smiling.

Brett sighed, shaking his head. "You will dance and sing a Fergie duet with me. But you will not rap."

"That is correct," Fitz chuckled. "That was my _wedding_ day, come on."

"Fergie duet?!" Mia exclaimed. "I like Fergie."

"Of course you do, you're my kid," Brett nodded. "See, I taught her well."

"I also like Jake Owen. And Chris Young. And Maren Morris. They are country singers," Mia said matter-of-factly.

Fitz gasped, smiling at her in his lap. "I know they are! Those are all great singers."

Brett nodded proudly, winking at his daughter.

"She really is your kid," Fitz chuckled, bouncing her slightly in his lap.

"Yeah, grandma says I look like dad, too," Mia said, turning to Fitz.

Fitz smiled, looking over the adorable little girl and nodding. All he'd ever seen in her was Brett. Even more so, as she'd gotten older.

"Your grandma is right," Fitz nodded. "You look a lot like your dad."

"She's lucky I'm so good lookin'," Brett said, getting up from the couch casually.

Fitz chuckled, watching him walk toward them.

"Can uncle Brett hold one of your precious children again?" he asked them.

"Of course," Olivia nodded, to which Fitz nodded too.

"Alright. Which one of you little mini Grants wants to be held?" Brett asked, crouching down by their tummy time party.

Thomas looked up at him as he talked, moving his left arm toward Brett.

Brett smiled, reaching out to touch Thomas' little fingers. "Hi, buddy! Alright, you first, little dude."

He picked Thomas up and held him in his lap, smiling at the baby boy and shaking his head. "You look like your daddy, pal. Yes you do."

Olivia smiled brightly, admiring her little boy in Brett's arms. The side profile of him, looking just like a tiny version of Fitz.

Fitz smiled too, looking down at the blanket in front of him. He loved it when someone said that. He loved that his son strongly resembled him, despite having many of Olivia's characteristics as well. A perfect mix, it truly was.

And the funny thing, was that Elle was the spitting image of Olivia already, yet she and Thomas still looked so similar, despite him looking more like Fitz.

Brett took his turn with his goddaughter as well, holding the tiny baby girl protectively in his arms.

"Hi, sweetheart. You are so pretty, yes you are," Brett whispered.

"The prettiest," Olivia said with a smile.

Brett looked back and forth between Elle and Olivia.

"She looks more like you than you do!" Brett chuckled to Olivia.

"Its no wonder she's so cute," Fitz shrugged, interlocking fingers with Olivia.

Olivia laughed, smiling at Elle. "My mom sent me a picture of me at three months old the other day...that was crazy."

"Spitting image I'm guessing?" Brett asked.

"Pretty much," Olivia nodded. "She's definitely smaller though, which is surprising. I was pretty little."

"She'll catch up. They both will. I assume they'll be a decent height, given that Grant's tall," Brett said.

"I hope so," Olivia nodded. "It's not always fun being...vertically challenged."

"Amen to that," Lauren agreed.

"I think little E is getting sleepy," Brett whispered, looking down at her.

Olivia let go of Fitz's hand and turned his left wrist over to look at his watch.

"Yeah. They're both probably ready to go down," Olivia nodded.

"You go sleep, okay? Have a good nap," Brett said to Elle.

Olivia grabbed Thomas from the blanket and Fitz got up to grab Elle from Brett.

"You tired, baby?" Fitz asked, taking Elle in his arms.

She looked up at her dad sleepily and he leaned down to give her a kiss.

"We'll be back," Fitz said, looking back at Brett, Lauren, and Mia.

They nodded, giving the tired twins smiles.

Olivia and Fitz headed upstairs, each with a sleepy baby in their arms, to the nursery.

Both of them needed a new diaper, so they took care of that and then went to lay them down in the bassinet in their bedroom.

They waited for a while, to make sure they went down okay. They sat on the edge of their bed, and Olivia leaned her head on his shoulder, linking their arms and intertwining their fingers together again.

He leaned his head against hers, squeezing her hand.

"How you doing, baby?" he whispered.

"Good. I need to pump," she whispered.

"Want me to sit with you?" he asked.

She nodded, and he lifted his head to look down at her.

She met his eyes and leaned in, pressing her lips to his softly.

He kissed her softly back, putting a finger underneath her chin to tilt her head toward him more.

His tongue slipped between her lips, brushing hers gently as their soft kisses turned into a makeout.

His hands wandered up her body, taking their sweet time until they reached her face and he cupped her cheeks gently.

She giggled quietly against his lips, and he bit her bottom lip, pulling it into his mouth slightly because it made her smile.

His smile mirrored hers as he pulled away, placing a few stray kisses against her cheek and her neck.

"I can just kiss you while you pump," he murmured against her skin. "How about that?"

"That sounds wonderful," she giggled.

"Mmhm," he agreed.

"Although I think that will significant my lengthen my pumping time, and we have guests downstairs," she whispered.

He nodded. "Yes, you're probably right. You're just so tempting, Mrs. Grant."

"Oh...baloney," she said, which made the both of them crack up.

"You're starting to use my ridiculous new phrase!" he exclaimed.

"I am," she agreed with a laugh.

"It sounds cuter when you say it."

"...oh baloney," she whispered, and he cracked up again.

"I love you," he chuckled.

"I love _you,"_ she said, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "I'm gonna pump, okay?"

"Okay," he nodded, patting her thigh.

She sat on the bed and pumped, and he held her hand next to her, watching over their sleeping twins.

They rejoined their friends in no time, having a nice dinner with all of them since it was their last night there. Fitz and Olivia teamed up to cook, making sure to keep an eye on their baby monitor on the counter.

The babies slept for their three hours before they had to get up and eat again too.

Mia was sad to say goodbye to the twins before she went to bed, as were Brett and Lauren. But they're visited twice now since they'd been born, so they'd still gotten their fair share of baby love.

They could tell Brett was so honored, and delighted to be Elle's godfather, just as Michaela had been when they'd asked her over Christmas.

It was tough for Brett to say goodbye to the little ones for sure.

And the rest of them had to say goodbye to each other, too, since Brett, Lauren, and Mia were headed out very early the next morning to the airport.

"You're sure you don't want me to take you guys?" Fitz asked Brett.

"No way, bud. You guys have a tough sleep schedule already, I don't wanna mess it up more. We'll call an Uber," Brett said.

Fitz sighed. "Alright man. Thanks so much for coming. Love you, brother."

"Love you too. It was a nice long weekend away, thanks for having us!" Brett said, pulling him in for a hug.

"Of course. Have a safe flight back."

"We will. Bye Liv," Brett said, hugging her as well.

"Bye, thank you for coming!" Olivia replied.

They all exchanged hugs, and Mia's hug with Fitz was _extra_ long.

"Bye Mia. Thank you for coming!" Fitz said, picking her up in his arms.

"Bye, Fitz. I love coming here. And I love your babies," she whispered.

Fitz chuckled, kissing her cheek. "They love you too. We all love you."

"Love you," she said back.

Olivia gave Mia one last hug and then they were all off to bed.

Brett, Lauren, and Mia took the Jack-and-Jill bedrooms on the main floor, so that they could have separate bedrooms but still be close, and connected through the bathroom. Mia loved to have her own bed, and lots of blankets, of course.

Olivia let Arie out to go to the bathroom, and then she followed her and Fitz upstairs so they could retire for the evening, too.

It wasn't awfully late, so they stayed up a little longer, despite their twins being passed out next to them.

Fitz was reading a book, and Olivia was checking the group chat to make sure everything was still set and in place for the next day.

On Tuesday evening, a very important event was taking place. And everyone knew about it, except for miss Abigail Whelan.

2/22/22 was about to be one of the best days of her life.

David was proposing to her, and all of their friends were going to be there. Hiding, of course, but there, to celebrate the life-changing day. Teagan was going to photograph the entire thing, they already had that all planned out.

After careful consideration on David's part, he decided he wanted everyone there, because it's what his Abby would want. All of her friends to celebrate with them. So, they had all kept quiet about it, and made sure to have their Tuesday night open for the big event.

Olivia and Fitz were having another one of their children's godfathers over to babysit for the occasion, actually. Cyrus and James were headed over, and already excited about spending the evening with the twins so that Olivia and Fitz could be there for their friends.

So while they were preparing for a fun night ahead with lots of friends, they were still winding down from another fun, long weekend with _other_ friends.

Fitz turned the page of his book, reaching over to rub Olivia's thigh.

She smiled, putting her phone down next to her and turning toward him in their dimly-lit bedroom.

He focused hard on his reading, but felt her eyes on him, and turned to look at her.

"Hi," he smiled.

"Hi," she whispered.

"You sleepy?" he asked.

She shrugged, resting her hand on his. "Not too bad yet. Are you?"

He shook his head. "No. I gotta admit, this no working thing really makes it easy to stay up extremely late, despite still having a crazy sleep schedule."

"Mmhm," she nodded with a smile. She knew better than anyone. She'd had a hell of a maternity leave so far, and it wasn't even close to over yet.

"I feel like I've been catching up lately though. They are getting better," Olivia admitted.

"That's true," Fitz agreed. "That fourth hour they're able to go at night now...that really makes a difference."

"It does. I can't complain too much. They're pretty good sleepers and they stick to their schedule. And it'll hopefully just continue to get better from here, too," Olivia said.

"Yeah. Imagine when they can sleep through the night. When we can _all_ sleep through the night," Fitz whispered, putting his book down.

Olivia gasped quietly, snuggling closer to him. "That will _really_ be something."

"Mmhm. I'm sure by that point they'll be sleeping in the nursery," Fitz replied.

Olivia gave him a sad look, which made him laugh.

"I know. I like having them right there too," he nodded.

"It will be a change for sure. A necessary one, but sad. I've gotten so used to their little sleeping faces next to me," Olivia said.

"Me too. But at least then we won't have to worry about them sleeping through..." Fitz began.

 _"_ _Me and you_ time?" Olivia laughed.

"Yes. That's a nice way to put it," he chuckled.

"We don't really have anything to worry about, anyway. They sleep just like you," she said with a laugh. "When they're out, they're _out."_

"Yeah. That's true," he laughed. "Speaking of."

"Yes...?" she asked.

He shrugged, giving her a little smile.

"What?" she laughed.

"I don't know..." he shrugged, putting his hand on her thigh.

"Oh, I think you do," she laughed.

He smiled. "Do you want to?"

She nodded, smiling back. "Yes."

And to really smile and mean it when she said yes to him, was a big thing. She'd made a lot of progress in that department lately.

Their first time having sex was a couple days after her six-week check-up. Six weeks was what she'd been told was the magic number. Nothing up there for six weeks.

She had honestly been thankful, because after having to push out not one, but _two_ babies, she could truthfully say she just wanted to steer clear of the area for a while and let it do its thing to heal.

She'd been doing her pilates, her kegels, as much as they made her cringe. But the thought of sex had still been somewhat daunting.

So the first time after the twins were born, was...to be blunt, not great.

It was stumbly and painful, and everything felt different than it did before. Frankly, it was comparable to her first time having sex ever.

It was nothing Fitz was doing wrong and he felt awful.

He had always been the one to make sure everything she felt was how she wanted it to feel. Even back before she'd given _birth_ , when their relationship was new, he'd often ask her when they were being intimate, if what he was doing felt okay. If she was comfortable.

She'd always loved that about him. Always ready, and always up for it. But so gentle. So sweet. So observant of how she was feeling.

And it was just the same now. Only he was probably _extra_ careful, because he knew it wasn't exactly smooth sailing for her quite yet.

But she knew she was healed. The doctor had given her the okay. She just needed to get past the shaky stage. So she had been getting through it. With lots of pain and lots of _lube._

Since then, it had gotten better. It wasn't as daunting, or as stumbly. She just still didn't feel 100 percent like her Olivia self yet.

She definitely wanted to be intimate with him, but she did still feel a bit nervous beforehand. Things were different, there was no denying that.

He pulled his shirt over his head and looked over at her, thinking contently. She hadn't moved, she had just been sitting there.

"Baby? what's wrong?" he asked.

She sighed, wondering if she really wanted to get into this. It was something that had kind of been bothering her, but she hadn't ever brought it up in this sense before. She had kind of stayed away from the subject, because she was self-conscious.

"It's just..." she began, scratching her head.

He looked at her, confused. "Livvie if you're not up for it, that's okay."

"No, I _am_ up for it, I really am. I just...have to be honest, too. I want you to be...pleased. I want to satisfy you, and I want to satisfy _me_ too. It's getting better, but my body isn't...isn't the same. It's still a little uncomfortable and I know things are different. I don't always feel like _me_ anymore. I don't always feel... _sexy_ to you anymore," she admitted.

He looked at her in awe, shaking his head and scooting closer to her. "What? Olivia, you are _gorgeous_ to me, and you _know_ that. Why do you think my body gives me away all the time?"

She smiled, watching him give her a smile back. "You know I am in no way needing to be satisfied. I know I'm a man and...we probably deserve the reputation we get, but my sexual needs do not even come remotely _close_ to your body's needs," he said. "We do everything on your terms, and your terms only. You know that, baby."

She nodded, giving him an appreciative smile. "I just want to make us both happy. I want...I want things to be how they were _before_. God, we were so good," she groaned, thinking back.

He smiled. "We were good. And we'll be good again. We've got lots of time to practice and lots of time for you to get back to feeling how you want to feel. Your rules, okay?"

She nodded, while he brushed the curls out of her eyes. "Please don't ever say anything like that about your body again. You're going to hurt my feelings."

"It's not just physical appearance. I mean, a big part of it is. I liked...how I felt before. I felt good, and healthy, and toned. I liked how I felt. And I know I'll get there again, I just need to be realistic about _getting_ there. But it's...down there too," she admitted. "I just want it to feel how it felt for _you_ before, too."

He sighed, leaning over her as they laid there and shaking his head like she was crazy. "You overthink things too much, baby."

"No, I don't. I mean—yes, I do. But not this. These are all...very realistic things to worry about, in my opinion."

"But you don't need to worry about them," he replied. "I love you. Do you hear me?"

"I hear you," she said, smiling slightly at him.

"I love you. For this big brain in here that still baffles me," he said, lightly tapping her head.

She smiled.

"For what's in here," he said, tapping the left side of her chest above her heart.

Her smile grew bigger.

"For this," he said, gesturing to her face.

"And _this,"_ he said, pointing up and down to her whole body. His eyebrows were raised, and he smirked at her. "Cause this is... _wow_. This is _so_ sexy."

"Oh you're just sucking up to me now," she laughed.

He shot her a look.

"Are you kidding me? Are you—sorry babies, who are sleeping anyway—are you _fucking_ kidding me?" he asked.

Her eyes widened and she laughed, looking over at the babies, who were, indeed, sleeping.

"Dad just swore," she whispered.

" _Damn_ right dad just swore. _Look_ at you. Look at your body right now. You're telling me you had twins almost three months ago? Where? How?"

She just laughed, feeling her cheeks flush red. "Oh, stop."

"No!" he exclaimed. "You always yell at me when I don't accept your compliments. So accept mine!"

"That's fair," she agreed with a laugh.

He nodded, pulling up the bottom of her shirt—which was actually his.

"Look at you," he said, rubbing his fingers over her soft, beautiful skin.

As she laid there, she watched him admire her. Convincing her of what he was saying, while appreciating her at the same time.

His fingers traced her flat stomach gently. Not as toned as she had once been, but she was working to get back to that. She could work out now, and she did, a lot. And regardless, she still looked great.

It was always harder for her to see it herself. But she had to admit, watching her husband look at her that way may have been a big help.

"Gorgeous," he whispered, running both palms up her abdomen slowly.

She let out a quiet breath, reaching for his hands. He let her guide them up to her bare breasts underneath her shirt, as she wasn't wearing a bra.

He moved slowly, letting her decide what she wanted him to do.

But then she moved her hands away, and let him do what he did.

He gently massaged her breasts, rubbing his thumbs over her nipples and nudging her shirt upward so he could see more of her.

He swung his other leg over her hip so that he knelt above her, touching her lightly.

She pulled on her shirt, showing him she wanted him to take it off.

So he eased it off of her as she sat up, putting her arms up above her head.

His eyes traveled to her bare upper body, wandering up and down its beauty.

He could feel his boxers tighten in his pants; he grew hard just watching her body, and feeling it beneath his large hands.

"So beautiful," he whispered, leaning down to kiss her skin. Between her breasts, and all the way down in a line. Until he got to the waistband of her underwear. Then, he stopped, and worked his way back up again.

She smiled, watching him kiss her skin. Watching the long, beautiful eyelashes against his cheek, as his eyes were closed. Watching his lips press lightly against her abdomen over and over.

And now, she couldn't help herself.

She grabbed his hands, which were still lightly massaging her breasts, and moved them down to her underwear. Specifically, the edges, hoping he would catch her drift.

She still felt self-conscious, yes. But she knew that would pass eventually. And she also knew she wanted it right now.

His eyes met hers as his fingers lazily grabbed the fabric of her underwear and pulled them down slowly.

He eyed her, as if to make sure that was what she wanted. She just smiled at him, being extremely cooperative and lifting up her legs so he could remove them.

"Gentle, and slow," he whispered to her assuringly, pushing his pants and underwear down.

She nodded, watching his hardened length bob free of his pants.

He reached into his side of the nightstand to grab some lube, knowing it would make it so much easier for her.

His hands disappeared under the covers as he rubbed it on himself, an immediate shiver running through his body.

"Cold again?" she whispered with a laugh.

"Whew, yep, yep. Cold," he nodded. "Do you want me to put some down here too?" he asked, lighting nudging her.

She nodded, bracing herself for the contact and the temperature.

He gently prodded her entrance with one finger, rubbing it around very very slowly.

She let out a deep breath and relaxed, laying back on the pillows as he coated her in it, too.

"There you go," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Just relax."

He was lightly fingering her at this point, but doing it so gently and not going in all the way.

"Maybe you just want me to just do this, instead," he whispered. "It might feel better."

"No," she whispered back. "I want you. I want to feel you."

"Okay," he whispered, leaning down to kiss her forehead. He then reached for a wet wipe to clean off his hands.

Those wet wipes coming in handy again...

He braced himself above her, putting his palms on the sheets and looking down at their bodies under the covers and lining himself up.

She bit her lip, looking down and watching him start to prod her entrance.

He slid in very slowly as she adjusted to his size, letting out a deep breath as he did so.

"How's it feel?" he whispered, making eye contact with her.

"Feels okay," she nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Keep going."

So he pulled back out and slid in again, letting her adjust to his size slowly.

Her fingers gripped his long curls, and she closed her eyes as he started to develop a consistent, gentle pace.

She reached for the side of the nightstand, gripping it tightly with her eyes still closed.

"You're okay," he whispered, lightly thrusting into her and brushing the curls from her forehead. "You're okay."

She opened her eyes and smiled up at him. And he dipped his head to kiss her immediately.

"You feel... _so_ good," he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers. "Oh my god."

It was encouragement, that was for sure. She smiled, pecking his lips eagerly again.

"You feel...good too," she panted, tightening her grip around him.

And in no time, she started to breath heavier. She started to feel the feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time during sex. She hadn't really been able to get there yet. At least, not during sex. When it didn't fully feel comfortable, it was hard to get there. But this time was different. This time, she knew it was going to happen.

"Fitz—" she whispered.

"What, what's wrong?" he asked, slowing down.

"Oh, no—no. Don't slow down. Keep going. I'm going to—" she breathed.

A look of understanding crossed his face and he resumed his pace, leaning down against her forehead again.

"You gonna come for me?" he whispered.

She nodded, squeezing her eyes shut and letting out a staggered breath.

"Open your eyes," he panted. "Look at me."

Her eyes fluttered open as he thrust in and out of her. Gently, but quicker than they'd started out.

He captured her lips in a light kiss, keeping his eyes open to look at her. He exhaled against her mouth, hitting that spot, again and again, to push her over the edge. He _so_ wanted her to be able to feel it again; he focused hard on everything but himself. He refused to let himself come until she could come first.

She locked eyes with him until she couldn't any longer, and he saw her eyes roll back while she let out a loud moan.

"That's it, baby, that's it. Let go."

She thrust against him, matching his rhythm and crying out when she finally reached it.

She moved eagerly against him as she rode it out, and he smiled, welcoming both the sight, sound, and feel of her orgasm.

She clenched around him, and then he couldn't hold off any longer. He'd been refusing to let himself finish, so it was easy to let go and feel the pleasure now that she had.

"Oh—" he moaned, clutching the headboard as he spilled inside of her.

He kept pumping in and out until he had finished, and then he stopped, looking at the satisfied look on his wife's face.

"Oh, _god_ ," she panted, closing her eyes contently. "I missed that."

"I missed _seeing_ that," he panted back. "And hearing it. And feeling it."

"I think I needed that," she whispered, putting a palm up to her sweaty face.

"You did," he nodded, caressing her cheek. "You feel okay?"

She nodded, putting her hand on his cheek lightly. "I feel… _great."_

He smiled, slowly pulling out and rolling over, bringing her on top of him to cuddle.

They were a mess. But he wanted to hold her. To calm her from her high, and let her know he was right there. And as she closed her eyes against his chest, he knew she wanted it too.

"I love you," she murmured against his chest.

"I love you back, baby," he whispered, rubbing her smooth back softly.

He pressed a light kiss to the side of her head, wrapping his arms around her little frame.

"I'm so excited for tomorrow," she whispered.

He smiled, looking down at her. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I mean, I'm not excited to be away from Thomas and Elle, but...I'm so excited for my best friend."

He chuckled and nodded in agreement. "I'm not excited to leave them either. But Cyrus loves them dearly and James is obsessed with babies, so they'll be in good hands."

"Oh, I know. I just miss their little faces when we leave them. Which...is not at all often. So...I'm wondering when that'll get easier," she laughed.

"I don't know. Probably when we actually get up the courage to leave them with other people more often," he chuckled.

"Yes, yes, probably," she agreed. She looked over at them, still sleeping so soundly. "They are...everything."

"Everything," he nodded. "Them, and you."

She smiled, snuggling into his shoulder. "I love you."

"You said that two minutes ago," he chuckled, kissing her shoulder.

"What on _earth_ is your point?" she asked.

"...Nothing. In fact, I think you should say it four more times."

"Four, huh?" she laughed.

"Yes, four," he nodded.

"I love you," she began, kissing his cheek. She switched to his other cheek, repeating the phrase again.

"I love you...I love you," she finished, kissing his cheek once more.

"Mmmm," he chuckled, lifting his head to peck her lips.

She looked down at his soft lips, and the beautiful smile on his face.

"I think we need to have sex again."

He raised his eyebrows at her in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes, really. We're _living in the moment,"_ she nodded, mimicking what he'd said earlier. "But this time," she added, getting up on her knees. "I'm riding."

He bit his lip and smirked at her. "Your rules."

She smirked back.

"My rules."

* * *

"My goodness, they are getting big!" Cyrus exclaimed, lifting Thomas up happily.

"Both are about twice the size they were when they were born," Fitz nodded. "And both are healthy as can be."

"And _adorable_ as can be!" James exclaimed, lifting Elle up too.

Olivia smiled at the couple, each looking happily up at one of her children.

"You two look pretty good holding babies, you know," Olivia noted.

"Oh, not you too, Olivia. Trust me, I've heard enough of it from my dear husband," Cyrus chuckled.

"Well it's the truth, that's all I'm saying!" Olivia shrugged.

"Cy, relax, I just love babies. Our nieces and nephews give me plenty of baby love," James said. _"And_ these two. Yes, yes you do," he said, smiling at Elle.

"They are quite possibly the cutest children I have ever seen," Cyrus noted, looking seriously at Thomas.

"Thanks, Cy!" Fitz chuckled.

"I particularly love _fat_ babies," James said out of the blue, examining Elle. "Your babies are the exact _opposite_ of fat. However, I agree with my husband that they are indeed, quite possibly the cutest children I have ever seen."

"Well thank you, again!" Olivia said. "They're still pretty small. But they'll grow."

"Oh, yes they will. _Yes they will,"_ James said, bouncing Elle slightly on his lap.

"Alright. You guys got everything you need? You're sure?" Fitz asked.

"Oh, Fitzgerald. You two practically left a _novel_ of care instructions on the kitchen counter. We'll be _fine_. Go enjoy your...secret rendezvous, or whatever you two are going to do," Cyrus said.

"We can tell you when we get home," Fitz chuckled.

"Promise," Olivia nodded. "Thank you so much, you guys. Really."

"Of course," James nodded, and Cyrus did too.

"You're free to anything you want in the kitchen. You can...watch a movie, Netflix, Hulu, whatever you want. Make yourselves at home," Fitz said. "Arie's already been fed, you can let her out around nine—"

"Fitzgerald," Cyrus said.

"I wrote it all down, right, yep, sorry," Fitz nodded.

"We've got it covered," James nodded, smiling at Fitz.

"We'll be back as soon as we can," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Well don't rush home by any means. I don't have a class until noon tomorrow and James is his own boss. Take your time, have some fun," Cyrus said.

James nodded pleasantly in agreement, waving Elle's hand goodbye.

Olivia and Fitz smiled, having to go give kisses to each baby again because how could they _not._

The twins seemed content, so they headed out, all dressed for the freezing cold weather.

A good portion of the evening would take place outside, so they had to be prepared. They were meeting the rest of their group, save for Abby and David, of course, on the north side of Baker Hall.

Baker Hall was adjacent to the Sterling Law Building, where David and Abby had met. And now, where he was asking her to spend the rest of her life with him.

It was lightly snowing, and just above zero degrees. Which meant Fitz was as bundled up as he could possibly be for the occasion. He looked adorable.

"It feels weird to be here," he said, stepping out of the car after they parked in a campus parking lot near Baker Hall.

"Do you miss it?" she asked, looking around the snowy campus.

He smiled, looking around too. "Yeah. I do. But I need a little while longer before I come back. I got babies at home. Oh, and my wife, too."

"Oh yeah, and me," Olivia giggled, coming around to link her arm with his.

He shivered in the wind, looking ahead. "Ready? Baker's right up there."

"I know it is," she said, nudging his arm. "Don't forget, I was a student here, mister."

His eyes widened and he laughed. "Oh, baby. I will _never_ forget that."

"Me neither," she smiled. "That's our story. May not have been a...conventional story. But it got us to where we are today."

"It sure did," he agreed. "You remember our little date over there?" he asked, nodding toward central campus.

She smiled. "Our date? You mean when we took selfies and made out in the snow, despite it being an absolutely _awful_ idea?"

He gasped. "That wasn't an awful idea! That was fantastic. Just...not very careful."

"Not at all," she said, shaking her head.

"But, see, it turned out fine," he chuckled.

"It did. And it gave you a background for all of your electronic devices for, like, four years," she added.

"Mhm. You in front of the Sterling Law Building. Where...our friends are about to get engaged, strangely enough," he said.

"Right? Such an iconic building!" she exclaimed. "Your background has certainly come a long way from that picture you took four years ago, though."

He pulled out his phone, smiling at his lock screen.

It was a picture of Olivia holding Thomas and Elle on her lap. She was smiling, and the babies were looking contently at the camera. It was perfect, really.

But Olivia had to admit, she loved her own background too.

She pulled her phone out, too, putting it next to Fitz's phone and clicking the power button so the screen would light up.

There on her screen was her "sleeping" husband, with the two sleeping twins in his arms as they all laid in bed.

Fitz hadn't really been asleep, he'd only pretended for the picture. But it was adorable nonetheless. Her beautiful husband and their beautiful kids all in one picture. Couldn't get much better than that.

Fitz blushed, seeing the picture on her screen. _"Your_ background has come a long way since the holding hands in the car picture," he noted.

"Very true," she agreed, linking their arms again. "I still love that picture, though."

"And I still love the one of you in front of Sterling," he smiled.

She smiled back, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Hey! Liv, prof!" Harrison whispered—as loudly as he _could_ whisper.

They both turned, seeing Harrison making his way through a few bushes and onto the sidewalk. He helped someone else through the bushes as well, and it took a few seconds for Olivia to see who it was.

She gasped. "Mace?! You came!"

"Yeah!" she whispered. "My first class got canceled tomorrow morning, so...I decided to make the drive with Harry. Although...he hasn't exactly told me what we're doing here."

Olivia started to laugh. "Harry keeping his lips sealed, huh?"

"Oh, shush," Harrison said. "I am, yes. David told me I could tell her, but...it's funny hearing her guess."

"I probably already guessed what's gonna happen. He just won't tell me if I'm right," Macy said, side-eyeing her boyfriend.

Harrison shrugged and smiled. "You'll just have to wait and see, Mace."

"I assure you, it will be worth the drive," Olivia said, going to hug her cousin. "Where the heck did you guys park?"

"Way over there on the street. Not all of us are distinguished professors at the university that can park wherever we want," Harrison said, holding out his hand to Fitz.

Fitz smiled, pulling him in for a bro hug. "Good to see you, man," he chuckled.

"You too, prof, you too. Liv. I missed you," he said, pulling Olivia in for a hug, too.

"I missed you too, Harrison. I'm so happy we could all make it for tonight."

"Me too. Should we go see if the rest of them are here?" he asked.

"Yeah, let's go check it out."

They made their way over to Baker Hall, eventually meeting up with Huck, and Teagan, who was already all set up with her camera. She had the perfect view, behind a tree with her lens peeking out.

That _really_ had Macy excited, trying to figure out what was going to happen. Of course, Harrison still didn't tell her.

Charlie and Quinn showed up not too long after, all bundled up as well, and with big smiles on their faces.

It was safe to say everyone was excited about what was going to happen tonight.

The plan was that David and Abby were going to go study at Sterling, because Abby was still in law school, and studying for the bar pretty regularly.

David had already passed the bar and was a practicing lawyer. So them studying for the bar together wasn't anything unique, which meant Abby had absolutely _zero_ idea what was going to go down. They did it quite often, since David's experience was a big help to her.

Only this time, they'd stop in front of it, and David would ask the most important question he'd ever ask. Holding the beautiful ring that Olivia had helped him pick out.

They couldn't wait.

The time ticked down, nearing 7:30, which was their planned time. And they all stood and waited for their friends to walk up to the front of the building from the opposite side, so Abby wouldn't see them, as planned.

Their view was perfect. It was dark, so they were not easily visible. However, the lights outside of Sterling projected perfectly onto the snowy sidewalk, so they would all be able to see Abby and David easily. They were close enough to have a great view, but not too close to where Abby would be able to notice them.

They had planned this quite meticulously.

And it paid off. Because just after 7:30, they saw the couple emerge from the darkness on the other side, into the lights outside Sterling.

"Oh my god, oh my god," Olivia whispered.

"There they are!" Charlie whispered.

Teagan looked through the lens of her camera, getting ready.

They slowed down as they neared the front of the stairs, and David grabbed Abby's hands.

Olivia put her hands up to her mouth, already feeling the tears.

Fitz smiled, wrapping his arm around her and watching what was about to happen.

Macy's eyes were also glued to the scene in front of them, wondering if this was going to go the way she thought it was going to go.

And with what happened next, it wasn't too hard for Macy to know for sure.

David pulled something from his jacket pocket, and he got down on his knee.

The snow was lightly falling, and a question lingered in the air when the first flash of Teagan's camera went off.

And she kept snapping photos, as the scene unfolded before all of their eyes.

The pause, as he knelt on the snowy ground, with the diamond ring displayed for his girlfriend.

The inevitable moment where she gave him his answer, and jumped into his arms without even letting him put the ring on her finger yet.

The kiss they shared as he spun her around in celebration. Her beautiful red hair, slightly wavy underneath her white winter hat.

Because her answer, of course, had been _yes._

They waited for David to shakily put that diamond ring on his fiancée's finger, before they all revealed themselves to the newly engaged couple, screaming and running in excitement like a bunch of kids.

The look on Abby's face said it all. The tears that ran down her face even more so, now that she saw all her friends.

And when she got to hug Olivia for the first time.

"Oh my god," Abby sobbed into Olivia's shoulder. "Olivia—Olivia, I'm engaged."

"You're engaged!" Olivia said, wiping her tears, too, as she pulled back.

Abby giggled when she saw how all of the guys were congratulating David.

"He really done went and did _that!"_ Harrison yelled. "Let's go!"

"Shittt!" Charlie exclaimed, jumping on David's back. "This man's getting _married!"_

"I'm getting married!" David yelled into the empty campus.

"Congrats, buddy!" Fitz said, patting his back.

"So happy for you, bro!" Huck added.

David was all smiles, and he looked back at Abby, who was getting all the love from her girls, currently surrounding her in a hug of sorts.

Abby showed off the ring, enjoying the "oohs" and "ahhs" that came of it. It truly was beautiful, and it looked fantastic on her.

They even looked at the pictures right then and there, because Abby couldn't resist. David had known it was a good idea for Teagan to be there to take pictures, and he was 100 percent right.

Just the first sight of Teagan's camera had Abby in a fit of tears all over again.

And when Teagan revealed the pictures she took, Abby was even more of a mess.

The picture of David on his knee, and Abby's hands up to her mouth in shock.

The picture of him spinning her around as he kissed her, the snow falling around them and her red hair blowing lightly.

The picture of him putting the ring on her finger.

Teagan's work really was fantastic, and it perfectly captured the wonderful night.

And as planned, they all went out to celebrate that wonderful night after they'd all calmed down a little bit.

Abby could skip one night of studying. She deserved it now.

They went out to a bar, which worked out great, as Macy was newly 21 and could celebrate with them, too.

"To Abby and David," Fitz said, raising his shot glass as everyone did the same.

"To Abby and David!" they all said, before slamming back their shots.

David put his glass on the bar, and grabbed Abby's empty glass from her. And then he leaned in and kissed the _hell_ out of her.

"Wooo!"

"Thatta boy!"

They pulled away amongst all of the crazy clapping and cheering, both with big smiles on their faces.

It was a Tuesday night, and it was snowing outside. So they easily had the entire bar to themselves.

And they certainly took advantage of it.

They didn't go too crazy, a couple of them volunteering to be designated drivers.

Olivia didn't have anything after her one shot, simply because she'd have to pump when they got home, so she offered to drive.

Fitz accepted, and ordered a scotch for himself.

But regardless of whether they were all drinking or not, they stayed out _late._ And the ones that were drinking, made it count. The night called for a celebration, and a celebration was what they got.

They had lots of fun catching up since the last time they'd been together. There was a good deal of baby talk, of course, as everyone was curious as to how the twins were doing. But mostly, they talked about everything leading up to tonight. All of the planning and excitement that went into it. And as the night went on, there was lots of buying drinks for the happy couple, too.

Abby and David were all over each other, and rightfully so. Both of them were drunk as hell, so in love, and it was one of the best nights of their lives. The combination proved to be amusing for the rest of their friends.

Thankfully, Charlie was driving the two of them home, because they were already stumbly.

Olivia and Fitz were a bit similar. Only one of them was slightly drunk, but they were certainly very in love. And having a little time where they weren't on baby duty did prove to give them some good time together. With their friends, yes, but also just some time to be together with no other responsibilities.

Olivia sat on Fitz's lap on the barstool, kissing him eagerly.

She could taste the scotch on his lips, and...peppermint?

"Why do you taste like peppermint," she murmured, slipping her tongue into his mouth.

"Mmm," he murmured, digging around in his jeans pocket.

She raised her eyebrows, looking down at his lap. "What's going on down there?"

He chuckled, pulling out his chapstick. His Burts Bees _peppermint_ chapstick.

She smiled, taking it from him and putting it on her own lips.

He watched it glide smoothly across her perfect lips in awe, and a smirk started to form on his face.

"Hey, Grant, quit eye-fucking your girl and come dance," Charlie said, patting his back as he passed them, holding a very drunk Quinn's hand.

"You can keep eye-fucking me if you want, _Grant_. I like it," Olivia whispered, slipping the chapstick back into his front pocket and smacking her lips. She made sure to move slowly, taking her time as she dug around in his pocket.

She smiled when she felt a little more than just the _chapstick_ down there.

"Can you quit teasing me, _Grant,_ and give me some of that chapstick back?" he asked, pulling her on top of his crotch more.

She giggled and leaned back in, opening her mouth against his. Lots of peppermint going on.

"You ready to dance?" she asked, pulling gently on his bottom lip with her teeth.

"Mhm," he nodded, cupping her ass. "I'm mostly ready to do other things. But I guess dancing will have to do for now."

"Naughty," she laughed, getting up and pulling him out of his barstool to go and join their friends.

They all danced by the bar, forgetting that most of them had work or class the next day. Forgetting their _responsibilities_ of the next day. Forgetting anything outside of that night.

Because that night was about celebrating where life was headed, and living in the moment.

* * *

Woohoo! Congrats to Abby and David.

I hope you liked this friends-filled chapter. Lots of things progressing.

Just a reminder, time is gonna take a little jump. But I think you'll like where it jumps to. :)

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	107. Their Dream

"Baby?"

Fitz looked around the kitchen for Olivia, as he held Thomas in one arm.

He heard a gasp from behind the pantry door, and then out popped Olivia, wearing Elle in her front pack.

"Boo!"

Olivia had Elle's hands raised above her head, and Elle had an adorable little smile on her face as they "scared" Fitz.

"Ah!" Fitz exclaimed, looking at Thomas. "Where did they come from?!"

He adjusted Thomas to his other hip, tickling his belly a little bit to make him laugh.

And when he laughed, his sister started to laugh.

Which, in turn, made Olivia and Fitz both laugh, too. Because two giggly twins laughing at each other was about the most adorable, hilarious thing they witnessed in their every day lives these days.

"E, stop laughing, we're trying to be scary!" Olivia exclaimed, looking down at her daughter.

Elle looked up at Olivia with a smile, before giggling a little more. Olivia laughed and kissed the top of her head. "So much for teaming up on the boys."

Fitz gasped, looking at Thomas. "Did you hear what momma just said? Momma and Elle are teaming up on us!"

Thomas looked back and forth between his mom and dad, with two fingers in his mouth and a smile on his face. "Ah."

Fitz raised his eyebrows at his son. "Ah? That's all you have to say?"

"Ah," Thomas murmured again, nibbling away at his fingers.

Fitz turned to Olivia, pointing at her and Elle. "You heard the man. Ah. Take that."

"Alright, Elle. What say you?" Olivia asked, holding her fist to Elle's mouth as if she were holding a microphone to interview her.

Elle looked down at Olivia's fist and reached to grab it, bringing it to her mouth.

"No, no, you cannot chew on momma's hand again!" Olivia laughed, looking at Fitz. Elle and Thomas, both, were quite intrigued by rings, her engagement ring specifically. They loved Fitz's wedding ring, too. Anything interesting they could try to get their mouth on. "She has no comment to make at this time."

"She's too busy trying to solve her teething issue. T's decided to use his _own_ hand over here," Fitz said, looking down at Thomas.

"You _two,"_ Olivia laughed, shaking her head. "You gotta do what you gotta do when teeth are trying to poke through. Not fun, huh, babes."

"It isn't fun, is it. No," Fitz said, talking to Thomas in his arms. "Especially when we scream for an hour straight at three in the morning. Mhm. That's not a good time."

Thomas paused, looking up at his dad. And he started to laugh again, reaching up to touch Fitz's nose.

"Oh, you think that's funny, little man? Is that what you think?" Fitz chuckled, grabbing Thomas' hand from his nose. He pretended to nibble on his little fingers, which only made him laugh more.

"You ready to go, baby? I just got Arie in the car," Fitz said, kissing the side of Thomas' head.

"Mhm. We just came to pack some more food, just in case. Elle chose some apple avocado, some sweet potato, some peas, and some puréed tofu."

"Ohhh all of your favorites!" Fitz exclaimed, bouncing Thomas lightly in his arm. "You and your sister have great taste."

"Yes you do," Olivia agreed, finishing packing up the last-minute baby food bag. Very important.

"Alright, baby girl, we gotta get out, okay?" Olivia asked, starting to take Elle out of the front pack.

She started to get fussy, not wanting to get out. Her lip started to quiver and she started to cry.

"Ohh, it's okay, you're okay," Fitz said, coming to take her so Olivia could grab everything on the counter.

"Come here, baby. Come to dad," Fitz said, holding out his free arm.

Despite her now tear-filled eyes and the sad look on her face, she reached for her dad back, and clung onto Fitz tightly as he wrapped a protective arm around her. "See, we're okay. We're fine. Momma's coming with us, you just have to sit in your car seat for a little while, okay? We can bring the front pack with us to the cabin."

Elle _loved_ her front pack. So did Thomas, but Elle, in particular, loved to be close to either mom or dad, looking so adoringly up at whoever was wearing it.

Olivia and Fitz certainly didn't have a problem with it, as that allowed them to carry one of them around while also getting some things done, too. _And_ not having to worry about them crawling everywhere. Because man, those two could _move._

Life was definitely changing for all of them, with each month that passed. The twins were always hitting a new milestone or doing something new.

This weekend would mark another little milestone as well; the first trip of the babies' lives that _wasn't_ to Virginia, to grandma and grandpa's house. They were going up to Dennis' cabin for the Fourth of July.

Fitz, in particular, was extremely excited about this trip. He kept his excitement to a normal level, one that wouldn't raise any suspicion with his wife. But this trip was going to be extra special, especially because the twins would be there.

Today was July 1st, a Friday. And they were staying all the way through Tuesday the 5th, so it would be a nice long weekend away.

They considered having Eli and Maya watch the twins, but they thought it would be a fun trip as a whole family.

There would hopefully be a lot of that in the future, so there wasn't a reason to leave them out.

Plus, Olivia and Fitz had gone on a quick little getaway just the two of them to New York City back in April, for the weekend after Fitz's birthday. He got to spend his actual birthday with a bunch of their friends, and with Olivia and the kids. But they'd still had a little time away in the city, as well.

That would tide them over for a while. It was still hard for them to leave their little ones.

They were just about seven months old now; they'd reach the seventh month on the Fourth of July exactly, which would be fun.

They were healthy as ever, as discussed at their six-month checkup. Eyesight and hearing were perfect. Motor skills were developing well. Both were dealing with teeth coming in on the bottom, Thomas a bit more so than Elle. He had a little bit of a jump start on his second tooth already. Sleeping pretty well, just about through the night every single night. Eating baby foods as well as breastmilk. Crawling like _crazy._

And just being adorable.

Things were changing so fast. And every change was so precious to Olivia and Fitz, who loved watching their little ones continue to grow.

They were just growing a little too fast!

"Da," Elle murmured, sniffling into Fitz's shoulder.

"Yes, I am da. That's me," Fitz nodded, kissing her cheek.

Olivia laughed, grabbing their remaining things off the counter. "Alright. Come on, da."

"Here we go!" Fitz exclaimed.

And off they went.

The drive to Candlewood Lake had never been bad. But it only got better once they had moved to Cheshire, as it was now exactly an hour. Less, if traffic was in their favor. The twins could handle themselves in their car seats for an hour. That was nothing compared to the five- _plus_ hour trip they had to make when they went to Olivia's parents' house.

They slept for 45 minutes of the drive anyway, which was perfect. They knew they needed as much sleep as possible, because being in a new place and not sticking as strongly to their schedule would probably have some consequences. But for the holiday away at the cabin, it was worth it.

They got to Dennis' cabin around noon. Olivia could tell Fitz was very excited to be there. She figured it was because it was the twins' first trip there, and because they hadn't made it up to Dennis' cabin yet this summer.

Dennis only got more and more business as the summers went on, as he did little renovations here and there. It was tough to reserve the cabin these days, so they'd made sure to get one of the bigger weekends of the summer to make up for their lack of time up there. They were pretty happy, and _lucky_ , to get the Fourth of July. But Olivia was pretty sure Dennis had a soft spot for Fitz, or _Fitzgerald_ , as he called him. He _had_ given Dennis a good amount of business in the past, after all.

Olivia smiled, watching Fitz lift up the specific rock in the garden to grab the key, holding Elle's car seat in his other hand.

"You happy to be here, sweetheart?" Olivia asked.

He smiled, glancing back at her. "Yes. Are you?"

" _So_ happy," Olivia nodded, switching Thomas' car seat to her other arm. "I missed it up here. A lot."

His smile got bigger, as if he was proud, and he turned to unlock the door.

They settled in, which took a while because their car was absolutely packed to the brim, and unloading it was an event. It wasn't as if they were staying for that long in reality, but traveling with twins was a _lot._

Plus, there was Arie, too. She felt most comfortable sleeping in her kennel, so they always had to bring that for her comfort. Olivia and Fitz's things took up far less room than their children's' and dog's things. But they had an SUV for a reason. Fitz's sexy dad car was in full force now.

It was just about nap time for the babies, who would go down at about one. That is, they would _try_ and get them to go down. They'd napped in the car, so their nap would likely be a little shorter than normal this afternoon.

So until then, they got everything set up; their large portable crib, that divided down the middle. They put it in the room next door to theirs, as they regularly slept in the nursery at home now. It had been quite the transition, so they didn't want to confuse them.

They were quite attached to their mom and dad, of course, and had had a little trouble not sleeping in the same room as them. This was on top of continuing to sleep train them, so that they'd learn that even if they woke up crying, they could fall back asleep on their own. Then there was the whole separate teething issue, keeping them up some nights.

All of that going on at the same time required a pretty steady and consistent schedule.

When it was time for them to go down, they gave them their pacifiers and shut the blinds to the bedroom, and Olivia read them one quick story.

They _loved_ stories. At their age, it was mostly about talking to them and looking at the pictures, which they thoroughly enjoyed. But it did also calm them before it was time to sleep.

It was successful that afternoon as well.

After they had gone to sleep, Olivia and Fitz put the baby monitor on the kitchen counter so they could keep an eye on them. But they did take a brief trip outside as well.

They walked hand in hand down the dock, looking out at the lake with Arie trotting excitedly in front of them. It was starting to get busy. It was a hot, sunny Friday afternoon, so there were lots of boats out there.

They surveyed the beautiful dark blue water and all of its activity.

She looked across the lake at all of the cabins she could see in the distance, lining the shore. There were so many, and the number only kept expanding.

"You wanna go into town for dinner tonight?" Fitz asked, looking over at her.

"Sure," she smiled. "The Cue?"

"The Cue," Fitz nodded. "I know Kathy will be working tonight, it's one of the busiest weekends of the summer. And she'd love to meet the babies."

"Well then we should definitely go," Olivia nodded. "Will there be some fun things to do in town this weekend?"

"Oh yeah," Fitz replied. "There will be a little fair, and a parade, I think. And there will be fireworks all weekend."

"Fantastic," Olivia nodded. "I just hope they don't scare Thomas and Elle,"

"I hope not. We know they scare at least _one_ of our babies," Fitz said, petting Arie's head.

Olivia smiled, looking at their fluffy girl. "Fireworks are scary, baby, it's understandable."

Arie looked up at Olivia and Fitz, tongue slightly out of her mouth, looking as if she was smiling.

She, too, loved being up here. All the running around she could do, and the water she could cool off in. A dog's dream, really.

"I love it here," Olivia said, surveying the beauty in front of her once more.

Fitz couldn't have been happier to hear that. He already knew she did. But watching her look out at the lake like _he_ looked out at it, made him smile.

"That makes two of us. Or—three," he said, scratching behind Arie's ears.

"Five," Olivia said, looking back at the cabin. "I mean, they can't verbally confirm. But come on, they've been so content since we got here. Not a single peep out of them!" Olivia exclaimed.

"Very true, I've been impressed with them today. They were perfect on the drive here, too," Fitz replied.

"It must be a sign! They already love the cabin," Olivia shrugged.

Fitz smiled. "Good. That would be a _wonderful_ sign."

She nudged his arm, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Should we go back in? Keep an eye on those little stinkers?"

"We should," he nodded.

They headed back in and laid on the couch together, the TV on quietly in the background.

"My baby," Olivia whispered, brushing her finger lightly across his cheek as she looked down at him.

She was laying on top of his firm chest, and he had a protective arm around her, and his legs tangled with hers.

"Hmm?" he murmured, his eyes flickering up to hers from her lips.

"Do you remember the first time you took me up here?" she whispered.

He smiled and then began to nod. "Yes. I pushed you in the lake."

"You _did_ push me in the lake!" she exclaimed, nudging his chest. "That was so mean of you."

"That _was_ so mean of me," he agreed. "I can't believe you still loved me after that."

She laughed. "You've always been the one, mister. Despite your mean decision to push me in the lake over four years ago in the freezing cold water."

"Oh, come on, it wasn't _freezing cold_ water," he replied.

"Are you kidding me?!" she exclaimed. "It was _April!_ I don't even know how _you_ survived!"

He scoffed, but then nodded with a laugh. "Yeah. You're right. It was...fucking freezing."

"Mmhm. I cannot believe we had sex in that lake," she said, shaking her head.

"In the lake— _against the boat lift,"_ he nodded proudly.

"You proud of that, mister?" she asked with a laugh.

" _Absolutely_ I am. Just another fond memory I can add to the list of cabin experiences," he chuckled.

"I hope we continue to add to that list," she said, kissing his cheek.

He met her eyes and smiled. "I assure you. We will."

It was surely different than their prior trips to the cabin, simply because they had little ones to keep an eye on.

However, after they woke up from their nap and had a snack, they were off to spend some time outside.

They were lathered head to toe in 100 proof sunscreen, and both wearing little bucket hats to protect them from the sun.

Elle's was a flowery white one, and Thomas' was blue with little white stars all over it. Perfect for the occasion.

And of course, their swimsuits were festive, too.

Elle's was a little red and white striped one piece, with red ruffles lining the bottom. Thomas had a white swim shirt on, and red swim shorts.

They were all in the front yard, sitting on a blanket in the sand by the dock, while Arie sniffled around curiously in the grass. Making sure to stay close by, on her dad's orders.

"Now you look cute in this bucket hat, little man. Why can't daddy rock one?" Fitz asked, surveying Thomas as he stood him up in his lap.

"Because you're not a frat boy or a baby," Olivia laughed.

Fitz reached up and turned his black LA Kings hockey hat backward and looked over at her. "Am I a frat boy now?"

She glanced over his appearance. Aviator sunglasses on. No shirt, revealing his ripped torso. Board shorts. And a backwards hat.

"You know, you would be close, except you're way hotter than any frat boy I've ever seen. And... _way_ more muscular. Frat buys just _wish_ they were muscular and try to compensate for their lack thereof with...beer and vaping," Olivia laughed, pulling Elle closer in between her legs.

"Well, thank you!" Fitz nodded, bouncing Thomas lightly in his lap. "I...think."

"You're welcome!" Olivia said. "Thank goodness momma didn't marry a frat boy, huh?" she asked, looking at Elle.

"Yes. Thank _goodness,"_ Fitz agreed.

Elle smiled at Olivia, reaching to touch her face. Olivia smiled back and laughed when her daughter's little hand made contact with her cheek.

"Hi, baby. Hi!" Olivia exclaimed, pressing a kiss to Elle's hand. "Do you love being outside? Do you love it out here?"

Elle's smile grew larger, and she moved her arms up and down happily.

Fitz watched the happy scene and scooted closer, setting Thomas down by his sister and resting his hand on top of Olivia's in the sand.

Thomas and Elle smiled briefly, reaching forward toward each other as if to greet one another.

That only lasted so long, before curiosity got the best of the little ones, and they started to crawl quickly off the blanket.

" _Hey_. Elle, Thomas, no no," Fitz said, shaking his head.

Elle had turned at the sound of her name, but then she just kept crawling.

Thomas stopped, though, staying where he was and focusing his attention on a rock.

Olivia shook her head and laughed. "You better come here, you two."

"Uh oh. Momma's coming now," Fitz warned.

Olivia quickly grabbed the rock from Thomas' hand and picked him up. "No, no, Tommy, that's icky. Rocks are icky."

He didn't seem to think so.

She retrieved Elle too, the little stinker who just kept on crawling. She liked to test her parents, that was for sure. Much more so than Thomas did.

"You are just like me as a child, you," Olivia laughed, picking Elle up in her other arm. "So stubborn and all sass."

"Baby, nothing has changed from when you were a child," Fitz said, smiling innocently up at her.

Olivia looked down at him, with a baby on each hip, and scoffed, looking back and forth between Thomas and Elle.

"See what daddy says to me?!" she exclaimed.

Thomas and Elle looked up at Olivia as she was talking, and reached for her face happily, both babbling.

Which made Fitz laugh again, as he stood up to walk over to them. Olivia smiled, kissing both of their outstretched hands.

As Fitz neared, Elle reached out to him, so he reached back and Olivia handed her to him.

"You know what I think? I think we should try out the water. Huh? What do you say?" Fitz asked, looking at Elle.

Olivia gasped, looking at Thomas. "I think we should, too."

They walked into the water slowly, both holding a baby on their hip. Until they got to the end of the dock, where it came up to Fitz's hips, and higher up on Olivia.

It was naturally a bit chilly, simply because it was a lake. However, in the heat of July, it was much warmer than it tended to be at the beginning of the summer.

They introduced the water to them slowly, dipping only their feet in at first, which was definitely cold to them. They had already introduced the twins to their pool a while ago, because the earlier they were introduced, the more likely they were to be comfortable with water.

So they seemed confused now, as the only kind of water they were used to was warm bath water and the pool water, which was also much warmer than this. This was definitely not either of those.

But they didn't cry. They didn't fuss. They just clung extra tight to mom and dad.

"Baby, it's okay, I've got you," Olivia laughed, submerging Thomas' little legs more under the water.

He almost seemed to gasp, looking up at his mom with wide eyes as if to say "what the heck is up with this water?!"

"It's okay. It's fun, huh? You like the lake?" Olivia asked, smiling down at him.

He was slowly adjusting to the temperature, and then a slight smile crossed his face, which made Olivia extra smiley.

"There's my sweet boy, there he is! Yes, see, we love the water. You know we do," she said, continuing to talk to him as she got him used to it.

Elle was also doing well, as Fitz was crouching down underneath the water so that his torso was almost fully submerged underwater. He held Elle up higher, smiling at her and kissing her belly as he moved her around in the water.

She was laughing, seeming completely unaware, now, of the water. Only aware of her dad, and that he was being funny.

"Does my baby girl love the lake?!" he gasped, pulling her in to kiss her little face. She smiled bigger with each kiss he gave her. "I think she does. Yes she does."

"Alright, they officially like pools and lakes. We just need to take them to the harbor and try out the ocean now," Olivia shrugged, bouncing Thomas up and down in the water.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea!" Fitz nodded. "Go to the beach, go in the ocean?"

Elle splashed excitedly, as if in response to his question. He could only chuckle.

They played in the water a little longer, and then decided to head in, and get ready to go to town.

Fitz was getting ready for something else too, only Olivia didn't know. The only thing she knew was that he was texting someone furiously as they got themselves _and_ their babies ready.

"Who are you ferociously texting over there?" Olivia asked, buttoning Thomas' shorts.

"Your dad," Fitz answered, not looking up at her.

"My _dad?"_ she laughed. "Why?"

"Sending him pictures of the twins from earlier today on the shore," he answered again.

"Hmm," she replied, looking at him suspiciously. "Should I be concerned that you are in contact with my father more than _I_ _am_ these days?"

Fitz chuckled and then shrugged. "We're buds."

"I know you are," Olivia laughed. "I'm very grateful for that...trust me."

"I know," he nodded with a smile.

"Now did you send my mother those pictures too, mister?" Olivia asked.

"Yep," he nodded confidently.

"Good. You're such a good son-in-law," she said picking up her daughter who was now sporting an adorable ruffled lilac sundress.

"I know," he replied proudly, reaching for Thomas. He was currently laying on his back on their bed, chewing on one of his teething rings.

"Come here, little man. Let's clean up that drool," Fitz chuckled, taking him to the bathroom.

Thomas clutched the toy protectively in his hands the whole way.

Olivia smiled as she heard the two boys talking to each other in the bathroom. Fitz, mostly responding to a bunch of babbling from Thomas.

"Yes. Yes, of course, Tommy. Definitely," Fitz nodded in response.

"They are so silly," Olivia said, smiling at Elle. "They are so silly, aren't they, baby."

Elle looked adoringly at her mom, showing her smile.

"You are _so_ pretty in your sundress. Yes you are," Olivia smiled, kissing her cheek. "Hey. Elle."

Elle looked around until Olivia said her name. And then her attention snapped to Olivia.

"I love you. I love you sooo much," Olivia whispered, kissing her cheeks and her forehead. Making Elle smile again.

"Alright. Ready to go, girls?" Fitz asked, coming out with Thomas in his arms.

"We sure are. Should we go? Let's go," Olivia nodded.

They packed the diaper backpack full of everything they'd need, including two bottles from the fridge for the restaurant. Not just for when they got hungry, but to keep them occupied as well.

They let Arie out to the bathroom, and fed her, too.

And then they were on their way to town for dinner.

Only when they got to where they needed to take a left to head to town, Fitz took a right, which just curved back toward the opposite end of the lake.

Olivia looked confusedly over at her husband. "Uhh...sweetie."

"Yes?" he answered, peering over at her innocently.

"We're going the wrong way," she laughed.

"No we're not," he replied. "We're making one stop before dinner."

"Oh. Okay...where?" she asked.

"Well, I can't give away all my secrets," he smirked.

She rolled her eyes and laughed. "You rarely do."

So she gazed out the window, looking at the opposite end of the lake from where Dennis' cabin was. They were approaching it as they rounded the curve that led them there.

She'd been over there a couple times with Fitz before, looking at the newer cabins that had been built, and the open lots that were there still. They did have a plan to build one there after all, so they'd scouted it out a little bit.

He slowed down and turned right again, onto the street that lined the lake.

Vermont Street.

She saw some pretty grand cabins up ahead, which made her smile. Most were straight-up lake homes, and big ones at that, but they were still cabins in her mind.

Somewhere to get away from home, but still have the space to have friends and family stay, and have some room to breathe.

This line of cabins seemed to have that down pretty well, as they weren't built on top of each other as houses tended to be these days. There was plenty of breathing room, and lots of trees for privacy,

too. The whole lake and its surroundings were just beautiful.

Fitz slowed down at one point, pulling over to the side of the road.

"Can I ask where we're going now?" she asked.

"We're gonna look around," he shrugged, smiling at her.

"With...T and E?" she asked.

"Mhm. They _love_ walks," he nodded, unbuckling his seat belt.

"Okay," she laughed, doing the same.

She wasn't expecting the spontaneity, but she wasn't complaining. Hopefully, the twins wouldn't, either.

"Wanna get out, baby?" Olivia asked, undoing Thomas' car seat straps.

She held him on her hip, coming around to the other side where Fitz was grabbing Elle, and the diaper backpack just in case.

He looked up and down the street, nodding ahead of them. "Let's go this way."

He adjusted Elle's dress as they walked, feeling the butterflies in his stomach being on this street of cabins yet again.

This was a very important street of cabins.

"These are all beautiful," Olivia said, looking at the cabins as they walked.

"Aren't they?" he agreed.

"There are no more open lots this way are there?" she asked.

"No," he shook his head.

"This just for inspiration, then? To see the ones that are already built?" she giggled.

"Oh no, I know you don't need any more inspiration. You're pretty much decided on how you want our cabin to look," he chuckled.

"White siding, black-trimmed windows, and a cedar wood porch," they said in unison.

"Mmhm," she smiled. "You're such a good listener."

"Yes," he nodded confidently, grabbing her hand with his free one. "I am. And _you've_ got good taste in cabin...exterior."

"You think so?" she laughed.

"Oh...I _know_ so," he replied.

She nodded back. "Yeah. That cabin is going to be _dang_ beautiful, I'll admit."

He nodded as they made their way around another curve of Vermont Street.

"Do you think...it would look something like this?" he asked, leading her into a dirt yard and looking up at the back of the beautiful cabin in front of them.

It was the first dirt lawn they'd come across.

She followed his gaze to the cabin, and found herself speechless at what she saw.

White siding. Black-trimmed windows. And a cedar wood porch.

The cabin was by far the newest in this area of the street, hence the dirt yard and lack of a driveway. There were still stickers on the windows and everything.

There were gardens lining the sides and back of it that she could see, too. Not fully finished and landscaped, but certainly there.

She looked over at him, confused, and in awe.

"Fitz..." she began, looking at him curiously.

He didn't answer. Instead, he kept leading her through the yard, and toward the front of the cabin that faced the lake. All while Thomas and Elle sat contently in each of their arms, enjoying their walk.

Olivia was trying to get Fitz's attention, while also taking in the beautiful structure beside her.

"Fitz," she said again. Although she was still looking up at the building that looked spot on to what they had always talked about. What they had always described as their future cabin.

Even the babies seemed mesmerized. They looked up at it curiously along with Olivia.

Fitz, though. He was looking at it with immense pride.

And Olivia still hadn't been told why.

 _"_ _Fitz!_ What are we...what is—"

"This cabin is yours. _Ours,"_ Fitz said, turning to look at her. _"I had it built for us."_

Her face softened, and her lip started to quiver at what he'd just said to her.

"W—what?" she asked quietly, sniffling as she looked up at the cabin again.

He closed the distance between them, smiling down at her proudly.

"I didn't want to wait any longer. I couldn't. _I wanted you to see the dream,"_ he whispered, cupping her cheek gently. "Now, we can have it. We can have it _all."_

"You're...you're not serious, baby," she replied, shaking her head as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I'm _so_ serious," he nodded, feeling the tears in his eyes now, too. The look on her face of sheer surprise, and happiness, was more than enough to make him emotional. That was the look he'd wanted to see.

And he'd been waiting forever for this reveal. This had been a long, long process, kept secret from her.

"It's for you. For T and E, and Arie girl. For our future child. It's for _all_ of us. This is _our_ cabin," he sniffled, leaning his forehead against hers. _"Ours."_

"Oh my god," she cried, adjusting Thomas on her hip and settling into her husband's chest. "I don't even—know what to say right now, Fitz."

He felt a tear roll down his cheek as he embraced all of them. Elle, in his arms. And Olivia and Thomas now, too.

They were still confused, looking at both of their parents crying. As if they could sense that something big was going on here.

"Ba..ba?" Thomas babbled, looking questioningly to his parents, who started to laugh _through_ their tears.

Olivia had barely said anything except for her expression of awe and gratefulness.

"Do you like it, Livvie?" Fitz laughed, wiping his face with his shoulder.

She nodded into his chest, sniffling hard. "I love it so much. It's—it's so beautiful, Fitz."

He nodded, kissing the top of her head. "That's because it was designed by the best architect I know."

She gasped and pulled back, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes.

He could tell she was about to ask him if he was serious again. He'd done amazingly with the surprise factor.

"Yes," he nodded, sniffling too.

"My dad?" she cried, like she needed him to confirm aloud to understand.

"Your dad. He's amazing. He's... _brilliant_. He helped me make this happen."

It looked like about a million things were racing through her mind as she processes what he was saying. _"He_ designed this? He designed our cabin?"

"He _did,"_ Fitz nodded with a smile.

"That's what...oh my god. That's what you two have been talking about all this time—that's what—not...not gardens!" she exclaimed.

He chuckled and nodded. "Well, the gardens weren't a lie. We really did have drawings for those too. You and I have always talked about our garden here, you know. They're just not all planted yet. And...we just had a little more than _gardens_ planned."

"You can say _that_ again!" she giggled, smiling around at the yard. "I can't believe...I just can't believe this is happening. I love you. I love it. I...I just...I love you."

"I love you too," he said, smiling brightly at her. "Come on. I'll show you the inside."

"Okay," she nodded excitedly, wiping her face once more.

He led her through the yard, and toward the porch at the front of the cabin, too. Also, with cedar columns, and beautiful French doors.

He pulled out his keys and flipped through them, finding the one he wanted.

"You've been here a lot, haven't you?" she asked, leaning her head against his arm.

"Yes," he nodded. "Let's just say...there were times I said I was with Logan...and I was here. And many days that I said I had meetings at work...and I didn't."

She shook her head and laughed. "You liar, you."

"I know, I'm sorry. I felt awful every time, and I'm surprised I pulled it off. But...I didn't have a choice!" he chuckled.

"Baby I'm kidding, oh my goodness," she laughed. "So has my dad been here too?"

"Yep," he nodded, opening the door. "He just didn't have to occasionally lie to his wife about his whereabouts, because your mom knew about it. She helped, too."

"She did?!" Olivia asked.

"Mhm," he nodded, leading her inside. She helped with the exterior design. You and her are very similar in your preferences so I knew I needed her. All I had to do was tell her what you wanted, and she helped me pick things out."

"Oh my gosh," Olivia breathed, looking around inside.

"It's got lots of bedrooms, for our kids. And for guests, too," Fitz said, smiling at the beautiful interior. "And it's winterized, for the cold Connecticut winters.

It was very open on the main level. There were a lot of windows that faced the lake, which was very pretty. And since there was no furniture yet, they were able to walk freely around the main level, admiring everything.

For Fitz, he got to admire it all over again. The nice wooden flooring, the marble countertops in the kitchen, and the dark cabinets. The staircase in the back, that led upstairs.

Olivia, on the other hand, got to take it all in for the first time.

There were two bedrooms on the main level, and three on the upper. One of which, was the master.

It was very obvious after seeing the inside of it, that it was the master. It faced the lake. And that view of the lake, through the large window, was breathtaking.

Just as they'd talked about. The large window, similar to the one Dennis had in his cabin's living room, that produced the most beautiful view of the water.

"I know...I know it's not ready to live in yet. I know it's still got a ways to go, and that there's not much summer left. But—"

She cut him off with a kiss, not wanting to hear any apologies. She pressed her lips to his, again and again, wetting his cheeks with her own. "Don't you dare apologize for _anything,"_ she whispered, holding his face with her hand. "You are so amazing, baby. Thank you. _Thank you_ , for all you do."

"It's what you deserve," he whispered back, softly pecking her lips again.

And there they stood, each holding a baby, in the master bedroom of their new cabin.

It took ages for them to finally lock up and leave, because Olivia wanted to see _everything_. Plus, they had to take lots of pictures to send to their friends. Especially Abby, who Olivia knew could use a little break from wedding planning whenever she got the chance. She knew firsthand how stressful that was, and now she was experiencing it all over again, as she was Abby's matron of honor. She'd have to call her later this weekend.

Their drive into town from there was _filled_ with talk of how it all began, which warranted a call to her parents.

"I'm so happy you finally got to see it, kiddo, and I'm so happy you love it," her dad exclaimed happily over the phone.

"I _really_ love it, dad. Your work is so beautiful. Thank you so much for everything, I was so surprised!" she exclaimed.

"You're very welcome. It was hard to keep quiet," Eli admitted.

 _"Very_ hard," Maya agreed.

"I bet. And thank you, too, mom. Fitz told me you were a big help to him!" Olivia exclaimed, squeezing Fitz's hand.

"Oh, you're welcome, baby. No big deal, I just wanted to do what I could to help your guys' dream come true," Maya answered. "That's all we've ever wanted for you. For your family. To be happy. To have everything that you want."

"We do," Olivia nodded, looking over at a smiling Fitz. "We really do."

Coming down from that high before dinner was impossible. It's all she could think about, and she assumed all Fitz could think about, too, as they headed into The Cue, which was _packed_.

Kathy was finally able to make it over to their table after Fitz had been texting her their whereabouts, and when she did, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Oh my goodness," she noted, putting her hand up to her mouth.

Fitz got up to give her a hug, wrapping his arms around her happily. "Good to see you! Sorry we took so long to make an appearance this summer. We've been a little busy!"

"I can see that!" she exclaimed, looking around him at the two babies, sitting happily in their high chairs. They were currently both chewing on their teething toys, having a grand old time. "My, oh my. It's wonderful to see you again, Olivia!"

"You too, Kathy!" Olivia exclaimed.

"Now, remind me of their names?" Kathy said.

"This is Thomas, and this is Elle," Olivia smiled, rubbing their backs.

"My goodness. They are just beautiful, you two. Just _beautiful,"_ Kathy said, shaking her head.

"Thank you!" they replied.

"I simply can't believe it! Now how old are they?" she asked.

"They'll be seven months on the Fourth, actually," Fitz nodded.

"Wow. Seven months already. _Wow,"_ Kathy nodded. "That is just wonderful. I remember the first time I met you, Fitz. You were eighteen years old. And now here you are, with such a beautiful family."

"I certainly think so," Fitz said, smiling over at them.

"I saw you two a couple of brief times last summer, and now a year later, _so_ much has changed. Here you are with two beautiful children already. It's crazy!" Kathy exclaimed.

"Well, we plan to make our visits a lot more often and a lot less brief. We actually have some news," Fitz said.

Olivia smiled immediately.

"Oh, well do tell," Kathy replied, intrigued.

"We actually recently built a cabin on Candlewood. So...by next summer, I'd say we'll be spending a lot more time up here," Fitz said.

"You did not!" Kathy said excitedly.

"We sure did," Olivia said. "Fitz surprised me. _Today_ actually. Just before we came. I'm still...in shock!"

"Now Fitzgerald! You two _have_ been busy! My, oh my. Well, that is _wonderful_ news. And you know who will love to hear that?" Kathy asked.

"Hmmm. John?" Fitz chuckled.

"Oh, of course, my husband will. The whole _team_ will love to hear it!" she exclaimed.

"Ohhh, I bet they will," Olivia nodded. "Having that number twenty-four around more often certainly isn't going to hurt!"

"You can say that again!" Kathy exclaimed. "Some of them are here tonight, I'm sure you'll run into them. The whole town is practically here. Always a fun Fourth of July celebration in this town."

"It sure is. It's really busy here tonight!" Fitz exclaimed.

"Yes, it is. I better get back to work, but I'll check in on you two before you leave, and say goodbye to these two little ones," Kathy smiled, leaning down to wave at them. "Goodness, they are adorable."

"Sounds good. Great to see you, Kathy!" Fitz said.

"You two. Bye now."

"Bye!" Olivia waved.

"She is so sweet," she noted, watching her walk through the busy restaurant toward the kitchen.

"She is," Fitz nodded. "I'm glad we'll be around more often in the future."

Olivia smiled. "Me too."

They did see some more of the town team players, which all were happy to meet Thomas and Elle. The new members of the team, one of them called them.

The twins were fantastic at the restaurant, too. Preoccupying themselves with a couple toys, their bottles, and mom and dad, of course.

It was a great evening out in town, and it ended just as great, when it winded down back at Dennis' cabin.

Arie was lounging in her kennel in the corner of their bedroom. The twins both passed out in the car on the way back, but woke up when they got back to the cabin. They had some of their favorite purées, and breastmilk, before they passed out again. This time, for the rest of the night. Their schedule had been a bit disrupted already, going without a nap since late afternoon. So they were eagerly ready for bed right away.

Olivia and Fitz, on the other hand, stayed awake in bed, their bedroom lit up only by the dim lamp light. The faint sound of fireworks was present, as if they were going off quite a ways in the distance. The holiday weekend had already started.

They were talking about their cabin again. It was hard not to, with the fun evening they'd had.

"I still can't believe you did that. You really did that," she whispered, stroking his cheek lightly.

"I still can't believe I managed to pull it off after nine months of keeping it a secret," he chuckled. "In total, it was longer than that. I'd had the idea in my head for... _far_ longer than that. Had the money set aside for _far_ longer than that. My whole plan...just took a little while to put together."

She looked his face up and down as she lay directly beside him, her face only inches from his. She ran her fingers through his hair, leaning in to press kisses to his soft lips.

His smile never left as he pressed his lips to hers in return.

"You are amazing," she whispered. "Everything about you is amazing. There is nobody like you in this world. You are…one of a kind. Do you know that?"

He smiled, his cheeks pink.

"You _know_ it," she giggled, leaning in to kiss him again.

He chuckled, kissing her back. "All I know is I like it when you can't stop kissing me."

She smiled, scooting closer to him and wrapping her arms around him in an appreciative hug. "What you did today. What you've _been_ doing. I can't thank you enough."

He wrapped his arms around her too, holding her small body close to him. "Ever since I saw that look on your face. The look on your face when I told you that I would never actually build a cabin unless I had someone to share it with, and that someone was _you_. You were so excited. You looked at me like...nobody had ever said anything like that to you in your life. But you didn't say anything. You just looked at me, how you did. So…I got nervous, and started to ramble. I can't remember…what I said to try and save myself from what I thought had been saying too much, too fast. But then you kissed me. You cut me off from…whatever I had started to ramble, and you kissed me. Begged me to tell me more about _'our cabin.'"_

She listened intently, replaying that day over in her head as he told her his view of things.

"Ever since, I knew I needed to make it happen. You gave me…the vision. White siding…"

"Black-trimmed windows, and a cedar wood porch," she smiled, as they spoke in unison.

"From then on… I knew It wasn't just... _my_ dream anymore. It was yours, too. _Ours,"_ he whispered. "I didn't know how it was going to happen, or when. I just knew…it needed to. So you don't have to thank me. Thank _you_ for dreaming with me, baby. I'm so happy I got to see that look on your face again today."

She exhaled quietly into his chest, shaking her head. "You're gonna make me cry again."

He laughed quietly, kissing the top of her head. "I love you, Olivia."

"I love you, too, sweetheart."

* * *

Olivia's eyes fluttered open, hearing the birds chirping outside, and the babbling going on in the room next to them. She smiled, and looked over at the baby monitor. They were both wiggling around, talking to each other through the little divider in their portable crib.

The sight made her smile grow larger. She turned her attention to her sleeping husband.

He was facing her, his arm draped across her back. She leaned in and kissed his lips, moving out from under his grip.

He started to stir, eventually opening his eyes as she sat up next to him.

"They slept through the night," Fitz smiled, his voice quiet and raspy.

"They did," she nodded, rubbing his arm. "I'm impressed, since it's a new place for them. And no teething screaming is always a plus."

He nodded, rubbing her back with sleepy eyes. "What time is it?"

"Six," she said, leaning down to give him another kiss.

"I'm gonna go for a swim, okay?" she asked. "I'll get them up, breastfeed them first."

"Mmkay," he nodded. "It's gonna be cold, baby."

"I know. But I gotta make use of the water," she smiled. "It's a great workout."

"You're amazing," he whispered.

"So are you."

"No way—too lazy. Too tired," he whispered, closing his eyes again.

She raised an eyebrow, and pulled the bottom of his shirt up to reveal his muscular chest. His defined pecs, and his chiseled abs. "Hmm. Yeah, I think this is the opposite of lazy."

"Mm mm," he chuckled, resting his hand on top of hers.

She ran her hand over his chest, lightly covered in a thin layer of brown hair. His muscles flexing slightly with each breath he took. "Mmmhm," she nodded. "You want me to bring them in here after they eat, or lay them back down? You can sleep longer if you want."

"No, bring them in here. I miss them," he whispered. "I'll feed them their solids too, after they have their milk."

"Okay," she giggled, leaning down to give him one last kiss. "I'll be back."

"Mmkay," he nodded, closing his eyes again.

He reluctantly let go of her hand, so she could go get the twins up, and then go for her swim.

It was something she'd really gotten into, both when she was pregnant, and after, too.

Not just because it was easy, as they had an in-ground pool in their backyard. But because it really was fantastic exercise, especially when paired with her routines in their gym too.

She'd have to skip the machines this weekend, obviously, but that was okay. It was the weekend, and they were on a vacation of sorts. She deserved a break.

She'd been working _so_ hard lately, and it was paying off. She looked and felt fantastic. Almost like she did before the pregnancy. They'd been continuing to get back into the routine that they'd had before either had taken their leaves from work.

Having the freedom for both of them to take lengthy leaves was wonderful. It allowed them to stay at home with Thomas and Elle for a long time. They hadn't had to start daycare until about mid-May, when Fitz went back to work.

Fitz had eased back into working life nicely. He was back, now, for the summer semester, which was much lighter compared to the fall semester, that would begin in over a month.

Olivia had had quite a length time off as well, as she'd started her leave a few weeks before the twins were born, as a precaution. She'd then gone back to work in April, as the spring quarter at her work was always busy. They needed her, and Fitz was able to stay home with the twins until May.

Now, they spent their day at a wonderful daycare center in Cheshire, while mom and dad went to work.

And they were huge favorites at daycare. _Everybody_ loved Thomas and Elle Grant.

Smart people!

She went to the bedroom next to theirs, greeting her little ones who were quietly babbling absolute nonsense.

"Hi, my loves. Hi!" she exclaimed, leaning over their crib. "How did you sleep?"

They looked adoringly up at her, both reaching up for her.

Olivia laughed, reaching for her daughter first. "Okay. You both can come out if you promise to make it easy on me while I change you two."

She knew they could make no such promise. But she gave them what they wanted anyway.

She had them laid out on a blanket on the bed, attempting to change Elle, and then Thomas.

She got Elle's fresh diaper on, fastening the straps while simultaneously pulling Thomas back to his spot on the bed after he'd crawled away.

"T, come back here," Olivia giggled, pulling him effortlessly back.

Thankfully Elle's diaper was changed now. Olivia patted her belly, leaning down to kiss her cheeks, one after the other. She couldn't resist blowing a raspberry on each one.

Elle giggled, moving her arms and legs excitedly.

Olivia smiled at her daughter. "Okay. You stay here for momma."

As if _that_ would actually happen.

She switched to Thomas, removing his pajamas and keeping Elle on the bed with her other hand. It was an acquired skill.

Although Elle, being Elle, tried to crawl away a total of six times.

"Eleanor Grant, do not make me put you back in that crib," Olivia laughed, pulling on her leg. "You will not be a fan of that."

Elle had the audacity to smile through the entire thing. She was completely unphased every time Olivia had to pull her back.

She successfully got the two dressed with clean diapers, before she started to feed them.

She put Elle in another sundress, just because it was an easy outfit in the summer. _And_ because she looked so adorable in them, especially with the little bows they often tied in her hair.

Thomas wore a pair of little khaki shorts and an adorable blue dinosaur T-shirt.

The dinosaur T-shirt was courtesy of Eli. He'd always had a fascination with dinosaurs.

She breastfed them a little bit so they could get their fill of milk, before they had some solids with their dad.

When they were finished, Olivia headed back to their bedroom with a baby on each hip.

Fitz was still laying in bed on his stomach, with his eyes closed.

"Oh, is daddy sleeping?! Should we get him? Let's get him," Olivia said.

She saw a smile form on Fitz's face as she approached the bed.

"Get him!" Olivia giggled, setting them down next to him on the bed.

They both eagerly reached for their dad, crawling toward him.

He opened an eye, smiling at his son and daughter.

"Hi, babies. Hi," he greeted, pulling them closer to him.

"Momma's gonna go swim, okay?" Olivia asked, giving Thomas and Elle each a kiss.

"Okay," Fitz nodded, sitting up and moving the twins into his lap.

Olivia changed into her one-piece swimsuit, the one she wore when she was swimming to workout and not for fun. She grabbed her swim cap, her goggles, and a towel, and waved goodbye in the doorway.

"Say goodbye to momma," Fitz said, waving both of their little hands.

"Bye, my loves. Momma will be back."

She went out to swim, which was, indeed, chilly at that time of morning. But it was a good workout, too.

Fitz was on breakfast duty, with the two of them strapped into their portable high chairs.

They had quite the breakfast menu along with their morning milk.

Their quinoa cereal purée, and mango-peach purée. Yummy.

Fitz fed them, making them giggle between each bite he gave them.

And as usual, they were a bit of a mess after breakfast. But their bibs saved their cute outfits from needing to be changed.

Fitz set up their playpen in the living room of the cabin so that he could make himself some breakfast as well, and keep an eye on them. He made breakfast for Olivia too, for when she came back in.

They had a nice morning at Dennis' cabin, and spent a majority of it outside after the Twins' morning nap.

And they knew they would have a fantastic weekend at Dennis' cabin for the holiday.

But they couldn't help but make the quick drive over to _their_ cabin that day, too. Like Fitz had said, it wasn't ready to live in yet. There was virtually nothing they could do there yet, except think about how they wanted to furnish it. Envision how they wanted it to look on the inside, and the outside, too. Talk about the things they had yet to do, or buy.

The variety of trees they wanted to plant. The gardens they wanted to finish. The fire pit they wanted. The porch swing. And the blue and white speed boat.

They were already living the life they wanted to live. And that weekend made it even better.

That weekend only reminded them that they were truly living their dream.

* * *

They made their dream come true.

Were y'all surprised?!

I hope you enjoyed. The twins are getting so big.

There are now only 3 chapters left, including the epilogue chapter. This story has almost reached its end, friends. But don't worry, there's still some story left to tell.

Read on!

With Love,

~T


	108. The Last Weekend Of Summer

"Keep going, baby," Olivia encouraged, looking up at her husband.

He picked up his pace, the sweat running down his face.

"Almost there. Almost there."

He panted too, looking down at her with a smirk.

"Aaaand—time."

He brought himself down from the pull-up bar, hanging there with his legs crossed, utterly exhausted.

"You are incredibly sexy," she whispered, looking at the timer on her phone casually.

He chuckled as he panted. "I am—drenched in sweat right now."

"I am well aware of that," she nodded, resetting the timer.

"One more set?" he asked.

"Yep," she nodded. "Ten more seconds of rest."

"Okay," he breathed, adjusting his grip on the pull-up bar.

As soon as she watched ten seconds go by on her clock app, she started the timer.

"Go."

He immediately pulled himself up again, and did as many reps as he could, as fast as he could do them, in the 30 second time interval. Which, wasn't that many. Pull-ups were _not_ easy.

By the end of his last set, he was even more exhausted. Mostly because that was about the end of his workout and he deserved a break.

She rubbed her hand over his bare abdomen, smiling up at him as he stood there catching his breath.

He smiled back, leaning against the doorframe.

Her hand slid down further, brushing over him casually.

She felt the bulge immediately, through the shorts and the compressions that were currently restricting it. Restricting it a little _too_ much in her opinion.

He just let her do what she wanted, focusing on calming his heart rate and body. Although, it was hard not to focus on her hand, too.

"That feels good," he panted quietly, leaning his head back against the doorframe.

"I know," she smirked. "C'mon. Let's finish up and I'll make you feel even better."

"Deal," he nodded, letting her lead him into the exercise room again.

She got on her back on her yoga matt, and he knelt by her feet, holding them down.

And she began her first set of sit-ups, as he encouraged her.

He watched with pleasure. She had her hair pulled back into a braid, which he thought looked extremely beautiful on her. And with each sit up, her tight abdomen flexed.

She was so toned, and strong. So beautiful.

Her skin slightly glistening with sweat. Nothing covering her but that black Nike sports bra and a pair of matching compression shorts that were extremely short and accentuated her perfect ass.

Yeah. Working out with his wife was nothing short of fantastic.

"Five more, baby," he encouraged.

She panted with each time she sat up. She hit her 5, and did the rest of her reps, until they switched spots.

Neither of them needed each other to hold their feet. Both were plenty strong enough to keep them down themselves. But having them there, face-to-face, with each sit up, was certainly not a bad deal. Occasionally, a sit-up would even be rewarded with a quick kiss. They had to make it fun in little ways.

Or in big ways.

They both laid on their mats, directly next to each other, panting. Calming their bodies after they had done some cool-down stretches to officially end their workouts.

Fitz laid on his back, one knee bent and arms above his head on the mat. So, he was able to see perfectly clearly when Olivia scooted down toward his feet, wiping the sweat off her face.

She quickly took off his shoes and socks, and tossed them aside.

She then reached up and slipped her fingers underneath the waistband of his shorts and compressions, and slid them down.

He watched his length come free as she exposed him. Laying completely naked now, before her.

He didn't say anything. He didn't even know this was exactly her plan. He just continued to calm his breathing, and look at her contently.

But his looking could only last so long, before he reached for the straps of her sports bra.

She shrugged them off, and stripped it over her head to reveal her bare breasts.

He was already hard. But that sight certainly helped him more.

He let out a long, steady breath, watching her half-naked self lower her body down, and take him in her mouth fully.

He arched his back, clutching at the yoga mat with his fingers.

"Ohhh...yes," he moaned.

She knew what to do. She certainly didn't need him to moan and pant for her to know it was what he liked—although he did moan and pant. A lot.

He slowly began to sit up, widening his legs as he looked down at her. He leaned back, using one palm to brace himself on the mat behind him. His other hand went to the side of her face, holding it gently.

He admired her, rubbing his thumb across her cheek softly as she urged him deeper and deeper into her mouth.

The image of her pretty mouth around his dick was about as beautiful as anything could get.

"Just like that, baby," he whispered, starting to guide her down with his hand.

She gripped the base of his shaft, rubbing up and down simultaneously while she used her mouth. Giving his tip the extra attention it deserved.

She finished him, swallowing eagerly as he gripped her hair, and called out her name.

And then she laid her head on his thigh, rubbing his other one softly as she looked up at him with a smile.

He was panting again. Only this time, not from his workout.

He smiled at her, smoothing back her little flyaway curls. "Hi."

"Hi," she whispered back, tracing her finger along his muscular thigh.

"I am...still sweating profusely. And you just...gave me head anyway," he chuckled, wiping his forehead with the inside of his elbow.

She smiled and kissed his upper thighs, dangerously close to where she had just been. "That is one of my favorite things to do in the _world_. You being sweaty is not relevant whatsoever," she said. "Plus. I think I'm sweatier than you right now."

He smirked, grabbing her hand and pulling her up to his eye level. "In the _world_ , huh?" he asked quietly.

"That's right," she nodded, kissing his cheek.

He put his finger under her chin, turning it until her lips met his. He plunged his tongue into her mouth in a deep kiss.

"How 'bout we get sweatier," he whispered against her mouth.

She nodded eagerly, pressing her lips to his again.

He smiled, reaching down to take off her compressions. It didn't take him long to get her naked.

She rode him on his lap, her arms wrapped tightly around his head. He had his head buried in her chest, kissing every area he possibly could.

Between her breasts, her nipples, her neck. All of it made her moan, and lean her head back in pleasure.

Her pace had begun slow, but she quickly picked it up, until she had him leaned back with his palms holding his weight, watching her sink down on him again and again. Feeling him fill her up repeatedly had her desperate to reach her climax.

"You wanna flip over for me?" he breathed.

She slowed down, and pulled off of him. Feeling wonderful every inch of him as she did so.

He was on her in an instant, bracing himself above her and entering her from behind.

He laced his fingers in hers on top of the yoga mat, thrusting in and out of her.

The yoga mat was decently soft at least.

He dipped his head, dragging his lips across her neck. Hearing the moans slipping from her lips.

She could hear him panting in her ear, and feel him picking up his pace to get her there.

She was so close, and he knew it.

"I'll get you there, baby. I'll get you there," he panted.

"Oh," she moaned, clutching the mat beneath her. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling him hit it right where she needed him to. "Fitz—Fitz."

He heard the desperation in her moans, and felt her beautiful body start to shake. When her pleas became more desperate, he knew she was just about there.

She gripped his hand so hard he lost feeling in his fingers. But he didn't need to feel his fingers. He just needed to feel her around him, because when she clenched her muscles...he didn't think there was a better feeling than that in the world. When it happened, he could almost feel _himself_ nearing the edge again too.

"Yes—Fitz," she moaned, shaking and squeezing his hand tighter as she climaxed.

He slowed his pace and then lingered inside of her, calming his breathing as she tried to calm hers.

"Hey, baby, can you—reach that towel," he whispered, pointing a couple feet away on the floor.

She reached for it and handed it to him without looking back, and laid her head on the mat again. Trying to calm herself.

He took it and reached down, pulling out and cleaning them up to at least prevent getting the mat messy.

"Well. I'm definitely sweatier," she whispered.

He chuckled, rolling off of her and collapsing on his back next to her. "Ditto."

"We've really managed to...make the most of nap time today. Workouts— _and_ playtime fit into a two-hour period?...Success."

" _Major_ success," he chuckled, reaching for her hand.

She intertwined her fingers with his, smiling over at him. "I don't think this is what yoga mats were made for, but...they served their purpose. There's a first time for everything!"

"Yeah," he chuckled, looking around. "We've also never had sex in this room before, so that's a first, too."

"Yes we have!" she exclaimed.

He thought back, and then remembered.

"Oh damn...yeah, you're right," he admitted. "When we were trying."

"Yeah! I'm a little offended that you forgot," she said.

"Baby, when we were trying, we could not _stop_ having sex. That period of our lives was... _nonstop_ sex. Forgive me if I don't remember every weird place we did it," he chuckled, squeezing her hand.

"That's fair," she nodded. "I think _I_ remember though."

"No way," he said, shaking his head. "There's no way, seriously. I mean—I think we set _records._ "

"Probably," she giggled. "This house has seen some things."

"Um—every place we've ever _stayed_ has seen some things," he pointed out. "We may have issues."

"We have sex a lot, so what. There are worse issues to have," she shrugged.

He burst into laughter, rolling over and laying his head by her arm. "Good point."

She inched her face closer to his, kissing him a couple more times before sitting up. He reached up and rubbed her bare back. Her strong, toned, beautiful back.

She reached over and slowly rubbed his thigh, inching upwards.

"Mmm," he moaned, relaxing on his back as she touched him. "Yeah, you just...keep doing that. Yeah."

Then she moved her hand toward his dick after seeing his clear arousal.

"Yes," he breathed, reaching for her back again to rub it.

She stroked him lazily, admiring his beautiful body. "You have come once already and you're not the least bit affected, huh?"

"Well, I don't know if you noticed, but I just made you come," he whispered, resting his free hand beside his thigh.

"Oh trust me..." she began. "I noticed."

"Can you blame a guy for being turned on after making his wife come? I mean, come on," he shrugged. "That's the goal. That's always the goal."

"I appreciate that," she giggled.

"Mhm. And...I could play allll day. Or...for as long as nap time allows," he corrected.

She giggled, leaning over him in amusement. "Noooo. I know you, baby. One more time and you will be dead to the world for the rest of the morning. Which, by the way, I am not knocking you for. You're... _extremely_ impressive, regardless."

"Let's try it and find out," he murmured, clutching his hand repeatedly against his side.

She felt his hard dick in her hand, and she shook her head at him in awe. "Your body amazes me, Fitzgerald."

He smiled, his eyes lazily closed as he laid there. "All for you. Belongs to you," he whispered.

She smirked.

"What do you want? My hand? My mouth again? Or..." she began, swinging her leg over his hips.

He let out a staggering breath, Looking at her lustfully. "Ride me."

"Yeah?" she asked, pinning his hands down.

He nodded eagerly, his chest already beginning to rise and fall faster.

"Okay," she smiled, lifting herself up and lining up with his pulsing length. She sunk down on him just a little bit, watching his face twist and contort in utter desperation. The look on his face begged her to sink down all the way, but she was making it a little more fun. She knew he wasn't going to last very long after all that playtime before, so she made it worth his while.

She teased him with her slick walls, inching down around him very slowly. She would occasionally pull off so she could sink down all over again, and he could _barely_ take it.

He clutched her thighs desperately, not having been able to take it with his hands pinned down. But she still made sure he knew she was in control now.

She started to pick up her very slow pace, and leaned over his face so she could meet his eyes.

His eyes met hers, and then he lifted his head up to take her nipple in his mouth.

She gasped, bearing her weight on her palms on the mat. Then she really picked up her pace, as he switched between breasts.

"I'm gonna come, baby," he moaned. "I can't—I can't hold off."

"Come," she begged, rolling her hips quickly. "Let me feel it."

It was only moments later as he panted into her chest, that he came.

She felt him warm inside her, and felt his hot breath between her breasts as his head was still lifted.

She slowed to a stop, still resting all her weight on her palms next to his shoulders.

He pressed two soft kisses between her breasts, before he slowly lowered his head to the mat again.

"Oh... _my_ god," he whispered.

She smiled, collapsing on his chest. She didn't pull off of him, though.

"How'd you like that?" she whispered, dragging her lips along his cheek. She kissed his skin gently, feeling the light stubble against her mouth.

"I'm...I— _loved_ it," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her protectively.

Her nipples were pressed against his bare chest, which was still sweaty from before. Now, probably even more so.

"And how do you feel?" she asked, smiling down at him.

He panted, closing his eyes again. "Dead."

"Mmmhm. What did I say? Momma's always right," she shrugged, playing with the necklace that hung around his neck. The one he rarely took off, because it had the twins' names on it. She rarely took hers off either. But it was silver, so to work out, it was a bit uncomfortable.

"Shhh—no, I'm fine, I'll be fine. Just give me...a minute, okay," he replied.

"Okay," she giggled, pressing another kiss to his lips. "I, however, have to pee."

His eyes opened and he looked up at her in amazement, shaking his head. "You're so romantic."

"Aren't I?" she laughed, sitting up. She grabbed the towel again, trying her best to clean them up.

She was interrupted by a sound on the baby monitor over on the shelf by the door.

She looked down at him with a smirk. "Hmm, perfect timing."

He sat up quickly. "You pee, I got them. I'm...I'm not dead, I can...go get them. They'll be hungry."

He was already trying to stand up, grabbing his clothes.

"Baby, slow down, you're going to pass out after all of that," she laughed, grabbing her clothes as well.

"No, I'm fine. I'm—I've got it," he said, turning around immediately as he reached the doorframe. "I've—"

He smacked into the wooden trim, which made Olivia gasp.

"Oh—son of a. I'm good. I'm...I'm good," he assured her, making his way down the steps into their bedroom. All while still completely naked.

She was partially laughing now, following him down the stairs. "What can I say, I just have this effect," she shrugged casually.

He chuckled, putting on clothes as he walked and stumbled. "I'm clearly in no position to deny that right now."

"Sweetie, just slow down, they're not going anywhere," she laughed, pausing in the doorway of the bathroom.

He had his shorts on now, and had just grabbed a shirt from his dresser. He fumbled around a little bit, missing one of the armholes before he successfully put it on.

"I know—I just don't want them to know daddy just got fucked out of his mind."

She laughed as she shut the door to the bathroom. Oh, that man.

* * *

"Okay. Is everybody ready to go?" Fitz asked.

"Ready," Olivia nodded.

"Tommy? Elle?" he asked, looking in his mirror.

"Can you clap?" Olivia asked, clapping her hands together so they could hear the sound.

The twins couldn't see her, as they faced the back of the car in their car seats, but they instantly understood, and started clapping their tiny little hands together eagerly.

"Yay! Good job!" Olivia exclaimed.

"Woohoo," Fitz said with a smile. "Arie? How about you? Can you speak?"

A deep and single bark was heard from the trunk, where she laid. No kennel this time, as where they were going, already had a kennel for her. Their cabin.

That was truly one of the first things they'd bought for the cabin, simply because it saved so much room in the car when they drove there. She could lay comfortably in the back, and they could fit more things back there as well. A win for all.

Despite the deep sound that used to frighten them, it was now quite familiar to them. It only took a second for Thomas to start to giggle, followed by his sister.

"Yes, yes, I'm very happy Arie's bark doesn't scare you two anymore," Olivia laughed.

"Good girl," Fitz chuckled. "Looks like we're all ready. Let's go!"

They made the easy drive to the cabin, the twins falling asleep about halfway there. Olivia and Fitz tried their best not to wake up when they got there. They could use the sleep because this weekend would be a fun-filled one, with lots and lots of people.

Many of their uncles and aunts were making the trip up to the cabin this weekend, to see both the new cabin, and hang out with little T and E.

 _And_ to see Olivia and Fitz, of course...

Fitz let Arie out first, immediately putting her beeper collar on so he could keep a close eye on her.

"Hold still, Arie. No, no. Hold still," he chuckled, buckling the collar.

She could hardly sit still, though, as she loved the cabin. She'd loved Dennis' cabin too. But it was almost as if she knew this was her place now. This was _her_ cabin too.

"Okay. Okay. Go run," he said, patting her butt.

She excitedly trotted away, happy to sniff the place over again.

He smiled out at the beautiful lawn they now had. They'd laid the sod months ago, and their yard was gorgeous now. Freshly mowed this morning, he could tell. Thanks to the company that regularly cared for their yard at home as well. They had certainly earned their business with the Grant family.

Fitz walked around to the driver's side, opening the door quietly to grab Elle.

She was passed out, her little curly head leaning against the inside of her car seat. She had her pacifier in her mouth, just about to fall out.

He smiled, grabbing the pacifier and pressing a kiss to her bead. Olivia had already grabbed Thomas in his car seat, and was now quietly grabbing the diaper bag as well.

Fitz successfully retrieved Elle's car seat, as well as a bag of groceries from the backseat.

They let the twins sleep inside while they made their rounds from the car to the cabin, unpacking everything.

But luckily the twins awoke on their own within fifteen minutes or so, which was good timing. 11:30 was usually the time they ate their lunch, since they had a milk feed just before they left the house around ten.

They _loved_ meal time. Not just milk feeds, but their solids, too. Olivia and Fitz made sure they tried lots of fun, different things. There were things they didn't like, of course, but in general, they weren't very picky eaters. They ate a wide variety of foods, and genuinely enjoyed each and every meal.

It made it a little more fun for mom and dad, when they could continuously think of more nutritious options for their little ones.

And just as they were about to start lunch, they heard some honks outside.

Olivia gasped, looking at Thomas and Elle as they sat in their playpen. "Who's here?!"

"Ooohhh, should we go see?" Fitz asked, going to grab one of them. Thomas eagerly reached his arms up, so Fitz picked him up.

"Alright, E, momma's comin'," Olivia assured her.

They made their way to the back door, smiling instantly at the two cars already parked in the driveway, and the one just now rolling up on the street.

David, Abby, Quinn, and Charlie had ridden together. Huck and Teagan hopped out of Huck's car, and just now pulling up, was Harrison, and none other than Olivia's beloved cousin.

"Holy shit!" Charlie exclaimed, looking up at the cabin. "This shit looks even bigger in person than in the pictures."

"Yeah, this is a whole ass second house," Huck added.

"Damn. I aspire to live life like prof and Liv, I'ma be real," Harrison nodded.

None of them had noticed Olivia and Fitz, now opening the door.

"Hey, uh—can you guys tone down the language a little bit?" Fitz asked, pointing to the infants in his and Olivia's arms.

They all looked at them as they walked through the doorway, holding the twins.

"Ahhh!" Abby exclaimed, running up to them excitedly.

"Incoming," Fitz chuckled.

"Well if it isn't the iconic couple themselves," Quinn announced. " _And_ the minis!"

Olivia hugged a very excited Abby, as did Fitz, and the rest of their friends all made their way to the porch to greet each other.

"You all timed this perfectly, that was very impressive," Olivia said.

"Yeah, Mace and I left at six this morning," Harrison said.

 _"_ _Wow,"_ Fitz noted. "You two need a nap?!"

"Hell— _heck_ no! Sorry, babies," Harrison said, holding onto little Thomas' hand. "We're ready to party it up in this place."

"And _I'm_ ready to steal your babies! Mwahahaha," Abby giggled, kissing Elle's cheek.

Elle was amused.

Olivia gasped, looking at Elle. "Is auntie Abby gonna steal you and your brother from us?! Oh no!"

Elle smiled and leaned her head against Olivia's chest, nibbling on her fingers.

"Oh my god, they are adorable, I can't. I can't," Quinn said, shaking her head.

"And they're so big!" Macy said. "They are growing up _too_ fast."

"You can say that again," Fitz nodded, patting Thomas' back. "Almost nine months now."

"That's a whole other pregnancy right there, that is insane," Huck said.

"I know. I really don't know where the time has gone," Olivia replied. "I wish it would slow down!"

"Yeah. This age is awesome. Their littler personalities show more and more every day," Fitz nodded, smiling down at Thomas.

"Ababa," Thomas babbled, looking up at Fitz.

Fitz's smile brightened, and he nodded at his son. "Is that so?" he chuckled. "You guys wanna come in? We'll give you the tour and then we gotta make some lunch for a couple of hungry babies."

"Sounds good, man," Charlie nodded, as they all followed.

"Wow," David noted as they entered the cabin. They walked into the kitchen, as that was where the back door of the cabin was.

"This is...so sick," Charlie said.

"Thank you!" they said.

They had to give them the full tour for them to really appreciate it in its entirety, though.

Not every room was completely furnished yet, they'd been doing it in bits and pieces throughout the end of the summer.

They'd had their priorities figured out way back in July, and those were simple:

The landscape, which was now finished. A gorgeous yard and beautiful gardens. Trees planted, and mulch laid down. Along with that, came some yard essentials—a mower, a trimmer, their sprinkler system.

They'd gotten a grill for their little patio that they had in the back. Grilled food in the summer was always a must.

Fitz had built an in-ground fire pit out by a couple of their decent-sized trees near the water. That area was beautiful.

They had a dock, which was now perfectly placed out on their little beach.

Then, their room, and the twins' room. Eventually, they'd get their own rooms. But for now, it was just a second nursery essentially, but just a bit less decorated than their one at home.

They wanted at least a couch in the living room, so that they had something to sit on. So they had a couch and a table, but otherwise were still in need of a little more.

They had one guest bedroom almost done, simply because her parents had a perfectly good bed frame and dresser in their storage room that they weren't using, so Olivia and Fitz happily put them to good use in one of the rooms.

Two of the bedrooms were still pretty bare, but they'd get there eventually. The group of friends knew the furnishings weren't quite done, so there would be a lot of sleeping bags used this weekend.

However, the cabin had three bathrooms, and all three were ready to use since that was kind of an essential.

They'd slowly been accumulating kitchen supplies, and had brought up a few extra utensils from home that they didn't need multiples of.

It had a ways to go still, but they'd done a decent amount with it so far since Fitz had revealed the cabin to Olivia. They didn't come up every weekend either, so there was only so much they could do when they weren't there all the time.

But regardless of how often they'd been able to make it up there, there was one other thing that they'd purchased. Quite a big deal, given its size, its price, and frankly, its importance to them. It had always been a part of their plan.

They showed their friends that purchase last. And none of them knew a thing about it yet.

"One last thing," Fitz said, opening the door on the front porch.

"Oh yeah, we haven't even seen this side of the yard yet. Probably important considering the lake is out this way," David chuckled.

"Yeah. Probably," Olivia smiled, allowing them all the go out before her.

"Wow. The lake looks so pretty. Wait. What in the—"

"Woah!"

"What!"

"Holy mother of—"

"Language," Fitz warned with a laugh.

"Thomas and Elle. I was going to say holy mother of...Thomas and Elle," Harrison said.

Olivia burst into laughter. "That's me."

Fitz smiled, grabbing her hand with his free one.

"Can someone please explain why there is a gorgeous boat out there on that boat lift and we are not on it _right this second?"_ Charlie asked.

Fitz and Olivia walked outside along with their friends, each holding a baby.

"Oh, we will be taking it for _many_ spins, trust me," Fitz nodded.

"Y'all went and bought a _boat_ too?!" Harrison asked, still in awe.

"Guilty," Olivia laughed.

"It got hard watching everyone else out on the lake every weekend and not being able to do it ourselves," Fitz admitted. "It was kind of an impulse buy. But it's been _well_ worth it."

"Pfft. Yeah. Can...totally relate. You know. My impulse buys definitely involve...speedboats, too," Charlie said casually.

"Yes. I also just...casually build second houses, too," Quinn nodded.

"It's not a second house, it's a cabin," Olivia laughed.

"Liv. That right there...is like _The Building_ met a nice cute farmhouse somewhere, and they had a baby. _This_ is said baby," Quinn said, pointing to the cabin.

Olivia always laughed at her friends' nickname for their home back in Cheshire. The Building.

"That was a very nice backstory," Fitz chuckled.

"Thank you!" Quinn exclaimed.

"I aspire to be you two," Teagan noted.

"Agreed," Macy nodded.

"Really? I wouldn't be so sure. Sometimes I'm pretty sure that we're nuts," Fitz replied.

"Mhm," Olivia agreed. She looked at Elle in her arms. "Awww, mom and dad can't help that they're nuts, can they?"

Everyone laughed. "Yeah, they're not listening. Would you guys mind if we made them some lunch?" Olivia asked.

"Of course not. We came to experience the full Grant family experience _along_ with the cabin, you know," Harrison said.

"Ha," Fitz chuckled. "So should we get you all up at six too, when they get up?"

"Ummm. Yeah, okay, maybe a pass on that part. But everything else, absolutely. We're in," Harrison laughed.

"I'll get up at six, I don't care. I love babies," Abby said.

"There you go! You and Grant can sleep in, and Abby can be on baby duty all weekend!" Charlie shrugged, which made them all laugh.

Fitz beeped Arie's collar, so in a few moments, she was tearing back to the front yard to come inside with them.

"I am _all_ for that. Absolutely," Abby nodded as they headed back inside.

"Thanks for the offer, Abby, but that's alright," Olivia laughed. "However, you can hold E while we make them lunch if you want?"

"YES," Abby exclaimed. "My little Ellie bean, hi you!"

Elle fussed a little bit, not wanting to leave her momma. They were at that stage where they were much more conscious of who was holding them, and where mom and dad were. None of their friends were strangers to the twins by any means, but sometimes it didn't matter. Even grandma and grandpa got some fussing on occasion. Mom and dad were still mom and dad, but they'd warm up to everyone being there as the weekend went on.

"Baby, I'll be right here, okay? You have fun with Abby," Olivia nodded, kissing her little hand.

"It's okay, honey. You know me, you remember auntie Abby," Abby said gently, turning her around to face the kitchen so she could see Olivia still. She sat down on the couch, pressing kisses to Elle's cheek.

Her little trembling mouth and her tear-filled eyes were a sad sight, but she seemed to feel better since she could see Olivia.

"I'll hold Thomas if you need, I just hope he doesn't mind it too much," Teagan laughed.

"Oh, he'll love it," Fitz said, handing Thomas over to Teagan. He too, expressed his unhappiness at first, reaching back for his dad.

"Nah, you're fine, buddy. See. You're okay. Teagan's awesome," Fitz nodded, which made Teagan laugh.

Both twins were just fine, playing with their toys on Abby and Teagan's laps, as everyone visited with each other.

They did start to get a little bit restless as their lunch came closer to being done, because they were hungry. Good thing Olivia and Fitz had a yummy solution to that problem.

"Let's see, what's their lunch consist of these days?" David asked, watching them get settled in their high chairs.

"Well, today we've got some hard-boiled egg yokes," Olivia said, brushing the remnants of the cut-up yokes from the plate, and onto their trays.

"Carrots," Fitz added, showing them all the two bowls of pureed carrots.

"Is that the prebought stuff or have you still been making their food at home?" Macy asked.

"We pureed these at home. We do both. We like knowing exactly what's in their food. But we also don't always have the time since we both work. And the food we buy is _certainly_ not bad," Olivia laughed.

"Uh—yeah. I've seen the stuff you buy, it's like extra GMO-free, extra organic, extra…expensive," Abby began. "Even Arie eats organic peanut butter for god's sake."

Everyone got quite the laugh out of that. Fitz and Olivia just shrugged though. "All three of our babies eat well. Including our fur one."

"What's that?" Harrison asked curiously, looking at what Fitz was putting on the twins' trays.

"A turkey sandwich," Fitz said simply. "They love turkey sandwiches."

"That's so adorable, oh my gosh," Quinn laughed, looking at the tiny little bites of sandwich cut up on both their trays.

"Nice. You tryna make us some of those prof?" Harrison teased.

"Uh, sure. You okay with organic, no-salt turkey breast mashed up into mush on your very lightly toasted organic whole rye bread?"

They all got quiet, watching the twins happily eat their little sandwich bites.

"Well _lord._ These babies eat better than I do," Harrison said.

They all laughed.

"Same," David chuckled.

"Yeah, they've tried a pretty wide variety of foods already in their nine months," Fitz nodded, feeding them both a bite of carrots.

"I definitely do not doubt that," Charlie said.

"Anything they really don't like?" Teagan asked.

"Oh yeah," Olivia nodded. "They _both_ don't like pears. And carrots actually aren't Tommy's favorite, sometimes he's not into them much. He's cooperating so far today, but it's not always this easy," she laughed.

"Yes, he has flung a handful of carrot in my _eyeball_ before. It is _not_ always this easy," Fitz agreed, which had them all laughing.

"He did do that. Elle isn't a fan of plums, which Thomas actually loves. And she tolerates peas now, but, man, she used to back away from peas like they were poisonous or something," Olivia said.

"I feel you on that, Elle," Quinn said. "Peas just...aren't it. No, ma'am."

"Peas are good, what are you talking about?!" Abby exclaimed.

"Tiny green balls of disgustingness? I don't think so," Quinn said.

"You are a _grown woman_ and you don't like peas?" Harrison asked.

"Nope. Because I'm a _smart_ grown woman," Quinn said.

"Debatable," Charlie shrugged.

Quinn gasped and smacked his arm amongst the laughter.

"Babe, you know I'm kidding. You are brilliant, and I love you," Charlie said, wrapping his arm around her.

She nodded, satisfied. "I am aware of those things."

"Okay, I wanna go back to the plums discussion because who eats plums?!" Charlie asked.

"Thomas Elijah Grant eats plums," Fitz said. "Liv puréed plums for him last week."

"It's true," Olivia nodded, holding the spoon up to Elle's mouth. She gladly accepted more carrots. "He was a happy boy, yes he was."

"Wow. I mean, overall, it doesn't seem like they're that picky then," David said.

"Yeah, they're not. They're pretty good when it comes to eating. They're always excited for it," Fitz said.

"Now _there's_ something we can all agree on," Abby laughed.

"Facts," Macy nodded.

"Speaking of—we've got a grill. You guys want me to grill up some burgers and dogs?" Fitz asked.

"Absolutely."

"I'm in."

"Heck yes."

"You can go get set up, baby, I'll make sure they finish up," Olivia said.

"Sure?" he asked.

"Mhm. They'll be done soon, anyway."

"Okay, babe," he said, leaning down to give her a quick kiss.

She smiled and pulled him back in for another one, feeling him smile back against her lips.

Thomas and Elle looked happily at their parents, both with a nice amount of carrot on their faces. Whether they were happy because mom and dad were right there, and _also_ happy. Or because it was lunchtime, nobody knew. Likely a mix of both. But either way, the sight was a happy one.

"So you guys have the perfect family, essentially. Yep, that's what I'm seeing right now," Quinn nodded.

"We already knew that," Teagan replied.

Fitz shrugged, giving Olivia another kiss. "I have a perfect wife, and perfect kids. That's all I know."

"Okay, no, stop with the Grant words. We don't need to be crying today," Charlie said, as Fitz grabbed some burgers and hot dogs from the fridge. Then they all followed Fitz outside.

"What do you mean, Grant words?" Fitz chuckled.

"Grant words are essentially any words that come out of your mouth. Usually, they're all heartfelt and shit—or, _crap_ , sorry," Charlie replied.

"So that's my thing, huh?" Fitz asked.

"Oh yeah. You're full of Grant words," Harrison nodded.

"Definitely," David added.

That was the extent of the conversation that Olivia was able to hear, as now their voices were muffled, since they were outside. Olivia couldn't help but laugh at their admiration for her husband. They were all such good friends; she couldn't have asked for anything more. And she knew they looked up to him at the same time. The things he did, the things he said, the way he acted. There was most definitely a clear reason that they wanted to look up to a man like him.

Abby had been the only one to stay behind. Even Arie had trotted out after her dad, because she knew when he was going to grill. She _loved_ it when he did, probably because she hoped he would sneak her some extras when he was done.

Abby pulled up a chair next to Olivia, nudging her shoulder with a smile.

"Hey, Liv."

"Hey, Abby," Olivia smiled, nudging her back. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too. A whole two weeks, has it been?" she asked.

"A whole two weeks!" Olivia laughed. "What can I say. It's hard being away from your best friend for any amount of time."

"Mmhm. _And_ your best friend's adorable little babies," Abby smiled, looking at Thomas and Elle finish up the last of their finger food.

Olivia smiled. "You wanna feed them the rest of their carrots?"

"Yes please," Abby nodded. "I need to redeem myself. Last time I fed them carrots, I think more carrots got on my face than in their bellies."

"I think so too," Olivia laughed, handing the bowls over and scooting to her right.

Abby scooted over, and began to feed Thomas, then Elle, small little bites.

They were eager to finish their food, so they gave Abby no trouble. They even gave her a couple smiles. She was auntie Abby, after all, who probably saw the babies more than any of the other friends. Plus, Thomas was her godson, and she took the title of godmother very seriously.

"They love you lots," Olivia said, smiling at Abby.

Abby smiled back brightly. "I think they love my red hair more than anything."

That made both women crack up. "Well, they do find hair very interesting. Especially if they can pull on it. You should see them yank on Fitz's hair. They think it's quite amusing."

"I bet they do," Abby laughed.

"But they love their auntie Abby for more than just her _hair,"_ Olivia pointed out.

Abby nodded, feeding Elle her last spoonful.

"I love them so much, too. I can only imagine how _you_ feel!" she laughed. "I can't wait for this. To be a mom. Tommy and Elle have only made me want kids more. They are so perfect, Liv. You and pretty boy...we all know you two are just the _best_ parents. It shows, it really does."

"Aww, well thank you!" Olivia exclaimed. "We try hard to be. It can be tough, there's no doubt about that. Your life will never be the same. And obviously, it's not all sunshine and rainbows all the time. But...our lives are...the best they've ever been. I mean, I always thought I was the happiest I'd ever been when I met Fitz. Then when we got engaged, and married, I thought _that_ was. When we bought a house. When we got Arie, everything just kept getting better. And now...he's the father of my children. To have him, _and_ them...the three most precious people to me in the world...there's no way to describe it. There's no way to describe just how much love you can feel."

Abby sighed, and looked over at Olivia. "Grant words apply to _you_ too!"

Olivia laughed. "I'm taking that as a compliment because my husband says some beautiful things."

"Yes, he does. You both do. You and him...we all love you so much. We were all so excited for this weekend with you two and the new place, and the kids," Abby said.

"We were so excited too! We've been busy with work, and the cabin. And them, of course," Olivia said, nodding to the twins. "We needed this. We needed a weekend with you guys."

"And that's what you shall have. A _fun_ one," Abby nodded.

"You said it," Olivia agreed. "What do you think, loves? Ready for a fun weekend?"

She looked at her babies' happy, messy little faces and laughed.

"I think they're ready," Abby laughed.

"Yeah. But first, they're gonna be ready for a _nap,"_ Olivia said, grabbing the dirty bowls and spoons.

"Ohh is it nap time?" Abby asked, smiling at the twins.

"Oh yes, nap time. They should sleep well. Their afternoon nap is always their longest one," Olivia said.

"That sounds wonderful to me. I love nap time," Abby shrugged.

"Me _too,"_ Olivia laughed.

Abby helped Olivia clean up the twins, and change them before they took their nap.

Abby even read them a little story before they went down.

And by the time they went down, lunch for everyone else was just about ready, thanks to Fitz.

He made sure everyone came in somewhat quietly, even though the twins were pretty heavy sleepers. Their room was upstairs anyway, their door was shut, and their sound machine was on.

"They go down okay?" Fitz asked, amongst the light chatter in the kitchen.

"They sure did. Abby is the queen of storytime," Olivia nodded.

"Oh, we already knew this," Fitz smiled. "She's great with them."

"That, she is," Olivia nodded. "Thanks for lunch, baby."

"Oh, of course, just something easy," he shrugged.

"Hey, thanks for lunch, prof," Harrison piped up, too.

"Yeah, thanks, Fitz."

"No problem guys," Fitz said. "Eat up. Big weekend ahead."

And Fitz was right. That was only the beginning of their weekend. It only got better as time went on.

They first took the boat out right before dinner, so they could all go, including the twins. After they got back, it would be bedtime for the little ones.

But they all squeezed on the boat and had a good time cruising around the lake, first.

The first night was a mellow one, but they did have a bonfire outside, which included booze and lots of funny stories.

It wasn't until past midnight that everyone was in bed. Except for little Thomas and Elle Grant, who were asleep by 6:30.

First ones asleep, and first ones awake. Although, Fitz wasn't too far behind the twins the next morning.

He heard them babbling to each other on the baby monitor just after 6:15, which made him happy. Another night of good sleep, which should make for two happy babies today.

He smiled at the monitor, watching the two of them move around in their cribs.

He turned his head toward Olivia, who was still sleeping peacefully next to him. Her little hand holding onto his wrist. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her hand, before slowly removing it.

He gave her cheek a kiss, and then pressed another light one to her lips before getting out of bed.

He adjusted his shorts as he stood up, and ran his fingers quickly through his messy curls.

He used the bathroom and washed his hands, before heading downstairs to grab their bottles that Olivia had put in the fridge last night. He had to be quiet, as not to wake up Huck and Teagan in the living room. They'd brought their air mattress to blow up in the living room, since there were only three available bedrooms. David and Abby, Harrison and Macy, and Charlie and Quinn were occupying those, and Teagan and Huck had volunteered for the living room.

When he went to the twins' room, he shut the door behind him with both bottles in his hands.

"Good morning," Fitz greeted, going to stand between their cribs.

They both were on their knees, clearly having been crawling around their cribs for a little while. But they both flipped over to sit, and look up at dad.

"Dadada," Thomas said.

"Yes, it's me, buddy, hi," Fitz chuckled, leaning down to give him a kiss. He gave Elle one right after, and then grabbed them one after the other so he could change them, do a milk feed before breakfast, and get them dressed.

They were always fond of every meal, but morning was always their biggest milk feed.

And as soon as they were done with their milk, he dressed them for the day, and went into the master bedroom.

"We go wake up momma? Huh? Let's go get momma," he whispered, adjusting them both on each hip.

Olivia was facing the door, laying on her side. At first sight of her, the babies both started to get anxious in his arms. They reached for her as soon as he neared the bed.

He sat down next to Olivia on the edge of the bed, smiling as she received her wake-up call. It was essentially their routine. Whoever woke up first usually did the milk feed, either Olivia would breastfeed them, or there would be bottles in the fridge from her pumping the night before.

And then before they had their breakfast, one of them would wake the other up so they could all go eat together. Plus, Olivia always pumped right away in the morning, and needed a helping hand with the babies while she did so.

She stirred, feeling little, soft hands on her cheek, which brought an instant smile to her face.

Her eyes opened slowly, seeing two adorable, very similar-looking faces staring down at her, touching her face and babbling away.

And then a very handsome face, a little further away.

He rubbed her thigh gently, smiling down at her.

"Hi, you."

"Hi, you," she whispered. "And hi, you!" she added, looking at both babies. They were quite happy to hear her voice.

"Ahhhhh," Elle giggled, just about poking Olivia's eye out.

"Be careful with momma," Fitz chuckled, grabbing Elle's little hand. "She's delicate."

"Ahhhhh," Olivia said back with a smile, pressing a kiss to both of their little heads. "You almost got me there, E."

Fitz kissed Elle's little hand, and then her cheek.

"Does momma get a kiss from daddy?" Olivia asked.

"Mmmm. Momma does," he nodded, leaning down to kiss her lips. She had two babies climbing on her and Fitz leaning over her to give her some affection, too.

"Thank you," she murmured against his lips.

"Mmhm," he nodded, kissing one cheek after the other. "How'd you sleep, baby?"

"Good," she nodded. "You?"

"Good," he answered. "They already had their morning milk."

"Oh, wonderful. Time for breakfast now, huh?" she whispered.

"Mhm. When you're done, come downstairs. I'll make you breakfast too," he whispered, pecking her lips.

She pressed multiple kisses to his lips, eyes flickering up to his while she did it. "And what's on the menu this morning?"

"Hmmm," he murmured, lightly sucking on her top lip. "Come downstairs and you'll see."

"Ohh, very persuasive," she nodded.

"Thanks," he chuckled. "There are many ways I could persuade you. But not with the two little gymnasts right here."

He gestured to the babies, definitely showing their climbing skills. Olivia just laughed, as she was literally serving as a human jungle gym at the moment. "Hmm. I'm intrigued."

"I bet you are," he whispered, giving her one last kiss. "See you downstairs."

And with that, he corralled the energetic babies and headed out of the room to make breakfast.

She smiled and started to get up so she could pump quickly, and get ready for the day.

When she finished, she walked in on quite the adorable sight in the kitchen.

Fitz was just about finished with breakfast for all of them. Most of her friends were up and downstairs, except for Huck who was still passed out next to Teagan on the air mattress. Teagan was wide awake, talking and laughing with the rest of her friends. Huck, however, still appeared dead to the world. The man always knew how to sleep in.

Quinn was currently laughing with Elle, who was smiling so big her pacifier was about to fall out of her mouth. Thomas was banging his hands on his high chair tray, clearly showing off for Harrison right in front of him, who was chuckling. As was Macy, who was sitting in Harrison's lap.

Arie was currently eating her breakfast over in the corner of the kitchen, as well.

Abby gasped at the sight of her best friend. "It's _mom!"_

"Hey, mom!" Charlie exclaimed.

"Sup mom," David said.

"Hello children," Olivia laughed.

"Abababa," Elle announced. Now her pacifier was really about to fall out.

"Oh, is that right, baby?" Olivia asked, leaning down to kiss her daughter's cheek.

"Yes, that's right. She's very serious this morning," Fitz nodded, bringing over the twins' breakfast, one thing at a time.

"Usually T is the serious one," Olivia said, giving Thomas a kiss too.

She of course, gave another to Fitz, as soon as he came back to the stove.

"Hi momma," he whispered, pecking her cheek.

"Hi," she smirked. "Did you make breakfast for everyone?"

"I certainly did," he nodded. "Scrambled eggs, hash browns, and sausage."

"Look at you go this morning. And look at that. Did daddy make you two your favorite? Daddy is so sweet," she said, looking at the twins. They had quite the meal on their tray.

"Daddy went all out this morning with the avocado toast and...you know, whatever else that is," Charlie noted. "Yeah—and that is the last time I will ever say daddy. That's just—I don't know why I did that, I just made myself extremely uncomfortable."

"How come? We know Liv calls him that," Harrison said, smirking at Olivia.

"Aww, come on! I don't need that in my head!" Macy exclaimed.

"Yikes," David chuckled.

"Oh god," Teagan laughed, putting her hand to her head.

"I didn't even say anything, that was Charlie's fault," Fitz pointed out.

"I take full responsibility—ew, sorry," Charlie said.

"Oh, whatever. You love it when I call you that," Quinn said.

Everyone's eyes widened.

"What the!"

"Attaboy," Harrison chuckled.

"Nice," Fitz said, smacking his shoulder.

"I—what?! Babe, shhh," Charlie said.

Quinn just shrugged nonchalantly. "It's true."

"They don't need to know that!" he whispered.

"Oh like it even matters. Huck caught Quinn blowing you in her bathroom once, and now we all know about it," Abby shrugged. "So this is nothing."

"Hey! Lay off me, jeez! You don't get to talk, _we_ walked in on you and David screwing in the kitchen!" Charlie exclaimed.

Abby scoffed. "So what! We walked in on pretty boy with his tongue halfway down Liv's throat and his fingers inside her. Who even cares, people hook up with each other in weird places at weird times, that's life."

"Hey!" Fitz exclaimed, putting his hands out to cover Thomas' ears. "Pretty boy was over here minding his own business!"

Olivia covered Elle's ears too. "I forgot about that," she laughed.

"Ha. I didn't. That made for an interesting birthday party," Huck said sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

Everyone couldn't help but laugh at Huck's entrance to the conversation as he woke up.

"Ew—he was my professor, let's not bring that up again," Teagan said, wincing.

"I sincerely apologize for everything you, unfortunately, know about me, Teagan," Fitz chuckled.

"It's okay, Fitz," she laughed.

"Hey, and props to you for not banging him, T," Charlie said.

Now it was Olivia's turn to scoff, and recover her daughter's ears that she'd only recently uncovered.

"Hey!" she exclaimed.

Abby was cracking up on David's shoulder, as were the rest of them. Even Fitz was fighting back a laugh, and his cheeks were pink.

"Y'all are funny _,"_ Macy laughed.

"Aren't you so glad you've been immersed in your cousin's friend group? Where we've all walked in on each other doing _something_ nasty and we nail our professors," Quinn said.

"Would you—good lord, our children are right here!" Olivia exclaimed.

"Yes, see. Two beautiful living examples," Charlie said, pointing to the two twins. Who, were as happy as ever. Bouncing slightly in their high chairs with avocado all over their faces. That had them all cracking up.

"Yeah, and look. Clearly they don't mind the topic of discussion," Harrison shrugged.

" _We_ mind," Olivia laughed, pointing to her and Fitz.

"Hey. All I've done is make my babies breakfast. _And_ everyone else for that matter. And yet the only thing people are focusing on is Liv and my adult naptime," Fitz shrugged.

"Adult nap time?" Abby asked, bursting into laughter, along with Quinn.

"Yes. See. Clean mouth," Fitz nodded.

"Hey, we've used many different nouns and verbs to describe it. Unless your babies are complete geniuses at nine months old—I think we're still okay," David shrugged.

"Okay, first of all, they _are_ gonna be geniuses. Second of all, what do you think about 'shaboinking'? I think I like that," Charlie said thoughtfully. "And that's clean, right?"

"How 'bout just boinking?" Abby asked.

"Rolling in the hay," Quinn suggested.

"Do the nasty remains my favorite, to this day," Harrison said.

"Oh my _god,"_ Fitz chuckled.

"Our children are going to be scarred," Olivia sighed, shaking her head.

"No. You know what they are? They are going to be the _coolest_ kids anyone has ever known. Look at them! They're beautiful. We already know they're smart. And they have all these crazy uncles and aunts that love them to death. Even if...we say some questionable things," Abby shrugged.

"Amen!" Harrison said.

"That _is_ very true," Olivia agreed.

"Now we'll stop scarring them and go back to the food topic, instead, because I really do wanna know what that is," Charlie said, pointing to the two bowls that Olivia was now feeding them, since they'd finished their avocado toast strips.

"It's papaya," Fitz answered.

"Papaya?!" Charlie asked. "I can honestly say I don't think I've ever had papaya."

"I have. Papaya slaps," Macy said.

"T and E agree with that statement," Fitz said. "They _love_ papaya."

"Daddy loves papaya too," Olivia said, as she spooned some into Thomas' mouth. "I caught him eating some when I was pureeing it."

"Nuh-Uh. Daddy is sneaky, he pulled it off," Fitz replied.

"If you say daddy one more time I think I'm going to die. Like, literally, on the spot," Charlie said.

"Daddy," everyone said in unison.

"Agh!" Charlie exclaimed, covering his ears. "Do you really have to refer to yourselves in the third person too?!"

"Um, yes. Don't you know that? When you refer to yourself as 'mommy' or 'daddy,' babies understand faster that that's who you are. They don't get 'I' and 'me'. It's actually very important. Same with saying things multiple times so that you know it's getting across to them," Abby shrugged.

Fitz pointed at Abby and nodded, silently taking a bite of his hash browns.

Olivia nodded at Charlie as if you say "told you so."

"Seriously?" Charlie asked.

"Yes. So, therefore, I think we should continue to say daddy all weekend just for Charles," Abby said.

"Aww, Charles, you're used to it in the bedroom anyway," Harrison said, patting Charlie on the back. He was now extremely red in the face. Quinn just laughed, because she certainly didn't care enough to be embarrassed.

"Okay, _new subject!"_ Charlie exclaimed. "I have a very important question."

"Let's hear it, Charles," Fitz said.

"When are we going on that beautiful fricken boat again?"

"Soon," Fitz promised.

"Cool. Captain's orders," Charlie said.

"Mhm," Fitz nodded. "Liv's gonna get her license soon, too."

"I am," Olivia nodded. "There will be _two_ captain Grants. Watch out, everyone."

"Awesome," Charlie replied. "You know what they say about captains?"

* * *

"Oh, captain, my captain!" Charlie exclaimed dramatically, bowing at Fitz.

Fitz chuckled as he cranked the boat lift wheel to lower the boat into the water.

It was gorgeous with the water reflecting on it. The brand new Malibu Wakesetter, in blue and white. Just like they'd talked about.

"Yes, yes, I've heard that from my buddies many times before," Fitz nodded to Charlie.

They all got in the beautiful boat again. It had quite the capacity, but it was still packed with all of them on it. It even fit their precious Arie girl, because she loved going on the boat. She always sat right at Fitz's feet as he drove.

Fitz eventually backed them out of the lift, and then they were cruising. Everyone's faces lit up the minute Fitz picked up speed and the nose of the boat lifted just a bit.

"Woooo!" Harrison yelled, his tank top blowing wildly in the wind.

"Ooo!" Thomas yelled back, looking at Harrison.

"Thattaboy, dude! That's right!" Harrison chuckled, pointing at Thomas.

Those two proved to be buds when they slowed down and just slowly started cruising around the edge of the lake.

"Okay, see, here we got Tommy. A complete ladies man. Or...dudes man. Or...a both man. Whatever, you know, his preference turns out to be. Right, he rocks the backward hat like his dad," Harrison said, gesturing to Thomas. "Kay, now you turn the hat forward and tuck in the polo, add some sneakers to the look and you got a Tom. Then, you take the hat off, straighten that collar a little bit, and _what!_ You got yourselves a _Thomas."_

Everyone was cracking up, seeing Harrison adjust the little boy's outfit in multiple different ways.

"Wow, I never thought about these variations," Olivia said with a laugh.

"I do call him Tom sometimes. He laughs when I do. I don't know if that's just a coincidence, or if he actually thinks it's funny," Fitz chuckled.

 _"_ _Tom!"_ Abby said, bursting into laughter. "Now I _know_ my godson isn't gonna go by _Tom."_

"Hey, Tom isn't a bad name. My cousin Tom is a cool dude!" David exclaimed.

"I doubt he'll go by Tom," Olivia laughed. "But if he wants to, then he should! It's up to him."

"What do you call him now?" Teagan asked. "Besides T. I know that one because whenever I hear you guys say 'T,' I think you're talking to me!" she giggled.

"I know, we've got two T's!" Olivia exclaimed. "Let's see. Well, it's usually Tommy or Thomas. But of course, we've got other ones for him too. He's my love. My sweet boy."

"Buddy. Pal. Little man," Fitz added.

"Aww. So cute!" Macy exclaimed. "What about Elle? Do you ever really call her Eleanor?"

"Not so much," Olivia replied. "When she's in trouble! Which then is usually followed by Maya. I pull out the full name, just like my mother did."

Everyone laughed, looking at Elle who was sitting contently on Fitz's lap in the driver's seat.

"Yes. Eleanor Maya is saved for certain situations, isn't it," Fitz nodded, holding onto her little hand. She smiled up at him.

"We call her E a lot, as well. Every once in awhile, Ellie. My sweet Ellie girl."

"She's my pretty baby," Fitz said, kissing her cheek. "My baby girl."

"She's my Ellie bean," Abby added, waving at her happily.

"Can you wave back at auntie Abby?" Olivia asked, leaning in. "Like this, remember? Wave?"

She demonstrated for Elle in encouragement. It was a recent skill the twins had acquired, so sometimes they needed a little reminder.

Elle watched her mom and then started to lightly shake her open palm, clenching her fingers in her best attempt.

Her best attempt got quite the cheer.

"Good job, baby!" Fitz said, bouncing her in his lap. "So smart."

"Sooo smart," Olivia nodded.

"Good job!" Teagan said, clapping her hands.

"Hey, Tommy, can you clap for your sister?" Harrison asked, leaning his face down by the little boy's. He turned to Olivia and Fitz. "Wait, can they clap?"

"Oh yes they can. Just show him first and he'll do it," Olivia said.

"Thomas. Can you clap? Like this?" Harrison asked, clapping his hands together.

Thomas immediately started to copy Harrison, patting his little hands together. That also got a cheer.

"Oh my gosh!" Quinn exclaimed.

"Okay. Baby goals," Charlie laughed.

"Literally! They're so smart!" Quinn exclaimed.

"And they're adorable. They've got it all going for them, seriously," Abby said.

 _"_ _And_ they've got great names," Macy added. "So perfect."

"True," Huck replied. "I always liked their names."

"They're just so distinguished. Like...Thomas Elijah. Eleanor Maya. I mean—I don't think you could have picked better names, for real. Just perfect," Macy said.

"Aww, thanks, Mace. We wanted them to be meaningful, and not _super_ common," Olivia said.

"You both did great. And, hey, their initials are both distinguished medical evaluations, too," Macy nodded.

"What?!" Quinn asked.

"They are! TEG is an acronym for Thromboelastogram, a diagnostics test. And EMG is an acronym for Electromyogram, another medical evaluation."

"What the," Huck said. "How…what?"

"School of Nursing at Virginia Commonwealth," Macy shrugged.

"That's my baby," Harrison said, wrapping an arm around her, and keeping one firmly around Thomas.

"That's my _cousin,"_ Olivia added, pointing at her. "Mace, we didn't intentionally have their initials stand for medical evaluations, however, I'm glad you pointed it out," she laughed.

"No problem," Macy shrugged.

"Okay, well now they just seem even smarter," Charlie said, looking back and forth between them.

"Well, Fitz and I are biased. But...they're pretty smart," Olivia said.

"Very," Fitz agreed.

"See. They're perfect. That's it. Period," Abby said.

"We agree," Fitz said. "They are."

"And you know what else? They love the water," Olivia added. "Should we go swimming?" she asked Elle.

Fitz gasped. "Should daddy stop the boat? We can dip our feet in?"

"Yes! Let's go, I'm tryna do an Olivia back dive," Charlie said, stretching his arms, which made everyone laugh.

"Good luck with that, babe," Quinn giggled.

"Alright, yeah. It's deep here, we can stay here for a while, Fitz said.

"Let's put on some more sunscreen, okay, baby?" Olivia asked, reaching for Thomas. He immediately reached back for his mom.

"Didn't you just put some on them like half an hour ago?" Harrison chuckled.

"Yes..." Olivia nodded. "I'm protective!"

"Harrison, she can't go half an hour without making sure _I'm_ wearing sunscreen, let alone our children, whose skin is extremely vulnerable," Fitz chuckled, to which everyone laughed.

"And are you wearing sunscreen?" she asked Fitz.

 _"_ _Yes,_ babe," he nodded.

"Good!" she exclaimed. "See. My sweet husband listens to me."

"Are _you,_ Liv?" Harrison asked.

"Of course. My skin deserves only the best treatment and protection," she nodded.

"Well shit. I'm not wearing any. Can someone pass me some?" Harrison asked.

"Language, _Harry_ ," Olivia said with a smile, rubbing sunscreen on Thomas' little arms.

He pointed at Olivia and nodded. "Sorry. This is going to be so good for me, though. I need to spend more time around your children, clean up my mouth."

"By all means, please do. They would love more company," Olivia nodded back.

"Maybe I should too. My mom is weird about language," Macy said. "Which, you know, Liv."

"Oh yes, I know it all too well. Your mom's _sister_ is weird about language, too," Olivia laughed, referring to Maya. "Lots of strict rules in that regard."

"But look, their rules must have worked. You're like...your parents' perfect angel," Charlie said.

Olivia turned to Fitz, trying to hide a smirk and not burst into laughter.

Fitz looked back at her, both of them with wide eyes at the declaration that she was her parents' perfect angel. She certainly turned out great, there was no denying that. But she may have broken a few rules here and there...

It was silent for a couple seconds before the two burst into laughter, followed by most of their friends. Except for Charlie.

"Oh god. What? What?" Charlie asked worriedly. "Did you guys make it dirty? Is that what just happened?"

Fitz just chuckled at Olivia. "Whew. Certain situations may contradict that statement, Charles."

"Nasty. _Nasty_. I don't want to know. You two are the only ones with kids and yet, you're the dirtiest by far!" Charlie exclaimed.

Fitz cleared just throat and adjusted Elle to his other leg. "I don't think we've ever denied that."

"Ohhh," David chuckled, shaking his head.

Abby just shrugged. "I could have told you that, Charlie. I _lived_ with them, for crying out loud. Do you know all the things I saw and heard?"

"Hey!" Fitz exclaimed. "You only saw me half-naked a _couple_ of times."

"Do I want to know how you define half-naked?" David asked Fitz.

"Uh..." Fitz began. "Boxers."

"Oh, bull. _Briefs_. Tight, short ones, that leave little to the imagination," Abby said.

Fitz's face turned pink as everyone laughed it up.

 _"_ _Great,"_ David chuckled, putting a palm to his face.

"It's okay, Grant. We've all had our moments. One time I accidentally walked into the living room from the bathroom, not realizing that Quinn's _parents_ had just gotten there. I was _also_ wearing briefs," Charlie said.

"Yikes. Yeah, that was definitely my fault," Quinn laughed.

"It happens to the best of us," Olivia shrugged.

"The struggles," Teagan giggled.

"The _struggles_ ," Olivia nodded, looking at Thomas, who was now fully covered in sunscreen again. She tugged his little hat down further to make sure it kept the sun out of his face. It did look pretty cute on backward, especially because then he _really_ looked like Fitz, but it wasn't very practical with the sun.

Fitz had recently started putting some more sunscreen on Elle, and put on her sun hat as well, so they were just about ready for some more time in the sun.

"Everyone ready?" Fitz asked.

"Ready!" they all replied.

They dropped the anchor in that spot, and one by one began to jump in to cool off. It was a hot August day, and they could all use it.

Fitz and Olivia sat on the swim platform, which was attached to the back of the boat. It was perfect for dipping your feet into the water, and using it to help you get out of the water, too. That was another one of Arie's favorite spots, and she made sure to follow her humans to the platform so she could sit with them.

Olivia and Fitz held Thomas and Elle, dipping their little feet in along with their own.

Back at their own cabin, they'd bring them into the water with them. But, since they couldn't touch out here, they just played it safe and held them far out of the waters reach, but still let it cool off their little legs and feet.

And after a while, Their friends took turns holding the little ones so that Olivia and Fitz could also take a dip in the water.

They treaded water close to each other, talking and laughing with everyone else. Enjoying the beautiful, sunny day and their gorgeous boat out on the lake.

But eventually, they did have to make their way inside. Not because they were done having fun, but because the twins had already missed a chunk of their afternoon nap. And if they didn't get at least a little rest before dinner, it wouldn't be a pretty sight later.

So, everyone had to start getting back in the boat so they could leave.

Olivia pulled herself up onto the swim platform, and Fitz reached up and squeezed her ass as soon as she did.

"Ooh, I went expecting that," Olivia laughed, standing up.

"Hey, I saw that. Hands off my girl," Abby said, pointing to Fitz.

"My bad," Fitz said, putting his hands up in defense.

He pushed up on the platform, swinging his legs up and starting to stand up. He ran his hand through his hair, as the water dripped down his body.

His gray board shorts clung to his muscular thighs, accentuating every aspect of his legs. His abdomen flexed as he breathed in and out, slightly tired from the swimming around and treading water he and Olivia had done that past twenty minutes or so.

He was a sight. That, everybody knew.

"Come, Arie. Come here, girl," Fitz said, patting his thigh as he stepped into the backseat of the boat from the platform.

She excitedly followed her dad, her tail wagging happily.

"Hey, David, could you hand me my hat?" Fitz asked, gesturing to the Washington Capitals hat on one of the front seats of the boat. David tossed it to him.

"Thanks, man," Fitz nodded.

"Mhm," David replied.

"Hey, prof...how old did you turn this spring again?" Harrison asked.

"Forty-one," Fitz panted, making his way back to the driver's seat. He didn't appear at all invested in the conversation, but everyone else was now very aware of Fitz and his body. More so than before.

"Man, you can go to hell," Huck laughed.

"Agreed," Charlie nodded.

"What? What'd I do?!" Fitz asked, sitting down and catching his breath.

"Nothing. Your body just annoys me," Charlie replied.

"Me too," Harrison said with a laugh.

Fitz chuckled, drying his hair and the little droplets of water on his body with his towel, before putting his hat on backward. He wanted to hide the messy, wet curls from view, and keep them covered during the windy drive back.

"I'm getting old, guys," he admitted.

"Are you sure you're not getting younger?" Quinn asked, tilting her head as she looked over Fitz's gorgeous body.

"I'm _positive,"_ Fitz nodded.

"Age has no correlation to looks with you. You're just hot. All the time. End of story," Olivia shrugged, patting her legs dry.

Fitz looked her up and down, shaking his head. "Look who's talking. _Wow."_

"The man's got a point. I mean, is anyone gonna bring up the fact that Liv had twins nine months ago and she still looks like a model?" Abby asked.

"Yes. I think we should _definitely_ bring that up," Fitz nodded.

"No we should not," Olivia laughed.

"Uh-huh. Look at you!" Abby exclaimed, pulling the towel from Olivia's hands.

And there she stood. Perfectly toned body, before them all.

"Unbelievable," Quinn said.

"Unfair," Macy said.

"You look great, Liv," Teagan nodded, bouncing Thomas on her lap.

"I'm agreeing, without getting myself in trouble with your husband or your cousin," Harrison said.

"What he said," Charlie added. All the men nodded in agreement.

 _"_ _Thank you,"_ Olivia laughed, sitting down in Fitz's lap. Abby stole her towel, so she needed some way to warm up.

"Mm. Hi you," Fitz said, kissing her cheek.

"Hi," Olivia answered, pecking his lips.

"You are _so_ sexy," he whispered, only loud enough for her to hear.

"I wore this bikini specifically for you," she whispered back.

"Hey, Grant, you're the captain of the boat, you can't let people distract you!" Charlie exclaimed, holding Elle protectively on his lap.

Fitz smiled, giving Olivia one last kiss. "Alright, alright. Since you're so kindly holding my daughter, I'll listen to you."

Charlie smiled, looking at Elle, who was yawning and leaning back into his chest.

"Guys. She's so cute. And I think she likes me! Babies never like me!" Charlie exclaimed.

"She definitely likes you, Charlie," Olivia nodded.

 _"_ _Yes!"_ Charlie said happily, wrapping another arm around her. "You can fall asleep if you want, Elle. It's okay. I got you."

"Awww," Huck chuckled, nudging Charlie's arm.

"I have never been so attracted to you in my entire life," Quinn noted, watching him and Elle.

Charlie's eyes widened and he looked around at the guys.

"You know what this means, boys..." he said.

Harrison pointed at him. "You gotta have a baby, _now."_

 _"_ _Right now,"_ David demanded.

"No more protection, man. No need to wrap that—" Harrison began.

"Harry!" Macy exclaimed. "We are still in the presence of children."

Olivia and Fitz were laughing hysterically at Charlie.

"Get a move on it, T and E could use some friends! They've got their friends at daycare and little Lucy Domagalaski. But, hey, the more the merrier," Fitz shrugged.

"Aww, who's little Lucy Domagalski? She sounds adorable," Macy said.

"She _is_ adorable," Fitz nodded. "She's our friends Jason and Janelle's newborn daughter. She's only two weeks old."

"Awww! I can't wait to meet her. I'm so happy for Jason and Janelle," Abby said.

"Me too," Olivia nodded. "We're planning to head up to New York in two weeks to go see them and little Lucy."

"She's precious," Fitz added.

"Okay. That's it, babe. We're having one," Quinn said, looking at Charlie. All of the baby talk appeared to have gotten to her.

"I am not opposed to that," Charlie whispered, rocking a sleepy Elle in his arms.

Thomas was already passed out in Teagan's arms as well.

It was a pretty cute sight.

They headed back to the cabin after that, so that the twins could lay down comfortably in their cribs.

Olivia pumped a little bit, and then enjoyed a drink with the rest of their friends. They sat out on the back patio, talking and laughing just like they always did. Nowadays, the talking and laughing just included a baby monitor close by.

The twins slept until around four. They'd had a big lunch before they all went out on the boat, but not having had a snack since then, they were ready to eat.

Macy and Harrison bottle fed them on the couch, so they could have a little more milk. And Olivia got their dinner ready for them in the meantime.

By five, they were having their yummy dinner, sitting outside with everyone else. Arie sat close by, keeping a protective eye on things.

They were going to start the fire, but wanted to wait until the twins went to sleep for the night so that they didn't breathe in the smoke.

Fitz and Olivia had dressed them both in long sleeves, just so the bugs wouldn't be an issue for them.

Thomas had on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve Yale shirt, as well as a pair of black and white Jordans on his feet. Elle had on her Jordans as well, which were pink and white. The Jordans were a gift from their beloved uncle Logan.

Elle also had on jeans, and her daddy's favorite shirt; her LA Kings shirt.

Their outfits definitely sparked some conversation between the friends. As did their dinner.

"Okay. Remind me what they're eating right now?" Harrison asked.

"Well, here they've got some diced tofu," Olivia began. And this is pasta, it's just cut up into really small pieces for them. The sauce is my super veggie sauce. And then these are just puréed sweet potatoes."

"Super veggie sauce?!" Quinn exclaimed. "That sounds healthy."

"Mhm," Olivia nodded. "It's a good way to sneak in more vegetables. And fruits, I guess. Depending on how you want to classify some of the ingredients. Either way, very nutritious."

"And you made it from scratch?" Charlie asked, watching Huck spoon some sweet potato into Elle's mouth.

"Yep. It's got carrots, tomatoes, leeks, celery, zucchini, and bell peppers," Olivia said.

"It's actually really good...we had it on pasta, ourselves, the other night," Fitz chuckled. "The twins love it too, clearly."

"I'm going to be honest, I don't even know what a leek is," David said.

"They're good, actually. They kind of resemble celery," Macy said.

"So, let's think about this here. These babies had avocado toast for breakfast. They were eating diced chicken breast, mashed black beans and peas for lunch. Now they're having tofu and this fancy vegetable sauce on their pasta," Harrison said. "And on top of all that, they're both out here rocking _Jordans_ right now!"

"That is all true," Olivia laughed.

"Yeah, cover their ears for a sec," Harrison said.

Huck covered Elle's and Quinn covered Thomas's.

"These are some boujee ass babies. The boujiest I've ever seen," Harrison said, which made them all laugh.

Elle started to laugh, since everyone else was laughing and Huck had uncovered her ears.

"Yes!" Harrison chuckled, looking at Elle. "You are so boujee, girl!"

Her smile, partly covered in sweet potato, was pretty cute.

"Is that a compliment?" Fitz asked.

"I think so?" Olivia giggled.

"I'd say yes," Abby nodded. "And Harrison is definitely right."

"He is," Huck nodded.

"Dadada," Elle said loudly.

"Yes, baby," Fitz answered.

She just smiled at Fitz, shaking her hands at him.

He gasped, waving back. "Are you trying to wave to me? Hi, baby girl. Hi. You finish your dinner though, okay? Uncle Huck is so nice to be feeding you."

"Now wait a second, did she just say dada on purpose?" Quinn asked.

Fitz shrugged. "It's hard to tell. I think she recognizes the sounds because we say them a lot. She and Tommy have both said 'momma' and 'dada' but they may not really know what it means. They're pretty young for that yet, but they're certainly on track to be talking very soon."

"I'd say so. _Wow,"_ Quinn said.

 _"_ _We'd_ certainly like to think they're saying 'momma' and 'dada'," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Ayaya," Elle babbled again.

"Yes, aren't you talkative tonight," Harrison chuckled, nodding at her. "Now wait a second. Am I talking to Elle or Olivia right now? I genuinely can't tell a difference."

"Olivia's lacking some sweet potato on her face. Aside from that, Elle's her twin," Fitz chuckled.

"She's seriously your mini-me," Teagan said to Olivia.

Olivia smiled, looking at her beautiful daughter. She'd take that compliment.

After the twins finished all of their dinner, they cleaned them up and sat a little while longer before they headed in for a bottle and a book.

They'd been held by every friend at least for a little bit throughout the day, but they had recently started to get fussy. That meant they were tired, and that they probably needed a little mom and dad time. They were much more content when they were in the arms of their parents.

They were both still a little bit restless, but their pacifiers calmed them down a little bit more. Olivia and Fitz were starting to get more and more selective with when they gave the twins their pacifiers, just because they were slowly starting to wean them off of them.

But, since it was almost time to sleep, and that's when they had them the most, it was alright.

Thomas snuggled up to his dad's chest, rubbing his sleepy eyes and sucking on his pacifier.

"You almost ready for bed, pal?" Fitz whispered, rubbing his back.

"I think his sister is," Olivia said, looking down at a very sleepy Elle in her arms.

Fitz smiled. "Alright. We'll be back, guys. You can start the fire if you want."

"Sweeeet," Harrison nodded. "Sweet dreams little Grants."

"Bye, you," Charlie said, waving to Elle.

"You say ba-bye to uncle Charlie?" Olivia whispered, kissing her little cheek. She demonstrated a wave again.

Elle sleepily waved back to Charlie, while sucking lightly on her pacifier.

It was quite adorable, and had everyone "aww"ing.

"That's it. I'm the favorite. No doubt about it," Charlie said, clearly very pleased with himself.

"Your turn. Say bye," Fitz said, waving for Thomas to see.

He, too, waved goodbye to all the friends, which they found extremely cute.

The Grant twins officially had the hearts of all their friends.

"Come on, Arie girl," Olivia said, looking at their sweet dog. She got up right away, following her family.

Olivia and Fitz brought the twins inside and changed them, putting them into their pajamas for bedtime.

Bottle and book time was one of their favorite times ever, for both the twins and for Olivia and Fitz.

They were so sweet when they were sleepy and snuggled up to their parents. They were sweet most of the time, but they were _extra_ sweet before bed.

As soon as the pacifiers were taken away before they got their bottles, there was some crying.

"No, no," Olivia said, shaking her head at Elle, who was reaching back for the pacifier that had just been taken from her. "We're gonna have some milk, okay. You know the routine. Yes, you do."

Her quivering lip and teary eyes said otherwise.

She grabbed the bottle from the side table and prodded Elle's mouth with the nipple. She took it immediately, and was then as content as ever.

"See. Momma's not crazy. Well, momma's not _that_ crazy," Olivia said.

"Ah, ah, ah. Tommy, no," Fitz said, as he entered the room with a very cranky Thomas.

He shook his head at Olivia. "Is his bottle ready?"

"Yep. Here," she said, handing him the second bottle. "Pacifier trouble?"

"Of course. And that tooth is really close to coming in. His gums are a little more swollen than yesterday," Fitz said. "I gave him some acetaminophen."

"Oh, poor baby," Olivia said. "It'll be okay, T."

He calmed some more when the bottle was given to him.

Olivia held the book they'd chosen for the evening; _On the Night You Were Born._

She read it to the twins, who were both holding their bottles in their parents' laps.

Their sweet Arie laid at the foot of both chairs, breathing softly as Olivia's voice began to put the little ones to sleep.

After the second read-through of the book, their milk was gone, and they were fast asleep.

They received loads of goodnight kisses as they were laid down into their cribs. Now, with peaceful looks on their faces, that were so similar to their dad's.

Olivia, Fitz, and Arie made their way out to the bonfire with their friends, and the baby monitor just in case. Arie had on her beeper collar as always, so they could keep a close eye on her, too.

They had a wonderful night with their friends, soaking in the last official weekend of summer.

And not only did their friends get to experience the cabin for the first time, they got to spend some extra time with the smart little ones that were only growing bigger each and every day.

* * *

Almost nine months old now! I hope you all enjoyed.

Only two chapters remain, including the epilogue chapter!

Read on!

With Love,

~T

P.S. The visual of the speedboat is up on my Twitter and Tumblr :)


	109. Happy Birthday, Babies

"Oh—oh yes. Yes. Hell yes," Fitz nodded.

"Sweetheart, are you having sex over there or are you decorating a Christmas tree?" Olivia yelled from the kitchen.

She heard him chuckle to himself over the Christmas music that was playing softly in the family room.

"This is _not_ what I sound like when I have sex," Fitz said. "...Right?"

Now it was her turn to laugh.

"Yeah, you're right. There's usually a lot more moaning and breathing and 'Olivias' involved," she said.

"Ha _ha,"_ he quipped. "...You love that and you know it."

"Oh you are absolutely right, I do. In fact, I think we should uh...retire to the bedroom here pretty soon, you."

"Oh, how come?" he asked. "I just turned this Christmas music on!"

"To have this thing called sex, baby. It's been a long day."

"Ohhh yes. Right. Okay, that sounds nice. But can I...finish this first?" he asked.

"Yes, Fitz," she laughed, as she put the last dish away from dinner earlier. Then she had to head into the family room to see her husband decorating the tree. It seemed as though it was quite the event.

As soon as she reached the entryway, she stepped on one of his shoes. Just one of them.

She shook her head. "Fitzgerald Thomas."

He looked behind her, and then followed her gaze to the random shoe by her feet, and his eyes widened.

"Okay, seriously Liv. That was either our dog or one of our children. My bet is on our daughter. I would not leave _one_ shoe there!" he said with a laugh.

She started to laugh too. "Our dog and our children are _sleeping,_ mister! You're the only one here I can blame," she teased.

"Yeah, yeah _._ I'm sure the other one is on the opposite end of the house and on an entirely different level, knowing Elle," he chuckled, continuing to decorate.

"Our children take after you," she said, going to put his shoe by the mudroom door. And sure enough, there was no other shoe to match in there. Who knew where they'd find that one.

"Yes. But aren't they so cute?" he called after her.

"Mmmhm," she giggled, coming back to the family room.

She stood in the entryway with her hands on her hips, surveying her precious husband. He was standing on his tiptoes trying to decorate the very top of the tree. That tree was a fake one, one Olivia had had ever since her apartment days with Abby. It was just a seven-footer, so it wasn't overly big. But it was sure pretty with all its decorations on it.

Ribbon, colored lights, ornaments, some tinsel, and a star on top, of course.

The living room was where the serious Christmas spirit came in. Their ceilings were much taller in their living room than in their family room, so it allowed for a larger tree. That one was real, and was 13 feet tall.

It had beautiful beads draped across, warm white lights, ornaments, and an angel sitting at the top. The angel had taken many, _many_ tries for Fitz to get it to sit right. _While_ balancing on a ladder, straddling the top rung, practically.

There was garland on all of the mantles. Christmas lights outside on their house and their front trees. A mini silver Christmas tree in their bedroom. And not to mention, decorations throughout their _entire_ home.

It was safe to say they had Christmas spirit covered this year.

They had been working all week to get everything decorated. Not simply just to have it done early, but because this weekend was a very special weekend.

On Sunday, the twins turned one, and there would be quite a party for them.

Everyone was invited for the occasion, so the house had to be ready. And since it was December, they thought it would be pretty to have the decorations up too. Plus, they'd had their tree ever since the Saturday after Thanksgiving, so it was only fitting that they finished the whole house.

She did appreciate Fitz's dedication. There was a time in his life that Christmas made him sad. When he didn't decorate, didn't do anything special. Because it painfully reminded him of his mother, and her love for the holiday.

And he still thought of her every day, especially around Christmas. Even hung up her stocking in its place of honor, on a little hook beneath a picture of him and his parents in their library.

But since he had become a part of another family, and had started one of his own, Christmas didn't scare him anymore. He didn't dread it. In fact, if Olivia wasn't mistaken, she was pretty sure he _really_ liked it now.

She giggled, watching him hang up his baseball ornament, one of the very few he'd actually kept from his childhood.

"You are so cute, taking this so seriously," she noted.

He looked behind him, still reaching up on his tiptoes and trying to hang the ornament.

A cute smile flashed across his face and then he returned to his very serious task. "It's important."

"I know it is," she nodded. Her eyes wandered down his body. Those dark gray skinny jeans he had on clung to his ass perfectly.

"Your ass looks really good in those jeans, baby," she said.

"Oh, thank you," he said. He twisted his body, looking down at his own ass. "Wait. Really?"

"Yes," she laughed.

He nodded, seeming satisfied. "I forgot I had these pants. I will wear them more."

"Yes. Definitely. Great idea," she nodded.

"How can I help, sweetie?"

"Oh, it's okay, I think it's almost done now," he said. "But...you could sing for me, because this song isn't my favorite."

She listened intently to the Christmas song that was playing. She instantly recognized Michael Bublé's voice as the song "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" started to wind down.

"Oh, this one's not so bad. He has a nice voice!" Olivia said.

"I like Mariah Carey's better," he shrugged, grabbing another ornament.

She laughed. "No, you just like Mariah Carey."

He peered back at her innocently. "Maybe. But come on. 'All I Want for Christmas' never gets old."

"Very true. Ouu, how about this song?" Olivia asked, starting to sway a little where she was standing.

Fitz stopped, listening to the instruments, and then the _"Ohhhh yeah."_

He started to move his head back and forth, and started swaying his hips to the beat of Stevie Wonder's version of "What Christmas Means to Me", which had Olivia dying of laughter.

"Lots of snow and ice, everywhere we go.

Choirs singin' carols, right outside my door," Fitz belted put dramatically. All for Olivia, because he enjoyed making her laugh. And singing.

He finished with singing "that's what Christmas means to me, my love," while pointing at her.

"That was beautiful, Fitz, thank you," Olivia giggled.

"You're so welcome, _my love,"_ he nodded, grabbing another ornament. "Okay. I'm almost done."

"You better be," she smirked, coming up behind him. She leaned her head against his back, wrapping her arms around his abdomen in a hug from behind.

"Hi, baby," he said quietly, rubbing his hand on her leg briefly before returning to his decorating.

"Hi," she whispered. "You smell nice."

"Thank you," he chuckled.

She rubbed his chest, and let her hand wander down a little further. He just kept decorating very seriously.

He turned his head, raising his eyebrow at her suspiciously and giving her a smirk, which made her smile up at him. But he still kept at it.

She reached down with her other hand too, and began unbuckling his belt.

"Oh, I love this ornament," he said, readjusting its hook. It was a replica of Symphony of the Seas, the cruise ship they'd gone on for their honeymoon. They'd come across it in the gift shop onboard and had to buy it.

"Oh yeah, that's a good one," Olivia agreed, unzipping his pants.

He only had a couple of ornaments left in the box, and the tree was fully covered already. It was just a matter of making use of all the ornaments, because at this point, why not.

"Let's see...we've got Mr. Snowman here," Fitz said, reaching down slowly to grab one of the remaining ornaments. She could tell he reached slowly, as not to disrupt what she was currently doing. Which was...sliding her hand in his pants.

But neither said nothing about it. About the fact that he loved it and she knew it. She just kept doing what she was doing, which amused her, especially because he was now hard.

"How do you know that's not a Mrs. Snowman?" Olivia asked curiously.

"Hmm...because I named him Jack when I was, like, eight," Fitz answered, hanging him up near the top.

"Jack, huh? Not...Frosty?" Olivia asked.

"No, not Frosty, that was too mainstream. So naturally...my child self picked _Jack_. A not at _all_ mainstream name," he chuckled sarcastically.

"Not at all," Olivia said with a smile. "Jack the snowman is very cute. I'm glad you still have him."

"Me too," he nodded. "And last but not least...we've got this...metal, engraved...mini plate thing."

"Very pretty. It was Elle's, wasn't it?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah. It was hers," Fitz nodded. "I'm sorry, mom. I have...no idea what this is called," he chuckled.

Olivia glanced around his body again at the "metal engraved mini plate thing." She had to give him props, because that's exactly what it was, truly.

It was a silver little plate. The engraving said "Merry Christmas," and the velvet loop that allowed it to hang on the tree was accompanied by little bells as well. It was definitely pretty.

"Hang it in the front in her honor," Olivia said, smiling up at him. "I think the living room tree has more of her ornaments on it, so this one needs one front and center."

He looked down and to the side at her and smiled. "Okay."

He did exactly what she'd suggested, even moving around another ornament so that his mother's could be more prominently in the center.

"There," he nodded proudly. "Merry Christmas, mom."

"Merry Christmas, Elle," Olivia said. "I'm sorry that...my hand is currently in your son's pants."

He burst into laughter with her, looking down at Olivia's hand just feeling its way around in his pants. He stood there for a minute, eyes closed and enjoying how it felt. But then his hand slowly reached behind him too, dragging up Olivia's thigh.

He turned around to face her, and his hand lingered between her legs just as her hand was with him.

"You trying to drive me crazy?" he murmured quietly.

"Maybe," she smiled.

He smiled back. "You were successful."

He touched her for a while through her jeans, but then unzipped those too. Until his hand was deep in her underwear, and two of his fingers were thrusting in and out of her.

At this point, they were making out, and Olivia was trying her best to continue what she'd been doing to him. Only, he'd caught up with her, and was now way more focused on that than what her hand was doing to him.

But eventually, he couldn't take it anymore. His dick was pulsing in her hand, and he felt her slick and tight, around his fingers. He wanted, _needed_ , to feel it himself, and she'd made very clear earlier that they needed to go and have that thing called sex.

So he removed his hand and picked her up, before crouching down to the ground, holding her tightly to his body. He gently laid her down, using one palm to brace himself above her on the floor.

She held his face in her hands as she was laid gently down, and the clothes started to come all the way off. All of them. On the floor of the family room.

"You know...I've never done this," he whispered against her lips. He prodded her entrance gently.

"Done—what? Oh my god," she moaned, gripping the leg of the coffee table. Which, was a tad far away, so it was a reach. But she needed something to grip as he stretched her.

"Made love to...Frank Sinatra," he murmured, starting to set a pace.

She tried to listen to the song, even though she was a bit focused on other things. But she did hear his deep voice surrounding them with his song "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas."

And then all she could think about was the song. She unwrapped her legs from his body and about fell flat on her back after bursting into laughter.

He had been thrusting in and out of her fairly fast, but as he realized she was now just laying there on her back doing nothing but _laughing,_ he slowed down.

"What?!" he chuckled in a whisper, bracing himself above her. "Why are you laughing?!"

"We're—to Frank Sinatra," she laughed, gesturing to their current position.

At this point, he had paused completely inside her, and was just watching her giggle and smile.

And she looked so cute, so he couldn't stop himself from laughing back.

He leaned his head down into her chest, chuckling with her. She instantly wrapped her arms around him, holding his curly head to her chest as they both laughed.

"A _Christmas_ song," Olivia whispered, which made them both quietly laugh more.

"Well, yes! You were the one feeling me up by the damn Christmas tree!" he exclaimed.

"I know, _I know,"_ she laughed.

He sighed, looking up at her with a smile. "Okay—can I continue or are you gonna keep laughing?!"

"Keep going," she said. Although she did continue to giggle a little bit, wrapping her arms around him. "I love you."

"I love you back," he chuckled, resuming his pace again.

She let him take control for a while, but they eventually finished with Olivia riding the hell out of him on the rug.

She about took the breath right out of him. He laid there, exhausted, but not satisfied that she hadn't finished yet. So he used his fingers until she did.

She was the one who'd wanted to, after all, and he didn't let her up until she was just as breathless as he had been.

"There you go," he whispered, kissing her forehead as she collapsed onto his chest afterward. Both extremely messy and extremely _naked_ on the family room floor rug.

"Mmm love you," she murmured, peppering his damp chest with kisses.

He smiled, knowing this was the product of a satisfied Olivia.

"Happy?" he asked sweetly.

"Mhmmm," she nodded, snuggling into his chest again.

She turned the engraved metal tag that hung around his neck over, seeing the names of their twins, and the date and times they were born. It made her smile.

The man rarely took it off. And she rarely took her beautiful silver version off, either.

He brushed her currently wavy hair out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ear so he could see her pretty face. She caught sight of his wrist, her name permanently inked there. And that made her smile too. their necklaces. Their tattoos. Both proud to commemorate those they loved in such beautiful ways.

They had recently been talking about additional tattoos. But only when Fitz could _bear_ to talk about them.

Needles would always make him nervous. But the idea of the important, beautiful things he wanted to permanently pay tribute to on his body overpowered his nerves. She was pretty sure that in time, they would both have more than one tattoo.

The soft sound of Christmas music still played around them, and it was nice. It was relaxing, to lay there and feel her soft, quick breaths as she calmed her body. Feeling her little hand running over his chest affectionately, admiring his necklace.

And for her, to feel her husband's big, strong arms wrapped around her. Holding her. His heartbeat beneath her own chest, and the beautiful music that continued to fill the room.

"Baby," she whispered.

"Hm?" he answered.

"Our babies are going to be one in two days," she whispered. She couldn't believe it, she really couldn't. They had grown so much. The past year had gone by in the blink of an eye; much too fast for either of their liking.

"I know," he said, smiling at her. "One year, it's been. The...best year of our lives."

She nodded into his chest. "No question. I just wish that...time would _slow_ down. I want them to be little forever."

"Me too," he chuckled. "But they're growing fast. Soon they're going to be two. And then...three. And before you know it, they'll be teenagers!"

"Oh my gosh," Olivia said, shaking her head. "Nope, I can't think about that yet. I just can't, they're still my little loves."

He smiled. "You know they will always be. They're attached to you. Just like their daddy is."

She smiled back. "I don't know...the more we start to wean them off of breast milk the less attached they're getting to me...now that my boobs are becoming more useless to them they're realizing I'm not all that magical."

"Oh _whatever,"_ Fitz chuckled, shaking his head because they both knew that was bullshit. "They can barely go to _sleep_ unless you're talking to them. I swear, it's like I read their bedtime story and all I get is screaming, angry babies!"

"Oh, that's only happened a few times!" she exclaimed.

"No, _way_ more than that! And I think I can count the number of times I've actually been _successful_ on one hand," he replied. "Maybe like...half a hand."

"That's just a coincidence. I think you have a beautiful reading voice, sweetheart," she laughed. _"And_ singing voice, by the way. They always love bedtime songs."

"Well, thank you, Livvie," he said. "And _I_ think you are extremely magical. And so are your boobs, by the way," he added. "They are...I mean, they're _very_ intriguing, very perfect."

"Awww, you really mean that?" she asked with a laugh.

"My _god_ , yes," he nodded. "Mesmerizing. You know that."

He rolled her over, causing a big smile and a lot of laughs to escape from her mouth as he pressed kisses all over her neck, and breasts. Making sure she knew how much he appreciated not only her, but of course, her boobs as well.

"See?" he asked, pressing his lips softly to her nipple. He did it multiple times, letting his tongue flick lightly across it and leaving both nipples wet from his mouth. "Perfect."

"You better be careful, mister, if you keep doing that," she warned, watching him in pleasure.

"Oh I'm being plenty careful," he shrugged, swirling his tongue around one nipple. "Nice and gentle."

"You _know_ what I mean!" she exclaimed.

"Ohhh, I see, I see," he nodded casually, pulling up. "You mean...I'm turning you _on."_

"Shut up," she giggled, nudging his bicep.

"Okay, okay," I'll shut up," he nodded, returning to his important work. Turning her on.

She groaned, widening her legs underneath him almost desperately. She could feel his erection again between her legs. It was not hard to hide, and she could see him long, thick and hard as he crouched on his knees above her.

He dragged his tongue between her breasts, before sucking hard on the skin there. He rubbed himself against her while he went to town on her chest, his eyes closed and looking as relaxed as could be.

She was sure he would leave a mark on her skin at that point, but then he started to talk to her as he rubbed up against her. "Let's go again, baby," he murmured against her skin.

"Yeah?" she asked.

He nodded, moving up and capturing her lips in a deep, wet kiss. "Yeah," he said.

She nodded back in response, before feeling his tongue plunge back into her mouth. He reached between their bodies, grabbing his tip and directing it toward her entrance while never pulling away from her lips.

He slid right in. He fit so perfectly inside her, and they both moaned in pleasure at the wonderful, familiar feeling.

"God, baby, I could do this all night," he whispered, rolling his hips. Going all the way in, and lingering there each time. Making sure she felt _all_ of him, like he felt all of her.

"With the Christmas music—and everything?" she panted.

He started to laugh again, picking up his pace. "It doesn't matter what's playing in the background. Could be...the kids' _sound machine_ for all I care, I just want to feel you...all the time. You just feel—so fucking good," he groaned.

"Kids'...sound machine," she laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Oh my god. Don't stop. Keep...just go faster."

He nodded, going faster, and _harder_. All Olivia could do was hold onto him and feel him fill her up with each powerful thrust.

He urged her to widen her legs further. She was about as spread as she could be for him, legs bent at the knee, while he pounded into her.

"Flip over," he panted. "On your knees."

She obliged, bracing herself against the floor as he slid in again from behind. He started out slow, feeling her perfect ass in his hands as he gently pushed into her. But he did pick up his pace again, and it wasn't all that gentle when he did.

"Oh my god," she mouthed, clutching at the rug beneath her fingertips.

He was on his knees behind her, his thighs connecting with her ass with each thrust as he held tightly to her hips.

She was so wet that they could hear her around him; he slid so effortlessly in and out of her, too. It didn't take long for either of them to get close—not in that position. When Fitz reached around and started rubbing her clit at the same time, it was game over for her.

As soon as she let out a loud gasp, and her body tightened, he couldn't hold off any longer. He finished inside of her, pumping in and out of her quickly as she reached her orgasm, crying out his name loudly.

She collapsed forward on her stomach, and rolled over, panting hard. He panted too, holding himself up on his palms above her and looking down at her naked body covered lightly in sweat.

He lowered himself on top of her chest slowly, before resting his head on top of her heart. He always loved to hear it come down from its fast pace, because of what he did to her. Maybe a sense of personal pride, along with the fact that hearing her heartbeat, in general, made him happy.

"I'm not going to lie...I like fucking you to Christmas music," she panted beneath him.

And they both were in a fit of laughter for about the fifteenth time that night.

"Done. I'm down. Every night—in December, it's a deal," he nodded, which made her laugh more.

"I mean...that was just _all_ sorts of fantastic," she said, running her fingers through his now very messy curls.

"Fantastic," he agreed. "We are...an absolute mess."

"It's a shame we don't have any of the twins' wet wipes down here," she said, looking around. "Those are seriously so handy."

"You know, they really are!" he nodded. "I had an extra pack in my briefcase for some reason. Because, you know, they're literally everywhere," he began.

"Right, right," she nodded.

"And I tell you. I spilled some coffee on my desk at work the other day and those wet wipes did the trick in about 6 seconds. No coffee smell in my office, no stain, no stickiness. Magic. Just magic."

"Absolutely," she agreed. "Well, since we don't have those, I'll go grab a towel or something quick before we make matters worse. I don't wanna have to clean up cum on this rug before our one-year-old twins' birthday party."

He chuckled, rolling off of her and onto his back. "Thank you, baby."

"Mhm," she nodded, getting up slowly. She ran her fingers down her body, looking at certain places. And then it started to run down her leg. "Oh—oh. Oh, dear. Nope, nope, nope."

He laughed, watching her run into the kitchen, completely naked. Trying to contain some things.

"Stop laughing!" she exclaimed. "This is a serious matter."

He kept laughing. "Sorry. Are you all good now?"

"Yep, okay. We're good," she replied from the kitchen.

"Oh good. Now come save me!" he said.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," she answered.

She came to save him, and then they decided they should probably make their way upstairs for the night as they were both tired. Plus, it was past ten.

Olivia put some comfy clothes on and let Arie out one last time before bed. Lucky for them, she'd been asleep on the floor of the nursery in between the twins' cribs, so she hadn't been witness to any of the fooling around in the family room. Not that she would care anyway. But, she was sleeping with her little human siblings, whom she loved and protected a lot.

The twins had been asleep since about 7:30 that evening after their quick baths, which was pretty standard for them. But they'd be up bright and early around 7:00 the next morning as well, so Olivia and Fitz headed to bed in preparation for that.

Aside from waking up generally early, they also had some people coming over the next day. And the weekend would just be _packed_ with activity for the kids' birthday, so a good amount of sleep would be extremely necessary.

And by 11:00, every Grant in the house was fast asleep.

* * *

The next day began bright and early for Olivia and Fitz, who were awoken around 7:15 by the two littlest in the household.

Elle woke up first, and in turn, woke her brother up.

They chatted with each other for a little while, which let Olivia and Fitz have a chance to wake up a little bit at least while the sounds of their kids talking back and forth on the monitor made them smile.

They were quite chatty, especially with each other. Elle was far more chatty than Thomas was, but when he was with Elle, he was a lot more inclined to talk back and forth. And of course, with his parents. But otherwise, he took a little longer than his sister to warm up to people, and show his extroverted side. Even now, at just about a year old, their personalities were becoming more and more visible.

They both knew a handful of words already, and their vocabulary only grew with each passing day.

"Momma" and "dadda" were now _perfected_ by the little ones, which made for a happy Olivia and Fitz.

Arie was even in the mix, known by the twins as "Ah-ie" on a good day. That one was tougher for them, but they definitely understood who she was when their parents said her name.

They also knew "no" and "bye-bye," which was not to be confused with "baba," or bottle. Those did get mixed up in translation occasionally.

There were other words that it seemed the twins attempted to try, but couldn't quite complete yet. Either way, at not even a year old, they both had a pretty good-sized vocabulary, and showed extreme promise in boosting it in their _next_ year of life. Olivia and Fitz assumed that by two, they'd be talking nonstop.

Aside from being chatty, they were also walking _machines_. It hadn't taken them much past the eleven-month mark to start walking. Thomas took his first real steps about two days before Elle did, so in typical twin fashion, they were pretty similar in their milestones.

They'd toyed with the idea of walking far before they actually did; pulling themselves up to a standing position using furniture, taking little baby steps when their parents would hold them up on their legs. So even though the first steps had been an extremely exciting occasion for Olivia and Fitz, they'd known it was coming.

It was both fun, and tiring sometimes, having little humans running around the house. There had been a few falls here and there, even a little cut on Elle's lip a couple of weeks ago because of a little tumble she'd taken on the hardwood.

Even still, the house was about as baby-proofed as possible. All the stairs had baby gates, all the unused outlets were plugged, the lower cabinets were safety-locked, the corners of the coffee tables were padded. _Everything_. And there was a _lot_ of house to cover!

This was the first year the twins would be mobile during the holiday season, though, as last year they were only a couple weeks old at Christmas. So far, thankfully, no Christmas decorations or trees had been damaged and no children had hurt themselves, so they only hoped it would stay that way!

Arie was definitely amused with her little walking human siblings. She had been familiar with their crawling, and that they loved to crawl all over her if she was just laying there. But now that they could walk, she had to actually keep up with them sometimes.

It was pretty cute that when Arie stood, the twins could also stand up and wrap their arms around her furry body as best they could in a hug of sorts. They loved their fluffy girl just like Olivia and Fitz did, and she loved them lots, too.

Overall, the Grant household was changing every day. It was hard to think that Thomas and Elle were almost one. Tomorrow would be the day. But today, was at least a start to the celebration.

The guest rooms would be utilized that night by Olivia's parents, grandparents, Sandra and Stephen, Harrison and Macy, and Brett and his family. They all had long drives for sure, and Brett and his family had a flight to make. But they wouldn't miss this weekend for the world, because Brett couldn't possibly miss his goddaughter's birthday party.

There were some others who would have a bit of a drive the next day, but not too bad of one. Sunday would definitely be a full house.

By five that evening, everyone who was staying the night that night was there.

They ordered in for dinner because of the large number of people that were there.

They were catering for the party tomorrow, too, _also_ because of the number of people that would be there. Fitz and Olivia had been known to have great home-cooked food for gatherings, but they would have needed a lot of time and a lot of helping hands to make that work for this party.

The twins got to stay up just a tad later than normal that night, because a good portion of their family members were in town already. But they still had a schedule to stick to, and a set time to wake up in the morning to get ready for their party. So by 8:15, they were out like a light.

Olivia and Fitz, on the other hand, were up until 11:30 with their friends and family, talking and laughing with them in the living room. Watching a movie and eating popcorn, thanks to Olivia. Catching up. Talking about all the adorable things the twins had done since they'd all seen them last. And just having a good time.

After Arie had been let out by her favorite grandpa Eli, the _non-dog_ person, he gave her a couple pats and a treat before bed. There was only one exception to his dog preference, and it was Arie. She had captured his heart soon after Fitz and Olivia had even brought her into the family. _Along_ with everyone else's heart, practically.

Then, they were all off to bed.

Fitz and Olivia peeked in on the kids before they retired to their own room. Both were snuggled up in their cribs, a nightlight on in the corner with glow in the dark stars and moons on the ceiling, and the sound of their sound machine on lightly in the background.

As always, it was a precious sight to see before they, themselves, went to get ready for bed.

By the time Olivia came out of the bathroom with freshly brushed teeth, a washed face, and a wrap on her head, her husband was sleepily waiting for her in bed. He was all ready for bed too, wearing nothing but boxers. Even in the winter months, he preferred less clothing at night.

Olivia certainly wouldn't complain. His skin was always warm, and he was always snuggly anyway.

She, on the other hand, got into bed wearing pajama pants and one of his shirts. Comfy and cozy, and _warm._

She finished rubbing some thick lotion on her hands as she climbed into bed, replenishing her skin from the effect the dry winter air could have.

"Hey," she greeted with a smile.

"Hi, pretty girl," he whispered, pulling back the covers for her.

She crawled into bed and snuggled into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

"Long day," she said, closing her eyes. She inhaled his wonderful scent, and it made her smile against his warm chest.

"Long day," he agreed, giving her another kiss. "But guess what, I love you."

"I love you too," she said, peering up at him. "Lots."

"Like...how much?" he asked.

"So much," she answered. "As much as Tommy loves plums."

He gasped dramatically, which made her start to giggle.

"That's _so_ much," he noted, smiling down at her.

"I know," she nodded. "That boy could eat plums all day."

"He could," Fitz agreed. "I love you more than that."

Now it was her turn to gasp. "Nuh-uh! That's not fair."

"Too late, I said it," he chuckled, hugging her tighter.

"Take it back," she said.

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"I will argue with you all night if that's what it takes," she said, letting out a yawn.

"Oh is that right, sleepyhead?" he smiled, taking note of her yawn.

"That's right," she nodded confidently, snuggling her face closer to his chest.

He chuckled, pressing a couple more kisses to her head. "Sleep well, baby."

"Sleep well, sweetheart," she murmured back.

"I love you so much," he whispered, looking down at her pretty face. Not a touch of makeup was on it. Her long eyelashes rested gently on the tops of her cheeks, and her little hands were holding on tightly to him. The sight made him smile every night.

"Mmm...love you...I love you," she whispered quietly back. She was so sleepy, and he knew it.

He watched her fall asleep rather quickly, holding her close to his body. He grew excited for tomorrow, for his kids' birthday. He knew he and Olivia were way more excited than anyone else would be. But they had a reason to be. And as he thought about it, he smiled bigger at his beautiful, sleeping wife. The mother of the two little ones fast asleep in the other room.

She was so gorgeous, and she didn't think a thing about it. In the five years they'd been together, they'd both grown so much. But he knew she'd grown far more than he had, simply because in this relationship, she'd kind of been forced to. Merely 25 years of age, but acted so much older than that. She was the best mother he knew, and obviously, the best life partner in his eyes. Maybe he was a _tad_ biased, because he was in love with her. But he knew it was true, regardless.

"I love you, Olivia," he whispered again.

And with that, he turned off the lamp, closed his eyes, and slowly waded into sleep along with her.

* * *

The next morning, they woke up around their normal time because the twins woke up, and they heard them on the monitor.

Since they'd all been up decently late the night before, everyone else would likely sleep in a bit yet. But Olivia and Fitz had to get up. They had things to do, and birthday babies to snuggle.

The happy chatter between the twins only grew happier at the sight of their parents entering the nursery.

"Happy birthday, loves!" Olivia exclaimed, waving at the two of them.

"Happy birthday!" Fitz exclaimed quietly.

As if the twins had a single clue what they were talking about. But Olivia and Fitz gave them lots of snuggles and kisses anyway.

"Momma," Thomas said, leaning into Olivia's chest as she held him. He was smiling big. "Momma."

"Yes, hi, baby," she said, kissing his curly head. "My sweet birthday boy."

He smiled at her kisses and excitement, while Fitz mixed them both their morning bottles. Elle was standing contently at his feet, holding onto his leg to keep herself steady. He'd just set her down in order to have both his hands.

They were currently being weaned off of breast milk, which was both nice, but also a little bit sad for Olivia, in many ways.

Nice, because as her body had begun to adapt, she wasn't needing to pump all the time as she had been before. She didn't need to work her schedule around it, and that was nice. She could drink alcohol more regularly, _also_ nice.

But breastfeeding them had been a bonding experience with them, too. She could always count on spending quality time with them at least in the morning and at night, when she truly breastfed them and didn't just pump for their bottles.

She would miss that bonding with them. Another thing she would miss is not having a _period_. She had been lucky in that breastfeeding had been putting off the return of her menstrual cycle. No blood, no pain, no birth control, nothing. Just plain _freedom!_ She'd definitely miss this, knowing her menstrual cycle would soon return.

Changes were always happening within the family, and this was just one of them. So the twins were now enjoying formula throughout the day, and only one breastfeed, which always took place at night before bed. They were now pretty used to the formula and didn't mind it, even though it was definitely a transition. But soon, breastfeeding would be out of the equation entirely, and they would transition from formula to whole cow's milk.

They were currently practicing with other drinking containers like sippy cups and regular cups, too. Sippy cups were strictly for water, while regular cups were for water and formula on occasion. They were still getting the hang of those.

But right now, to begin their day, it was a bottle of formula for both of them, followed by breakfast.

Breakfast on their birthday was special, of course.

Fitz and Olivia made them apple and oat pancakes, with some maple syrup on top that they absolutely loved. It was quite a sticky mess, but they were going to have a bath afterward anyway.

They also had half a sliced banana each. After that, they were more than content. And messy.

Arie had been getting her fair share of running in outside while the kids ate, which was good, because she would have to spend a portion of the day in her room, because of the party. But Fitz let her in and then they quietly took the kids back upstairs, trying not to wake anyone in the house.

Not only was it now bath time, but it was wash day for the twins' hair, which always took some time.

They filled up the bathtub for them and put them in their bath seats, which suction cupped to the sides of the tub to keep them upright and safely above the water. Their little feet, however, kicked happily in the warm water.

They generally were pretty good for bath time, especially when it was just a normal bath and no hair washing. But their hair care did require some extra time, and sometimes that got tiring for a baby.

They had the hair care routine down now, though, and they attempted to make it as painless as possible, with as many _distractions_ as possible. That usually included lots of singing, kisses, and bath toys.

The process of shampooing, conditioning and detangling depended on how cooperative the twins were. And luckily that day, they were pretty cooperative.

Both Olivia and Fitz had had some learning to do when it came to their children's biracial hair; the texture different from Fitz's hair, and from Olivia's too. But Olivia had a bit of a jumpstart, due to her own hair care routine. So while they learned together, Olivia still did most of the teaching.

And by now, Fitz pretty much had it down pat, too.

"Alright, daddy. What do we always remember?" she asked.

"We always remember to work in sections, and detangle the ends first, then work our way up to the roots," he said confidently.

Olivia gasped, looking down at her daughter. "Daddy's right, yes he is."

"Mhm. Daddy's got it down now," he told his son, lathering the shampoo into his hair gently.

And so they teamed up with the twins' bath and hair wash day, because that went so much faster.

By the end of their bath, their curls looked perfectly clean and bouncy, and ready to be styled.

Unfortunately, the transition from the bathroom to their bedroom was _not_ so perfect.

The twins had been set down briefly, wearing their little hooded towels to keep them warm, so that Olivia and Fitz could drain the bath.

Thomas' towel was a white bunny, and Elle's was a pink one. They were both pretty adorable, and also effective. A perfect combination.

Olivia started to completely dry the two babies, using their hooded towels to do it. They sat so nicely in her lap.

Until they didn't.

They saw their daddy open the bathroom door, and apparently got curious. And then they were using all their little energy to run after him, butt naked.

Olivia could have caught them and held them back. But it was a tad funny. And clearly they were not at all cold, as Olivia held their two little towels in her hand.

"Incoming," Olivia announced to Fitz.

"Well! What are you two doing?!" Fitz exclaimed with a laugh. Olivia could hear giggles upon giggles. Anything to make the whole bath experience more fun, she allowed.

"Aren't you two cold?! Come here, babies," he chuckled.

Olivia looked into the bedroom, seeing Fitz "chase" the two little birthday babies. Completely naked and not a care in the world. They were giggling about as uncontrollably as one-year-olds could giggle.

"Watch out, daddy's gonna get you! Your plan to escape didn't work so well, did it?!" Olivia laughed.

Their bedroom door was closed, so there was nowhere they could go but in circles, really. They still made the most of it, until Fitz scooped them up.

"I got you! Hahaha, yes I did!" he exclaimed, kissing both of their heads. "And you smell so good!"

"Alright, you two. Now we're keeping these on until we're clothed," Olivia laughed, bringing the hooded towels over to them and Fitz. "No more funny business!"

Fitz gasped, looking at the two of them. "You heard momma. No more funny business."

Olivia nodded seriously at them, but couldn't help but giggle at their sweet little faces. They each put one of their towels back on, and carried them to their nursery to get dressed, and then do their hair.

First, it was time for some leave-in conditioner, and then some oil to lock in the moisture. The little baby brands of everything smelled absolutely amazing.

"Your curls are so pretty," Olivia said to Elle. "Yes. Your curls are so pretty."

"Cuw," Elle said.

"Yes, your curls!" Olivia laughed, looking at Fitz with wide eyes.

"Wow! So smart!" Fitz said, looking at Elle as he combed through Thomas' curls once more before he put product in it.

"Yes you are," Olivia nodded. "And your curls are poppin' now, aren't they. Yes, they are. You and your brother's curls are poppin'."

"Poppin'," Fitz nodded, applying some leave-in conditioner.

Olivia laughed. "Daddy's curls are poppin' right now too."

He laughed, knowing his hair was a mess right now. "When I'm done getting ready then we'll see."

"Our curly-headed boys," Olivia said with a smile. "We love them, don't we?" she asked Elle.

"Sometimes they do," Fitz said to Thomas. "Other times they team up on us!"

Olivia laughed. "Occasionally. Girl power!"

"Ahh!" Elle giggled, throwing her hands up in the air happily. "Momma!"

"Elle!" Olivia said back, kissing her little nose.

"You two are so lively today," Fitz chuckled, looking at Thomas. "Yes, you are. You must know it's your birthday. Huh?"

"Baba, dadda?" Thomas asked seriously.

"No, we already had our baba this morning. We'll have a small one before our nap, pal," Fitz said.

"Baba," Thomas said again.

"You are persistent, little man," Fitz chuckled. "No, babas, Thomas."

He did understand "no." He may not have been too _happy_ about it, but he understood.

"Baba," Elle piped up.

"Oh, not you too!" Olivia said. "We will have babas later. You just had breakfast not too long ago you sillies."

"Okay," Fitz said, finishing up Thomas' hair. "Liv, this is the definition of...poppin'."

She looked at her son's now perfectly washed and styled curls. "Oh, daddy does such a good job, doesn't he? You look so handsome, baby!"

"Ahh," he smiled, looking at his mom. Thankfully letting the bottle situation go.

"Ahh," Olivia said back to him. "Look, your sister's almost done too."

She was just about finished up with Elle's second little bun atop her head. She looked absolutely adorable with her two little buns. Sometimes to prevent more flyaway curls, Olivia would do two on top and two more near the bottom of her head. But today she was going to wear a headband, so the extra two buns weren't necessary.

Olivia slid the yellow headband with a bow in the front over Elle's head, and positioned it in her hair.

She looked adorable.

"You're so pretty, birthday girl!" Fitz exclaimed, picking Thomas up in his arms.

" _So_ pretty," Olivia nodded. "Just beautiful. Grandma will love this bow, she loves yellow."

"Speaking of, I think I may hear grandma and grandpa up downstairs," Fitz said. "Should we go see?"

Olivia nodded, so they went to check. And sure enough, they were up, and so ready to greet their little birthday grandbabies.

Maya did, indeed, love Elle's yellow bow.

They quickly offered to watch and play with the babies while Olivia and Fitz went to get ready, themselves. And having already mentioned that the night before, Olivia and Fitz took them up on that offer because they had lots to do.

First, they set out bagels and cream cheese for everyone else that gradually woke up throughout the morning, and made sure Arie had food and lots of water before they went upstairs.

Then, they showered together. You know, to save time and water.

Fitz wore a dress shirt underneath a sweater, and jeans. His curly hair was, indeed, poppin', and he smelled amazing as always.

Olivia wore a pretty light lavender-colored dress, that looked gorgeous on her. Her hair in loose curls, and makeup done perfectly. She also smelled amazing, but when didn't she?

They were ready. The food would be there soon. And shortly after, the guests would start arriving too.

And so the birthday festivities would soon begin for real.

* * *

"My godson and my little Ellie bean!" Abby exclaimed, holding them both for the first time that day.

She'd had to wait her turn, because there were lots of people that had been holding and saying hello to the babies of honor.

They smiled at Abby, because they knew her well now. They knew their auntie Abby.

"They missed you lots!" Olivia said.

"I missed you too!" Abby said to them. "And you two are going to love your presents. Yes, you will!"

"Oh, I'm sure they will. They are going to be pretty spoiled with all those gifts piling up over there," Olivia said, shaking her head at the large pile by the living room window. Their friends and family had certainly gone overboard, that was clear. But they _were_ one now. That was a big birthday, after all.

They would get to see what all those gifts were after lunch and cake. And something _else_ there was a lot of at that party, was _cake_.

It was ginormous!

They'd had it professionally made for the big occasion. It was in the shape of a very large "1" and read "Happy Birthday Thomas and Elle!" It was a very pale shade of blue, with little animals on it, to match the theme of their nursery. There was an elephant, a giraffe, and a lion, all created beautifully with fondant. There was a large number of cupcakes surrounding the cake too, just because there were so many people there.

It was quite the cake. And it was pretty dang delicious too.

The twins got the first slices, of course, after a huge round of "Happy Birthday To You" was sung to them by everyone. They each got big slices, and their little faces lit up at the pretty dessert in front of them.

And by the end of it, their slices of cake were mostly gone, with a good portion of it on their faces. Blue frosting and little chunks of white cake covered their mouths. Thomas even had some near his eyebrow. It was quite a funny sight, especially to the little kids that were there.

"Fitz, Fitz. Look at Tommy's eyebrow!" Mia giggled, pointing to Thomas.

"I know!" Fitz chuckled.

"I think it's safe to say the twins liked the cake!" Maya exclaimed.

"Which twins?" grandma Gina asked with a little smile.

They all looked around to Jordan and Anthony, still eating their cake. Macy and Dillon, with empty cake plates in their hands. And then the littlest set of twins, in their high chairs, _covered_ in cake. All six had smiles on their faces.

And everyone laughed at grandma Gina.

"You're right, ma. There are a lot of twins in this household right now," Eli chuckled.

"You get a twin, you get a twin. Everybody gets a twin!" Charlie laughed.

"In this family, we love our twins, don't we," aunt Faye said, wrapping her arms around Macy and Dillon.

"Yes we do," Olivia nodded. "Even when they are covered in...blue fondant and cake chunks."

 _"_ _Especially_ then," Maya nodded casually.

"I think we better clean them up," Fitz chuckled. "What do you say, huh? Should we get you two all cleaned up?"

"Dadda!" Thomas exclaimed with a smile, purring his arms up.

"Tommy!" Fitz exclaimed, putting his hands up in response. That had not only Thomas, but Elle in a fit of laughter too. So she decided to join in, because she wanted her daddy's attention too.

"Dadda...dadda!" Elle exclaimed.

"Yes, pretty baby," Fitz answered leaning down by Elle.

She gave him a big smile. "Dadda," she said contently. As if she was very pleased with herself that she got his attention too.

"Elle," Fitz smiled, tilting his head.

She giggled. And then seemed to develop a perfect idea.

"Momma!" she exclaimed, which had Thomas repeating her. "Momma!" he said.

So Olivia leaned her face down by the two of them too.

Elle's plan worked wonderfully. Now she and her brother had _both_ their parents' attention, and they were as happy as could be.

Everyone around their high chairs was laughing pretty hard at the scene.

"They are so funny. They sure know how to get mom and dad's attention," Macy said.

"Ohhh yes. And I promise it's not always this nice. Sometimes they resort to screaming instead," Olivia said.

"Very loud, _high-pitched_ screaming," Fitz nodded in agreement.

"Oh, don't all babies," Maya laughed. "They are so bright. And very good with words, they annunciate really well."

"Indeed," Eli nodded, impressed. "Much clearer than even a month ago. They learn very quickly."

"Oh, yes," Olivia nodded. "Are you two showing off for everyone?!"

"They definitely deserve to show off. They're the smartest babies I've ever met," Charlie said.

"Definitely," Quinn agreed. All their friends nodded.

"Did you hear that? You are so smart! So smart," Fitz said to them. He gave Elle a kiss as he pulled her out of her high chair.

Olivia pulled Thomas out of his and they went to get them cleaned up before they did presents.

After that, the party would technically be over, but many were staying over that night, too, so people would still be there. The twins would just have to take a nap, since they missed their early afternoon one and barely had a morning one. After presents, they'd likely be pretty tired.

And presents were quite the event.

The twins got everything they could have ever wanted and needed as one-year-olds.

So many clothes. A couple pairs of shoes each. Tons and _tons_ of toys and games. Among those gifts were many things that sang, made sounds, or played music.

That would be a fun time for Olivia and Fitz.

And of course, Fitz and Olivia spoiled them rotten:

Custom wagons personalized with their names on them. Personalized baby blocks, which was actually the first set they'd ever owned. A pop-up tunnel for their nursery that they had already begun an obsession with, climbing through it. Elle's very own baby doll. Thomas' first train set, which _also_ made lots of noise. Some more clothes as well, including a little Patagonia fuzzy sweatshirt for each of them. The clothes probably weren't the most excited for one-year-olds, but having warm, nice clothes was still a plus.

Eli and Maya were also quite the spoilers. They only had two grandchildren, so they went all out with their toys and games and clothes, too.

Everyone did. And although the twins couldn't thank everyone themselves, Olivia and Fitz made sure to go around to everyone with the twins and thank them, giving them all one last greeting before they needed to go and hit the hay.

They had been pretty good all day running on virtually no nap, and with their daily routine being completely messed with. So it was understandable when they got a little fussy.

There was one baby in the house that hadn't been fussy a single time that day, though, and that was little Lucy Domagalski. She was absolutely adorable, wrapped up in her blanket. She was about three and a half months old, a perfect age. But still so little, and sleepy for much of the day.

All of Fitz's buddies and their wives took turns holding her while she slept. She was the newest child of their friend group, and she deserved all of the "oohing" and "ahhing" that she got.

Abby had to hold her too, because she'd always liked Jason and Janelle, and she _loved_ babies, of course. She'd been waiting to meet Lucy for a long time now!

Lucy already looked like a perfect mix of her parents. She had dark, dark hair like her mom, and big, blue eyes like her dad.

And although she hadn't really been fussing, Jason and Janelle did head out as soon as the Grant twins were going to sleep, just because they had a bit of a drive ahead of them and they wanted to get Lucy home to her own crib. So everyone said goodbye to them, and then Fitz and Olivia went to make sure their little ones made it to _their_ own cribs.

"Oh, I know, I know. I think it will be okay, baby," Olivia said, calming a cranky Elle. Cranky, solely because she was tired and was just _not_ having her diaper change right now.

Thomas was the same, but not verbalizing it as much currently. He held tight to his dad's chest as Fitz grabbed both of their small bottles.

It wasn't much, but just a little milk to tide them over before dinner. Especially since they had had plenty of snacks already throughout the day.

"Here you go. Here's your baba," Fitz said, prodding Thomas' lips with it.

He gratefully took it.

"Elle's is over here, babe," Fitz said.

"Okay, thanks, baby," Olivia nodded, finishing up with Elle's diaper.

She also took hers gratefully. And after they finished those, they eagerly took their pacifiers as well for their nap. The only time they had them nowadays.

With a push of a button on the sound machine and the flip of the light switch, they were much more calm, laying in their cribs.

And with that, Olivia and Fitz shut the nursery door.

Many of the people there had already been gradually leaving before the twins went down, but many of their close family and friends still remained.

Olivia's parents and her grandma Michelle, and all her friends, some of which would be staying the night.

Since there was now far fewer people, they let Arie out of her room so she could go to the bathroom, and hang out with everyone downstairs. It was always a little overwhelming for her with that many people in the house, but now that the number had diminished, she'd be perfectly content.

They all had a good night. They still had lots of good food from the party that they had again for dinner, and a few more slices of cake and cupcakes even went around because there were still extras.

The twins took a nap for about two hours, which had them feeling much more content for the rest of the evening. And because of their nap, they did stay up a little later with everyone for the occasion.

It was their birthday after all. It would be okay.

They broke out the surround sound speakers again with some music. Christmas music again, specifically at the request of Maya.

Soon after, most everyone was even up and dancing, twins included!

Maya and Eli were currently the ones dancing with them, which was a pretty cute sight.

Olivia and Fitz were doing a little slow dancing next to a couple of their friends, laughing at Maya spinning Thomas around in her arms.

"Okay, where's Charlie? Babe? I wanna dance with somebody!" Quinn exclaimed, looking around for Charlie.

"Do you also, by chance, wanna feel the heat with somebody?" Fitz asked, twirling Olivia around.

Everyone burst into laughter.

"That was a good one, Fitz," grandma Michelle laughed.

"Thank you," he chuckled. "Ah, there's Charlie. Charlie, you are needed. To dance and to feel the heat with your woman."

Charlie had just returned from the bathroom, and was now raising an eyebrow at Fitz. "I'm sorry, I need to what now?"

"Wooo!" Quinn exclaimed, doing her best Whitney Houston imitation as she grabbed Charlie's hand.

Everyone got a good laugh out of that.

But even amidst the family-friendly dancing and Christmas music going on currently, Olivia and Fitz were still reminded of what went on only two days prior in that very room, _also_ to Christmas music.

"We probably should never disclose to anyone that we had sex right where Abby and David are currently standing, to Christmas music two nights ago," Olivia whispered to Fitz, as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He started to laugh, leaning his face down closer to her ear. "Probably not. Or that it happened twice."

"Twice!" Olivia exclaimed in a whisper. "Good times."

 _"_ _Fantastic_ times," he said quietly, kissing her neck gently.

"Ohhh, don't start something we can't finish with my parents in the room," she giggled, holding onto him tighter.

"Mmm. Makes me want to," he murmured, pulling back and leaning his forehead against hers. He pecked her lips lightly and gave her a smirk. One that made her curse internally, because he was so sexy and she couldn't act on that right now.

Rest assured, she would later.

By around 8:45, the twins were done in for the night. They successfully stayed up "late," but could barely keep their eyes open after many, _many_ rounds of dancing, and even singing, too.

When Olivia had mentioned that she and Fitz sometimes alternated between bedtime stories and singing for them, and had been recently introducing Christmas music into their routine, everyone begged to hear a little bit of a song.

"White Christmas" was the one they had settled on, because they both knew the words.

Their voices sounded really good together. And although most of them were aware they both could sing, it still received many claps and cheers, and impressed reactions. Even sleepy claps from the twins as they laid in their grandparents' arms.

They loved when mom and dad sang for them.

"That is definitely some recordable material right there," Logan nodded. "I'd buy it."

"Seriously!" Quinn exclaimed amongst the laughter. "You guys sound so good, it isn't fair."

"All of your children will probably be amazing singers. Wow. I honestly didn't know you two could sing like that," Huck said.

"Yes, that was very impressive," Macy said. "I knew Liv could sing but I didn't know you could, Fitz!"

Fitz shrugged it off, but gave her a smile.

"Oh, he can. He just likes to deny it," Olivia said.

"I just sang with you for everyone here, come on!" he exclaimed, his cheeks pink.

"Yes, you did and I'm proud of you for that," Olivia said, kissing his cheek.

"Thank you," he chuckled.

"I think you'll have to do a round two for them pretty quick. They're sleepy," Maya said, smiling down at Elle in her arms.

"Yeah, we better go put these two to bed," Olivia said. "We'll be back!"

Everyone said goodnight to the twins, even though they were pretty much half asleep.

They woke up when their diapers were changed and their pajamas were put on, and when Olivia breastfed them. Arie laid at the foot of the chair, wanting to be by the twins and by her parents, too.

Always such a protector.

The twins could barely get through half of a song before they were fast asleep, each in the arms of their parents as they sat in the nursery chairs.

"Happy birthday, babies," Fitz whispered, laying Thomas down in his crib.

"Happy birthday, babies," Olivia added, laying Elle down as well.

It had been a fun birthday for them.

After they were asleep, Olivia and Fitz finally had a drink along with everyone else, and the night started to wind down. They brought Arie back downstairs with them, even though she probably would have loved to lay down in her favorite place between the twins' cribs.

Downstairs, there was still chatter amongst the friends. Talk about Abby and David trying to decide on where to go for their honeymoon. Talk about how cute Thomas and Elle would be as the ring bearer and flower girl at the wedding in the spring. Talk about how precious little Lucy Domagalski was, now that they'd all met her today. And talk about when Fitz and Olivia were going to get going on another baby, because the ones they had now were just so darn _cute_.

That caused some laughs, and Olivia and Fitz were quick to say that they wanted to wait a while yet. They had their hands pretty full as it was!

And aside from chatting, there was still dancing, too. Olivia smiled, seeing her parents slow dancing to many, _many_ songs in a row. They were so happy to have spent the weekend there, she knew it. And she was just as happy to have them. She was happy to have had _everyone_ there this weekend.

Everyone they loved had gathered for their twins' first birthday party. And she and Fitz knew going forward that no matter what they faced in life, they'd always have all of those wonderful people by their side.

* * *

Happy birthday, Grant twins!

This is my last author's note, as there will not be one after the final epilogue chapter.

Thank you so much to everyone for sticking with me to the very end. We went through a lot of chapters together!

This story will always have such a special place in my heart, and that's all because of the support I had to keep it going. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

I hope some of the story's elements will stick with you all, too, and that when you hear or read the word "forbidden," you'll smile a little bit.

I do have plans for more stories, and one will begin very very soon, so maybe some of you will continue to stick with me going forward!

Either way, stay tuned for the next and final chapter of Forbidden, to see a little look-in on the Grant family a few years down the road.

Read on, forever and always.

With lots of love,

~Tori


	110. Epilogue

Olivia's eyes slowly fluttered open as she heard the faint sound of giggling downstairs.

 _Three_ little voices giggling, along with a much deeper laugh that belonged to the man she loved.

She smiled, waking up to such a delightful sound. _And_ because she felt great. Before even looking at the alarm clock by the bed, she knew it was probably later than she normally woke up, because she felt very well-rested.

And she was spot on, because the clock read 8:13 am. She also noticed that right next to the clock, was a little piece of paper that looked like it had been torn from a small notepad.

The smile on her face grew larger, even before she read it. She knew what it was. And more importantly, _who_ had written it.

She reached out and grabbed the piece of paper, sitting up and swinging her legs off the side of the bed to read it.

 **My dear Olivia (Momma),**

 **We thought we'd let you sleep in this morning after your long day at work yesterday. You deserve it, superwoman. Come downstairs when you're up, we've got your favorite waiting for you.**

 **-Daddy**

 **-T**

 **-E**

 **-HC**

 **P.S. We love you**

Olivia traced over the nicknames signed at the bottom. "T" and "E" were very clearly signed by Thomas and Elle, as they were a little squiggly and not very neat. Not yet, at the age of four. But they always tried their hardest, and were always making more progress on their letters. They both already knew how to write all the letters in their first names, and _loved_ to practice.

As for the "HC" signed at the bottom, that was very clearly written by Fitz, as their littlest couldn't write yet.

She even noticed her husband's best attempt at a paw print below the "HC," to show that their Arie girl was also being included in the thoughtful note.

After that adorable wake-up call, Olivia was very ready to get downstairs to her family.

So she quickly washed her face and brushed her teeth, and let her curls out of her blue head wrap.

While she put on a pair of pajama shorts over her underwear, she peeked through the curtains that covered their big, long bedroom window.

The sight outside of their cabin bedroom was always wonderful, especially in the morning. The pretty lake, catching the light of the sun in its waves. Their little sandy beach by the dock, scattered with sand toys. The stunning green and well-kept yard, hosting gardens and many of Arie's toys. The occasional fishing boats humming quietly by each morning.

It always made her smile. And today looked like a perfect summer day outside, which was good, because their weekends up at the cabin were always packed with outdoor activities.

As soon as she opened the bedroom door, she heard a gasp.

"Momma? Momma's up?"

"Momma! Momma!"

Fitz chuckled at the twins' reactions, and Olivia smiled, making her way down the stairs.

"Where are my T and my E?" she asked loudly.

"Here!" they exclaimed, as she turned the corner. They ran to her and hugged her legs, happy to see their mom for the first time that day.

"Hi, loves," she said, kneeling down to properly hug them, and kiss their cheeks. "Thank you for the hugs!"

Arie then came up to join the big hug, happy to see her mom for the first time that day, too. Olivia gave her a big kiss on her snout.

"Welcome. Mommy, mommy. Did you read our note?" Elle asked, wrapping her little arms around Olivia.

"I did!" Olivia nodded. "And I loved it _so_ much!"

"We write our letters. We write 'T' and 'E' all by ourselves," Elle said.

"Yeah. And then we helped dad with breakfast. See? See, mommy?" Thomas asked, pointing to the kitchen.

Olivia stood up, rubbing the twins' backs and looking at the kitchen. And there on the counter was the food, being served up by her husband.

"I do see! That was so nice of you to make us all breakfast," Olivia said, smiling down at them.

Fitz was doing the best he could to serve up pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit, all with one hand. Because his other arm was currently occupied, as he was holding their littlest.

He turned around and gave her a cute smile. "Hi."

"Hi," she greeted back, heading over to give her other two loves a hug and a kiss, too.

"And my little HC. How are you today, baby?" Olivia asked, reaching for the child that Fitz held in his arms. Their beautiful baby, just over a year old.

Harper Carolyn Grant.

"Momma," Harper said, reaching for Olivia.

"Yes, come here. Let me kiss you," she said, peppering Harper's cheek with kisses, causing her to giggle.

"Mmm, so kissable. Yes, you're so kissable!" Olivia said, smoothing back her fluffy curls. "Should I give daddy kisses too?"

Harper smiled, looking back and forth between her mom and dad after Olivia had said "daddy."

"Yes? Okay, I think so. I think I should," Olivia nodded, leaning in to kiss Fitz on the cheek.

He smiled and leaned his face closer to her so that he could, and then turned his head to her so that he could give her a proper kiss, too.

"Mwah," Fitz murmured, before turning back to the food he was serving.

"Daddy's so kissable, too. _So_ kissable," Olivia said, kissing Harper's nose.

"Okay, how many pancakes, Tom?" Fitz asked.

"Two," Thomas said.

"What do we say, baby," Olivia reminded him.

He instantly remembered. "Two, _please,"_ Thomas said.

"Good man. Elle?" Fitz asked.

"Two, please!" she mimicked.

"Livvie?"

"Two, please!" Olivia said, giving her twins a happy look.

"Momma, you copied us!" Thomas exclaimed.

"I know I did!" Olivia nodded. "How many pancakes is _dad_ going to have?"

"Daddy is more bigger. Daddy can have...ten!" Elle said.

"Ten!" Thomas exclaimed, looking over to Fitz.

He was chuckling. "I don't know about ten. I think I'm going to start with four, how's that sound?"

"Good. And baby Harp gets just one?" Thomas asked.

"Because baby Harp is little, right? She is more little?" Elle added.

"Yes, because she is more little," Fitz nodded.

Olivia put Harper in her high chair and poured some milk in her sippy cup.

"Orange juice or milk, kids?" Olivia asked.

"Ummm. Orange juice, please!"

"Orange juice, please!"

"Very good manners, good job," Fitz nodded proudly from the stove. He flipped a towel over his shoulder and turned off the burner so he could clear some things away and then join them for breakfast.

After getting everyone their drink of choice and cutting up the kids' pancakes, they settled down to eat. It was quite an extravagant breakfast, and everyone enjoyed it. Even Arie was lucky enough to get a strip of bacon because she was such a good girl.

And then it was time to get dressed and ready for the day. The kids were always eager to get outside when they were all at the cabin, especially when it was gorgeous out like it was today, and especially because they only spent their _weekends_ at the cabin.

They were blessed, having lots of yard to play in at home, as well as a pool. But nothing quite compared to being up at the cabin with the sandy beach, and more water to swim around in.

And the twins _loved_ the water. They had ever since before they were even a year old. It seemed as though little Harper was the same exact way, too. She enjoyed wading around in it, as long as she was holding on tightly to mom or dad.

There were many similarities between Harper and her siblings, of course. But right now at her age, she was more like Thomas had been at that age. Very gentle, very sweet. Not that Elle _wasn't_ the sweetest, cutest little girl. She was adorable, and very well-behaved. But she did have a bit more of a fiery personality than her brother, and a lot more sass.

Harper, not so much. At least not yet.

As for looks, her curls were looser, like Fitz's, and just a tad darker than his. Whereas the twins' hair was the color of Olivia's, and their curls were much tighter. And while the twins' eyes were a dark brown like their mother's, Harper's were not.

Hers were a bright, striking blue. Just like her daddy's.

Harper took after Fitz in a lot of ways, another being her dominant hand. The twins were both right-handed like Olivia, and frankly, most of the population. But it was already clear that Harper was showing the early signs of being left-handed. She heavily favored her left hand and left side in general, when she played and when she grabbed or held things.

It appeared Fitz wasn't going to be the lone lefty in the Grant household, and he was pretty excited about that!

She was daddy's girl on _many_ fronts. But, of course, she loved and resembled her mom a lot, too.

Getting pregnant with Harper had been a breeze compared to when they had tried with the twins.

Olivia had gone back on birth control eventually between the two pregnancies, because of the dreadful periods she'd always had when she was _off_ of the pill. The kind that physically kept her home from work, and had even caused her to be sick to her stomach on many occasions due to the pain.

But when they'd decided to try again years later, she got pregnant just a month and a half after going off birth control.

They also had chosen not to know the sex of the baby until the baby was born, they'd just had names planned for both a boy and a girl. And it worked out perfectly. Because the minute they saw her, they instantly knew their plan had been the right one. She was definitely their little Harper Carolyn. It fit her so well.

The third little light of their lives. Well, _human_ lights of their lives, that is.

They would never forget about their beloved fluffy girl.

She had just turned seven this May, and actually, her and Harper's birthdays were very close together. Arie's was the 25th, and Harper's was the 21st.

And Arie was still as lively as she was when she was just a little fluffy puppy.

She was just a little older now, and a _lot_ more protective of people now that she had her very own little human siblings to watch over. But still, the excited, happy, blue girl that she was when she was a puppy. She still always wore that blue collar.

As for Fitz, he was now 45 years young, but didn't look a day over 35 if you asked Olivia. Or pretty much anyone. No gray hair. No age lines. _Fantastic_ body. He still played baseball like he was in college, showing off his athleticism and his stamina.

And while he still did what he loved, teaching politics, he had also been promoted late last year. Cyrus had retired from Yale, as head of the Political Science Department. And not only was Fitz extremely qualified with his background, but his good friend and colleague, Sam Reston, had retired just a year prior to Cyrus. So that left Fitz top dog, and he had accepted Yale's offer to take over for Cyrus as soon as he left.

So now he taught, and managed other highly-ranked and acclaimed professors in the world of academia at Yale University. It was safe to say he was doing pretty well for himself.

And he certainly wasn't the only one.

Olivia was currently the Director of Strategic Communications for The Hartford, and well on her way to becoming the Vice President of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations. And from there, she'd keep aiming as high as she could go. She was determined; she worked extremely hard. And it all paid off, because she was already in a high-level position at the young age of 28, almost 29. The youngest to do so in the history of The Hartford.

Aside from Olivia and Fitz, the twins certainly kept pretty busy too, even at their young age of four. They both took swimming lessons every Tuesday evening, which also contributed to their love of, and talent in, the water. Olivia and Fitz were pretty sure at least one of them would be a swimmer in the future, if not both of them. When the time came, maybe even Harper, too.

They also did gymnastics. Which, wasn't too competitive at their age. But they both loved it, Elle probably a little bit more than Thomas. And it got them active, trying new things, and meeting new kids outside of their private preschool academy.

And last but not least, they both participated in the New Fairfield summer tee-ball league for kids every Saturday evening. Fitz was the coach of the little boys and girls team that the twins were on, and the entire family loved that. It worked out extremely well for them, because they were up at the cabin essentially every weekend in the summer, anyway.

And after the kids' leagues game finished, it was usually just a short drive or even a short walk, depending on which baseball diamond they played on, to the town team field. Because every Saturday night, Fitz stopped being a coach for a couple of hours and actually put on the uniform to play.

He was the best player, to this day. Well, in the eyes of Olivia. But she was pretty sure most of the town felt the same way.

So there was definitely a lot of baseball going on every Saturday for the family. Thomas had already shown a deep interest in the sport. He had a whole binder full of baseball cards that he loved to look through, even though he couldn't read them yet. He had, however, taken to memorizing the players based on their jersey colors.

He _loved_ to play, and he loved to watch his _dad_ play. Elle wasn't as into it as her brother, but she still tried hard, and it showed in both of the kids. They were both very clearly athletic, which wasn't a surprise considering both Olivia and Fitz were.

At their age, Olivia and Fitz just wanted to get them involved in things to see what they liked best. This winter they both really wanted to try out hockey, because they'd gone skating with their parents last winter on the frozen lake many times and _loved_ it. At their age, hockey was more of just learning to skate, and getting comfortable skating with the weight of hockey gear on. But it would be good to see if they liked it.

The elementary school they would be enrolled in next year was quite a supporter of musical involvement, so aside from sports, they hoped the twins would also take some sort of music lessons as well, whether that be something like piano lessons, or voice lessons.

Overall, they were pretty busy little kids.

So, because it was Saturday, tonight they'd head to the ball field for another packed day of baseball. The twins would play first, followed by a little break in between, which allowed Fitz to change for his own game. And then _he_ would play.

All the Grant children usually got to stay up late on Saturdays due to the games, especially their little HC, who would normally be in bed by 7:30. But it was only once a week, and it was summer, so they figured it was alright. They had a pretty set schedule otherwise.

The twins certainly loved Saturdays. Tee-ball game, ballpark food, all their New Fairfield friends, and getting to stay up late. They always looked forward to all of that.

"Momma. Momma. Are you happy we have baseball today?" Thomas asked, tapping Olivia's hand as they all sat in the sand, playing.

"Of course I am, baby!" Olivia nodded, fixing Elle's sand toy that had needed some reassembling. "Are _you_ happy you have baseball today?"

She already knew the answer.

"Yes!" he exclaimed, packing sand into his little castle mold. "I love baseball, momma."

"I know you do, sweetheart. You and daddy. My baseball boys," she said, handing the toy back to Elle. "Elle, baby, here you go."

"Oh! Mommy, you fixed it," she noted happily.

"I told you I would. Mommy can fix everything," she said.

"Yeah—like...like superwoman. Mommy is like superwoman, daddy says," Thomas said.

"Mommy _is_ like superwoman," Fitz nodded, coming to join them in the sand. He held Harper on one hip, who was now dressed in her adorable little ruffled bathing suit with a sunbonnet on her head. Fitz, also, was now dressed in a T-shirt and board shorts.

"Hi, daddy!" Elle exclaimed, waving to him excitedly.

"Hi, baby girl, what are you building over here?" he asked, crouching down with Harper in his arms. He set her down in the sand and she immediately starting making her way to Thomas, walking slowly and carefully. She, too, had been a decently early walker like her siblings.

"I builded a sandcastle for my fairy, Abby," she said, showing Fitz her little fairy toy.

"Oh, yeah, is that the fairy auntie Abby gave you?" Fitz asked.

"Yeah. So...I name her Abby. Like auntie Abby," Elle said.

"That's very thoughtful of you, E," Fitz chuckled. "What about you, buddy, what are you building?"

Thomas was currently holding Harper close to him, with the help of Olivia, just to make sure she didn't get too close to the water. He gestured to his sand creation that was still in the works.

"It's like Ellie's, but it's a tower. Like...like a sand tower. And there are sand fighters, too. Come look, dad. Baby Harp is guarding it all," Thomas said.

Olivia was smiling, almost _laughing_ , next to Thomas because he was so cute. He held onto his sister protectively, and she didn't have a care in the world. She was looking around at everything in the sand, content in her brother's arms.

"Baby Harp is guarding it, huh? Well isn't that sweet of your sister," Fitz chuckled, coming to check it out up close.

"She's a good lookout, clearly," Olivia nodded.

"Yeah," Thomas giggled. "See, daddy?"

"I do see, very nice sand tower. I love _both_ of them," he said, gesturing to the twins' creations.

Both of those sand creations were just about _destroyed_ when their dog came sprinting through the sand, having just gone to the bathroom before coming to join her family. She'd come out with Fitz, and went as fast as she could in order to then come down to the beach.

"Woah! Arie!" Elle exclaimed, covering her castle.

"Ahh!" Thomas exclaimed, laughing at their dog.

"Arie, girl, come here," Fitz chuckled, patting the sand next to him. "Settle down, settle down. I know, you're just excited."

"Sooo excited," Olivia laughed, reaching out to give her a couple pats. "Good girl, yes. You're such a good girl. Can you lay down?"

She obeyed, trotting over and laying down smack dab in between Thomas and Elle. There, she could see everyone, and she was very pleased with that.

"Careful, Elle. You have to protect your fairy castle!" Thomas said, warning his sister now that Arie had come to join them.

Elle sat in thought, nodding. Her brother had a very good point.

"Abby can do it," she nodded confidently, positioning her in front of the castle.

"Good Abby," Thomas said, leaning to pat the little fairy's head. He and Elle looked at each other and started cracking up together.

The two were pretty close, and always made each other giggle.

"Even if you break my castle, I won't be mad at you, Arie," Elle said, patting Arie's head. Arie sat there, enjoying Elle's head pats.

"Yeah. Me neither, Arie," Thomas said, petting her back with his free hand.

Olivia and Fitz smiled at each other. The twins were not only close with each other, they were close with their dog, too. They loved her endlessly, and she loved them right back.

"That's right. She's just a big girl, she doesn't mean to get in the way, sometimes," Olivia nodded.

"Yeah," the twins agreed.

"Hey, dad. Who do you play for baseball tonight?" Thomas asked.

"You know, bud, I can't remember off the top of my head. I think maybe New Milford," Fitz said.

"New Milford! They have...the good pitcher! He throws really...super fast," Thomas exclaimed.

"I know, pal, very good memory!" Fitz nodded. "It's okay. We can beat them."

"Yes! You should play outfield tonight, daddy. You are good at catching in the outfield," Thomas said.

"Well thank you, Tommy! I'll see what I can do," Fitz smiled. "How's momma doing over here?"

"Momma's good!" Olivia said.

"Yeah. And momma is like superwoman," Elle announced.

"Yeah!" Thomas agreed.

"Thank you, kids," Olivia laughed.

"Welcome, momma," Elle said.

"Momma," Harper smiled, moving closer to her.

"Hi, Harp," Olivia smiled, holding out her arms for her. Harper reached for her mom immediately, leaving Thomas' sand tower without a...guardian.

"No! Harper—come back!" Thomas exclaimed.

Olivia and Fitz laughed.

"She'll be back. Why don't you finish up your tower!" Olivia said.

Thomas nodded, seeming to agree with that idea. So he kept building his tower while Elle played with her fairy, Abby.

Abby would certainly get a kick out of that.

Olivia brought Harper into her lap, kissing her cheek. She smiled, looking happily at Fitz as if to say, "momma gave me a kiss."

"You love your momma so much, don't you, HC," Fitz said, sitting cross-legged next to Olivia. He reached out a finger to her, which she immediately took, and then brought to her mouth.

"Are you getting me? Not again! Oh no!" Fitz exclaimed, gasping at Harper. She started to giggle, simultaneously nibbling on her dad's finger. She was heavily teething, so it was no surprise.

"Okay, okay. Daddy needs his finger back," Fitz chuckled. "Icky."

"Yeah, I don't think she thinks so," Olivia laughed, scooching her up on her lap.

"Nope," Fitz said.

He leaned in and pressed a kiss to Olivia's cheek and smiled at her when she turned to look at him.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi, baby," she replied, reaching for his hand.

"I love you," he said happily.

"I love you too," she answered, bringing his hand up to her mouth and kissing it a few times.

 _"_ _And_ I love you," Fitz said, stroking Harper's cheek gently with his other hand. She smiled, leaning her face against his hand. Both of his hands were currently occupied by two of his girls.

"Yes I do. Yes I do, sweet girl," he nodded.

"Oh, me too," Olivia added, blowing a raspberry on Harper's cheek. She giggled. "Momma loves you."

"And me and Tommy, too?" Elle asked, standing up in the sand.

Fitz gasped, getting on his knees and crawling over to them. He grabbed both of them effortlessly in each arm and pulled them in for a hug.

"Are you kidding me?" he chuckled, tickling the both of them.

Giggles rang out from the both of them as they were relentlessly tickled by their dad, trying, but _failing,_ to get out of his grasp. They knew it all too well. He was such a tickler.

Arie had to get up, seeing all that chaos. Thankfully, she didn't ruin the kids' sand creations, but she did go and try to figure out what was going on, jumping up and down in excitement.

Olivia couldn't help but laugh as she watched them, and heard their funny little high-pitched laughs. She could almost feel the tickling herself!

"Of course we love you, you little stinkers," Fitz said, kissing both of their cheeks.

"Sooooo, so much," Olivia nodded importantly.

"I tickle you back, dad," Elle said, starting to tickle him as best she could. By his neck, under his arms. Anywhere to get a reaction out of him. And then Thomas started too.

Olivia smiled, watching him laugh for the twins' sake, despite the fact that he really wasn't that ticklish. But it made them laugh more, so he faked it.

They eventually collapsed in a pile on top of Fitz's chest right near Olivia. She would have joined in on their little tickle fight except she was currently holding their other child in her arms.

"You two totally got him! Look, he's so tired!" Olivia exclaimed, pointing to Fitz.

He played along and put his hand to his forehead in exhaustion. "Yep, Yep. I give up!"

He laid there in the sand on his back, with two four-year-olds sitting on him very pleased with themselves.

That was just the start to their day. And it was a very fun start.

For the twins, though, it got less fun when it was time for their nap. It was definitely necessary on Saturdays because they had so much to do and they wouldn't be home until later. Some days, though, they could get by without one.

Harper, however, had taken a morning nap as well. She laid down for her second nap of the day along with the twins in the afternoon.

They were all only able to sleep after they completed their pre-nap routine.

"Momma. Momma. You can read this one?" Elle asked, handing Olivia one of her favorite books.

 _Goodnight Moon._

"Sure, baby. But you two remember the drill okay? After this one, we go right into our rooms to sleep, okay?" Olivia asked.

"Mhmm," they both answered.

She knew she may still get some resistance. Likely on Elle's end.

"Alright. Come and sit by me, loves," she said, patting the floor with a smile.

They excitedly came and snuggled up next to her on both sides, leaning their heads on each of her arms. In her lap, she held little Harper, who was currently sipping on her bottle of milk.

They were in Harper's nursery, so that Olivia could just put her right to sleep after their book without too much of a hassle. The twins' rooms were downstairs, and Harper's room was right next to the master bedroom. Which left the third room on the upper level, a guest room, that had been utilized many, many times by countless of their friends and family.

All three of the kids listened intently to _Goodnight Moon,_ which they'd heard a million times, probably. But it never got old to them. Olivia understood. It had always been her favorite as a kid, too. And that very book had belonged to her when she was little. She only hoped it would continue to be passed down.

By the time she'd finished, she had a very sleepy Harper just slowly sucking away on her bottle, which was now almost gone. And two slightly more tired kids next to her.

"Okay, you two. Let me put Harper down, and then it's off to bed," she said, picking Harper up.

Harper went down easily, but Elle groaned at the idea of going to sleep. Thomas was just excited for baseball later, so whether he took a nap or not, he didn't care all that much.

"Eleanor, you know it's nap time," Olivia said, leading her down the stairs after Thomas.

"Momma, I don't want to," Elle said.

"I know you don't, but I'm going to go take a nap, too. So will dad. We all need to be rested to go to the ball field tonight. And guess what?"

"What?" Elle asked, somewhat disinterested. But still very clearly wanting to know.

"Maybe we can have a treat at the concession stand. How's that sound?" Olivia asked.

"A candy treat?" Elle asked.

"Any kind of treat you'd like!" Olivia nodded.

"Okay," Elle groaned. "But I don't want to take a nap."

Olivia shook her head. Such a stubborn child.

"Baby. We're all gonna go take naps. If we want to go have fun later, we need to take our naps first," Olivia said. "You know that."

Thomas went right into his room, looking behind him. "I go to sleep, mommy."

"Good job, sweetheart, I'll be right in, okay?" Olivia asked.

"Mmkay," he nodded, before disappearing into his room.

Elle took notice that Thomas got praise for his cooperation, and then started to fall in line, even though she knew the drill. She was just stubborn.

She walked into her room, then, and ran to her bed. "Okay...I'm gonna sleep fast, mommy."

"Oh, you're going to sleep fast, huh?" Olivia said, giving her a look.

Elle started to giggle, which made Olivia giggle back.

"Alright. Go to sleep, you," Olivia said, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "No funny business."

"No funny business," Elle nodded.

"That's my girl," she laughed. "I love you."

"Love you, momma."

Olivia headed into the bedroom next door, to see her sweet boy all tucked into bed, propped up on one elbow waiting for his mom.

"Sleep well, baby," she said, leaning down to give him a kiss. "Before you know it, it will be time for baseball!"

He nodded excitedly, laying his head down on his pillow. "I see you soon, mom."

"See you soon, T," she said, rubbing his soft, little hand. "I love you."

"Love you back."

Olivia smiled, knowing exactly where he had learned that phrase. From a very special guy in their lives. She loved that he took to saying it, like his dad did.

She left Thomas' bedroom, and with that, all children had been successfully put down for their naps. Now, she could go see what Fitz was up to.

She heard him yelling outside, and then she instantly knew what he was doing, even before she actually saw him.

She walked out the porch door, turning the corner to see him whipping a tennis ball to the way other end of the yard. Arie was sprinting as fast as she could to get it, and then sprinting right back to bring it to him.

"Ohh, that was a good one!" Fitz exclaimed, crouching down to grab the ball from her mouth.

He chucked it once more.

"Save that arm, mister superstar," she said, coming up behind him.

He turned at the sound of her voice and then smiled. "Oh, hi, you. Kids go down okay?"

"Two of them went down easier than one in particular," Olivia laughed.

He rolled his eyes, grabbing the ball from Arie's mouth again as she had just returned it. "Eleanor Maya," he said, shaking his head.

"Eleanor Maya, indeed," Olivia nodded. "But she really didn't fuss too much. How are you two doing out here?"

"Oh, good," he said, throwing the ball again. "Just making sure she gets her exercise in because we didn't run this morning and we won't be able to tonight."

"She looks very appreciative!" Olivia smiled, looking out at Arie tearing around in the yard. Playing her favorite game of fetch.

"Yeah. We'll take a break for now. Hey, baby girl, let's go inside. No more," he called out, patting his leg so she would come to him. "We'll play some more another time. You want a treat?"

Her tail started to wag faster as they all headed inside, excited at the sound of "treat."

Fitz put some peanut butter in her Kong toy, her _favorite_. She was very happy, and took it to her dog bed in the living room to enjoy it.

Fitz and Olivia headed upstairs quietly, peeking in on their little one as they went to their bedroom.

She was passed out in her crib, holding onto her favorite stuffed animal, who the whole family knew as "Deedee." Well, that's what Harper had grown to call her, likely because it was easy for an infant to say. So they all collectively referred to the pink stuffed poodle as "Harper's Deedee" now.

"Our sweet girl," Fitz whispered, smiling in at her, before quietly shutting the door again.

"Our little HC," Olivia added with a smile.

Fitz grabbed her hand casually, leading her down the hallway the rest of the way to their bedroom. He closed their door behind them, and then brought her to bed with him.

She got in after he did, allowing him to pull her close to him. He was warm, as he always was. He was only wearing a T-shirt and board shorts from earlier. He hadn't even gone in the water yet today, but they all normally walked around with their swimsuits on outside at the cabin, just in case.

His finger snuck up to her jaw, tilting her face toward him so she'd meet his eyes. And then he was leaning in for a kiss.

His warm lips felt good against hers. But they always did. It was nothing new to her, it just always felt special.

"Nice to see you," he whispered.

She could feel his smile against her lips, which made her smile back.

"Nice to see you, too, I missed you," she replied.

"Nice to see you" had become something they normally said to each other when they got a moment just the two of them. Especially, if it was the weekend, when more of their energy went toward playing and engaging with their kids. However, the phrase was usually shared after their long days at work as well, when they were finally happy just to snuggle in bed next to each other.

Of course they always saw each other during the day and interacted, whether it was a weekday or a weekend. But having moments just the two of them was harder to come by with three small children. They were the lights of their lives, no doubt, and put permanent smiles on their parents' faces. But whenever possible, they still liked to cherish the moments just the two of them, and remind each other that they were seen. That they were missed, and it was nice to have some time together.

"I missed you, too. I haven't kissed you enough today," he whispered, letting his lips linger against hers.

"Mmm," she murmured against his lips. "Then I guess you've got some making up to do."

"I guess I do," he nodded, giving her a smile.

His hands moved from the bed, sliding up her body slowly and making their way to her face. He held her face in his hands, tilting his head and getting lost in a deep, deep kiss.

She felt his tongue play with the idea of slipping in her mouth, so she opened her mouth wide against his and he understood.

The kiss shifted from a few pecks, to a makeout session in bed. They had been laying next to each other originally, Olivia fitting so perfectly next to him. But now she was on top of him, and had pulled the covers up over them.

She rested her arms next to his face on the pillow, kissing him slowly and softly. He rolled her over, and finally moved away from her lips and to her neck.

His fingers started to fiddle with the buttons on her blouse, which, was one of her favorite summery blouses. It was a light peach color, and it tied at the bottom right beneath its buttons. When she paired it with jean shorts, it looked particularly cute, and it was an easy bikini top coverup option.

Fitz apparently wanted it off, though.

He made quick work of the buttons, slipping a hand inside her blouse and starting to touch her breasts.

He peeled back half of her bikini top and brushed her nipple slowly with his finger. And then he moved down her body and used his mouth instead.

All she could see from her view was curls upon curls on top of his head, and his face now buried in her chest. His lips and tongue doing as they pleased.

"I love this bathing suit," he murmured, not stopping what he was doing even for a second.

"I see that," she giggled, ruffling his curls.

"Can you wear it more often?" he asked, peering up at her.

"For you, sweetie, anything," she smiled.

He smiled back at her. "Thank you. I do love it. However, it's going to come off now, okay?"

"Thank goodness."

He reached under her and pulled the strings, instantly loosening it from her body. She could almost feel the bulge in his shorts become more prominent.

He let out a happy sigh as he looked at her bare breasts in front of him.

"You're so beautiful, baby."

"Well thank you!" she said, stroking his cheek with her thumb.

"Mhm," he nodded.

"And you are _so_ handsome," she whispered, admiring him. She could admire that face and that body all day.

His cheeks flushed in response, and he smiled. "Thank you."

"You are absolutely welcome," she replied softly, touching his bottom lip gently with her thumb. His eyes flickered to hers, and then he was kissing her again.

He was kissing her until her shorts were off, and his hand was inside her bikini bottoms. _Her_ hand was inside the untied board shorts still clinging to his waist. But that didn't matter. She could make him feel good even if they were still on.

She was currently giving him the best handjob she could, given that he had two fingers deep inside her and she could already feel that she was close. She knew he wouldn't stop until he made her come, no matter what she did to him. He could hold off for an impressive amount of time, which she had to admit, she could not do. He had her beat. But she still stroked him under his shorts, feeling his arousal all over her hand.

She tilted her head back and let out a quiet moan, trying to focus on him even though she was so unbearably close.

"Let me get you there, baby," he whispered, dragging his lips along her neck.

"I'm so close," she whimpered, gripping his shoulder.

He listened, and he fingered her faster. Hitting that spot for her. Watching her body tense up, as it always did. Feeling her clench around his fingers, as she always did. He smirked. He loved that.

The second she stopped stroking him, he knew she was about to come. She'd held off as long as possible, before she just couldn't take it anymore. However, she made sure to still keep her hand in his shorts, because she couldn't bear not to. And she had some unfinished business after her body calmed down.

His name escaped her lips amidst her wonderful, glorious orgasm.

She realized as soon as she had finished, that her hand on his shoulder was gripping him incredibly hard, and that her eyes were squeezed shut. She had to physically relax her body after that one. She looked up at him as she laid back on the bed, and saw his gentle smile.

"That one was sexy to watch," he noted.

She smiled back. "Big one."

"Really big one," he agreed, pulling his wet fingers out of her bikini.

The hand she had in his shorts had just been resting there, but she immediately grabbed him again and started stroking him softly.

She was tired, but not too tired. That unfinished business she had wasn't going to be unfinished for long.

He sucked in a sudden breath, looking down at her moving hand in his shorts.

He leaned forward slightly, resting his forehead down against hers. They were both panting, Olivia coming down from her orgasm and Fitz building up to his. Breathing in each other's air. Seeing the pleasure in each other's eyes.

Fitz unconsciously started to move his hips, thrusting into her hand.

Olivia enjoyed feeling his thick, long dick thrust in and out of her hand. Making sure his tip was given extra attention.

After all that had already occurred, she knew he wouldn't last very long. And she was right.

He was shaking above her, his breathing irregular within minutes.

"Want me to slide these down?" she asked, referring to his shorts.

"S'okay—easier this way," was all he could get out. But he was probably right. It would contain some things and be easier clean up overall.

She nodded, kissing his cheek one after the other.

"Olivia—Olivia," he panted, clutching the sheets.

"Yes, baby," she nodded, stroking him faster.

His eyes rolled back, and then shut completely as he finished. She felt it warm and sudden, all over her right hand.

"There," she whispered, slowing down her strokes, but not hesitating to continue to touch him.

He took a few moments to catch his breath, still bracing himself on his forearms above her.

"...Yes," he moaned, rolling off of her and into his back. "God...yes."

"Yeah?" she giggled.

He nodded, letting out a big sigh. "Yeah."

She rubbed his chest softly, and laid her head down on it after pressing a few kisses to his soft skin.

They were in need of some rinsing off, so they quickly did that one at a time, so someone could keep an eye on little Harper just in case. Each put on some clean clothes, and settled back down in bed.

And there they laid, making the most of their kids' nap time. A little playtime. Some cuddles and whispers afterward. And even a small nap themselves, as they also usually participated in that for as long as they were able.

They only slept for a little over 45 minutes, as Harper then began to stir, and they woke up to her babbling to herself on the monitor. It was quite cute actually. They let her stir, and talk for a while, laying in each other's embrace. After about ten minutes, though, Olivia went to save her and change her diaper.

Then, in came Olivia with a very happy, very smiley Harper on her hip. Olivia peppered her cheek with kisses as she entered the bedroom, which was making the both of them laugh.

Harper grew even happier at the sight of her dad, now that she had her eyes on _both_ her parents.

"Ahh," she smiled, clasping and unclasping her hand at her dad. It was her little version of a wave, and it made her parents smile every single time she did it.

"Oh, hi, sweet girl," Fitz greeted, giving her a wave back. "Did you sleep so well? It sure looks like you did."

"Dadda?" she questioned.

Olivia gasped, smiling at Harper. "Is that dadda?"

"Dadda—dadda," Harper said again, taking cues from her mom.

Fitz reached out to her. "Yes, baby. Come to dadda. He missed you so much."

Harper immediately reached back for him, smiling through the entire interaction.

Fitz lifted her up multiple times, blowing a raspberry on her little tummy each time he brought her back down. Harper was in a fit of giggles the whole time, which made all of them laugh. They were pretty sure all babies had contagious laughs, but their three children, in particular, had _insanely_ contagious laughs and smiles.

They were probably just biased.

They all snuggled up together on the bed, Harper eventually settling down in between her parents. She wanted her pacifier, so they gave it to her, and she was then content to just sit there and snuggle up to them. She laid her head down on Fitz's forearm, and made sure Olivia's hand never left her leg. She would reach for her hand to bring it back, otherwise.

"Momma," she murmured, putting her hand on top of Olivia's.

"Hi, baby," Olivia whispered, lifting up her adorable little hand and giving it a few kisses. It made Harper's lips tug upwards in a soft smile. "You have such pretty eyes, Harper. Yes you do."

Harper smiled, as if she understood what her mother was saying. She didn't. But she did just love the sound of Olivia's voice, no matter what.

"Yeah," Olivia laughed, seeing her smile. "Those big, blue eyes. Where the heck did those come from?!"

Fitz peered around his daughter's shoulder with a smile.

Olivia laughed, looking back and forth between her husband's and her daughter's eyes. Virtually two same exact pairs of eyes were staring back at her. Harper's eyes were even the _shape_ of Fitz's, whereas the twins' eyes were _all_ Olivia in every way.

"Oh, that's right!" Olivia exclaimed. "You've got daddy's eyes, don't you? Yes you do!"

"Dadda," Harper said confidently, looking behind her.

"Yes, hi, Harper," he smiled, kissing the top of her head.

"Mommy. Daddy."

They both turned, seeing a little Thomas standing in their doorway.

"Oh, hi, baby," Olivia greeted. "Did you just wake up?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Can I come in?"

"Of course, honey."

He walked in quietly, pushing himself right up on the bed with them to snuggle.

"How'd you sleep, bud?" Fitz asked.

"Good," Thomas nodded, laying down by his little sister and cuddling up to his mom. "Hi baby Harp."

Harper smiled, putting her hand down right smack dab in the center of Thomas' face.

Thomas giggled. "Harper! That's my nose."

"You silly girl," Fitz chuckled, rubbing Harper's back.

"Did you and daddy sleep, mom?" Thomas asked.

"We did," Olivia nodded. "We needed our rest, too!"

Although they had needed some other things as well…

"Ellie is still sleeping. I looked," Thomas noted.

Olivia had to laugh, because this was exactly how Elle rolled. Wanting to "sleep fast," but sleeping the longest of all of them. Oh, their silly girl.

And she didn't wake up for another half hour. And when she did, she was raring to go. She did come to join the party up in her parents' bedroom, however, it had transitioned to more of a playtime for the kids, who'd gathered their toys on the bed. While Olivia and Fitz were comfortable just laying in bed and chatting, the kids—not so much. So they played with their toys for a while, until it was time to start getting ready to go. Arie had even come upstairs to settle down on the floor by their bed with her bone to keep herself occupied.

They all then got dressed, which for the twins, meant their adorable little uniforms. At that age, it was really just a T-shirt with the name of the league, and baseball pants. But Olivia packed their other jerseys, that they would change into later for Fitz's game.

They put Harper's on her right away, though.

They all had a snack, knowing that they'd have dinner right after their tee-ball game. Except for Harper, who had her real dinner and some milk before they left. Olivia just packed her a snack instead, so she didn't have to worry about what concession food she could manage to eat.

They packed their baseball bags and filled their water bottles, and packed the diaper backpack for Harper.

And before they knew it, they were all off to the ball field for the twins' game.

As soon as the Grant family arrived, all the other children and parents were happy. They were pretty well-liked within the organization. The moms gravitated toward Olivia. The dads gravitated toward Fitz. And all the kids loved both Thomas and Elle. Not to mention, both parents _and_ kids loved Harper. She was the littlest Grant, and she was so adorable.

"Okay, have lots of fun and play hard tonight you two!" Olivia exclaimed, patting both their shoulders. They assured her that they would.

"Tommy!" Brayden exclaimed, running as fast as his little body could carry him.

"Brayden!" Thomas exclaimed back, going to meet his best friend by the dugout.

Elle immediately went to her best friends on the team, too, Lizzy and Shay.

But there wasn't all that much time for visiting, because soon they all had to gather around "Coach Fitz" as they all called him.

At that level, the opposing coaches would switch off pitching from a very close distance. Tonight, it was Fitz's turn to pitch. Most times, the kids couldn't hit one thrown to them, and that's when the baseball tee would come out, and they'd get an easier chance to hit it. But, regardless, they were always given a shot at hitting a live pitch.

So Olivia held Harper, watching and cheering from the grass with the other parents. She sat next to Shay's mom, Candice, like she always did, as she was probably her closest friend in New Fairfield, although she had grown to know many people in the town.

Along with Shay, Candice also had a little boy the same age as Harper, so the two of them always had some fun playing together. Olivia always laid down a blanket on the grass, so that Harper could play with her toys. They wouldn't get to do that later, as at Fitz's game they'd have to sit in the bleachers. So Olivia tried to make it as fun as possible for her little girl.

Olivia loved watching Fitz coach, because he was so good with the little kids and they all loved him. She knew someday, if he wanted to, he would truly make a really good coach for a higher level of baseball, too.

Their games always went by pretty quickly. And by the time it was over, they only had about thirty minutes until the town team game started. So, they packed up, and tried to make their way over there quickly.

"Good game, Tommy!" Their teammate Elliott yelled.

"Thanks, you too!" Thomas yelled, sipping his water bottle. Both twins got congratulated on their game as everyone packed up, although mostly, it was Thomas. Thomas was by far more interested in the sport, and was just a natural, truly. Elle always tried hard, but even _she_ knew it just wasn't her favorite sport. She did, however, make tons of friends on the team, so they all talked to Elle in passing as everyone left. Some of them were also heading to the town team field, because on most Saturdays, that's just what people did in this town in the summer. Saturday night baseball, ballpark food, kids' laughs and screams from the town pool right next door. It was a really nice, family environment to spend an evening in.

Plus, for the whole Grant family, it was just fun because everyone loved to watch Fitz. He was a great player, and always tended to play a pretty key role in each game.

Thomas and Elle, being his kids, were seen as pretty cool by many of the other little players they played with.

And Olivia was proud to be his wife. Not just because he was a stud on the baseball field. But because he was Fitz.

And of course, the adorable, littlest Grant always stole the show, if her dad didn't.

They drove over to the other baseball field, which only took about two minutes, and the drive was filled with lots of encouragement by Olivia and Fitz about the twins tee-ball game. How well they did, and how proud they were. The twins were very appreciative.

They quickly changed into their other jerseys in the car. Their _real_ jerseys, that their parents had had specially made about 2 years ago. They'd ordered them big, so that they'd fit for a good few years. They fit perfectly at their size right now.

They had the 'NF' New Fairfield logo on the front, with tiger stripes filling the letters as New Fairfield's mascot was the Tigers. Fitz's number 24 was stitched on the back, with "daddy" written on the nameplate instead of "Grant."

Harper wore one, too. She drowned in it. But she still looked adorable.

That was always the game-day attire for the kids, they insisted on it. They loved to support their dad.

Olivia, however, kept it a bit more subtle, with her New Fairfield Tigers baseball T-shirt, which still did have Fitz's name and number on the back.

Fitz gave Olivia a quick kiss before he ran back to the shed to change, since he couldn't in the car.

The kids didn't want to go without some affection too.

"Daddy!" Elle said, turning her cheek to him.

He chuckled, picking her up and groaning, as if she was super heavy, which made her giggle.

He gave her multiple kisses on the cheek, which satisfied Elle.

He set her down and leaned in to give Harper a bunch of kisses too. She was smiley because of it.

"Good luck, dad," Thomas said, extending his knuckles for his dad.

Fitz bumped them and smiled. "Thanks, little man. I'll try and hit a double for you like you did today."

"Yes!" Thomas exclaimed, pulling on Fitz's hand.

Fitz smiled and leaned in once more to kiss Olivia. "Alright, babe, I'll see you after."

"Okay, sweetie. Good luck, play hard."

He winked back at her, and then was off.

Olivia and the kids made their way to the bleachers, with the music playing loudly over the park speakers. The kids both got hot dogs and chips, their favorite meal to get at their dad's baseball games.

And immediately, Kathy waved them over to where she was sitting on the bleachers.

They always sat by Kathy, who was probably the town's best fan, truly. Her husband didn't play much anymore, as he'd gotten older and his shoulder bothered him, but he was still their beloved "captain" and often signaled to his batters from the third baseline.

The kids _loved_ Kathy, and she loved them back. She'd known Fitz since he was a teenager. So growing to know his girlfriend turned wife, and then eventually growing to know his _children,_ made her very happy.

They chatted with Kathy all throughout the game, and even littler Harper enjoyed Kathy's attention immensely.

Fitz did hit a double, as he'd told Thomas. Thomas screamed especially loud when he did, and watched his dad after he'd safely reached second base. He was adjusting his batting gloves, and he looked up at the bleachers in search of his son. When he spotted him, he gave him a quick thumbs up and a smile.

"Good job, dad!" Thomas exclaimed, giving him a thumbs-up back. "That was so good!"

He sat back down, blushing, after his loud public announcement.

The other fans around them all laughed in amusement at Thomas. They knew he was Grant's boy.

"Yay, daddy!" Elle exclaimed, dancing around where she was sitting. She didn't even look up at the field, she was too busy enjoying her sour skittles that she'd gotten from the concession stand. Her candy treat.

Fitz had a couple good hits, including that double, and a home run. Although, the team wouldn't have needed it that night. They beat New Milford by a score of 6-2. New Milford was a good team, and New Fairfield had lost to them before. But that night, it was clear who the better team had been.

The win was celebrated by the fans flooding the field, and going to see their favorite players. That was also one of the twins' favorite parts of the games.

"Okay. Should we go see daddy, kids?" Olivia asked, grabbing Thomas' hand.

"Yes!" Elle exclaimed, jumping up and down on the bleachers, which made quite the racket.

"Elle, shh, settle down. Tommy, hold your sister's hand, okay."

He obeyed, immediately grabbing Elle's hand. Olivia had a very sleepy Harper in one arm, Thomas' hand in the other, and the diaper backpack on her back, so she had her hands full.

They made their way down the field, through the open chain-link gate.

Thomas spotted Fitz first, just coming out of the dugout with his glove in one hand, and his batting helmet in the other.

"There he is!" Thomas exclaimed, pulling on Elle's hand. "Momma, momma, can we go see dad?"

"Go ahead, baby," Olivia laughed.

The two twins took off, running to their dad.

Fitz's face lit up, and he dropped everything he was holding. He crouched down, opening his arms for them to hug him.

Olivia smiled the whole way there, seeing him chat with the little kids before she reached him.

He stood up as soon as she got there, leaning in for a kiss immediately. "Hi, you," he smiled.

"Hi! Good game, mister superstar!" she exclaimed, kissing him again.

"Mmm," he murmured against her lips. He didn't pull away, which got a reaction out of their kids.

"Gross!" the twins exclaimed.

"Yeah, gross!" one of his teammates said, as he passed Fitz and Olivia.

Fitz chuckled, rolling his eyes at Dean, a teammate that had turned into a good buddy of his.

"Oh, and there's my baby. There you are. How are you?" Fitz asked, reaching to grab Harper.

He kissed her cheek, and she immediately rested her head into his chest as he held her.

"Tired, I see," he chuckled.

"Yes, very tired," Olivia nodded. "She actually made it past the seventh inning tonight, though, I was impressed!"

"Wow! You like to watch baseball, huh?" he whispered, kissing her cheek again. "Alright, kids, time to go home, okay?"

They both groaned, wanting to stay a little longer out on the field.

"I know, I know. But your sister needs to go to bed, and so do you two!" Fitz exclaimed.

"But dad!" Elle exclaimed, giving him a sad look.

"No, no buts," Fitz said, shaking his head.

"No buts," Thomas repeated, making himself giggle. Which, then, made Elle giggle.

"You two!" Olivia laughed. "Come on, you heard dad. Besides, don't you wanna go let your dog out? I bet she misses you both!"

Elle gasped and then nodded, and so did Thomas.

"Arie! Fluffy girl!" Elle exclaimed.

"Yes, we gotta go let fluffy girl out," Fitz agreed, crouching down to pick up his things.

That seemed to satisfy the twins.

"Okay. I'll be quick, babe," Fitz said, letting her take Harper back.

"Okay. Meet you at the car," she nodded.

He ran to the shed to change back into shorts and the tee-ball shirt that he had to wear for the twins' game, and came back to the car with his bag all packed up.

They headed home, immediately letting Arie out so she could go to the bathroom.

Harper woke up enough to have some bedtime milk, but otherwise, she was down for the count. She went down easily and without a bedtime story, because it was far later than her normal bedtime.

"Goodnight, baby," Olivia whispered, kissing Elle's cheek and laying her down. She was in her yellow fuzzy pajamas, the ones her grandma Maya had picked out for her.

"I love you," Olivia said, rubbing her little hand.

"Goodnight sweet girl, I love you, too!" Fitz exclaimed, smiling down at her.

They headed back downstairs, to see if the twins had been doing what they'd told them to be doing. Which was to put their pajamas on and start brushing their teeth, even though they would need some help with that part.

And sure enough, there they were in their pajamas, sort of brushing their teeth. Although, they were giggling at each other more than brushing their teeth.

"What are you two doing in here?" Olivia laughed, peeking into their bathroom.

"Tom squeezed the toofpaste too much," Elle giggled, her mouth full of white, foamy toothpaste.

"But our teef will be really clean, Ellie," he murmured, his mouth also full of foamy toothpaste.

Oh, goodness.

Olivia and Fitz each helped them out, making sure their "teef" were, indeed, really clean.

And then, they all went to Elle's room for a story, because Elle's bed was pushed up against the wall and it made it easier for them all to sit and lean against it if need be.

Olivia made sure to do Elle's hair as she normally did for when she went to sleep. She twisted it in sections, so that it would be contained under her satin bonnet.

Elle wasn't a huge fan of her bonnets, not yet. But Olivia was teaching them both to love their curls, and their natural hair. And part of that, was the satin bonnets Elle wore to sleep and the satin pillowcases they both had, that didn't rub or dry out their hair. And hey, it did keep Olivia more accountable too!

Elle liked if others wore them too, if she wore one, so she and Fitz, both, obliged multiple times. Olivia really enjoyed seeing Fitz rock a hot pink bonnet in order to please his daughter. A cute sight, it really was. But tonight, Elle didn't put up a fuss. She was just eager to listen to some good stories.

They all sat up on Elle's bed against the wall so they'd all fit, but huddling close together so that both kids could see the pictures.

Up tonight was _Cat in the Hat,_ and _Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!_

But first, Thomas had a very important request.

He brushed his fingers over his mom's tattoo on her wrist. The one that said "Fitz."

"Mommy, can we see our letters?" Thomas asked.

"Yeah, can we see our letters?!" Elle asked, too.

Olivia smiled and pulled up her shirt slightly, showing them the area on her side just under her bra strap. There, in little black writing, was her three kids' initials, each in their own row.

Both Thomas and Elle leaned in close to see, even though they'd seen a thousand times. Recently though, they'd become even more fascinated because they were learning more about letters, and reading and writing in general. So to know that their mom had "their letters" on her body, made them happy.

That, of course, led to another request. This time, to Fitz.

"Daddy, daddy. Our names, our names!" Elle begged, pulling on his hand.

"Alright, alright," Fitz chuckled, pulling his shirt over his head.

He turned his back so they could see. The upper right side, where he had all three kids' names written out, first and middle, in the same cursive lettering that Olivia's name was written in on his wrist. All done by the same tattoo artist, Trevor.

They both patted his upper back, delighted at seeing their names spelled out. Little Harper's, too.

"Yay!" Elle exclaimed. "One more."

"The other drawing. The drawing on your fingers," Thomas agreed.

They smiled at each other and both held out their left hands, turning their ring fingers so the dates could be seen. These ones were identical, and their most recent additions. Their wedding anniversary date in Roman numerals, written horizontally across the sides of their ring fingers.

That one had come about because when Fitz played baseball, he had to take his wedding ring off, or else it would rub and feel uncomfortable under his batting glove. And he really didn't like to take it off.

So Olivia came up with that solution. It was cute and subtle, and didn't draw any attention. But it was there, and it was meaningful.

He, of course, was far less thrilled about the idea, simply because of his opinion on needles. But with having gotten the kids' names on his back already, he knew he could do it again. They were pretty sure there would be no more tattoos in their future. But the ones they had meant a lot to them. And apparently, to their kids as well. Their "drawings."

"Pretty," Elle said. "I want one."

"Ha! Yeah, you're gonna have to wait a while, silly girl," Fitz chuckled, putting his shirt back on.

"But we can have the ones that rub off in the water?" Thomas asked.

"Yes. Those ones you can have," Olivia laughed, kissing his head. "Alright. Are we ready for storytime?"

"Yes!" They both exclaimed.

Olivia read one book, and Fitz read the other. They read them slow and very dramatically, as that got the best reaction out of them. Usually laughter.

But by the end of the two, they were both sleepy. Elle was laying her head in her mom's lap, holding tightly to her hand. And Thomas was absolutely passed out, leaning against his sister's body. His beloved "Ellie."

So Olivia tucked little Elle into her bed, pulling the covers up over her and adjusting her bonnet to make sure it wouldn't move throughout the night.

Both Olivia and Fitz gave Elle a kiss.

"Goodnight, baby. I love you," Olivia smiled, stroking her soft cheek gently.

"Night, momma. I love you."

"Goodnight, E. Sleep well, I love you," Fitz whispered, patting her arm.

"Love you, daddy, goodnight," she murmured, grabbing his finger tiredly and closing his eyes.

He smiled, kissing her hand and slipping his finger out of her grip so he could grab Thomas.

He scooped up the sleeping boy in his arms, and Olivia followed him out, shutting off Elle's light.

She shut her door just a bit, before going next door to Thomas' room. He laid him down, and they adjusted his covers. Both giving him a kiss, and telling him they loved him even though he was asleep. It was just as important.

After shutting his door a little bit, they went to check on Harper one last time. Sweet Arie was laying outside her nursery, as Arie always did. The sweetest, most protective dog they thought had ever existed. Although, they were probably biased in that regard, too.

Harper was fast asleep, with her pink poodle right next to her.

So now that their three kids were safely tucked into bed, they went to do one of their favorite things.

Not in the bedroom.

They encouraged Arie to come with, and they went out to the back porch, where their marvelous wooden porch swing sat in the corner.

And there they sat, enjoying the summer evening breeze, and the sounds that came with it. Some people were still out on their boats, either fishing, or just going for an evening cruise. It was a pretty sight to see, all of the lights on the boats lit up, and shining on the lake.

There were still sounds of their neighbors, both near and far; some slight laughter and audible chatter.

The smell of the outdoors, and of bonfires nearby.

Her husband's arm around her, and his body next to hers. Her dog's snout prodding her hand, so that she would pet her.

It was a pretty nice evening.

"Nice to see you," Olivia whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Nice to see you, baby," he whispered back, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

Sometimes, in quiet, peaceful moments like these, she would think about how she had gotten to where she was today.

A fantastic husband, three beautiful children, and her sweet dog.

Her loving parents, three grandparents still with her to date, and all her wonderful extended family members.

All her little cousins, each getting older and more mature every time she saw them.

And her older ones, doing amazing things. Her cousin Dillon, off traveling the world with his boyfriend, Lucas. They were both working in the medical research field, and had taken an extended period of time off to do what they'd always wanted to do together. Olivia was envious. Their social media pictures displaying each new place they visited were gorgeous.

Her cousin Macy, also in the medical field. She was a nurse. And along with that, she was engaged to none other than her great friend Harrison Wright. He'd proposed to her this summer, and they'd _all_ been there to see it. They were a great couple, no doubt. One she would have never foreseen, that was for sure. But a really good one.

Then there was her best friend. The best friend she'd had ever since her freshman year of college. Happily married to the love of her life, with one perfect little boy, and a girl on the way. And knowing how adorable that little Benjamin Rosen was, that little girl was going to be just precious.

Little Benny, who was a mere boy of two, was Olivia's godson, and she, like Abby, took her godmother duties very seriously. She spoiled that sweet red-headed boy _rotten_ whenever she could.

Then, there were her sweet friends back home, the other two members of their beloved "three musketeers." Two members that she still considered her best friends; and who were now happily married to each other. Stephen and Sandra were living the life in Virginia Beach. They didn't want any children, but they had _three_ dogs, all of which, they loved immensely. They had fantastic jobs, an elegant house, and a great marriage. They all tried to get together as often as they could, despite the long distance between them.

Their other friends that were a little ways away were also doing fantastic. Brett, Lauren, and Mia still lived in Pennsylvania, and Mia was now in middle school, which baffled both Olivia and Fitz. Fitz had known her since she was just a baby, and now she was growing up so fast. As was Riley, just a couple years older than Mia. He and his parents, Matt and Emma, still lived in New York, as did Jason and Janelle. Their little Lucy was _three_ now.

Then there was Charlie and Quinn, and their adorable little girl, Robin. She was just four months old, and looked _just_ like Charlie. They were all pretty excited to get together for Charlie and Quinn's wedding this fall, where Benny was even going to be part of the wedding party as the ring bearer. Another chance to see everyone all together was always awesome. And knowing Charlie and Quinn, their wedding would be a great time.

 _Even_ if not everyone could drink and go crazy at the reception. For example, Abby, who was 16 weeks pregnant, as well as another female member of their friend group.

Teagan. She was 13 weeks pregnant with a boy, they'd just found out last week.

She and Huck, also happily married now, planned to name him Diego, after Huck's dad, who'd passed away shortly before Huck went to college. He was the reason for many of Huck's tattoos. And now, their little boy would honor him as well.

Thinking about where they all were today always made her smile. Because she remembered how they all started off. Just a crazy bunch of college kids who were all unbelievably smart in their own ways, but _sometimes_ , still up to no good.

Studying a lot, but drinking too much, probably. Meeting new people and taking chances. Suffering through heartbreaks, and falling in love.

And they did it all together.

And now, here Olivia sat, appreciating everything. Appreciating the blessed life she lived, with all the amazing people in it.

And the love of her life by her side through it all. The man who knew her better than anyone else. The man who still gave her butterflies, and made her heart beat fast. The man that was her rock, and her best friend. The man that had once been...

 _Forbidden._


End file.
